by Chuck Buda
Spencer gave up on the eye. Even if he found it, he couldn’t do anything with it. His mind was hopeful the eye could be replaced if he only saved it in a bucket of ice and brought it to the hospital. Nonsense!
He crawled over to Zoe who was writhing on the floor in the corner. Todd and Ryan had been fighting on top of her. They had rolled away, leaving Zoe in a pile. Spencer grabbed Zoe’s face, He wished he could rip the skin from her head. Instead, Spencer lowered himself to Zoe’s face. He bit down on her ear and ground the cartilage as hard as he could between his teeth. Zoe shrieked and pulled away. Half her ear tore off in Spencer’s mouth. He spat it at Zoe, the fleshy flap bouncing off her hair.
Zoe came at him. Spencer opened his arms to enfold Zoe. He wanted to twist her head off her shoulders and hold her decapitated mess above the group. Zoe’s finger searched for his empty socket. It found the hole and plunged inside. Spencer howled and dropped his arms to throw her from his personal space. Spencer was able to toss Zoe like a basketball across the room. He fell to the floor, clutching the bloody hole in his face. Zoe needed to pay for her atrocities. Spencer couldn’t help but think Zoe was like a cat with nine lives.
He made an attempt to turn on Zoe. Rebecca and Jordyn were standing in the center of the room. They were watching him as he prepared to fight. Aiden and Leah were also milling about the middle of the room. They were facing the opposite side of the room, where Zoe had landed.
Spencer had to make things happen fast. The whole plan had gotten out of hand. And if he hesitated, Zoe would win. Spencer had to end the fight quickly. He sprung up onto the bed. Spencer hurled his evil words over the heads of the people in the room. Todd and Ryan continued fighting in the background.
Th-th-th-oo-oo-oo-ree-ree-ree-zahz!
Th-th-th-oo-oo-oo-ree-ree-ree-zahz!
Th-th-th-oo-oo-oo-ree-ree-ree-zahz!
Spencer repeated the satanic words three times as he had learned.
Eeeeeeee-ssssaahhhh!
Eeeeeeee-ssssaahhhh!
Eeeeeeee-ssssaahhhh!
Rebecca, Jordyn, Leah and Aiden stared at Spencer as he pointed bloody fingers at Zoe.
Fehr-DAH-muhn ZINE KREESS-toos!
Fehr-DAH-muhn ZINE KREESS-toos!
Fehr-DAH-muhn ZINE KREESS-toos!
Each phrase repeated three times in mockery of the Holy Trinity. Spencer felt a surge of power funnel through his legs to his chest. He reached down to the nightstand next to the bed. Keeping his eyes fixed on Zoe as he repeated the ritual, Spencer felt around for the knife he had left there. The sacred instrument would taste blood tonight. And it would smite his enemies as it severed flesh from bone.
Spencer raised the ancient weapon over his head. Both hands clutched the ends of the knife. The weight of the steel heavy in his hands, allowing the power of the demons from the past to enter his body.
“Hail, Satan!”
Spencer shouted before springing off the mattress to the floor. The group of people in the middle of the room impeded his progress. Spencer refrained from slashing away at them to cut a path to his arch enemy. He shouldered Jordyn aside and then elbowed Rebecca out of the way.
Aiden attempted to hold Spencer back. Leah helped Aiden by wrapping her arms around Spencer’s waist. They both yelled at him to calm down.
“Don’t do this, Spencer. Don’t do it!” Aiden struggled with the much stronger boy.
Spencer grinned in Aiden’s face. He wanted to stab Aiden in the chest and cut his heart from his cavity. But the ultimate prize was Zoe. Spencer could work his way back to Aiden once Zoe was dead.
“Spencer, stop it. Stop it!” Leah’s grip around his waist was slipping. Spencer palmed Leah’s forehead, shoving her to the floor.
Aiden clenched his fist back as if he were preparing to strike Spencer. Spencer found Aiden’s protective stance over Leah to be pathetic. He grabbed at Aiden’s face and shoved him to the side. Without Aiden and Leah holding him back, Spencer was free to go after Zoe.
Zoe stood on the far side of the bedroom. She held her arms out to her sides, again attempting to summon forth the spirits using Crowley’s Thelema. Spencer chuckled like a maniac, purposely haunting Zoe. It worked. Zoe paused her chant and cowered under his attention.
