Caleigh whimpered as she slowly turned her head. She was glad that her eyesight had been compromised, but even so, she had seen enough. Her brother’s head was hovering just above her own. She screamed out, once again growing hysterical. In an attempt to avoid eye contact with his head, Caleigh turned her head but caught sight of the bloodied pile of his body parts. Overwhelmed with grief and terror, her pupils rolled up and she passed out.
Hillary laughed in delight as she dropped the knife and walked toward the laundry area. She grabbed the small, round empty laundry basket and carried it over to her Joshua’s body parts. She grabbed handfuls of his remains and tossed it into the basket along with his head.
Feast, the voice advised her.
Her stomach rumbled loudly. She was hungry. She picked up a small piece of his flesh and put it into her mouth. She played with it using her tongue, allowing the coppery, metallic taste of blood to tantalize her taste buds for a few seconds before chewing apart the succulent flesh. It tasted so good to her, far better than her father had tasted. She reached over and ate some more.
Wiping the dripping blood from her mouth, Hillary picked up the laundry basket and walked upstairs. On the last step, she kicked off her blood-soaked socks and left them behind so that she wouldn’t leave bloody footprints on the floor as she walked.
She left the basement door open as she walked quickly to the kitchen. The veggies in the chicken stock were simmering nicely on the stovetop. Hillary mixed some cornstarch in water to thicken the broth. Then she placed the dripping laundry basket on the countertop and began shoveling Joshua’s remains into the pot. When she lowered his head in, some of the broth spilled over the edge. She had to empty some of the contents.
Sighing in frustration, she placed his head back into the laundry basket. She used a big pot spoon to scoop out some of Joshua’s bigger pieces of flesh and most of the potatoes and carrots. She picked up the pot and emptied out a good amount of broth into the kitchen sink. She then placed the pot back upon the stovetop, put Joshua’s head in it and sniffed the rising steam.
“Mmm,” she said with a smile.
Hillary added as many pieces of Joshua’s remains that would fit in the pot then covered it with a large lid. She tossed the remaining pieces into the garbage can. She carried the bloodied, moist laundry basket to the open basement door and flung it down the basement stairs. Caleigh began whimpering again, startled by the sound it made hitting the concrete floor.
“I’ll be there in a little while, Caleigh,” Hillary called down to her sister before slamming the basement door.
She grabbed a few sheets of paper towel and wiped up the drips of blood that had fallen to the floor from the basket. She then ran upstairs to her room, took off all of her clothes and walked to the bathroom. She took a quick shower and washed away all of the blood that had dried on her hands and arms.
Feeling refreshed, Hillary walked naked to her room and dressed quickly. She brushed the tangles out of her apple-scented hair then kicked the heap of clothing under her bed. She pulled on a pair of socks and her canvas sneakers then sprinted down the stairs. She could smell her delicious stew simmering all the way from the stairs. Her mother was in for a real treat.
The only thing that ruined Hillary’s moment was Caleigh’s incessant screaming. Cursing, Hillary opened the creaky basement door, picked up her stained socks and tossed them into the washer on her way to Caleigh.
The basement, in addition to the stench of shit, piss and body odor, now had that gamey, pungent smell of fresh-killed meat.
“Shut up, Caleigh, you’re giving me a headache!” she shouted.
“Pleeasssseeee,” Caleigh begged, “why are you doing this?”
“Do we really need to go through it again? You know damn well why.”
Caleigh sobbed loudly.
“He was just a baby,” she cried.
“Not anymore,” Hillary said, “now he’s a tasty meal for Mom. Did you know it’s Mother’s Day?”
“Where’s Mom? Where’s Mom?” Caleigh yelled frantically.
“Oh, she’ll be back soon.”
“Please,” Caleigh begged.
“Please what?” Hillary asked, annoyed.
Caleigh herself didn’t even know what exactly she was begging for. Life? Death? Food? Water? Her mother? Did it really matter anyway? Whatever her request, Hillary would surely deny it. Yet, the word kept escaping her lips. Her head hurt, her arid eyes hurt, her bulbous, damaged nose hurt, her lesions hurt. For someone who couldn’t feel most of her body, she was certainly in a tremendous amount of pain.
