Free Bottom Feeder by Deborah LeBlanc Page B

floor, Lervette walked up to one of
the barrels and pulled off the lid. The stench that rolled out from
inside the barrel gave a whole new definition to rot, and it plowed
into Nina like a freighter hauling dead cows. She doubled over, dry
heaving.
    “You bes’ pay attention,” Lervette said.
“’Cause I’m just gonna tell you dis one time.” She paused, waiting
as Nina, still gagging, righted herself. “De sack feed is for de
pigs out back. See dem plastic buckets? Fill half de buckets wit’
rice-bran, de other half wit’ water. De faucet’s out by de
pens—so’s a broke shovel handle. Use dat handle to mix de bran and
water real good, den dump the mix in de troughs. You
un’erstand?”
    Afraid to speak lest she start dry-heaving
again, Nina nodded. God, what had she gotten herself into?
    “Good.” Lervette set the barrel lid on the
floor, then grabbed the oar. “Now Maudwan him, he don’t eat no
bran. You gotta feed him what’s in de barrel.” With that, Lervette
stuck the paddle in the barrel and worked it back and forth and
around. Thick sloshing, gurgling sounds rose from inside along with
a stench so horrid, Nina felt herself grow faint. She had little
doubt that even if she stuck her head in the swollen belly of
week-old road kill it would smell far better than this.
    “See, all de good stuff settles to de bottom
so you gotta stir ‘cause Maudwan only eats what’s to de bottom. Now
when you got dat all stirred good, take dat metal bucket, fill it
up wit’ swill, den pour dat in his trough. Four buckets each feed,
and you feed t’ree times a day.” Lervette pulled out the paddle,
propped it against the barrel, then picked up the metal bucket and
handed it to Nina. “You can go on and start now ‘cause I know
Maudwan’s hungry. I’m gonna go back to de house. Got some clothes
to get off de line before de rain comes.” Before Nina had a chance
to protest, Lervette left the shed.
    Nina stood, bucket in hand, her empty stomach
cramping and roiling with nausea. She didn’t care if Maudwan
starved to death or even if she starved, no way was she
going to go stirring around in that gross-ass barrel. No amount of
money was worth that.
    “She won’t let you go.”
    Startled, Nina whirled about. The little girl
she’d seen earlier stood just inside the door of the shed, the same
sad look on her face. “Jesus, you scared the sh—the heck out of me!
You shouldn’t sneak up on people like that.”
    “She never lets any of them go.”
    Nina frowned. “You mean Lervette? Is she your
mama?”
    The little girl stared at her, not offering a
response.
    “Your grandmother?”
    Silence, save for a sudden gust of wind
pushing past the doorway.
    “Who doesn’t she ever let go?”
    After studying Nina for a moment longer, the
girl finally said, “He was bad, and they were bad. She punished
them. That’s why he eats from the bottom. That’s why they have to
feed from the bottom. Not all of them, though. Not all. You have to
go—but I can show you.”
    Confused and thinking the child might be
mentally challenged, Nina didn’t question her further. She set the
bucket on the floor and had every intention of making a quick exit
when the girl suddenly held out a hand.
    “I’ll show you,” she said again.
    “Show me what?”
    The girl lowered her hand. “Money.”
    Nina snapped to attention. “Money where?”
    Instead of answering, the child turned and
slipped silently out of the shed.
    “Wait!” Nina sprinted after her, but when she
got outside, the girl was nowhere to be seen. Not in the yard that
stretched between Maudwan’s pen and the shed, not even by the
house, which was a few hundred yards away. How could a little girl
disappear that fast?
    “Where are you?” Nina called. When she didn’t
get an answer, she raced toward the back of the shed. It was the
only logical place the kid could have gone in such a short period
of time.
    Nina cornered the back corner of the building
and came to