Spencer moved forward, arcing the knife over his head. He tried to stab down at Zoe. His wish was to impale the knife in the top of her skull and then drag her out to the street like she was on the end of a bloody mop. His attack missed the mark. Zoe shot under his slow-sweeping motion. Spencer cursed himself for trying to be so dramatic. He needed to just kill her without trying to live up to his deranged visions of glory.
Spencer turned to find Zoe behind a wall of people. Zoe was struggling against Rebecca and Jordyn who were either consoling her or keeping her from running away. Either way, Spencer was glad they stymied her escape.
Aiden and Leah were closer to him. They both held hands out, urging Spencer to stop. He was losing his patience with them. Spencer did a quick calculation about killing them first so they wouldn’t be in his way anymore. He ignored Todd and Ryan as they continued to fight and curse across the room.
Spencer waved the knife at Aiden’s hands. The blade narrowly missed slicing his fingers off.
“What the fuck’s your problem?” Aiden anger was tempered with fear.
“Assholes in my way. That’s my fucking problem.”
“Spencer, you need to calm down.” Leah took front and center. Spencer licked his lips.
“Nobody tells me to calm down.” Spencer spat the words out and lunged at Leah with the knife. As he moved, Spencer felt blood continue to flow from the gaping wound in his face.
His mind raced. The First Cut would feel his wrath. They had held him back and tried to keep him down. And now he would rise above. His time to rule the weak ones had arrived. Spencer wanted blood. Lots of blood. His life flashed before his eyes as he brought the knife down. Prestigious universities? Lifelong studies? Achieving doctorates and becoming famous for scholarly endeavors?
All of it passed him by. Spencer would be famous for other things. He would reach the pinnacle of his status in society for something more noble.
Chapter 45
The knife stopped above Leah’s head. Aiden’s grip fought against Spencer’s strength. He wouldn’t allow Leah to be harmed. Aiden swore to himself, and once upon a time, to Leah, he would protect her. It pissed Aiden off how callous Spencer was with the knife. Could he really be so far out of control he would actually stab them?
“I’m gonna kick your ass.” Aiden surprised himself. He couldn’t believe he was speaking in such a manner to someone. Especially a friend. A friend with a knife aimed at another friend.
Spencer enjoyed Aiden’s anger. His grin spread as he brought renewed pressure down with the knife hand. Aiden thought Spencer was only playing with him, like a cat toying with a mouse. Spencer wasn’t even breathing heavily.
“Knock it off.” Aiden garnered extra leverage and used his legs and back to push Spencer’s knife hand higher in the air. He felt Leah supporting him to his back left. She used her body weight to lean into Aiden’s shoulder, giving him more power.
Spencer released his arm. The knife hand returned to Spencer’s side. He growled like a nasty dog. Aiden took a step back, afraid Spencer would transform into a werewolf or something. He had never heard a human being growl like a rabid animal before.
“This has nothing to do with you, Aiden. Stand down. And I will rid us all of that fucking cunt.”
“Spencer, you have every right to be upset with her.” Aiden saw Leah wince as she spoke to the empty socket. Her eyes were transfixed on the bloody hole. “We are all witnesses to what she did. We are on your side. We’ll tell the police everything.”
Spencer laughed. “Fuck the police. They can’t bring back what she took from me.” Spittle flew from his lips as he grumbled at Zoe.
Aiden tried to catch his breath so he could deflate the situation. At this point, Aiden was more concern
ed with getting his own temper under control more so than calming the others. He still felt a blossoming destruction inside himself. For the first time in his life, Aiden felt like a man. Or what it felt like to be a man. Raw energy. Rage. Standing up to danger. It was life-affirming and scary at the same time.
“We need to get you to the hospital. Give me the knife so we can help you.”
“You want the knife? Try to take it away?” Spencer taunted Aiden.
Aiden’s blood pressure began to boil over. If Spencer was going to challenge him again and again, Aiden was going to have to do something about it. He felt it in his bones. The fight or flight rushing through his veins had completely tipped from flight to full-on fight mode. Aiden clenched his fists. If Spencer wanted a fight...
