by mike Evans
Steven lost the poker when the man broke skin, sending a surge of pain through his leg. He tried to keep the man from dragging him to the outside but could do little. Steven, no slouch himself, could tell that he looked like a runt compared to this behemoth of a man. He kicked with his good leg at the man’s legs as he walked. Steven got it just right kicking his leg into the man’s and sending it behind him throwing the man off balance. The man fell, hitting his head on a side table before collapsing to the ground. Christy yelped, “Oh my god, move baby move, get your poker. Get your poker and kill that fucker!”
Steven went to stand and realized his left leg was for shit with the meat hook through it. He gripped at it and knew it wasn’t going anywhere without a professional lovingly removing it; one that he hoped would be equipped with painkiller drugs, and anesthesia. He stumbled on a knee looking more like a gorilla moving through his living room than a man. Steven could tell he was seriously injured as the blood loss was beginning to slow down his way of thinking. He shook his head and gripped the poker. He pushed up from the ground with its help and hobbled towards the man quickly.
Christy yelled, “See who it is?”
Steven yelled, “I don’t give a shit who it is, that’s going to be for the coroner and police to figure out.”
“What baby?”
“I’m going to kill the mother fucker. We can call the police later.”
Steven got within skull striking distance of the man and the poker whistled through the air as he swung at the man’s masked head. When it was within inches of striking him the strangers right hand came from nowhere gripping it. The man sat up, shaking off his own damages and placed his other hand on the meat hook, pulling it as hard as he could and yanking it free from Steven’s leg. A geyser worth of blood sprayed out in every direction and Steven collapsed to the ground screaming bloody murder, deservingly so.
Steven released his grip on the poker and fell to the ground. The man took it and the meat hook and got back up to his feet. He took the meat hook down in one long swing, sticking it through Steven’s shoulder this time. Steven screamed again, clawing at it, cursing every word he knew and a few new ones at the man to let go. The man did not listen to anything, he simply started his walk back outside with Steven in tow. He did not drag him across the broken window, this time he went to the front door, opening it and disappearing into the dark.
Christy, watching all of this in horror, had no way of knowing what was happening on the outside. She ran to their room grabbing a Maglite and shining it from the second story down on the man who seemed ignorant to it. Steven was clawing at the man but with the position he was facing, straight up being dragged backwards through dirt and gravel, it did little good to save him.
Christy had tears running freely and a rage she hadn’t felt in decades coursing through her body. She pounded on the window hard with the light, shining it down upon them and leaving a thirty-foot silhouette of the man casting him into an even larger monster than he already was. He stopped at the barn’s entrance, disappearing into the darkness. Steven lay there bleeding and trying to crawl away but with one lame arm and leg there was no getting away. Christy wanted to go to the stairs but couldn’t bring herself to leave the window.
The man appeared in the second story of the barn and stared directly across at Christy. It had taken her a minute to realize where he had gone, and then to her horror what he was doing. When the man saw the light upon him he looked up, stopping what he was doing and waving to her, and then went back to his work of lowering the large rope that hadn’t been used in years, not since Steven had quit working on local farmer's tractors in the massive barn to help make ends meet.
The man disappeared again, melting back into the darkness and a moment later, he was standing next to a bloodied and exhausted Steven who, even in his now crippled state, was trying to escape. Christy watched, praying by some chance he would find a way to get away. The man let Steven crawl as he undid the rope, bringing the pulley system down with the large hook hanging from it. She beat on the window more to get his attention. He simply tilted his head to the side and waved to her.
Christy knew she was no match for him but had to do something to try to save the love of her life. She ran down the stairs, slowing for only a second as she took in so many happy memories hanging on the wall. She wasn’t ignorant and knew that even if they somehow survived this night that the two of them would always be changed going forward. The false sense of trust the two of them shared living in the country would be gone in the wind.
Christy barged out of the front door with the Maglite still in her hand. She hit the on button, shining it directly in the man’s eyes and not wavering it at all. The man quit doing what he had been doing with the rope and let go of it. He walked directly for Christy, ignoring Steven who was still trying to escape on the ground, leaving a bloody trail behind him. Christy yelled, “You son of a bitch. I’m going to crack your damn head open. You messed with the wrong woman today mother fucker!”
Steven gripped onto the man’s leg with his good hand. The man brought a hammer out of his overalls; it looked like it might as well have been a miniature tool compared to the man’s hand. He brought it down once hard, breaking a handful of bones in Steven’s hand. He screamed trying to clutch it but his opposite arm was of little use to him now. His eyes began to fill with tears, ones that were shortly going to become rage.
The man continued walking for Christy, who brought the light up one time and swung it at the man’s chest, as his head was almost two feet higher than her delicate small frame could reach for. The man gripped the flashlight with his right hand, blocking her swing, and gripped her ears bringing them and her skull down quicker than anyone could imagine possible, connecting his right knee to her nose. She felt the bones shatter beneath it and something warm started to run down her face and into her mouth that had a metallic taste to it.
