Drifters

by Santos, J. A.

  I was eighteen, a year had passed since the incident with Kevin, and I was living in the forest as always. I was alone and the hunger was nothing but a mere squeaky voice in the background. By that time I had an Alice pack, that big ass military grade back pack that could hold up to eighty pounds of clothing, attires for my body, and much more. I was traveling between Oxford Virginia to Kentucky on an old path through the woods. It was funny, thirty three years old, capable of killing a man, consume his body for mere pleasure and that memory has me reluctantly sunken away a potential lover. I thought of those and I thought of the kiss Kevin had stolen and all ended the same, the hunger, that disposable part of my body that lingers on me as a not human.

  During that trip I saw myself in a dire incident. It was winter and the snow fell on my body as a blanket fell on a child at night with a caress on his cheek by his mother’s back hand. Only I am not caressed by such tenderness. I woke to the rude movement of my shoulder and a hoarse voice saying.

  “Hey, are you dead?”

  “Um, no I’m resting.” I said as soon as I sat up rubbing my eyes with the back of my hand.

  “Aren’t you cold, Missy?”

  “No.” I have never felt cold or hot just another thing the hunger brought towards me.

  “Well listen we have a camp about a mile up we would gladly share food and shelter with you if you are interested.”

  I did not thought about it and I knew the sight of a teenager with only a red flannel shirt and black jeans carrying an Alice pack was a sight they would not understand, so I said that it was okay and walked with them a mile. They were talking about their hunting experience that same morning. They were hunting outside the law since it was not hunting season and I knew this part of the forest were protected by federal law. We got to the site where they had two tents and a big red pickup truck with snow chains on it wheels for traction. There was another man sitting with his back to a tree and tending a fire he probably had started several hours back. They all were wearing cammies or BDU’s, those military uniforms. When the men tending the campfire looked up, in his face a weird smile appeared as the other two were behind me.

  “Are you sure you are not cold, because we could warm you right now.” He said.

  “No worries I will sit over there if that’s okay.” I said not really understanding what he wanted to say so I walked to the right of the fire opposite the one with the smile. I was 18 and still naïve of who the real monsters are, not me. We didn’t speak, when they offer hot cocoa I said no to the offer and I turned putting my head against the bark of the tree I was leaning and closing my eyes letting sleep invade me as an intruder does when he robs a house.

  I woke a little afterwards from the yelling and drunken party of the three men. They had cans of beers all around and some were near me. I flickered my eyes wide as I noticed I was tied with the heavy chains from one of the trucks wheels, I struggle with the chains for a while, I am strong and I did not wanted them to scare themselves after I broke those chains as if they were mere scraps of wet paper on my wrists and legs. I was so naive and so wrong.

  “You are a sweet creature.” One said as he came closer.

  “What do you want from me?” I asked my voice quivering from the fear I was showing, remember I was eighteen at that time and was learning the deal with what I was and am. Anyway, after a while another one of them came closer to me side stepping every stride from his drunken stupor. He wobbles and bends near me.

  “What does a sweat girl like you does outside in this weather and that big ass bag on her back.” He said putting his hands on my cheek and I turned my head left away from his sunken red drunk eyes and smell. He turned his head and looked over his shoulders smiling at the other two. “Who will go first?” he hollered and the two guys all stood up and rushed towards me as the man in front tore my shirt and my bra letting my open breasts out on to the open cold. His movement landed me down as he moved me so my back was to the ground. I cried and was so afraid, I knew then who the real monsters were and I was not part of that group. I struggle as the heavy chained proved to me harder to break than I thought. The man that was on top of me started to undo his pants with one hand as he unzipped mines with the other. He was drunk and totally clumsy with the zipper, but he got it eventually. I still struggled hard I pulled hard, not as hard as I can now, but if at that time I had the strength I have now they would have never gotten a chance to do what they did.

  With my pants down and I fully naked on a snowy bed in the forest, another of the men came and pushed the one on top of me and he was already ready. He introduced himself inside and that was the time I cried out loud for the first time and last for help. I moved my head to the right as he finished, then came the second doing the same and the third. That was a hell of a night for me and for them would be their last since I remember what happened to Kevin I knew that in three days they would be all dead and I would have to crack their skulls open letting out their miserable lives. I finally broke the chains as they were all laughing and patting each other’s back, they were not looking, my red hair was a mess and some was covering my red eyes. One of them turned and opened his eyes wide.

  “How?”

  “You just made the biggest mistake of your fucking lives.” I said as I notice something in my voice, it was still quivering but not from fear but more from anger and hatred, it was deeper, almost like a snarling beast had awoken.

