The woman whimpered, shook so hard she was beginning to give Flip motion sickness. She kept saying Jerry’s name, shaking her head, crying. He peeled her hands off of him, and took tentative steps toward the man. Jerry’s two buddies were still huddled at the door, staring down at their dead friend. Neither one of them making a sound.
“Fucking hell, get it out! Please pull it out!” Cal had his free hand wrapped around the candy, tugging on it, but it wouldn’t budge. His face sparkled with sweat and glowed a deep maroon. Blood pumped from the wound, but as Flip watched it, the color began to change. The dark red started to lighten, turned a pink color like liquefied bubble gum.
Flip rushed forward, hesitated when the man turned his ghastly grin toward him, then reached out with both hands and gripped the peppermint stick. He leaned back, pulled with everything he had, but it wouldn’t move.
The pink stuff dribbled down the man’s face, and he leaned forward so he was almost touching noses with Flip. “A bowl—”
“Ice cream. I got it. Let him go,” Flip said and nodded toward Cal, “and we’ll get you some. Ain’t that right, Cal?” The urge to laugh started to rumble in Flip’s belly again, but he chewed it up and swallowed it back down.
“Yeah…yeah just pull it out…please!” Even as Cal screamed the last word, a slight smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. But only for a second before the grimace returned.
Flip realized that he was standing in the puddle of blood seeping from Jerry’s throat wound. When he moved his feet, they felt stuck to the floor, tore free with a ripping sound. The pink blood stuck to the bottom of his boot, stretched out when he pulled his foot away.
The man wrapped his fingers around the peppermint stick, yanked it out with ease. He sucked the red and pink blood off of it, leaving it glistening with saliva, then went to stick it back into his pocket. But it wasn’t his pocket…he lifted his shirt and plunged the candy directly into his torso, his skin looking as soft as marshmallow. The candy disappeared into his pale, pillowy flesh, and he pounded both fists on the bar. “Ice cream!”
A scream ripped free from Flip’s throat as he backed into something, and once again it was the woman. She waved her hands like she was swatting at bees, grabbed Flip’s arm, and squeezed. Her eyes, surrounded by mascara-stained and swollen flesh, bounced from Jerry’s body to the stranger over and over again, and she still kept muttering Jerry’s name. The other two men had turned and began tugging on the door, grunting and cussing under their breath.
Flip didn’t think Cal would have any ice cream in the bar, but the man ducked down, opened a black miniature refrigerator, and pulled out a pint of Haagen-Dazs rocky road. He peeled the top off, and Flip could see it had already been half eaten.
“Here’s your fuckin’ ice cream, goddamnit.” Cal slid it across the bar.
The man’s eyes lit up and he grabbed the pint in his fist, squeezed it until the brown ice cream squashed out, then slammed his face into it. He moaned as his head rolled, looking like a man giving intense cunnilingus, both of his hands gripping the lip of the bar counter.
Then Jerry’s body began to flop.
Flip and the woman screamed at the same time, and when the two men at the door spun in reaction, they joined in.
Jerry’s body thrashed, hopped from stomach to back, arms flailing loose. As he bucked, his eyes popped open and the corners of his mouth crept upward.
“What the fuck is going on?” the woman said, grabbing fistfuls of Flip’s shirt and shaking it. “What is this shit?!”
Flip once again pried himself away from her, sprinted across the bar, and grabbed a pool cue. He broke it in half on his knee and wielded the sharp, jagged sticks as he slowly marched back toward the commotion.
“Cal?” Flip called, not seeing his friend. “Cal, get your ass out here. Where the hell—”
Cal’s laughter exploded from behind the bar. A loud cackle with no pauses for taking a breath. His hand appeared, covered in thick pink goop, and it gripped the edge of the bar as Cal hauled himself to his feet. His eyes were pinched shut from the massive rictus pulling his face apart.
The man had finished the ice cream and was now licking the bar clean of the melted chocolate puddles. His tongue ran across the counter lovingly, swirling in circles as that deep moan oozed from his mouth.
Jerry’s body made one final leap, landed hard on its back. His head suddenly tilted so that his chin was pointed to the ceiling, his back arching to the point of his spine snapping. And then something started to grow from his mouth.
