After dinner, Nathan hopped in his truck and drove to Kim’s neighborhood. He pulled over several houses away from where she lived. He didn’t want Mr. Swanson to see him. He shut off his lights and waited. A few moments later, Kim came tiptoeing through the hedges. She was skilled at sneaking out. She got in the truck and planted a big kiss on Nathan.

            “I missed you so much,” she said. “We have a lot of time to make up for.”

            Nathan took Kim’s hand. He removed a ring from his pocket and slipped it on her finger.

            Trying to mask his nervousness, he said solemnly, “This ring means I promise my heart to you for the rest of time.”

            Kim lifted her hand to look at the ring. It was gold in the shape of two hearts. A small zirconium chip was embedded at the point where the hearts met. It was cheap but all Nathan could afford. To Kim it was the most elegant gift she’d ever received. She was too young to marry and her father would never agree to it. This ring meant that as soon as she was of age, they would wed. It was a pre-engagement ring. With tears of joy, she kissed Nathan.

            Nathan was delighted with her reaction. He was shipping off to basic training soon and wanted to make sure there was no question about his intentions. He started up the truck. He was going to take her to Chubby Boy, a favorite burger joint for teenagers. As he began to turn the vehicle toward town, Kim grabbed the steering wheel.

            “Why don’t we go to Filkins Run?” she asked coyly.

            Filkins Run, a creek by the swamp, was an ideal spot for illicit sex. Kim’s suggestion caught Nathan off guard. He hadn’t expected for her to be the one to make the first move.

            “I’m ready to test our love,” she said with a smile, “Are you?”

            Nathan was ready, sort of. He turned right on Route 33 and headed for the swamp. Kim wanted to put their love to the test because of the local legend of Pigmalion. According to the story, a giant pig—some said as big as a thousand pounds—lived in the swamp. It wasn’t the kind of pig that would live on a farm. It was a wild boar with massive tusks and a taste for human flesh. The legend foretold that if a man and a woman went all the way at Filkins Run and the pig didn’t show, their love was genuine. However, if it weren’t true love, Pigmalion would appear and devour the young lovers.

            Going to Filkins Run was not what Nathan had in mind for their first time of lovemaking. He had planned to get a motel room before he left for basic training. He wanted to make it as memorable as possible. Doing it in a truck out in the swamp wasn’t his idea of romance. But he couldn’t refuse Kim. He guessed it didn’t matter where they did it as long as they were in love.

            As they drove down the dark gravel road, Nathan could tell Kim was nervous. He reached over and held her hand. He was nervous too, but for different reasons. Kim probably half believed in the legend, while he was more worried about losing his virginity. He had a theoretical understanding of sex, but no real expertise. His “hands on” experience was a poor substitute for the real thing.

Even if Kim, like a lot of people in town, believed in Pigmalion, he didn’t scorn her for it. Many folks had claimed sightings, and Edwin Reese said he kept a pile of its feces in his freezer. Several cattle mutilations had been blamed on the illusive beast. Even Nathan’s dad had lost more than a few hogs under mysterious circumstances.

            But to Nathan, the legend was pure bunk. He knew too much about hogs to believe it. A wild boar and a domesticated pig were the same animal. On the farm, a pig didn’t need tusks and hair to survive. Out in the wild they did. In fact, he knew that you could take a cute pink little piggy, toss it out in the woods and in a matter of weeks it would grow course hair and tusks for rooting. In any case, wild or domestic, pigs didn’t hunt people.

            They neared Filkins Run. Nathan’s insides were churning. He thought it was anxiety, but it turned out to be his digestive tract. He must have eaten some bad barbeque. He thought his bowels were better trained, but he couldn’t wait. What a horrible time for this, he fretted, as he pulled off to the side of the road. Kim scooted over toward him.

            “Hang on. I have to take a leak,” he lied. He was too embarrassed to tell her the truth. Nothing would ruin the moment more than his impending explosive diarrhea.

            Nathan kissed her on the forehead and exited the truck. He scurried into the seclusion of the trees. It was a dark night with only a sliver of moon. The air was chilly, but not cold. Using all of his inner strength, he held the bowel movement at bay until he knew Kim couldn’t see him. He found a small tree and hauled down his pants. Grabbing the tree with both hands, he leaned back. The “orangutan hang” was a clever way to avoid splattering the back of his shoes.

