'Are you human?' she asked.
The man seemed to pause. 'Yes,' he said, finally. 'We're human, just come to be a little... different, is all. Everyone is different, though, aren't they? Different is what makes the world go round.'
'It does,' Ashley said, 'but not when it turns you into a killer. Or a cannibal.'
'Well, that's your opinion,' he said. 'For now at least. I have a feeling you might come to change your mind. I should have killed you back there, you know, after what you did to my sister. But I didn't. Decided to take a chance on you.'
'That's awful big of you. Am I supposed to thank you?'
'Not yet, but in time you just might.'
'I wouldn't count on it.'
'We'll see,' he said. 'But I think you might be surprised, given what we can offer.'
Ashley wanted to tell him to go fuck himself, but thought better of it. It was pointless antagonising him any further.
She heard Kim sniffle again, up ahead, and wondered what she made of the conversation she had no doubt overheard. From the sounds of things, Kim was walking on ahead of her own accord. And if that was the case, she had much more freedom and movement than Ashley did. If any of them had a chance to try something, it was her.
'Kim?' Ashley called. 'Are you okay?'
'No talking,' the man snapped.
Ashley ignored him. 'Kim, talk to me.'
'I said shut up,' the man said again. 'I'm warning you both, don't try anything.'
'Ashley,' Kim answered, in a quivering voice. 'Just do what he says. He'll kill us.'
'That's a good girl,' Ted said, and slapped Ashley on the back of her leg. 'See, you should listen to your friend.'
'He's going to kill us anyway, Kim,' Ashley said. 'You need to run, if you can. Try to get away.'
Ashley suddenly felt herself flip forward and land hard on her back, the force of the drop knocking the wind from her.
'What did I just say?' the man said, grabbing the handle of his machete and pulling it free. He held the tip of it to Ashley's face. 'Do you need me to prove my point? I've already been lenient with you, but I swear, another word from you,' he then raised the blade and pointed it to Kim, 'and I gut your friend. Nice and slow.'
Ashley looked up and saw Kim ahead, her hands tied behind her back and a makeshift leash running back to the man. Pure fear was etched on the girl's face, she was clearly terrified.
'Ashley,' she pleaded, 'just do as he says.'
Ashley knew that doing as he said meant being lead to their deaths, only being quiet about it. If that was the case, what was the worst that could happen if they at least tried something? Worst case, they met their end a little earlier than they could have, but this freak and his family wouldn't get the pleasure of eating them alive, which seemed to be his plan.
At least it would be on their terms.
If there was anything left for Ashley to cling to in this life, that was as good as it was going to get.
But her friend was pleading with her, begging her to just... what? Give up?
Where was the fight she'd insisted Ashley show?
Maybe Kim was playing for as much time as she could, delaying death, hoping for some divine intervention, but as Kim herself had said earlier, that wasn't going to happen.
No one would save them, so they had to save themselves.
But there was nothing Ashley could do. She was bound up tight and totally at this man's mercy. He seemed stronger than his sister, and she got the feeling he would have no trouble carrying her the rest of the way back to the house.
If Kim had truly given up, then there was nothing to be done, other than to let this man lead them back to his house.
To their deaths.
To become nothing more than a meal to these deranged lunatics.
'Are you going to stay quiet?' the man asked. Ashley stared daggers at him, but slowly nodded. 'Good,' he said, and again lifted her to his shoulder. 'We ain't far away now, anyway.'
Soon they were moving again.
On their way to their slaughter.
To say Ashley was disappointed to see her friend totally broken, after all Kim's talk of fighting on to the bitter end, was an understatement.
Only a little while ago, the situation had been reversed, but Ashley had, after some persuasion, stepped up, whereas Kim had now regressed.
'There we are,' the man said, stopping. Ashley pulled her head up and looked over his shoulder. Through the darkness, she could just make out the house up in the distance.
The man took a breath.
'Home sweet home.'
29
After the woman had finished hacking away Craig's manhood -- and pulled it free to dangle it mockingly before him -- things descended into a hellish chaos.
Whereas before the family had waited for the father to serve up their portions, the woman's actions seemed to change things; tipping them over the edge and completely unleashing all of their animalistic desires.
Formalities were dispensed with.
'Okay,' the father said, 'everyone dig in and help themselves.'
And they did.
Craig lay sobbing, in unspeakable agony, as everyone moved in. Everyone accept Tim. He just stood by, with a long face, and watched as the rest of them got to work.
The feeling of the three of them starting to devour him at the same time, pulling and tearing and cutting and biting, was pain on a completely new scale. The agony was everywhere, in different shades and measures.
He screamed; a continuous, terrible, desperate bellowing that did not stop.
He felt the cleaver go to work again on the opposite side of his body, this time on an arm. It again sunk into the flesh, just above his bicep, again and again, until his arm came free. There was no carving of the meat this time, the father simply dug in, like Henry had done with his leg before.
Craig also felt a tearing sensation in his gut. Looking down, he saw the great, fat beast that was Henry dig his fingers through the skin of Craig's stomach. They punctured through, with piercing pain, and pulled, tearing Craig open.