She tried to fall to the ground but the man gripped her by the back of her shirt keeping her up and not allowing her to fall down. He dragged her through the dirt towards her husband. When they were close Christy screamed, “What is wrong with you?”
The stranger reached the barn near Steven. He had been thinking of her question and when they made it there, threw her on the ground. She looked up, blood now almost blinding her. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
The man tilted his head back and forth almost seeming to debate what it was that they were saying. He held up his hands a foot apart, Christy snapped, well, what the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
Steven collapsed on the ground. He could take no more of this. He whispered, “He’s telling you that there is a lot wrong with him. You are wasting your breath Christy. This son of a bitch is bat shit crazy and there ain’t anything that you or anyone else is going to be able to do about it.”
The man gripped the meat hook hanging out of Steven and in one violent pull ripped it from his shoulder. Steven thought that the pain he had experienced while being dragged out to the barn like a wet useless doll had been the worst feeling in his life. The pain that poured out of his arm now was nothing short of the most excruciating thing that he had ever felt. The pain from his shoulder flowed in many directions throughout his body. Christy said, “Fuck you, you son of a bitch. We ain’t scared of you, damn it!”
Steven tried to retort but was crying too intensely from the pain. The stranger knelt down next to him, patting Steven on the head, stroking his hair into a million different sweaty directions. The man made his first noise that he had since arriving, hushing him and caressing the side of his face. Steven looked up, even more confused, and the man continued to pat him on the head. When Steven finally thought that something good might happen to him, that whatever dark world this freak was in had left, was when things got worse. Much worse.
The man stood, wiping the meat hook, and then brought it down with everything that he possessed. And from the size of the man, that was something to be scared of. He brought the meat
hook into Steven's thigh this time, twisting it so that his torso and head would hang down like an animal in the barn being skinned. Christy yelled, “Baby, it’s going to be okay, it’s going to be fine. We are gonna get you help before it’s too late!”
The man shook his head, slowly lifting Steven with both arms as he clawed and scraped to be freed. The stranger attached the meat hook to what he had put on the barn rope and began pulling on the pulley system. Christy yelled again and this time for her trouble got a hammer to the side of the head, leaving her unconscious on the gravel.
Steven was not running out of tears but was lacking the ability to make as many as he needed to so that he could shed for what he was feeling both emotionally and physically. He stared numbly at Christy lying on the dark gravel path. Her eyes knew not where they were and Steven could see the blood pooling from the side of her head, making a path between the small rocks until it found a place to pool.
Steven tried reaching for the man but was shy of it, for he already had one broken hand. He was lifted up until he was four foot in the air, far from reaching the dirt and gravel covered driveway. The man disappeared back into the barn and when he came out was carrying a mower blade that Steven kept many extras of. This one shined in the light when he came back out. He stood patiently hushing Steven and waiting for Christy to come out of her trance. When she did, Steven felt momentary relief, seeming to forever think she was gone. She was not…..at least for the moment.
When she could focus again she stared at her husband and watched as the stranger brought the mower blade across his midsection, not hesitating or slowing down whatsoever. The white flab of his belly became red instantly; blood poured down into his chest hair. Christy tried to reach for him when the man ran the blade down each side of his abdomen, leaving it open for his guts to pour out of his stomach cavity.
They fell to the ground, hitting and spreading across covering Christy. She screamed bloody murder until she passed out in the gravel. A grinding feeling began to wake her. When she opened her eyes, she saw the moon and the stars passing slowly above her. She went to scream, trying to wiggle her tongue but she felt nothing around her teeth, only a constant thudding in her mouth. She reached a hand up to her mouth sticking her fingers in her mouth and did not feel her tongue, nor teeth.
When she started to try to scream the man stopped looking down at her and dropped a tongue on her face followed by a splash worth of teeth. Fresh tears began to fall down the side of her face as he dragged her back into the house.
Chapter 3
Friday
Traci sat at her desk googling the state parks and thinking of the long three-day weekend ahead. Her coworker Brandi came up behind her seeing the webpage. “Why, didn’t you just take a half a day off like all the other slackers? You are doing about as much work as anyone.”
Traci smiled and said, “I would but I’m out of vacation time and we can’t afford to take it unpaid right now. I know that Isaac is going to get a promotion soon. We just need to be patient for a little bit longer.”
Brandi said, “Well, this is exactly why I am glad that I don’t have college loans to worry about. What do you make, fifty cents extra an hour?”
“Well, you know what they say; it’s always a waste of money to further one's education Brandi. Besides, this is an internship, so when I finish this and they see how remarkable I am then I'll get a better job here and actually be able to afford take out and manicures again.”
Brand held out her hands and said, “Yeah, it’s almost like you are living like a poor person.”