Hillary didn’t have the patience for her noise and nonsense. She used the quilt to cover up Joshua’s bones and the parts of his body that she had left behind. She was careful not to step in the pool of blood at her feet. It was no easy task getting the tape over Caleigh’s mouth, but she did so as best as she could, reaching over the bloody mess while struggling against Caleigh’s erratic head movements. She was grateful that the pieces of masking tape were still sticky enough to secure the duct tape over Caleigh’s mouth.
Hillary picked up the bloodied knife and placed it just under the edge of the quilt. She had been greatly tempted to use it on her sister right there and then, but it wasn’t time to kill her yet. There was more fun to have. Besides, she had just showered and didn’t want to get all dirty again. Her mother would be home soon.
Caleigh’s familiar muffled cries followed Hillary as she walked toward the basement stairs, becoming less pronounced and barely audible by the time she started ascending the stairs. Hillary closed the door behind her before walking to the kitchen. The time displayed on the range was 3:24. Hillary knew that Storm had to be picked up by three. That meant her mother was on her way home now, probably not too far away. She lowered the heat setting from medium to low. Her food would cook nicely and be ready in time for dinner.
Bored, Hillary waited on the couch for her mother to return. She had started getting nauseous again but convinced herself that it was just nerves. Today was a special day. It was going to be unforgettable. It was just nervous excitement causing her nausea.
It was almost four thirty when Hillary heard Kathy’s car door slam. She jumped up from couch and ran to the hall.
“Ready or not, here I come!” Hillary shouted, as Kathy entered.
“I’m back,” Kathy said, as Storm hesitantly entered the house then ran to her dog bed in the living room.
It was no surprise that she ignored Hillary. It amused Hillary to think that Storm might be afraid of her. She was in charge now, and everyone should tremble in her presence.
“Hi Mom,” Hillary said.
“Hi honey,” Kathy replied cordially, “it smells great in here. What are you making?”
Hillary followed her mother into the kitchen. Kathy placed a small box and a plastic bag on the counter.
“No peeking,” Hillary said, “it’s a surprise.”
“Okay,” Kathy agreed, “I can’t wait to dig in. How was Joshua?”
“Perfect! We had so much fun together. We’re still playing hide and seek. He’s getting much better with his hiding spots.”
“I’m surprised Joshy didn’t run out to greet me.”
“You know how serious he takes his game of hide and seek. What’s it the box and bag?”
“Oh, I picked up some pastries, for desert.”
Hillary reached for the box.
“No peeking,” Kathy teased, “it’s a surprise!”
Not like the surprise I have in store for you!
Hillary withdrew her hand.
“Yum, can’t wait. What’s in the bag?”
“Just Storm’s medicine,” Kathy replied grudgingly, “you won’t believe what it cost me to get her. I almost left her behind.”
“How much?”
“Eight hundred and sixty-five dollars. Can you believe it? We can’t—”
“What?”
“Nothing,” Kathy replied, taking a deep breath and calming dow
n, “we’ll be okay. What can I give you a hand with?”
“Maybe you can make the salad,” Hillary suggested.
“Sounds good, let me just go to the bathroom.”
While Kathy was in the bathroom, Hillary ran to the other side of the kitchen and grabbed two large slotted spoons. She ran back to the stove, opened the oven door, uncovered the pot and fished out Joshua’s head. She shook off the excess liquid before tossing it into the oven. She closed the oven door, threw the spoons in the sink and used the kitchen rag to wipe up the mess she made on the stove top and floor. Hillary stirred her stew with the pot spoon then returned the lid to the pot.
Kathy was back a couple minutes later. She thought it smelled peculiar but didn’t want to hurt Hillary’s feeling. She would eat whatever she had concocted and would rave about how delicious it was.
“Did you find Joshy yet?”
“He’ll be here soon, I’m sure,” Hillary said, as she pulled the lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers out from the refrigerator.