“Oh, Jesus Christ…” Flip thought it was an internal organ working its way up Jerry’s throat and out past his teeth, but something wasn’t right. It wasn’t until the thing grew more and more, continued to inflate out from between Jerry’s lips that Flip realized it was a balloon. A purple color.
Cal climbed up onto the bar, got on his hands and knees, and opened his mouth as wide as it could go. His balloon was green, and it curled his lips back as it obtruded from his throat.
“Cal!” Flip turned his pool stick halves so the broken ends were facing down, and he charged toward the man with both weapons held high. He had watched a gunshot blow straight through this guy’s head with no effect, but he didn’t know what else to do. The sticks stabbed into the man’s back with ease, just slid through with no resistance. The pink sludge squirted from the wounds and slapped Flip in the face, some spraying into his mouth. Tasted just like bubble gum.
Flip tried to yank his sticks back out so he could stab again, but they wouldn’t pull free. The man spun in the stool and grabbed Flip by the shoulders. His eyes widened, chocolate-stained smile stretched further across his cheeks. Pointed peppermint sticks slid out of his chest and stomach like porcupine quills, and he chuckled as he slowly pulled Flip toward them. The savory smell of baking cookies grew stronger as Flip was pulled closer.
“Fucking asshole!” The woman jabbed the broken glass bottle into the man’s face, twisted it and shredded his nose and lips. Pink bubbled from beneath his puffy, white flesh.
But he still only giggled as the glass peeled away meat from bone, the glass screeching when it hit his teeth. He tossed Flip away, flinging him across the room. Flip’s body smashed into the wall and he landed on his side, rolled in place as he tried to catch his breath. His ears rang and his mouth tasted of blood and bubble gum.
A choking sound, coughing. Something splashing across the floor.
Flip rubbed his eyes to rid them of the blurriness, sat up and leaned against the wall. His hand landed on something sharp, and he flinched it away when it broke skin and drew blood. A dart. The dartboard lay on the floor beside him, along with a shattered beer logo neon sign and a few picture frames.
The woman hit the floor, legs kicking, both hands clutching her belly where a deep cavern had been carved into it. Her scream was gurgly and wet as the man dove on top of her and shoved his face into the opening on her stomach, ripping a chunk of meat away and chewing it happily.
No, Flip thought as the room came back into focus. Not the man…that’s Cal!
Cal’s green balloon floated above him, the gleaming intestine tied to it, the other end disappearing into his mouth. He lifted his face from the woman’s bleeding flesh, gripped the slimy rope, and ground his teeth back and forth until the intestine was severed. The pink blood exploded out, drenched his face and stretched between his lips as the tube slid itself around his wrist like a constricting snake. Shredded red meat and yellow fat was spread across his face as he dove into the woman’s belly for more, and it was only a matter of seconds before her head tilted back and a yellow bulge inflated from her mouth.
This isn’t real. This is impossible…
Jerry stood by the door with his balloon already tied to his wrist, the tall red-headed man bleeding on the floor between Jerry’s feet. Barney wrestled with Jerry for a moment, but was no match, and then Jerry ran something across Barney’s throat. Looked like a giant lollipop. The candy was razor thin a
nd opened up Barney’s neck like his skin was made of butter. Barney landed on his backside, kicked his feet as he struggled to breathe and clawed at the new red smile opening and closing across his throat. Jerry dove on top of the redhead, tore into his stomach, and chewed on the purple organs inside.
“The children want you.”
Flip flinched, jumped to his feet. He held the dart in his shaking fist as the stranger approached.
“It’s time to play. Don’t you want to play with us?”
Flip was ready to curl into a ball and wait for his death. The sounds of sloppy eating filled the room. Whatever this guy was, it wasn’t human. He couldn’t be killed. Some kind of demon.
I’ll stick this fucking dart in his eye anyway.
Flip clenched his teeth, pressed his back hard against the wall. His hand shook so bad, it looked like he was writing his name in the air with the dart. A sharp pain rode his palm up into his wrist, and a cramp seized his hand and squeezed like vice grips. He tried to throw the dart anyway, but he was way off target, and it sailed over the stranger’s head…hit the balloon. The red balloon popped and a torrent of black liquid exploded out, more than could have possibly fit into it. The oily substance rained down over the stranger, soaked into his flesh and clothing.