“Yeah Brandi, if that meant that Isaac and I lived in a car instead of a two bedroom apartment with a nice view. Did you need something, or were you just wasting your half of your day before our weekend starts?”
“Oh I’m just wandering around, there’s always a treat day, and well, who can pass up nacho cheese dip? It’s like it should be a food group or something. So you guys going on a trip then?”
Traci said, “I hope so, I’m going to try and talk Isaac into it. I have powers of persuasion that I can use to talk him into going to one of the many state parks in Missouri.”
“So what does that mean, you are going to owe him a blow job for him taking you out for an entire day?”
“Jesus, Brandi, do you have like no filter?”
“Not as of the last time I checked, Traci.”
“What are you doing this weekend, Brandi? Three days to kill, what are you going to do?”
“I’m going to go out this weekend wearing something that will be a nice insurance policy that I do not have to pay for any drinks, and that if a bit of me needs pleasuring that I'll be able to guarantee those needs are met as well.”
“Don’t you want more for yourself, Brandi?”
Brandi sat down on the corner of the desk, tilting her head back and forth. She said, “Geez, so what you’re really asking is if I need a relationship in my life to be complete and happy? You know as tempting as the idea of the same penis going in and out of me until the point that I have to actually work to get him hard regardless of what I do or wear just so I can get a great little four minute fucking is, I am going to pass. The fact that I can get a hot fuck one day and then on the nights I want to stay in be able to walk around my place without a boyfriend dry humping, doesn’t break my hearts. I’m okay passing thanks.”
“But don’t you want love? Don’t you ever, you know…..get lonely?”
“I have a vibrator, I promise you I never am lonely, and I don’t ever not get satisfied, unless I get a minute man. God I hate those. I mean at the least when they cum too fast you’d think that they could finger-”
“Oh my god, TMI, TMI. Brandi, my ears are going to start bleeding soon. I’m a delicate flower or did you forget?”
Brandi laughed snorting sending an echo of it down the row of cube city. “Oh please Traci, I've seen you strolling in every morning with a glow that only means your toes curled in the morning. You got one of the good ones, which just means that there’s one less out there for me to try and get if ever I get bored of this horrible life that I lead now.”
“Well, I would say that I don’t have too much to worry about in that department, whatever horror story you think that you would have if you were dating someone is the farthest thing from my mind. I’ve been with Isaac for four years and I’m still yet to catch him looking around at other women or have trouble getting him ready in bed.”
“Porn Traci, its porn and they all use it. Makes perfect sense though. But hey, this is a judgment free zone so don’t worry about it. I’ve been known to watch a foot long from time to time.”
Traci watched the computer, her face and neck growing red from embarrassment. She said, “You know I heard that accounting catered in today. I’m not trying to get rid of you, but you know damn well that they have got the best catered food in the company.”
Brandi said, “Well, those that get paid well get fed well. Hey, maybe they are going out for drinks. Those nerds never get laid so I’m sure I could get a free night of drinking.”
Brandi hopped off of the desk, unbuttoning her blouse a few extra than work allowed, and said, “Have fun out in the woods, Traci.”
“Good luck with your free drinks and food, Brandi. Try to stay out of trouble.”
She turned around, smiling. “Aim big or go home.”
Traci looked at the clock, seeing that the time was close enough that she could sneak home and get some items prepared in case she was able to get Isaac to agree to going out this weekend. She only hoped that he could leave his work behind and they could have some much needed time together. She knew that times had been tough with him and they were just scraping by month to month. She made a short grocery list of wines, cheeses, and snacks that they could enjoy while pretending for the afternoon that they had the money they needed on a daily basis. She didn’t kid herself, because they’d be just as happy with screw top wine as that which needed to have a corkscrew.
Ch
apter 4
Saturday Morning
Traci woke up early to the songs of birds sitting on their windowsill. She smiled, stretching out, and then tip toed to the bathroom, brushing out her dark hair and gurgling. She checked her phone and sat on the toilet. The weatherman’s predictions were that the day was going to be beautiful with temperatures in the seventies, a light breeze, and zero chances of rainfall. She smiled, thinking that it was days like this that changed people’s lives, and wondered if there was any chance of Isaac bringing up the little white box that she had found the week before when doing his laundry. She had refused to open it…...for the first ten minutes anyway. She felt if she was going to go to hell that there was no way that God could judge her for this. The only thing harder was not letting on that she knew and not calling to tell her mother that the size of the rock could be confused with a small mountain.
She opened the door, leaving her panties and tank top on the floor, smiling, and slid back into bed and pulling the comforter back over herself. She lay there looking at the time thinking seven wasn’t too early to wake up Isaac to let him know about the wonderful day she’d planned for them. She’d made sure to cook the night before and had even put herself on beer duty making sure he had no reason to get in the fridge and snoop around only to see the snacks and wine she’d found at the store on the way home.