Vivisepulture Read Online Free

picture of the grey stone building.  A couple in tennis whites strode across the yellow gravel of the drive.
    “Matthew, I’ve got something to tell you…”
    Matthew gave a little laugh.
    “Hah.  You know, it used to be one man and his family who lived there.  Four or five people in that great building with hundreds of staff to serve their every need.  Now the world is a lot bigger and instead of five parasites living there, there are fifty.  The building seems to attract them like bees to a hive.  They look at the world and take what they want and stamp over everything else and remake it their own image.  Everything they touch they sully and turn into cheap copies of themselves.”
    He was staring at her now, staring at her significantly.  He was trying to tell her something, but why wasn’t he listening to her, doped up and doing her best to concentrate?
    Her voice was a whisper.
    “Matthew.  It’s the babies.  One of them is trying to kill the other one…”
    Did she speak that or imagine it? Matthew didn’t seem to have heard her.  He lowered his voice and spoke slowly and deliberately.  
    “You’ve been sleeping with Alex, haven’t you?” He sounded so sad.  “It’s all round the office.  You were seen leaving Monagan Hall.  I confronted him.  You know, he didn’t even bother denying it.  He just stood there grinning at me…”
    His voice was cold, yet his eyes blinked rapidly.  Katie felt a rush of shame.
    Yes Matthew, Oh I’m sorry but I couldn’t help it, he just looks at you and it’s like that’s the way is the world is going to be.  You’re right.  He just alters the world to suit himself.  He’s put his child inside me.  Don’t ask me how, but he did it.  I was already pregnant with your child when I first slept with him, but he did it anyway, because that’s what he wanted and he always gets what he wants.  He’s reproduced, put his offspring into the world without it affecting his and Helen’s lifestyle.  Their trekking in India and their twin Mercedes.  They’ll just go on doing that while I have their baby for them, and you know, Matthew, its just pushing yours aside…
    But he couldn’t hear her.  Was she speaking or hallucinating?  Matthew just went on speaking in that cold voice…
    “… Like he didn’t give a damn about being find out.  Like he’d had his fun and it just didn’t matter.  Oh Katie!  How could you?”
    His face was a mixture of anger and despair.  A tear formed at the corner of one eye.
    Oh Matthew, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, but you must listen, his child its… I read a magazine article once, baby sharks, they eat each other in the womb, wipe out their competitors…
    He absently brushed the tear from the corner of his eye.
    “I’ll stay here for the birth of my child Katie.  I’ll do that.”  He suddenly crumpled, and his face was a picture of pure misery.
    “No.  Fuck that, I’ll stay here for you Katie.  I can’t do anything else…”
    He looked away, his eyes filled with tears.  He didn’t see Katie reach out to take his hand. She needed to hold him, needed his support.
    What was it?  She was doped up on the moment, too far gone to concentrate any more…
    Her hand rubbed her stomach. Matthew’s child was in there fighting for its life.  She knew it was fighting in vain.
    She felt the lazy throb of a contraction.  They were increasing in intensity.  
    Not long now until the baby was born.

BUKOWSKI ON MARS, WITH BEER
    by
    ERIC BROWN
     
    "Wake up, Buk!"
    I opened my eyes. A guy in a silver suit and goggles was standing by the bed.
    I said, "Hey, man, it ain't Buk as in fuck. It's Buke as in puke, okay?"
    The man smiled and it reminded me of my father's smile.
    I sat up. "Where am I?"
    That last I remembered I was in a bar someplace in downtown LA. I remembered being thrown into the street and passing out. I felt fine now, not even a hangover.
    "Where's Jane?"
    "Buk," he said, getting it right this time.