Billy and the Goon - 26. Chapter 26

Billy bought a device. He saw it online, and, even though he knew better, got fascinated – actually, a little obsessed.

But when it arrived, even the tiny alligator clips hurt his nipples, and he didn’t dare turn it on.

“I’ll leave it for the goon,” he decided. “He’ll know what to do.”

So when the goon turned up in Billy’s backyard one afternoon, as usual slipping in masked, Billy said, “ I bought you a toy.”

The goon refused to use it.

“Jealous I can hurt myself?” Billy teased.

“You don’t have the balls for it.”

“I don’t want it on my balls. You know where.”

“You’d scream.”

“So?”

To Billy, it seems like a great release. Just like the guy in the video.

“Those things are faked.” the goon insisted. “They’re paid actors, no matter how bad.”

“Not this one.”

And he played the ad for the goon.

It was ten minutes long, and Billy had watched it several times.

The goon shut it down in ten seconds.

“You’re right,” he admitted. “Some of that’s real – the stupid kid. Hope he was paid well.”

“It gets worse.”

“I don’t want to know.”

Billy studied the goon’s eyes through the holes in his mask. They seemed especially deep and brown.

“I want to scream,” he told the goon.

“Remember the vise grips?”

“I wasn’t ready.”

“This is a dozen times worse – it’s electricity – could give you a heart attack.”

“No way – the guy was smiling at the end. And saying it was a great ride.”

“They have to say that to make sales.”

“He was really laughing.”

“Then he’s a jerk.”

“I want to scream,” Billy repeated.

“There isn’t an isolated enough place in your house. Your neighbors would call the police.”

“Then let’s go someplace outside – it uses batteries. But I tested it on my fingers, and it’s strong.”

“I’m not surprised.”

“I want to be.”

“Drop and do a hundred,” was all the goon replied. “And yank down your shorts. Embarrass yourself.”

Billy had been mowing the lawn, so shorts and shoes were all he wore. So he was almost naked.

When he was finished, the goon told him, “Get your car keys.” And he had Billy drive them to that field, six or seven miles out of town.

They parked, walked to the center, and found their clearing. Then, the goon did something astonishing. He pulled off his own shirt and clamped the alligator clips on his own nipples. He handed Billy the controls and ordered, “Turn it to full. Fast. No slow dialing. And leave it there for fifteen seconds, no matter what I say or scream. Now tie my hands behind me.”

He set down the controls and handed Billy one of his cords. Billy did what he was told because soon he knew his own hands would be tied and his chest bared.

Finished, Billy picked up the control box – it stretched on a six-foot wire. He stood opposite the goon, who’d braced himself “at ease.”

They looked in each other’s eyes.

“Fifteen,” the goon repeated. “Count them out loud – one-one thousand... two...”

Billy nodded.

“And no more than that. I don’t want to die.”

Billy stared in the goon’s eyes and abruptly turned the dial full.

The goon melted down. He screamed one unending scream somehow jammed with cursing, commands, and pleas.

He fell to the ground and curled in a ball.

Billy was so horrified, he forgot his count. Finally, he remembered to turn back the dial.

It was far longer than fifteen seconds, and he was panicked. The goon hadn’t moved.

“Are you all right?” he asked, kneeling at his side. “Are you okay?

The goon began to sob and shake.

“I’m sorry,” Billy began. I’m sorry... sorry...”

At least, the goon was moving. Though, as he slowly began to uncurl, Billy could see his shorts were soaked.

“I’m sorry,” Billy said again, and the goon managed to rasp: “Don’t apologize.”

He was still panting.

Billy took off his own shirt, untied the goon’s hands, unclipped the alligator clips, and put them on his own nipples before the goon could focus and object. Then he turned the dial.

Somehow, through Billy’s screams, the goon found the controls only after a few seconds. And when they were finally both sitting on the ground, facing each, breathing almost normally, the goon simply said, “If you ever want to see me again, that thing goes back – today.”

It did.