            As Nathan jettisoned the remains of a tainted barbeque sandwich, the stench almost overpowered him. He hoped he wouldn’t carry the smell with him back to the truck. As more whiffs of the foul stink reached him, he realized it wasn’t coming from him. Something else in the darkness was causing the putrid odor.

            Nathan was almost finished when he heard a loud crash and Kim’s scream of fear. The unexpected noise startled Nathan, causing him to lose his grip on the tree. He fell back into the pile of waste. Kim continued to scream. A frenzied banging sounded like his truck was being smashed with a sledgehammer. Nathan scrambled to his feet and tried to secure his pants. He ran back toward the truck, stumbling and falling. As he got closer, he could hear guttural grunts mixed in with Kim’s cries for help.

            Nathan began to holler as he ran up on the truck. A large shape in the darkness moved swiftly away and disappeared into the darkness. The passenger door of the truck had been ripped off its hinges. Kim was still inside the cab but, to his horror, she was soaked in blood. Whoever had mauled her was still around. Nathan could hear him grunting and rustling about and was sure he was coming back for more.

He didn’t want to take time to think. He jumped in the truck, turned the key, and punched the gas pedal. As he sped away, something hit the back of the truck with such force that it sent the vehicle sideways. The lights from the truck caught the shape of a man standing in the woods. The vision was so brief that Nathan didn’t get a good look. Instinct was in charge. Nathan righted the truck and hit the accelerator.

            Kim’s screams grew weaker until all he could hear were whimpers. Nathan tried to ascertain the extent of her injuries. There was so much blood it was hard to tell where she was injured. She was struggling to keep her eyes open.

            “Don’t sleep on me. I’ll get you to the hospital, but you have to stay awake,” he said. Fear laced his voice.

            As he drove at breakneck speed, Kim began to make a hissing noise. Maybe her lung is punctured, he thought. She was fading fast. He floored the gas pedal. If he could get her to the emergency room, maybe she’d be okay. The truck was going almost a hundred miles an hour down the dirt road. Turning onto the paved road, the momentum took them up on two wheels, nearly flipping the truck.

            He stole a quick glance at Kim. She was gurgling, and blood was coming from her mouth. Nathan gunned it. He would push the vehicle to its limits to save his love. The speeding truck caught the attention of Sheriff Hyatt, who was parked in his cruiser on the side of the road. The lawman put down his pornographic magazine and started the ignition. The special Halloween edition of Jigglin’ Juggs would have to wait.

            The Sheriff hit the lights and siren and sped off after the truck. Kim was starting to shake. Nathan had a sinking feeling in his heart. As soon as he saw the police lights behind him, he slammed on the breaks. He needed help. The truck fishtailed and came to a stop, facing the Sheriff’s car, which had also come to a halt. Nathan jumped out of the truck and ran toward the police cruiser.

            “I need help. Call an ambulance,” cried Nathan.

            Sheriff Hyatt stepped out of his vehicle. Nathan’s irrational behavior made him put a hand on his service revolver. He knew who Nathan was, but he’d seen teenagers flipped out on drugs before. It was better to be safe than sorry.

            “What’s your hurry?” the Sheriff asked in a slow drawl.

            “My girlfriend. She’s hurt. I need to get her to the hospital,” Nathan said.

            Sheriff Hyatt noticed that Nathan was covered in brown and red. The stink told him all he needed to know. He figured he had a nut-job on his hands.

            “That must have been some party, boy. You’re covered in blood and shit,” he said. “Whatcha been smoking?”

            Nathan tried to convince the Sheriff that he wasn’t high on dope. He finally persuaded the officer to look inside the cab. Sheriff Hyatt was stunned when he saw Kim. Looking over Hyatt’s shoulder, Nathan saw that Kim’s right leg and arm were missing. Both appendages were savagely torn at the joints, dripping with gore. The floor pan of the truck was filled with her blood. The Sheriff was no doctor, but he could tell she was dead. He turned to Nathan.

            “I’m sorry son. She’s gone,” he said solemnly.

            Nathan was overwhelmed. It took all of his control to hold back his tears. He wanted to grab Kim and hug her, but he was afraid. As the Sheriff’s eyes swept over the truck, he spotted a bloody axe in the truck bed. Nervously he drew his gun. The sudden movement of the Sheriff caused Nathan to jerk. Nathan’s reaction spooked the Sheriff and he smashed the pistol on the boy’s head. Nathan collapsed on the road, conscious but dazed.