Spencer shoved Aiden’s chest. His back smashed into Leah’s face. He heard Leah moan behind him as she clutched her cheek. Aiden tried to glance back at Leah to apologize and see how he hurt her. But he never had the chance. Spencer pushed him again. This time harder.
Aiden used his rear to back Leah and Jordyn up. He brought his fists up in front of his face.
“Fine. Let’s fucking do this.” Aiden felt powerful. He actually enjoyed the newfound angry young man that had hidden inside his skin for eighteen years.
Spencer chuckled. He swirled the knife around as a visual psyche-out tactic. Aiden bought it. The thought of fighting Spencer dribbled away when the gleam of the knife blade danced before his eyes. Aiden felt a lump settle in his throat. He tried unsuccessfully to swallow it down so he could breathe again.
Spencer smiled. He was definitely toying with Aiden. It angered Aiden to know how little respect Spencer had for him. His rage came back and Aiden found himself suddenly attacking Spencer.
Aiden struck Spencer in the hollowed out eye socket. Spencer immediately dropped the knife to the floor. Aiden hoped the blind-side strike would give him an advantage. And it had. Emboldened, Aiden threw another punch at the blind side. It connected with Spencer’s chin. He stumbled backwards, using the wall to catch his fall. Spencer charged at Aiden. Aiden dropped to the floor and allowed Spencer’s momentum to carry him over the top. Spencer barreled through Jordyn and Rebecca. His tumble rolled into Todd and Ryan who were still busy tussling along the floor.
Aiden was dumbfounded how easy fighting was. He couldn’t believe he was kicking Spencer’s ass. His pride kept him busy while Spencer rushed him once again. This time Spencer forced Aiden down to the floor. Aiden winced as Spencer punched his face. Each strike hurt, but not nearly as bad as he had expected. The punches were more of an annoyance, like gnats at a campfire.
Aiden blocked the next two punches before Spencer caught him with a quick jab in the mouth. Immediately, Aiden tasted the blood fill his mouth. He knew his gums were cut by his teeth pressing into knuckles. He slipped his head into the crook of Spencer’s arm, trying to work his way around Spencer. Aiden wanted to get behind him so he wouldn’t get direct strikes to the face. At first, Spencer tried to use the leverage to get Aiden in a headlock. But something changed. It was as if Spencer gave up the fight. Aiden was surprised and relieved simultaneously.
Spencer was more interested in picking up the knife from the carpet. Aiden realized it too late. He thought he had won the fight. Now he knew Spencer gave up in order to get his hands on a deadly weapon. Aiden’s life whirred by. He watched himself as a Cub Scout then getting awards in the Science Fair in eighth grade. The last vision he had was from the future. His parents sitting in the risers at the high school graduation. They cheered and clapped. Aiden’s cap and gown waved in the spring breeze. But Aiden wasn’t at high school graduation.
He was lying in a coffin. In the middle of the high school football field, Aiden lay in his final repose, dressed in graduation garb. His parents the only people in the stands.
Aiden’s weight shifted suddenly to the right. He toppled over in time to see Spencer’s knife come across, cutting the air like a farmer’s scythe. Only instead of an amber field of wheat, Leah’s throat stood in the way.
It happened in slow motion. Aiden cried out as he watched the knife blade razor through Leah’s flesh. A bloody zipper formed along her creamy skin, while drapes of crimson flowed down upon her silky breasts. Leah grabbed at her neck and slumped to the carpet.
Spencer stood above Leah in disbelief. He looked between the bloody blade and the body lying at his feet as if he couldn’t believe what had just happened. The whole room fell silent as the reality of the depths of The First Cut came home. Each member, and Jordyn’s mother, suddenly felt the weight of good times gone sour. Nobody had ever imagined things would end like this.
There was no turning back the clock.
Aiden cried out.
Chapter 46
Aiden flew across the room. He reached Leah before Jordyn or Rebecca, who were both right behind Leah. He cradled Leah’s head in his hands.
“Leah. Don’t. Don’t die on me.” His vision blurred as the tears rushed in.
Leah gurgled. Each time she tried to speak more blood squirted from the opening along her neck. Aiden used his free hand to clamp down on her throat. He was afraid he would push too hard to stop the blood, but cause Leah to asphyxiate.
