Read Online The Golden Crystal by Nick Thacker - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Nick Thacker
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bickering and arguing matches; Wayne staying coolheaded and understated, while Jeff would exaggerate the stories beyond recognition. The effect was a hilarious hours-long epic, complete with animated descriptions and accounts acted out by the pair.
One of Bryce’s favorites was the time when twelve-year-old Wayne and ten-year-old Jeff, home for the summer from middle school, had decided to go on a camping trip for the weekend down by the farm’s brook — this time unaccompanied by their father. They’d gone to the same location plenty of times and had long before stashed gear and supplies at the campsite for a quicker setup. This particular weekend the boys had forgone their mother’s prepared picnic-style meals, planning instead to catch or hunt their own. The only food item they brought, however, was a plastic 12-ounce Coca-Cola bottle Jeff had filled with dry ice from the supermarket on the way home from school. He didn’t tell Wayne he’d brought it, and when they were about to cast their lines, Jeff filled the bottle with water, tightened the cap, and threw it in a bit farther upstream. As it floated past, he casually asked his older brother to grab it, claiming he’d accidentally dropped it in.
As Wayne reached for the bottle, the pressure inside from the reaction of the melting CO2 and water forced the plastic to expand and explode — right in Wayne’s face. Half of the busted cap left a shallow yet bloody gash from his left cheek to his ear.
At first Wayne didn’t respond. The pain of the small cut didn’t immediately set in, so Wayne’s first reaction was to chase Jeff through the campsite and neighboring farmland. Being older and faster, he eventually caught Jeff near the house and started to deliver a memorable beating — which was abruptly interrupted by their mother, who happened to glance out the kitchen window just in time. The tongue lashing she gave both boys was almost as bad as the beating Wayne had tried to give Jeff; to make matters worse, their father came home and restricted both boys to the house for a week.
Bryce had met the brothers in college in a required physical fitness course and liked them instantly. They tried to meet up often, to work out, grab a pizza, or just hang out often. By the time they’d finished their degrees — Wayne’s in Agricultural Economics and Jeff’s in Recreation Studies — Bryce had watched them grow into two of the finest men he’d had the pleasure of knowing.
When they trained together — in college or as young soldiers — they would usually get into competitive lifting sessions that would leave them sore for days afterward. Bryce loved their charismatic personalities; wherever they were, people seemed to flock to them. They had great hearts and cared for people, a trait instilled into them by their parents and cultivated over years of hard work managing the farm’s cattle, fields, and the multitude of daily chores. Bryce considered them his closest friends, even though he hadn’t seen them for more than three years prior to hiring them for this job. It was great to be back together — almost like college again.
Bryce shook off his nostalgia as he approached the final checkpoint of his round. After this stop, he’d reenter the research base for a brief 15-minute break. Following that he’d start the entire loop over again for a final round, a one-hour trip around the facility’s buildings and research labs, followed by one more check of the power plant’s core unit. Finally, after six trips around the base — equal to about a 7.5-hour shift — he’d retire for the night as the Thompson brothers and a few of the other security guards took up the early morning shift.
His last stop for the route was a small building set apart from the main facilities. Its construction was similar to the rest — white, stucco exterior with few windows — but Bryce wasn’t sure what was inside. The building had only one door on the
One of Bryce’s favorites was the time when twelve-year-old Wayne and ten-year-old Jeff, home for the summer from middle school, had decided to go on a camping trip for the weekend down by the farm’s brook — this time unaccompanied by their father. They’d gone to the same location plenty of times and had long before stashed gear and supplies at the campsite for a quicker setup. This particular weekend the boys had forgone their mother’s prepared picnic-style meals, planning instead to catch or hunt their own. The only food item they brought, however, was a plastic 12-ounce Coca-Cola bottle Jeff had filled with dry ice from the supermarket on the way home from school. He didn’t tell Wayne he’d brought it, and when they were about to cast their lines, Jeff filled the bottle with water, tightened the cap, and threw it in a bit farther upstream. As it floated past, he casually asked his older brother to grab it, claiming he’d accidentally dropped it in.
As Wayne reached for the bottle, the pressure inside from the reaction of the melting CO2 and water forced the plastic to expand and explode — right in Wayne’s face. Half of the busted cap left a shallow yet bloody gash from his left cheek to his ear.
At first Wayne didn’t respond. The pain of the small cut didn’t immediately set in, so Wayne’s first reaction was to chase Jeff through the campsite and neighboring farmland. Being older and faster, he eventually caught Jeff near the house and started to deliver a memorable beating — which was abruptly interrupted by their mother, who happened to glance out the kitchen window just in time. The tongue lashing she gave both boys was almost as bad as the beating Wayne had tried to give Jeff; to make matters worse, their father came home and restricted both boys to the house for a week.
Bryce had met the brothers in college in a required physical fitness course and liked them instantly. They tried to meet up often, to work out, grab a pizza, or just hang out often. By the time they’d finished their degrees — Wayne’s in Agricultural Economics and Jeff’s in Recreation Studies — Bryce had watched them grow into two of the finest men he’d had the pleasure of knowing.
When they trained together — in college or as young soldiers — they would usually get into competitive lifting sessions that would leave them sore for days afterward. Bryce loved their charismatic personalities; wherever they were, people seemed to flock to them. They had great hearts and cared for people, a trait instilled into them by their parents and cultivated over years of hard work managing the farm’s cattle, fields, and the multitude of daily chores. Bryce considered them his closest friends, even though he hadn’t seen them for more than three years prior to hiring them for this job. It was great to be back together — almost like college again.
Bryce shook off his nostalgia as he approached the final checkpoint of his round. After this stop, he’d reenter the research base for a brief 15-minute break. Following that he’d start the entire loop over again for a final round, a one-hour trip around the facility’s buildings and research labs, followed by one more check of the power plant’s core unit. Finally, after six trips around the base — equal to about a 7.5-hour shift — he’d retire for the night as the Thompson brothers and a few of the other security guards took up the early morning shift.
His last stop for the route was a small building set apart from the main facilities. Its construction was similar to the rest — white, stucco exterior with few windows — but Bryce wasn’t sure what was inside. The building had only one door on the
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