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At last the storm had broken。
The Codorus Creek had long been a sin…eater for the Industrial Revolution： a chemical cessway； accepting and dispensing with the intemperate by…products of the good life。 Defense plants； research laboratories； factory farms； electroplate shops； paper mills； and landfills routinely decanted their excreta there。 As such； even in the days before Boonie； it was already laced with 〃acceptable〃 levels of a thousand wild…card contagions： leads； cyanides； arsenics； alkalies； chlorinated hydrocarbons； dioxins； trioxons； trichlorophenal residues； poisons； and pesticides galore。
But now there was a rusting graveyard under the waters beneath Black Bridge： tons upon tons of crushed drums and rotting husks； choking the space beneath the muddy surface。 Most had long since popped their corks； but quite a few were still intact： fifty…five…gallon pockets of concentrated death； corroding the barrels from either side and then suppurating into the slipstream。
Carcinogens settled in its silt； drifting lazily on their way to the river and the sea： mutagens skinned its sluggish surface； quietly rearranging the molecular building blocks of everything they touched。 Carp and hardier garbage…eaters slid through its murky currents： gills siphoning oxygen； stockpiling pestilence。
Mindlessly laying their eggs。
Black Bridge was a toxic ground zero； an industrial Instant Primordial Stew。 Only one century in the making； and already as rich as the brew from which all life…as…we…know…it sprang。 Across the country； across the globe； countless thousands just like it lay dormant and sleeping。
It was only a matter of time before the next wake…up call。
At 3：27 that morning； it came。
〃BOMBS AWAY！〃 Boonie cried； and rolled another one down the chute。
〃Bombs away！〃 Drew reiterated； dropping the gate。 It jutted over the rail like a stumpy steel diving board。
A cobalt…blue fifty…five…gallon drum stenciled DANGER rumbled down the slight incline of the truck bed； then off and into the blackness below。 There was a beat of silence as gravity took over； then a deep wet thwump almost musical in timbre as it broke the creek's surface like a cannonball。 A plume of water shot high into the air； then rained back down in a pelting； misty spray。
〃Bull's…eye！〃 Drew cackled as he turned around。 〃Fuckin' aye！〃 He was stoned as a bastard now； relaxing behind the job。 With his red bandanna pulled up over his nose to cut the fumes； he looked like a cross between Bazooka Joe and the Frito Bandito。
〃Awright！ Drewie gets a woody！〃 Boonie bellowed through his own paisley kerchief。 〃Shit； cuz； I knew you'd e 'round！〃
The rain came down in earnest now； wet and steady。 And warm； Boonie noted； strangely out of place； a summer storm snaking up from out of nowhere to thread through the chill November night。 The warring fronts slammed together like invisible giants。 Warm rain hit cold ground and hissed like whispering voices。
Boonie left his cab door open anyway； the better to hear the radio。 Starview 92 classic rock was layin' down some fine old Allman Brothers； and they had the volume cranked to Brother Greg's moody classic； 〃Midnight Rider。〃
Yeah； man； Drew smiled to himself； nodding in time with the tune。 That's exactly who we are。 We're the fuckin' midnight riders； man。 It gave him a little surge of pride； made him feel real good about himself。
In fact； Drew was feeling fine。 Never better。 They were soaked； but it was great； a warm wind whipping around them； the whole world glowing and pulsing in time with the music。
Boonie was trading air…guitar licks with the late great Brother Duane。 Drew grinned at him and sucked on the joint through his impromptu mask。 It gave him a toothless shadow mouth。 He toked again and sucked the scarf full into his mouth； went bluh bluh bluh through the red cotton maw。 Goddam； but he was funny sometimes。
His lips began to tingle。
The song ended； segued into 〃Riders on the Storm。〃 〃Okay！〃 Boonie hollered。 〃Ready up！ Only thirteen more to go！〃
〃Fuckin' aye！〃 Drew yelled back absently； thinking about his lips。 The tingle was now a slight burning sensation。 It was probably just the dope。 Sometimes Boonie did dumb shit to get high； like cop some lame weed and lace it with crack or dust or whatever he had lying around。 It made you； like； ultra…aware of your senses。 Like the rain； trickling water down his spine。 Like the howl of the wind through the trees； or the throb in his brain from sucking up all those fumes 。。。
