Snatched

by Ian Woodhead

  "Help me!" I cried, higher in my voice a couple of octaves. "Oh God, no don't."

  As I predicted, the gullible fool run into the room whereupon, I cracked him hard on the back of the head. He hit the floor like a sack of dropped potatoes.

  "I would have got away with it if it hadn't been for you pesky policemen," I said before getting to work on them.

  ---

  Jefferson Walsh awoke exactly twenty minutes later. During the time that Sleeping Beauty had been in dreamy land, I'd been most industrious. Before I got to work, I just had to see who I'd snared. His phone told me everything I wanted to know about Jefferson and more besides. For a start he was married and had two daughters. Both in their early teens. He had quite a rather large circle of friends as well. What Brought a smile was the discovery of Jefferson's rather steamy affair with a young and attractive WPC. The dirty bastard even snapped off a couple of selfish while fucking her up the arse.

  I sent those images to everyone on his contact list. The thought of his beautiful daughters finding those in their inboxes made me very hard. Solid enough that it only took a few tugs before I came. My thick spunk landed on the tip of Jefferson's nose. It looked like the copper had a snotty nose. I found that very funny as well.

  By the time my new friend opened his dazed eyes, I had already made myself respectable. I sat on an upturned milk crate while enjoying the sunlight which warmed the inside of Bennie's shed.

  Jefferson didn't even notice the ejaculate. I guess this was due to me tying his arms, legs, and neck to his dead buddy's associated body parts. It also probably had something to do with finding himself in the garden shed and teetering on the edge of a four-foot deep pit that I had found under the floorboards.

  When I catch up with Bennie, I do intend to ask him exactly why the fuck he had a grave-shaped hole under his shed.

  “Now then, Jefferson. Welcome back to the land of the living, for however brief your stay might be. I bet you are wondering what is going to happen to you?” He offered me no reply as I had taped up his mouth. “Well, as you have already figured out, your pal is totally dead. This is a shame as he sounded like a better person than you.”

  I took out his phone and snapped off a couple of shots to show Donnie later on. I might also send these to everybody on his contact list as well but that will have to wait for a few days, until I am sure he is dead.

  “Are you aware of what happens to the human body once the spirit has buggered off? I'll tell you anyway. The corpse bloats. The bacteria in the guts breaks down the body's tissues which releases gas. Now, can you imagine what will happen to you when that body tied to you inflates like a big fucking balloon?” He was really struggling now.

  “Oh, don't worry, this won't happen for at least a week and by that time, you might already be dead.” I stood up, tipped an imaginary hat before rolling them into the hole.

  I replaced the floorboards, pushed the table back over them and left the shed, making sure to lock up after. The sun was now beating down. It really was a beautiful day. It annoyed me that Bennie wasn't home but it wouldn't take much effort to track him down. After all, he was a creature of habit.

  As I made my way back to the car and gave the house one final look. I could not believe the state of Bennie's place. He really did live like a pig. No wonder he was still single.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  I left my brother's bodies under my mother's window for a further two weeks to punish her. The animals must have thought all their birthdays had come at once at the sight of so much meat. The crows fought the foxes during the day while the badgers ate their fill once the moon came up. Not many touched Tommy but they sure did enjoy David. There wasn't that much left by the time it came to finally put the pair of them into the ground.

  My life had settled down to a routine of quiet work and learning once I became the last boy in the household. Mum stayed out of my way, only venturing out of her room to forage twice a week and that generally happened when she thought I was sleeping. I used to watch her fragile form pick her way through the garden, always stopping at the spot where I put the boys before disappearing into the night.

  Working in our large garden ate up most of my day. I spent endless hours either turning over the soil, weeding or sowing seeds for the next years harvest. It was back-breaking work but it helped to keep my mind occupied. I spent the hours after dark working through the collection of books in the house library.

  My two favourite subjects turned out to be anatomy, both animal and human and ancient history. It was from these books where I learnt how to build a basic snare. This device came in most useful as by this time, her trips out into the outside world were becoming rather flaky. She hardly ever returned with anything useful, a couple of tinned peaches or perhaps a few old potatoes were the best I could hope for. As for fresh meat, she never brought that back home anymore.

  In the first week alone, the snares that I had set on the outskirts of our property rewarded me with two plump rabbits as well as a black and white male cat. I admit that both the skinned cat and one of the rabbits went into a pot along with some of the vegetables from the garden. The food in that old metal pan kept me going for almost a week.

  I did manage to curb my greed and place the remaining animal in the freezer for when the winter set in. By that time, I hoped to have a few small animals all ready to defrost and consume. I wasn't sure whether she saw my new skill as a sign or that the woman was going to dramatically change anyway. Just a few days after I ate the last of my stew, she left the house for the last time. Upon her return, the old bitch dropped her foraging bag onto the kitchen table, ordered me to start wearing clothes before running upstairs and into her bedroom. I waited until she slammed her door before looking inside the bag.

  It contained soil that stank of rot and a few tiny pieces of bone.