  “What will you do little girl?” one of them said as he took out a rifle from the back of the truck putting it on his shoulder. I said nothing and took the first step towards them my arms were at my side liked wings, my hands open and fingers separated. I looked at them through my red hair, and I growled at them, first time I used the hungers extras. I growled and hissed at them, their face turned from happiness to sheer terror. All six pair of eyes opened wildly as I bent my knees a little and widen my hands to the side like wings that are going to start flapping and rushed forward to them moving from side to side as the men with the rifle unshouldered it and started pointing and firing at me, he missed every shot. When I was closed to them I broke the necks of two of them and held the other to the ground all in one swift motion like a ballerina. I was still naked and looked at him moving my head from side to side like if examining him.

  “Please, please, I’m sorry, please don’t kill me.” He pleaded.

  “I will not,” I said as I pointed to his two dead buddies’ sprawled on the floor, “they will.”

  He looked at them and then twisted his head at me still surprise for my remark. I grabbed him by the collar of his cammies and tied him to a tree with the rest of the chains from the truck. I sat in front of him as I dressed with new clothes, the others were torn and damaged by these beasts of men, and I waited.

  The first day was all just a clean day. I felt dirty and walked to a river up north leaving the man tied to the tree, his buddies right in front of him. I could hear him scream for help. The second day he started with the fever and some trembling, since he was the last I knew he would be also the last one to turn.

  “What have you done to me?” he asked me and I just said nothing as I brushed my hair in front of him, smiling.

  “Please tell me, why am I alive?” he said and I smiled at him twisting my head to the right.

  “Don’t worry you’ll see tomorrow.” My voice calm and unattached to what I knew was going to happen. On the third day the electrical twitching of the bodies started as the man tied to the tree opened wide his eyes as his buddies started to rise and one of them saying ‘I am to hungry’ and as they walked to him slowly growling hissing at him completely out of control. I watched from afar, back, sitting with the rifle over my crossed legs, waiting. I stood grabbing the rifle with one hand and walking towards them as the two were leaning over their buddy eating his flesh and drinking his blood. I looked at them as the screams of the man tied, were drowned by the gargling sound of blood flooding his mouth and I pointed the rifle at them and one by one I ended thei
r wretched life and it felt good. Not like doing Kevin that was a mistake, these men were monsters that raped an 18 year old girl. They will not be missed.

  After that incident I never have gotten any closer to a man, and my love for Marino I knew then it would only be just that, a one sided love affair that would never turn physical. Now here with Max, both of us the same and able to withstand the disease…

  “What is on your mind Miss Sara?” Max asked as my line of thought was interrupted by is question.

  “…An old memory that I will not discuss with you.” I said and grabbed my knees and pulled them closer to my chest not leaving room for him to touch me again. Although I like his touch I just could not let him do it again. I started to feel confused for my feelings for him as well as Marino’s.

  Chapter Twenty Two

  We stayed in silence resting our backs on the tree for what seemed was an everlasting moment, an awkward moment where no physical touch, no words could be produced from each other. I left behind my innocence so long ago. The sheer thing that made me human was taken away by some monsters at a winter’s night. I am now weary of the touch of others, I don’t know if they wanted the same or really just loved me as so many had said in the past, but Max is different. He is like me, exactly like me; well not exactly but the hunger lives in him as it does inside me and the prospect of not being alone in this devilish world where I have encountered so many monsters in the past that I was glad he was at my side now. I lifted my head from my knees and looked at him with a wry smile. His head tilted looking at me still smiling he had not taken the gaze of. I was about to speak when I decided not to and dove my head back to my knees. What was I going to tell him? That I am a messed up woman that was raped so far along? Yet I can be as the devil himself if a time merits it? That, I am as disturbed as the real monsters we are supposed to be. What? I am just a woman, alone, desperately looking for that one thing I really want most, the beating inside, that music that was only for those not like me.

  “Max, come here.” I said extending my hands forward and waited for him to move. He stood slowly and moved in front of me, he kneeled and I grabbed him by the collar and pushed him to the ground as I stood fast and put my knee to his back.

  “Miss Sara what are you doing.” He asked as my knee drove deeper to his back and he screams from pain. I knew this would not affect him as it would do a real human but I needed to know why he had a heartbeat.

  “How come you have beats?” I asked and pushed forward my knee breaking some ribs.

  “I don’t know” he said

  “What would happen if I stop it from beating would you die then?”

  “No.”

  “Explain it to me before I break more of your bones.”

  “I don’t know how this works, Miss Sara, Alex explains so little and so much to me.”

  “Then tell me what you know.”

  “Almost 2 years ago when I found Alex, he said that some of us could have different extra ability and that is when he showed me his blacken eyes. He said it was some kind of mind control thing.”

  “You still have that black in yours, is he controlling you?” I asked when he stated laughing and laughing hard. After all this time and after everything that has happened here I was finally sure what or who he was. I heard some rustling from bushes around and I looked back. It was Jeremy and at his side Marino. I growled as soon as I laid eyes on them

  At the clearing as soon as I let go of Max’s arm and Jeremy was at his side. I moved my head to each of them asking myself what they wanted and as soon as I asked my question it was answered.