〃Ech；〃 Drew spat。 His lips were really burning now； and worse； he could taste it： a bitter； pungent； distinctly chemical flavor。 It stuck pins in the tip of his tongue and tickled at the roof of his mouth。
It was starting to make him nervous。
〃Hey； Spacely Sprocket！〃 Boonie yelled。 〃You gonna give me a hand with this？〃 Drew turned to look at him； the barrel he was angling onto its side。
〃Boonie。〃 The name tasted vile in his mouth； down his throat。 And his eyes were beginning to itch。
〃What？〃 Impatient。
〃Dude； I don't feel so good。〃 He rubbed at his eyes； and the burn redoubled。 〃Ouch！ Sonofabitch！〃 Now his nostrils were burning； and the smell was getting stronger。 〃Something's wrong here； man 。。。 〃
〃Don't get paranoid on me； Drew。 I thought we were havin' fun。〃
〃Yeah； but 。。。 〃
A thunderclap ignited in fiery gray light； directly above their heads。 Drew's bones nearly flew out through his skin； he could feel his nerves jangle and his heartbeat rev。 〃Christ！〃 he yelled； feeling suddenly lightheaded。
The thunderclap faded。
But the gray light remained 。。。
。。。 and that was when they heard the sound： a crackling like ravenous flame； huge as it welled up to bury the silence。 The world's largest wad of cellophane； crinkling slowly in the hand of an angry god。 Black static； edging in from another dimension。
ing up from the water below。
Drew turned to look at Boonie。 Boonie's answering stare was uncharacteristically blank。 What the fuck 。。。 ？ Drew watched him mouth； but the sound refused to carry。 The barrel slipped out of his grasp and thundered to the truck bed on its side。 Drew winced； felt it rather than heard it。
And still the roaring drone persisted； maddening： more liquid than static； the longer he listened。 He turned toward it； staggering for the gate： head muzzy； body voltaged numb。 The roach dropped unnoticed from between his thrumming fingers。
As Drew stared out over the edge。
At the terrible source of the sound。
The fish were trying to get out of the water。 There was no other way to describe it。 They were literally throwing themselves into the air： leaping up and flailing in desperate but fleeting defiance of gravity。 As if they were trying to spontaneously evolve； evolve into birds who could fly off to heaven； evolve into anything that could possibly escape and survive。
No where。
No way。
He watched in horror as the water beneath them began to bubble and churn。 Then the gray light flickered； faded to black。
Behind him； Boonie let out a scream。
Drew turned just in time to see the drum rumbling toward him； picking up speed as it closed on the edge。 It was the one that had slipped from his cousin's grip； but it wasn't the only one moving。
The whole back of the truck was a flurry of jittery motion； the last dozen barrels rocking and shuddering on their bases。 As if something had e alive inside of them。
As if that something wanted out。
Drew barely managed to sidestep the drum as it thundered past him； disappeared over the side。 There was one long； astonishingly pregnant moment of roaring silence。
Then the drum broke the surface； like egg…drilling sperm。
And thus was the new world conceived。
Born of poison raised in poison claiming poison for its own it rose a miracle of raw creation hot black howl of life and death intertwined and converted to some third new option agony blip with an echoing tail so long it seemed to have gone on forever only now the tail was wagging the dog dredging up silt and sewage bursting metal eggshell skins in a riotous shrapnel dance of power surging self…aware gathering mass assassinating shape infesting polluting corrupting in hideous birthday celebration it rose already killing and stared into the face of its maker。
Drew was less than six feet away from the rail when the massive liquid blowback erupted： a solid pillar of displaced fluid that shot from the creek to the peak of Black Bridge in a fraction of a second。 It towered above him and stayed there； impossible： fracturing physics； disemboweling logic。
Coalescing into form。
The creature loomed； not freeze…framed or static but swaying like a wind funnel； an enormous oily serpent。 Against the black sky； it did not look real； but he could feel the incredible life…shredding charge of its presence； pulsating in the air。 It made every hair on his body stand on end in total； mortal terror。
And then the lightning struck； releasing him utterly from his sanity。 In the light； he could see all too clearly the things that suffered and swirled within it。 Could see the rusted struts and rott