The big, meaty hands then submerged inside of him, and Craig saw glistening, snakelike, red and purple intestines pulled free. Henry lifted them to his face and forced them into his mouth, slurping them up.
The mother, who had just stripped him of his manhood, reached in as well, stealing more of his insides.
The horror was just too much for him, and something fractured. It was as if his mind split into two.
Part of it was present in the moment, feeling the pain his dying body was put through. The other was aware of what was going on, but was more detached, and took everything in, noticing certain, surreal details.
Henry made his way to Craig's head, still slurping in strings of meat. He reached a fat, bloodstained hand down to Craig's face.
To his eye.
Craig felt the fumbling, cumbersome appendages work against his eyeball, attempting to pluck it free, but instead only succeeding in pushing it farther in.
Craig's incomprehensible screeches grew louder.
'I can never get these things out,' Henry said, his mouth full.
'Cos your fingers are too big,' the father said, and pointed to the side table where the instruments of death were still laid out. 'Use that thin needle thing.'
Thin needle thing?
The detached half of Craig's mind noticed the term, which wasn't the most technical. It was almost comical. However, it was clear Henry understood and grabbed an instrument that was exactly like his father had described.
Craig could only watch as the sharp end of the long needle came down towards him. He shut his eyes, but knew that would give no respite. He felt the needle sink into the corner of his socket.
He thrashed and yelled, but evidently this was music to the family's ears. They laughed as they ate. The woman even danced around, wrapping some of his innards around her shoulders like a shawl.
The needle went in farther, then angled itself, and pulled back a
gain in an effort to pop the eyeball free.
The pain was excruciating, but the needle slipped free without success.
'Damn it,' Henry said.
'Try again,' his mother told him. 'You'll get it. Second time lucky.'
He did try again and, as his mother had promised, the second time was lucky.
Craig felt the eyeball dislodge and slip from his skull. He opened his remaining eye, but his vision was split. There was a further pull, accompanied by a stinging sensation inside of his head. Something snapped and his vision again became whole.
No, not whole.
Halved.
Henry had pulled the eyeball free.
Craig could see the red tendrils of the optic nerve dangling down above him.
Henry studied it, then held it up for his mother to see. 'I see you,' he said, laughing.
His mother broke into hysterics. 'Oh, Henry, you're so funny.'
Henry nodded, clearly in agreement. He then popped the eyeball into his mouth, like a piece of candy, and began to chew. Craig heard a squelch as the monster's powerful jaws clamped shut.
'Juicy,' he said, and let out a moan of satisfaction.
And so the horror carried on.
Craig's screams eventually died off after the mother had done something with his Adams apple. Craig couldn't see exactly what, but he knew his throat was a mess. His jaw still worked though, moving up and down, trying to let loose a noise, a release, that would just not come.
His vision began to blur, and a lightheadedness started to take over. After being so alert through all of this torture, an alertness probably caused by the searing pain, it was a relief to know that it was clearly coming to an end for him.
His horrific injuries were finally bringing death.
Craig felt the needle plunge into the corner of his other eye, ready to rob him of his sight completely.
Come on, he prayed, to any God that was listening. End it now. It's time. End it now.
A small part of him was actually thankful they seemed to be devouring him so completely. If there was nothing left of him, it meant his family would never know what had happened.
At least they would be spared that horror.
Unless, of course, Kim and Ashley had gotten away.
And he dearly hoped they had. He couldn't stand the thought of them, especially Kim, going through this agony and torture.
It was a small mercy that she wasn't here to see him like this.
Then, as if God was quite happy to shit on him further, he heard it.
'Craig!'
Craig felt the pressure on the needle release, and he was able to turn his head. Through blurred, unclear vision, he managed to make out the shape of the person who was screaming.
No. Please God, no.
It was Kim.
One final fuck you from whatever twisted karma was orchestrating this whole weekend.
He tried to call back to her, but could make no sound.
Finally, death claimed him.
* * *
The sight of human carnage inflicted on her boyfriend when Kim entered the room was enough to make her drop to her knees.
It was monstrous; absolute desecration. The metallic smell of blood filled the room, bathing her in its stink.
The other members of the family stood around a great stone table. All of them smeared in blood and gore, chewing noisily.
Feasting on him.
As if what they were doing was the most normal thing in the world.
As they ate, Craig's body twitched and moved very slowly, as if it were about to give out.
Blood flowed steadily from every part of his ruined torso, bubbling free in multiple streams. A bloody stump indicated one of his arms was completely gone, and she could see another stump beyond, where a leg should be. His stomach was pulled open, all the way up to his chest, revealing what was left of his insides, and also part of his rib cage.
The hideous sight was too much for Kim, and she couldn't help but call out Craig's name. Henry was doing something to his face, but upon hearing her yell, he smiled and stepped back.
Craig turned his face towards her.
One eye was completely gone, leaving an empty pit in its place, and the other was bulging from its socket unnaturally, almost like a sickening cartoon. He tried to say something, but his jaw simply moved, like a fish devoid of water. Then he slumped back, unmoving, dying before her eyes.
Kim began to scream and scream and scream, pulling at her hair in absolute terror.