  ---

  In the next few months since that event, it is fair to say that my transition did not go quite as I imagined it. The role of the forager was far more complex than anything that I had ever set out to do. Of course, it is also fair to say that after the first year, I was more accomplished in this job than she had ever been, and this was without instruction.

  I only took from houses what would not be missed, a few notes from a packed wallet dropped on a coffee table, I took meat and small bags of veg from a freezer, perhaps a couple of tinned food from someone's cupboard. I never visited a house more than once and I instinctively knew which homeowner invested in alarms, whether electronic or animal. Locks proved to be of no concern as a couple of books in the library showed you how to pick even the most difficult of locks.

  I stopped questioning how I could become so proficient in my new job so quickly. I guess that, unlike most people, I have a talent for picking up skills without much effort.

  In that first year, I picked up more than my fair share of hidden talents.

  My body changed too. The hard work that I put into maintaining the garden as well as the profusion of teenage hormones surging through me ensured that I grew from a boy into a man within a few months. I did not become as large as David but if he had still been alive, I reckon I could have easily taken him in a fair fight.

  I also had my fair share of sex. Granted, it was only with mum but it still counted. Not that she was much use. I still don't think she had recovered from when David raped her in the summer before. To be honest, fucking her felt more like fucking a living corpse as she never ever moved and made a sound when I was in her bedroom. Still, it did help to keep the demons at bay.

  ---

  She died a year later.

  I found her lying on the floorboards, beside her bed, her hand still holding a bottle of pills. I had never seen that bottle before. I never brought the woman any drugs. I could only guess that she had stored them from back when she used to leave the house. Seeing her lying there brought no distinct, quantifiable emotion to my surface apart from one of regret, as I now had nothing to fuck.

  As I grew bo
lder in my outside exploration and my contact with other humans became more frequent, I also found that my sexual urges grew more intense until it became the norm for me to fuck this woman twice, sometimes three times a day. I did once wonder if I had caught some kind of hereditary disease, one which turns the late teenage boy into a vile sexual predator, like it had with David.

  I stood above the woman's cooling corpse, my gaze travelling up her shapely thighs and for the first time in months I thought about Tommy. I then wished that he was still alive, that I hadn't killed him. Not because I craved company but I know that he would have made the ideal substitute.

  The woman still gave me pleasure for a few more days. It wasn't that different from when she was alive. The only real difference was having to use the hair-dryer on her cunt before fucking her. I had to admit defeat after the fourth day, once the flies got into her. She was unceremoniously dumped into the lake.

  Her bodily fluids leaking into the ground and contaminating the crops never bothered me as by this time, I was getting everything I needed from outside.

  I think her death was the best thing to ever happen as it freed me from her taint. I became a new person, one willing to become more involved with human society. I even began to interact with other people. Of course, I could never become just like my new friends as by this time, I knew that I was special. There were occasions when I felt like a lone wolf in amongst a flock of brainless sheep. Nobody ever suspected this.

  It was one of my hidden talents.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Bennie wasn't at the soup kitchen. I asked a couple of the other volunteers and none of them had seen him for a couple of days. Asking Bethany was obviously out of the question as this was her only day off.

  As I walked back to the car, a nasty thought wormed its way into my mind and would not leave no matter how hard I tried. What if that sneaky Bennie had somehow managed to charm his way into Bethany's panties. The whole idea sounded so ridiculous. That freak wouldn't be able to get off with such a classy woman. He was about as charming as a squashed slug. Even so, the idea wouldn't leave me alone.

  In the end, I even drove over to where Bethany lived and waited outside her house for about half an hour. I did not go inside as if they were together, I'm not sure I would be able to control my actions. I did not give a fuck what happened to Bennie but I did not want to hurt her. Besides, if I did murder the pair of them in a fit of fury, how was I going to further instruct Donnie? Sure, I had the pictures of that policeman but I needed much more than that to help him continue his journey.

  Could he be at the burnt out house? I travelled back to the gutted remains, expecting him to be with the silent crowd, looking down at the blackened bricks and charred beams, wailing like a big fucking baby.

  There were plenty of people stood around but none of them matched his description. If it hadn't been for the interval with the policemen, I would have been close to losing my temper at this time. That lovely sun, which had been my constant companion all day was beginning to set. Even now, its edge had reached the rooftops.

  With my heart heavier than that sinking sun, I admitted defeat and set off for home. I might not have achieved the goal I set out but I could at least take some comfort in knowing that I did not return empty handed.

  We were all due to work at the soup kitchen tomorrow. I would just have to snag them instead. As I drove through the rush hour traffic, I did think about taking Bethany home instead. I would really like to put her through the paces.

  I decided against that, at least for the moment. If I was to take her back, the showing would certainly not be a public one. It would be nice to have Bethany at the house permanently. Coming home to fuck that one would certainly brighten my day. Obviously, I would need to show the woman just how good I am at fucking because once she felt me inside her, she wouldn't want anyone else. This much I know. In fact, she'd probably beg to move in with me.