“The ch-children…ice c-cream…play-play with u-us…” The man slowly lowered to the ground as his body melted, his flesh sloughing off in sloppy chunks that hit the floor and sizzled, bubbled. He reached a dripping hand toward Flip, then fell face down and continued to liquefy, what was once the scent of cookies now more resembling shit.
Flip squatted, collected the rest of the darts that lay scattered on the floor, then stood up and faced the others.
The red-headed tall man was on his knees, chewing on the intestine snaking from his mouth, the other end tied to the blue balloon floating over him. Cal, the woman, and Jerry were all on the floor, chewing on Barney’s body. The man’s blood was already beginning to turn pink, and the three of them sucked it up as quickly as it oozed out of the wounds. It wasn’t until the orange balloon started inflating from Barney’s mouth that they left him alone and faced Flip. Each of their faces were pulled tight in wide grins, and they pulled candy from their bodies as they approached. Their cackles intensified as they grew nearer.
You could split darts back in the day.
Flip picked a dart and held it up by his cheek as he squinted and aimed. He wanted to take Cal out first. Couldn’t take seeing his friend like this anymore.
“I’m sorry, Cal…” His hand shook, but he took a deep breath, locked onto his target, and let the dart fly. It sailed across the bar, but he didn’t throw it hard enough. It stuck into Cal’s left eye, inducing a fresh round of roaring laughter. The bubble gum blood dripped down into his face, and the group, now including Barney, quickened their pace.
“Shitshitshit…” Flip ran to his right toward the pool table, hopped on top of it. He flexed his fingers, shook his hand, massaged it. “Please…oh god please.”
Candy rained from the open stomachs of the woman and Jerry’s friends like broken piñatas. Jerry plunged his fist into his belly, pulled out a lollipop by its stem. He guffawed as he flung it across the room toward Flip.
Flip ducked just before the candy collided with his face, and it lodged into the wall behind him, sheet rock dust raining down.
He stood back up, his hand as steady as it could be, and threw the next dart. It cut through the air and hit Jerry’s purple balloon. The black liquid burst and poured over Jerry who hit the floor and moaned as his flesh bubbled and slid off of him.
Jesus…
Flip tossed another dart and another, hitting pink and blue. Balloons popped, flesh melted.
The woman shoved her entire forearm into the gaping wound on her stomach, pulled out a red, braided licorice rope lined with long thorns. Cal was just behind her, the dart sinking deeper and deeper into his eye as his eyelids chewed on it like a toothless mouth, swallowing it down into his socket. His teeth were stained pink as he smiled.
Flip cocked his hand back to throw the next dart and take the woman out, but an intense cramp seized his hand, turned it into a gnarled claw. Flip grunted, dropped the dart, nearly dropped to his knees in pain.
“The children only want to play. Don’t you want to play? You can eat all the sweets you want. Forever and ever and ever…”
“Fuck you!” Flip rose to his feet holding the dart like a knife. The woman was just in front of him now, and she swung her licorice thorn whip over her head, but before she could fling it toward him, Flip reached out, grabbed the intestine string, pulled the balloon close, and drove the dart into it.
The woman dropped to the floor and kicked her legs, turning herself in a full circle again and again as she dissolved into a pink and black puddle of flesh and candy.
“Don’t fight it, Flip.” Cal reached into his mouth, and when he pulled his hand out, he had a fistful of something brown, dripping. Rainbow sprinkles were mixed in with the brown goop, and when the droplets hit the ground, spirals of smoke drifted into the air and the floor sizzled. “The children only want to play. You’ll be so happy…finally you’ll be happy, don’t you see?”
Cal tossed the acidic chocolate toward Flip, but Flip rolled off the pool table, landed hard on his back and grimaced. The chocolate ate through the felt and wood and dripped to the floor where it continued to sizzle and pop.
“Goddamnit, Cal.” Flip shrieked when more icy pain stabbed his hand like glass lightning bolts. But he had his eyes on the butt of the pistol sticking up from Cal’s waistline. Every movement sent more agony into his hand, but he worked his way back to his feet, teeth clenched and spittle raining as he hissed.