“Aww, don’t keep the little guy waiting, I’ll take care of this,” Kathy said, as she pulled the produce from Hillary’s hands and set them down on the counter. She pulled out a large salad bowl from one of the upper cabinets then reached for the butcher block.
“Where are all of the knives?” she said, frowning.
Hillary grabbed one of the steak knives.
“Just use this one,” she said, handing it to her mother without answering her question.
Kathy grabbed it as Hillary turned to leave the kitchen.
“I’ll go hunt for Joshua,” she said, and was gone before her mother could question her further.
Kathy rinsed everything then added the lettuce to the bowl. She chopped the tomatoes and sliced the cucumbers before adding them to the bowl. She placed any extras back in the refrigerator and grabbed a small carrot. She rinsed it, grated it and added it to her salad. She retrieved her salad tongs and used it to mix up the contents of the bowl. It was nearly overflowing. Out of habit, she had made enough for her entire family. She felt her eyes begin to mist at the thought of Caleigh but held back her tears. It was a special night…it was going to be a happy one. She would deal with the madness tomorrow.
Hillary entered the kitchen fifteen minutes later and began grabbing bowls and spoons.
“Where’s Joshy?” Kathy asked.
“Still hiding, I think he fell asleep.”
“I’d better go look for him.”
“Wait, Mom,” Hillary said, growing nervous, “let him rest. We can get started with dinner, just the girls.”
It struck Kathy as odd...suspicious.
Stop being such a worry-wart, she told herself.
“Okay,” she agreed, “just the girls.”
Hillary smiled as she carried the bowls and spoons to the dining room.
“I’ve got the napkins and salad,” Kathy said, following behind her.
Hillary set the table then said, “now for the main course!”
Hillary walked back to the kitchen. She found a soup ladle and began scooping the stew into a serving bowl. She made sure to get most of the pieces of meat out of the pot. Slowly, she carried the serving bowl to the dining room and placed it on the table.
“I’ll serve,” Hillary said, grabbing Kathy’s bowl and filling it full to the top with her special meal.
“Not so much,” Kathy said, waving her hand to motion for Hillary to stop serving.
“I hope you like it, Mommy,” Hillary said sweetly, with a wide smile, “happy Mother’s Day!”
“Thanks, sweetheart,” Kathy said warmly, touched by Hillary’s gesture, “I know I’m gonna love it.”
Hillary filled her bowl with a much smaller portion.
“Where’s Joshy’s bowl?”
“I’ll get it when he joins us...dig in!”
Kathy smiled, looked down at her bowl then dipped her spoon in the thick, light-colored stew. She stirred it then brought the spoon to her lips. She blew it gently then opened wide. She placed the spoon into her mouth and drank the broth slowly as she nodded. It had a weird taste. She couldn’t quite put her finger on the taste. It wasn’t all that bad, just different. Maybe Hillary had used a different seasoning, something she had learned in school. Kathy took another bite, this time, one with some meat.
Kathy unintentionally made a face then quickly smiled at Hillary to disguise her dissatisfaction. The meat was...well, quite nasty. It was fatty and had an odd texture.
Maybe it’s just that one piece, she thought.
Kathy took another spoonful with the juicy morsels of meat. It was just as distasteful.
“So?” Hillary asked eagerly, “how do you like it?”
“Mmm,” Kathy said as she wiped some of the broth from her lower lip, “it’s really good...really good.”
“I’m so happy you like it!” Hillary squealed in delight as she began to eat.
“What’s in it?” Kathy asked, forcing herself to eat another bite.
“It’s a secret,” Hillary replied mischievously, with a smile.
The two ate in silence for several minutes more. Kathy’s stomach began to gurgle. She knew she couldn’t eat much more. She had eaten about half of what was in her bowl. She was hoping to finish the entire amount, but just couldn’t stomach it. The more she had eaten, the worse the taste got. The texture was just so...unlike anything she’d ever eaten before.
What exactly was it? What kind of meat did Hillary use? Kathy thought about the smelly piece of meat that was on the floor in Hillary’s room. Then she thought about the pile of rotting flesh out in the woods. Her stomach churned; she felt like throwing up.