Through it all, she managed to hear the words from the man who held her on a leash.
'You fuckers, you started without me.'
* * *
He couldn't believe it. The greedy pieces of shit couldn't have waited just a little while longer, just held out a little bit so that they could all eat together, like a family should.
'You and your sister were taking too long,' Father told him. 'Besides, we got two more to go at.'
He pointed to the two women Ted had in his charge.
'Not the point,' Ted said. 'You should have waited.'
'It's done now,' his father said.
'Ted?' Mother asked. 'Where is your sister?'
Ted chuckled. 'Funny story. This one here,' he let Ashley flop to the floor from his shoulder, 'has something about her. She managed to get free of Sis. Ended up driving Claudia's own knife into her skull. If it weren't for me, this one would have gotten away.’
'And what about your sister?' Mother asked.
'She's still out there, but she isn't in a good way.'
'You left her?'
'I couldn't bring them all back on my own, Mother,' he said, defensively. 'If it weren't for Claudia, we would have been back by now. Her fuck up nearly cost us these two little rabbits. Anyway, she'll pull herself round. Eventually.'
'But she'll miss all this,' Mother said, opening her hands to the man who lay dead on the table.
'And that's her fault,' Ted said.
'He's got a point, Claudia,' Father said, cutting in.
'But it's been so long. If she doesn't get to eat this time, how will she cope? Who knows how long it will be before we get to do this again.'
'Then she shouldn't have fucked up,' Father said. 'We all have our jobs to do. And we all need to do them well for this to work. Sounds like she got sloppy, so she needs to understand the consequences of that.'
'But she'll be a nightmare to deal with,' Mother said.
'Then we'll lock her in the basement. I'm sure Henry can help straighten her out.'
Henry smiled and nodded, still too preoccupied with eating to talk. He had now plucked the boy's remaining eyeball free and shoved it into his maw.
'Well,' Ted said, 'I might have half an idea about that.'
'What do you mean, son?' his father asked, genuinely curious.
Ted kicked out at the redhead who, he noted, had rolled over and was looking at what was left of her friend. Her face was unreadable. She wasn't howling and screaming like her frantic companion.
'This one,' he sneered. 'She has something about her, like I said. Not like most we get, who are only good for food.'
'Are you saying what I think you are?' Father asked. Ted shrugged.
'Not sure,' he replied. 'But figured it was worth, you know, seeing what you thought. And...' he trailed off.
'And what?'
'And, if you thought the same, maybe we could go see what Grandpa thinks too.'
His father fell silent and began to run a hand through his beard, now coated red with blood and flesh.
'That's a lot of mouths to feed,' Mother said. 'Can we handle another?'
'I don't think we can,' Father said. 'It's hard enough as it is now.'
'So then,' Mother asked, 'what is there to discuss? More food for tonight. That's all there is to it.'
But Ted could see his father mulling it over, and had a feeling the old man was coming to the same conclusion he had earlier.
'Ted might have a point here,'
Father said.
'What kind of point?'
'Well, it's been a while since we've changed things up,' he replied. 'Timothy has been the runt for too long. It's about time he got the chance to get what he's owed. Only way to do that is to bring someone new into the family. Take in a new child to cover his role and let him move up. And this one looks pretty enough to be good bait. Hell, even with that gash across her face I bet she could bring us lots of fresh food. This might be a good opportunity, if Ted is right about her, that is.'
'But we've just said we can't take on another mouth. Are you implying what I think you are?'
'Maybe.'
'Are you serious? Are you really saying that we just cut one of the children loose? How can you say that? They won't be able to cope or survive on their own.'
'We don't cut them loose, we take em' down to see their Grandpa.'
'That's even worse,' Mother said. 'You're talking about killing them. And who would you suggest?'
'Well, Claudia got sloppy, and it's her fault that one of them nearly got away. Everyone knows there are consequences for failure. It might be good to make an example. Show that the rules aren't to be broken.'
'But she's our daughter,' Mother said, 'how can you be so careless?'
'Not saying it's an easy decision, but the right ones rarely are. We gotta do what's right for the family as a whole. We're stagnating here, Adela, you can see that. And the man downstairs won't allow that forever. This could be what we need.'
Adela approached the redhead, who had pushed herself up to her knees. The girl stared back at the older woman with a look of disgust and defiance. Adela grabbed the younger girl by the chin and tilted her head up to inspect her face.
'Fuck you,' the redhead said, drawing a chuckle from Ted.
'Looks to have fight in her. Thought she was the quiet one?' Adela asked, looking over to Timothy.
He shrugged. 'I thought so too.'
'You can all go to hell,' the girl said. 'Do you really think I would want to be part of your fucked up family? After the things I've seen you do?'
'Oh,' Adela said, 'that won't be a problem. If we think you're Webb material, then you'll join us after you see the old man. No question about it. It's not exactly a choice, dear. Do you think we've always been like this? Fuck no. I was a good, church-going young lady once. But if Grandpa sees a certain something in you, a certain... quality, then he can grant you things, and show you things you never dreamed possible. Things you had no idea existed. That's just how it works. Choice don't come into it. He just turns you. If you're lucky.'
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