“Constance is with us. I can feel her. She’s as sweet as red velvet cake.” Cal snickered as he pulled out another fistful of chocolate. The liquid chocolate oozed from his mouth and striped his chin as he spoke. “She misses you, Flip. You can be together again. The children want you to be.”
Just hearing her name injected poison into Flip’s bloodstream, and he roared as he charged forward. His shoulder collided with Cal’s stomach and they both flew backward onto the floor. The chocolate flew from Cal’s hand and splashed across the wall, eating a hole into it on contact.
Cal cackled as he opened his mouth and reached for Flip’s neck, lips curled back over his teeth, tongue whipping.
Flip rolled off, ripped the pistol free from Cal’s waist, aimed and fired.
The balloon erupted and the inky substance was like a waterfall rushing over Cal’s spasming body. His limbs thrashed and his teeth clicked as he melted down, and Flip covered his ears to escape the horrid sizzling sound.
Tears streamed down his cheeks as he cradled his hand in his lap. The air was thick with the scent of shit, and Flip gagged and coughed as he forced himself to his feet and made his way toward the door. He spotted a loose peppermint stick, and he strode across the room to retrieve it before facing the door. The gun was tucked into his waistline before he grabbed the handle and tugged. Still wouldn’t open. The syrupy substance was thick along the frame, and Flip used the peppermint’s sharp end and chiseled away at it. The stuff came off in chunks, and before long, he was able to swing the door open.
The cool night air felt like heaven against his sweaty, aching flesh. But the night was alive with ruckus. Screams and breaking glass and gun shots. But mostly laughter. So much laughter.
The streets were alive with movement as countless people roamed from business to business. Balloons of all colors bobbed in the air above them. The bakery across the street was full of people feasting on cakes and pies and muffin tops. Others lay on the pavement, balloons swelling from their mouths.
“Oh my g—”
Then he saw them. The children. Holding hands and floating down the street, smiling at the chaos around them. Roller skates covered their feet, and they leisurely kicked as they rolled their way through town. Their mouths were as red as strawberries, eyes
sparkling like sugar cubes, all the colors of the rainbow.
Flip pulled the gun out and stared at it as the moonlight danced off the chrome surface. He couldn’t help but wonder if Constance really was a part of all this. If she was somewhere out in the street right now, maybe looking for him. Maybe she really did want to be with him again.
The gun’s barrel found its way into his mouth. It tasted like bubble gum.
Beyond this Tangled, Loathsome Wood
By Mary Genevieve Fortier
Award Winning Author; Columnist, Editor, Reviewer and published Writer of Poetry/Prose of various genres; Mary’s poetry has been likened to the old world poets and deemed “Poe-esque” by many.
She has been published most recently in these anthologies: Bones, Cellar Door III-Animals, Bones III, Terror Train (recipient of the Editor's Choice Award),Satan’s Holiday, Welcome to Your Nightmare, Blessings From the Darkness, Spectral Hauntings 2, the Intro in "Temporary Skeletons," The Ladies and Gentlemen of Horror 2014, Axes of Evil II, and the upcoming Floppy Shoes Apocalypse.
Winner of both caption award contests in the January 2014, and April 2014 Issues of "Shadows & Light Magazine" also included in the July 2014 issue. Mary is featured in “The Wicked Library,” (a podcast- iTunes, Stitcher.com and hipcast.com) Season 3, Episodes 307, 307.1 BONUS and "Christmassacre 2," Hellnotes; Horror in a Hundred: "Darkness on a Lonely Stretch of Road and "COLD"
She was a featured author in Viktor Aurelius’ “Whispers in the Dark,” on Blog Talk Radio:Episode #92. Mary was also named “Woman in Horror” by Blaze McRob’s Tales of Horror: http://bit.ly/1qshOlE
Additonally, Mary is a partner/editor/author for Black Bed Sheet Books and a reviewer for Hellnotes and Dark Regions Press.
Find more on Mary:
Mary’s column; "Nighty Nightmare" http://bit.ly/1wbaJGx
For her complete bibliography, please visit her Facebook Page: http://on.fb.me/1qiDVeg
"A Knife and a Quill" an Interview http://bit.ly/1uCzSJg
Widowmakers: A Benefit Anthology of Dark Fiction Page 57