  “Sara?”

  “What.”

  “Alex’s body is not Alex.”

  “That can’t be.”

  “We do not know how he did it or where he is; most likely he would not make the same mistake and go back to the plant that would be stupid.”

  I moved my head slightly over my left shoulder, “Get out.” I screamed to both Marino and Jeremy as I grabbed Max again as I stood up. “I said get the fuck out.” and I growled at them again the barking of my warning was enough to see Marino face turn to a twisted confusion and put his hands midway his body bowing forward a little as Jeremy stood still but eventually he moved with a concern in his eyes. What was he thinking I was going to do?

  With Max standing in front of me rubbing the back of his head with his right arm I slapped his hand away and he looked stunned for my action.

  “Tell me everything you know about Alex right now.”

  “Miss Sara, what’s on your mind?”

  “You just said the black thing is like a mind control right?”

  “Yes?”

  “Well what if it is not a mind control at all?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “What if he can jump consciousness to different bodies?”

  “How?”

  “I am thinking that’s what happened the other night, right. It wasn’t you, it was Alex all along.”

  “So you are saying the Alex was controlling me?”

  “Yes, think about it, you were not you actually, you looked like mad person, strangely speaking, acting out of your character, it was if you were another person.”

  “But Miss Sara there is something wrong in your idea.”

  “And that would be what exactly?”

  “Why would he let himself or more over why let us think he is dead, to later let us know he is alive. That does not make sense. He may not be hiding from the likes of them?” He said as I understood the point he was talking about.

  “I don’t know.” I said still thinking on what he really wanted. Just a couple of minutes I had him pinned down to the floor since I wanted to know why he had a heart beat if he was like me. Now I am just ball baring a stupid idea to Max about Alex’s extra ability, which still sounded farfetched, yet I do remember looking at the blacken eyes and I am sure the body Marino had lost was some dead poor man controlled by Alex. Who is Alex anyway, where he came from? Even more is Alex just using Max for his plan or is Alex just playing games with us since Max now feels like he want to be with me, intimately. I shudder at that idea coming from my mind, since still fresh in my head was that which happened to me when I was eighteen.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Back to where I was sitting embracing my legs again and Max lose sitting behind me, I thought that In the mist of all this that had happened in these days my mind still wondered to past events leaving me with a heart broken, the memories of a lifelong defending those that would not be able to defend themselves and learning how to control the hunger did took a toll on my emotional state of mind and I was bound to be forever alone, until Max showed in my life. Yet every time I see him it reminds me of everything. Alex twisted revenge, Jeremy’s repentance, Marino’s devious plan, which I still did not know, and Max’s lies.

  “Max there is something I have to ask.”

  “Yes Miss Sara?”

  “Why did you told me Alex story and plan?”

  “Well Miss Sara…”

  “Call me Sara I told you already.” I said as the anger was coming deep down from inside me as if a volcano erupted. I unclenched my hold to my legs and stood putting my hands at my side as I turned to meet his eyes.

  “Hey, Miss Sara, I am sorry but it is Alex’s plan.”

  “Yes it is. But why tell me?”

  “Since I meet you on the edge of the road and looking so ravishing, I fell for you and I really did not want to continue with it.”

  “But didn’t you say you saw me in the other town?”

  “No, I may have said it wrong. Who saw you was Alex and his description of you there was so precise that when I saw your red hair flying in the wind and extending your hand and putting your thumb up. I knew it was you.” His eyes closed as if he was remembering that night when the picked me up. That had just happened three days ago.

  “And Miss Sara, your lips are something any man would die for.”

  “Some have.” I said tur
ning around and embracing myself remembering Kevin again and the three dead rapists from my past. I shudder.

  “Are you cold, Miss Sara?”

  “No and will say one more time, stop with the Miss Sara thing, it is really creeping me out.”

  “Okay MISS… Sorry.” he said as his hands went high in the air as if surrendering to an enemy and smiling. “…you know Sara, there is unfinished business here. Alex and all.”

  “Yea that was weird as if someone was actually controlling him. How do you feel?” I asked as I still had in my mind that little red dot on Max’s neck where Marino had injected the suppressant. What is it, the suppressant, that cocktail Marino said it was used to suppress the hunger but actually did the contrary. The injection made Alex a rampaging monster with thirst for vengeance, yet what really was it for?

  “Max we should head back to town and talk to Jeremy about Max’s suppressant I think it works differently from what it was made for.” I said as max started to rise from the floor growling a little, his eyes turning black again slowly engulfing the outer rim of his eyes socket.

  “Shit!”

  That single word seemed to take Max out of the suppressant hold and his eyes cleared the growling disappearing and he tilted his head slightly to the right.

  “Yes Miss Sara you were saying?”

  “My God you really got me scared there.” I said putting my hand to my chest, letting out a breath of air and feeling the silence inside it.