This chapter is fast and confusing for Dave retelling it. It’s a bit of a whiplash. He’s woken up by John who called him and told him to come over. Dave does. Something is in John’s apartment. John isn’t making sense. He told Dave about the thing that won’t let him leave, but Dave can’t see it. When they “escape”, they go to Denny’s because John doesn’t want the hospital. Oh, yeah, John is tripping on something the “Fake Jamaican guy” from the previous chapter called Soy Sauce. And what’s the Jamaican guy’s name? Supposedly, Robert Marley, lol.
So, fake Bob gave John something in a syringe, and he’s seeing stuff.
What’s interesting is that we feel all the same confusion as Dave. Especially when he gets a phone call from John while John is sitting right in front of him, but he’s not on the phone.
So, my thoughts are the black substance in the syringe made John time travel somehow.
And Molly wants Dave to follow her somewhere.
There are lots of F-bombs, so I’m thinking I’ll make a rating system of curse words? We’ll see.
Dave drove Molly to the address on her collar. It’s Big Jim’s place. Some huge guy that’s religious with a little sister who has special needs. When attempting to return Molly, the sister peeks through the door. Essentially, she thinks her brother is dead and if Dave knows anything about it. Faux Bob probably had something to do with it because she mentioned him.
I’m unnerved because the girl has special needs, and I don’t want anything bad to happen to her.
Dave leaves the dog around back even when the girl says he can keep Molly. She’s clearly afraid, and I feel bad for her.
Dave and John make it to work. John’s been “asleep” in the car this whole time, but when Dave goes to wake him up, he doesn’t stir. Dave finds that John’s been awake this whole time, only he’s catatonic. He can’t get him to leave the car until he dangles his cigarettes in front of him like a carrot.
Is John so terrified that he can’t function? Or is it the soy sauce?
Anyways, Dave props John up to look like he’s working while he opens the movie rental place they both work at. It was back when you rented physical movies and not streaming. I know, I know, back when I had a pet dinosaur.
Anyways, Dave calls a priest and asks for advice, thinking maybe John is possessed or something.
He accidentally stabs himself with the same syringe with leftover soy sauce that John supposedly took. Dave claims the sauce is squirming and like a little spiny cactus or something. He disposes of it and then gets back on the phone with the priest, who tells him he’s eff’d.
That’s a super quick side effect or whatever he was stabbed with. Are hallucinations that fast? I’ve never done anything like that, so I wouldn’t know. That’s a lie, whatever the doctors gave me when I gave birth, and that stuff hits pretty fast when it’s straight into your veins, so I guess that makes sense.
This is so very disorientating and confusing, which is the point, I think. We’re supposed to be just as unsettled and uncertain as Dave. There are the sprinkles of horror mixed in with the sister thinking her brother died and the John’s catatonia and hallucinations which are now apparently affecting Dave visually and/or auditorially. It’s now established that John and Dave are both unreliable narrators.
I’m feeling a bit befuddled and look forward to reading more.
The plot thickens…
My rating so far:
•Coca-Cola
•Air
•Check the Locks
•I Put Down My Edamame For This
•Nose Exhale
•Ouch
•Arby’s Reverse Fries
•Swiss Cheese
•Cut
•Pumpkin Pie
•70% Dark Chocolate
Kbye!
SnS 🌹💀📜🥤
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