Rebecca knelt down and helped Aiden stem the blood flow. She grabbed the end of the bed sheet hanging off the mattress to provide a sloppy tourniquet. Aiden read the worry in Rebecca’s eyes.
The whole night had become more surreal. Orgies and parents having sex with kids. Magic spells and some type of esoteric battle waged. Then the friends started fighting each other. Now, Leah was dying in his arms. Their “boring” upper middle class lives suddenly made blockbuster films look lackluster.
“Leah, stay with me. Stay with me. I’m right here. I love you.” Aiden sobbed as the words drooled from his lips.
Leah slowly nodded her head to assure Aiden. Each nod forced more blood out. Her eyes glazed over. Aiden watched her lids droop, trying to fight off the eternal sleep which beckoned her.
“I’m sorry. I...” Spencer stood above them. He was forlorn and apologetic. His words fell on deaf ears. The focus was on Leah and her survival.
“Somebody call an ambulance. Hurry!”
Aiden noticed nobody moved at his orders. He searched the blank faces around him. “What are you waiting for? Get her help.”
Rebecca diverted her face. Jordyn rested a hand on her mother’s bare shoulder. Spencer stared into space. Aiden wanted to get up and beat the shit out of all of them for not helping Leah. He didn’t understand their willingness to let her die.
Jordyn spoke first. “If we call for an ambulance, then everyone will know what happened here.”
“So what! She needs help.” He screamed at them.
“We’ll all go to jail, Aiden. And our lives will be over.” Rebecca spoke with her face against the bed. Was it shame that kept her from making eye contact as she looked after her own needs?
“But she’ll die.” Aiden pleaded.
“Better one of us takes the fall rather than all of us.” Zoe stepped forward.
Aiden wished he could let go of Leah long enough to kill them all. They were going to let her die so they wouldn’t be in trouble.
“When she dies, how do you think nobody will find out about this? There’s a dead body here!” Aiden shouted as loud as he could.
Zoe squatted down. “There won’t be a body. We’ll take care of it. Her parents will think she went missing. Abducted. Happens to thousands of young girls around the country. And we can all walk away.”
“You fucking whore!” Aiden spat at Zoe. She swabbed the spit from her cheek.
“If you aren’t careful, Aiden, we can add another body to the mix. It might be more believable if both of you disappeared. Together. Two young lovers running away to be together.” Zoe stood over Aiden. A pleased smirk stretched across her crimson lips.
“One is enough. Don’t even think about it, Zoe.” Jordyn got in Zoe’s face. “Or maybe we can add your
body to the count.”
Zoe enjoyed Jordyn’s anger. “Oh, look who came out to play. I knew there was more to you than a great set of tits and a perfect ass.”
“Fuck you, Zoe.” Rebecca stood next to Jordyn. “You’ve been a bitch since you were a little girl. And I’ve had enough of you treating my daughter like shit.”
“Funny how the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, huh?” Zoe taunted Rebecca.
Aiden couldn’t stand the bickering. The pressing need was getting Leah emergency help. And fast.
“Get the fucking phone and call 911. I’ll stay here and try to explain things. You can all get the fuck out of here and go hide in the dark corners where you belong.”
The room fell silent as Aiden gave them hell.
“Better watch your fucking backs though. I’m coming for all of you. One at a time, I’m going to send you back to hell for Leah.”
“Maybe we should kill you then. I wouldn’t want you to have to sacrifice more than you already have for us, Aiden. But it would be the right thing to do for The First Cut.” Zoe bent to grab the knife.
Jordyn kicked the knife away. It didn’t move much because of the thick carpet. But it moved far enough Zoe couldn’t reach it from where she stood.
“Get the fuck out of my house. While you still can.” Jordyn threatened Zoe. Rebecca nodded profusely behind Jordyn.
Spencer picked up the knife. He glared at the members in the room. Silence filled the air as everyone held their breath. Nobody knew what to expect next.
“Zoe is right.” Spencer shook the knife in front of his face like it was a pencil. He touched the tip to his forehead as if thinking. The sharp point sliced through his skin, opening a new gash. “Zoe is right. A second body would help explain things better. And it would make this a real party.”
Aiden noticed Spencer’s eyes becoming darker, more distant.
“What is he talking about? Enough damage has been done. Call the fucking ambulance!” Aiden’s throat felt raw from screaming so much.