“I’m going to go look for Josh,” she said anxiously. She wanted to make a run for the bathroom and empty her stomach.
“Soon,” Hillary said, “let’s finish this special dinner.”
“Hillary, I....”
“What’s wrong? You don’t like it, do you?” Hillary pouted.
“No, no, it’s great, I just...I have a stomachache.”
“Aww, maybe you can just drink the broth.”
Kathy lifted the bowl slowly and brought it to her lips, pretending to sip the broth. Even the smell now made her ill. She held her breath.
“It’s getting late,” she said, placing the bowl down, “I can’t let Joshua sleep so long.”
“I’ll get him,” Hillary said.
“No, finish your food, I’ll go and find him.”
Hillary watched her mother walk away. The time was drawing near.
“Joshua...” Kathy called out to her son as she scanned possible hiding spots in the living room.
Kill her....
“Joshua...” Kathy repeated as she entered the hall and walked to the staircase. She slowly walked up the steps. She wanted to run to the bathroom and throw up, but she wanted to find Joshua first. Where was he hiding? Why didn’t he answer?
“Joshua!” Kathy shouted. She walked into Caleigh’s room...looked around. She looked under the bed. She was growing nervous. Something was very wrong.
“Answer me, Josh!” she yelled loudly as she entered Hillary’s room. Everything was quiet except the heavy thumping of her heart. She was about to peek under Hillary’s bed when she remembered the nasty piece of meat she had seen on the carpet. She remembered how Hillary had tossed it into the garbage can.
Kathy slowly walked to the small trash can and looked in. She could smell it in there, underneath the wet paper towel sheets that looked stained with blood. She wanted to pry it out of there and examine it closely, but she was too disgusted. Alarmed, she left Hillary’s room.
“Where are you, Joshua?” she cried nervously, walking quickly to her own bedroom. There was no movement, no response.
Kathy ran downstairs, back to the dining room where Hillary was still seated at the table.
“Where was he hiding before? Did you see which way he went?”
“I don’t know,” Hillary said, shrugging her shoulders, “my e
yes were closed...I was counting.”
Hillary ate her last spoonful of stew. She was obviously not concerned about Joshua’s whereabouts.
“Maybe he’s in the basement,” Kathy said worriedly, turning to leave.
Kill her....
“You want me to check?” Hillary asked as she abruptly stood up.
“I’ve got it,” Kathy said on her way to the basement door.
Kill her now....
Hillary grew nervous. The basement door creaked open. She followed her mother. Kathy flicked on the light and quickly descended the stairs. The stench hit her hard. She gagged and covered her nose and mouth. Another bad smell?
“Joshua?” she called out loudly as she reached the last step.
Hillary was just steps behind her, unbeknownst to her. Caleigh began yelling. Hearing her mother, she grew excited. She had to get her mother’s attention. She had to find a way.
Kathy could hear the muffled cries.
“Joshy?” she said, listening intently for the direction the sound was coming from.
She was so engrossed in finding Joshua that she didn’t even notice the bloody footprints on the floor.
Caleigh thrashed her head wildly as she screamed behind the tape and rubbed the side of her mouth against the rough concrete floor, trying desperately to remove the tape.
“Joshua, where are you?” Kathy yelled.
Caleigh repeatedly scraped the tape along the floor until she successfully removed enough of it to shout out.
“Mom!” she shouted, her voice cracking.
Kathy stopped in her tracks. Her heart raced.
“Caleigh? Caleigh is that you?” she asked, rejoicing frantically.
“Help me, Mom!”
Kathy ran toward the storage area where Caleigh’s voice seemed to be coming from. Hillary jogged behind her nervously. The smell grew more distinct and...coppery. It was the smell of blood.
“Help me, please Mom!”
Kathy looked down and finally spotted the blood. She let out a loud gasp as she walked forward. Her grandmother’s quilt was on the floor. More blood was seeping out from underneath.
“Mom? Where are you?” Caleigh cried out frantically.
“I’m here, Caleigh, I’m here,” Kathy said as she stepped around the quilt and leaned forward, following Caleigh’s voice.
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