Free My Friends Are Dead People by Tony Ortiz Page B

weeds.
    “ What are those, Jacoby?”
she said.
    “ Welgos. They're our rides
to Lin's shop."
    Jacoby walked over to one and patted it. It
lazily opened its eyes, and gave a long soundless yawn, revealing
two sets of flat black teeth and a black tongue.
    “ We need a ride to the
North,” Jacoby said to the welgo, which looked like a large thin
jaguar, with red tear streaks.
    The welgo effortlessly lifted itself out of
the weeds and arched its body in a long drawn out stretch. It could
have been a black cheetah too, but much bigger with short silky
fur. As the welgo stretched a second time sharp claws protruded out
of its paws then receded back in. It took two smooth steps forward
and lowered itself to the ground before Jacoby, scooping him up
onto its back.
    “ Choose one,” said Jacoby,
sitting comfortably on top. The welgo's skin molded around his
legs, securing him to its body. “We have to move a little faster
than you two are going.”
    I stayed where I was. Meanwhile, a welgo
sank under Dorian and lifted him up. Another offered its back to
Katie. She was slow to climb on and automatically gripped its thin
neck the second she was lifted up. The welgo's skin instantly began
to mold around her hands.
    “ Jesse, let’s move along,”
said Jacoby.
    “ Uhhh . . .” I stalled,
spotting one resting in the corner. “How about that
one?”
    “ You’re going to have to
call her over.”
    “ It’s a she?”
    “ The only female welgo,
and the only stubborn one. But she’s fine.”
    I walked over to the last male who looked a
little bit friendlier. But the female was already approaching
me.
    “ I’m not picking you,” I
told her.
    Her round soulful eyes
gleamed at me. She didn’t seem that scary up close. She lowered her body to the
ground. Great. I grabbed her neck and climbed on. Her skin wrapped
around my hands and legs just like it did for everyone else. Her
skin was really warm. It felt like there was a layer of blankets
wrapped around my limbs.
    “ It’s warm, no?” said
Katie atop her welgo, looking perfectly at ease.
    I nodded.
    “ I don’t hear them
breathing,” Katie told Jacoby.
    “ No one does. They don’t
make a sound.”
    “ That’s impossible,” I
stated.
    “ They’re the most silent
halloweens. You’ll never hear a single sound from them.”
    Katie put her ear on her welgo’s neck and
smiled.
    “ Like Ray said, take deep
breaths and you’ll be fine,” he instructed at the gate. “They won’t
be going too fast.”
    My welgo nudged a rock, and it fell onto its
side, making a thump sound.
    “ She’s the only one who
ever makes any noise,” admitted Jacoby.
    With those words, Jacoby and his welgo were
on the move. The rest of the welgos followed, but my welgo just
stood there, scratching the top of her head against the dirt.
    “ Uhmm . . .” I said
carefully. She brought her head up. “We have to go."
    She understood and slipped out of the gate
and joined the others in the front of the house. Jacoby turned to
my welgo.
    “ One-twenty north, thirty
miles inland. You know the rest.”
    Katie folded her witch hat and tucked it
into her robe along with her red hair band. I had a feeling we were
going to arrive very soon. I grasped onto my welgo’s hide. I heard
Katie gasp as her welgo shot off down the street like a rubber
band, gone from sight within seconds.
    I clung desperately onto my welgo's neck and
took a deep breath, but before I could breathe out, we disappeared
into the night, making the rest of the world seem like it was at a
standstill. I had never experienced such speed in my life. I
clasped my arms firmly around her neck, and her skin completely
molded around my forearms. Within a few seconds, she was running on
the freeway, which looked like blurry trails of lights.
    “ G-go
f-faster! ” was all I could get out,
fighting the prickly wind.
    She jolted forward, going even faster,
shifting gracefully in and out of lanes and occasionally dodging
headlights flashing