  It would be nice to have another woman in the house again.

  I reached the outskirts of my house, got out of the car and stretched my arms and legs. It sure had been a long day and right now, although I was very tired, I know that I needed to eat something. I hadn't realised until leaving the car that apart from the breakfast I made for us, I hadn't eaten.

  I made my way through the neglected garden, thinking that perhaps with another adult in the house, I might be able to get the land looking half decent again. I remember how good it once looked.

  Donnie would probably want feeding as well. I'd probably have to take a look at that bean finger too. I didn't want it to become infected.

  I opened the front door and stopped dead. The house felt completely different. I could not put my finger on what it was but something had been altered in the time that I had been gone. I silently eased the door shut, stood perfectly still and allowed my full senses free rein. It took exactly three seconds to spot what had changed.

  There should be a fork lying on that kitchen table, next to the toaster. Somebody else was in the house. It couldn't be Donnie, there is no way that he would be able to get free from those chains.

  As I approached the closed door, leading to the living room, another change became noticeable. Somebody had lowered the volume, it should be twice as loud. Any normal person would become scared or at least flustered by this new predicament. Obviously, this did not apply to me. In fact, it almost made up for not finding Bennie. I had a burglar, somebody had taken it upon themselves to try to rob me. This was very exciting. I just wished that I had kept that policeman's baton.

  This did not deter me. I simply took one of my many knives instead. I am not too sure how they were reacting to the incarceration of Donnie or the entertainment that I had arranged for him. My gut instinct told me that they probably didn't particularly care. They were only here for my valuables, not to give me any lesson about how to bring up my child. I know this as I saw many strange things when I used to enter other people's houses. They probably turned it down so they would hear the occupant return.

  I grinned to myself as I put my hand on the door handle, they obviously didn't take into account that the house they broke into belonged to a monster. I gripped the knife a little too hard. Sweat dripped down my spine. God, this was exciting, it turned out that Donnie would be getting a live showing tonight after all.

  I heard a male voice, followed by the sound of a child crying. Were they hurting the boy? The excitement turned to fear as well as fury. How dare they come in here and hurt Donnie! I pushed open the door, ready to kill the first person who dared to challenge me.

  I saw Donnie sniffling while a man hunched in front of the boy, desperately trying to take those manacles off Donnie's wrists using the fork. It would have been funny if it wasn't so sad. My day only became complete when the man turned his head to face me and I stared into the terrified face of the man that I had been hunting down all day. Truly, this showed me that providence was looking after me.

  “You've bent the prongs now, Bennie,” I admonished. “I sure hope that you're going to buy me a new fork.”

  His fear quickly changed to anger. I saw another side of the man. One that I did not much care for. I was so tempted to lunge forward and embed my knife through that hateful mouth just for the sake of shutting him up. I didn't though. After all, he wasn't that far off the mark with his insults and accusations and I guess that after watching me kill his sister and her ex-husband, he was probably a tad upset with me. This was only natural.

  I calmly waited until that mouth stopped vomiting out that stream of abuse, knowing full well that before long, when I had beaten the shit out of him, stripped him naked and was thrusting my cock up his bleeding arse, dear Bennie would be singing a very different tune.

  The boy's eyes shifted from me over towards something hiding in the shadows at the back of the room. I followed his gaze and found myself staring at another figure. I dropped the knife in shock as I first thought it was my mum. It's only with the addition of more light when I came
face to face with Bennie's travelling companion.

  Bethany pointed a taser directly at my chest. She had taken that from the locked storage cupboards back at the soup kitchen. It was there for emergencies, in case the staff encountered trouble which could lead to a fatality. To be honest, I wasn't even sure that it still worked.

  I listened to her for a couple of seconds, basically repeating much of what Bennie had accused me of. This was like a dream come true for me. I had them both, exactly where I wanted them. I decided to tie him up first before taking Bethany to my bed. She needed to be taught what would happen to her in the future if she ever pointed a weapon at me again. After administering enough fucking pain to make her eyes bleed, I would then fuck her for the next few hours until she climaxed herself to exhaustion. That combination would ensure that she'd never leave this house ever again. I bent down to pick up my knife, intending to deal with Bennie when she shot me.

  The brief moment of indignation blossomed in my mind before my whole world exploded with blinding white light and utter agony.

  THIRTY-FOUR YEARS AGO

  I am so cold and I miss my mum. My real mum, not that vile woman up there who keeps touching me. It is hard not to cry but I daren't do that in case the noise attracts the attention of the man.

  The other boy, the big boy put me in here, a bit back and told me to keep as quiet as I could. I like him. His real name is Simon, bit they call him David. They changed my name too. I'm only supposed to be called James. The last time I said I was Franco, that man beat me until I bled.

  He told me that one of the ways he used to block out the terrible things that he did to us was to pretend that your mind was free of your body, that while that horrible bastard raped you, you were actually above them, looking down. He told me that one time, he swore blind that he could hear his own footsteps.