Safe Zone

by Chesla, Gary

  It was like to him, those people were invisible or didn’t exist. Lilly didn’t know why. It was like she had acted as a little girl.

  Her family had a puppy that she had really liked. When it had been hit by a car and killed, she had cried for a week. Her family got a new dog, but Lilly could never let herself play with the new puppy. She just knew it was going to run out on the road and get killed too. It had hurt so bad when her little Buddy died, she didn’t ever want to feel that way again.

  Maybe that George had lost some very good friends. They had all lost someone over the last six months. It was just the way the world was now. Each day when you woke up, you never knew at the end of the day who would die or who would still be alive. Maybe George was hurting from losing someone close and he just didn’t want to get too close to anyone, because he didn’t want to feel the pain of losing another friend. She could understand that.

  She watched George walking along the road. She got scared when he veered off the road and came in her direction. She was relieved when he went to the little cabin down the wall from where she was laying.

  She listened to see what he was up to. She laid still. If he turned even slightly he might be able to see her if she moved.

  She listened as he knocked at the cottage door. Lilly stopped crying when she heard the man answer the door. She recognized his voice, he was the guy that had come to the fort about a week ago. He had been very nice to her. He seemed kind. His wife had come over and talked with her, they both seemed like very nice people.

  She watched the cabin.

  A few minutes later as she watched, George came back out of the cabin and walked quickly back to the wall.

  Lilly was desperate. If she was going to get out of her situation, if she wanted to live, she was going to need help. There was no one she knew at the fort she trusted to help her and not to turn her in. But these people had been friendly to her. She had to take a chance.

  She didn’t know if they would help her or if they would turn her in, but if she did nothing, she would be found and returned back to that horrible room.

  If they turned her in, it was all over for her. There would be no way she would be lucky enough to escape again.

  If she did nothing, it would also be all over for her, but this could be her only chance of living.

  She decided she had to take a chance. She had nothing to lose but her life.

  She started to tremble. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she began to crawl towards their cabin.

  She glanced around nervously as she crawled, watching the men keeping watch at the gate.

  She got to the door and slowly stood up and stared at the door. She hesitantly lifted her right arm to knock on the door.

  She stared at her hand, knowing once she knocked, there was no going back. Once her hand hit the door, her fate would be sealed. Once that door would open, she would either find a friend or she would be whisked away to that room of nightmares.

  As her knuckles struck the door, Lilly couldn’t hold it back any longer and began to sob loudly.

  Chapter 20

  Shaun and Megan looked at each other as the knocking sounded at their door.

  “Should we answer it?” Megan whispered looking at Shaun with fear on her face.

  “I don’t think we have any choice. We don’t have a back door to get out. If they are here for us, we’re trapped.” Shaun replied as he picked up the empty pan that sat on the table to use as a weapon.

  He walked over to the door and leaned his head against the door to listen.

  Shaun turned and looked at Megan and whispered. “It sounds like a girl crying!”

  Megan shrugged her shoulders. “I guess we should open the door and see who it is.”

  Shaun stood off to the side of the door as he opened it a crack. He looked out. He couldn’t see very well because of the darkness. All he could see was a small dark figure standing in front of the door, back lit by the light coming from the fire out near the water pump. Lilly began crying louder as she looked at Shaun.

  Shaun opened the door wider. The candle light in the cabin slowly spread across the girls face until he recognized her, it was Lilly.

  “Hi Lilly I thought you left the fort!” Shaun exclaimed at seeing Lilly.

  “May I come in?” She sobbed.

  “Yes, please. Come on in.” Shaun said stepping away from the door so Lilly could enter.

  As she stepped into the cabin, Megan gasped. “Lilly what happened to you?”

  Shaun closed the door behind her as she stepped further into the room. He stared at her appearance.

  Lilly stood in front of them. Her hair was filthy and hung down her face. The hair was matted with some sort of thick red colored dried mud. Her clothing was filthy and smeared all down the front of her with some kind of dirt, mud and more of the red pasty slime. Lilly also smelled terrible. The smell hit Shaun as she walked past him.

  When Lilly looked up at them, Shaun and Megan felt their heart sink. Lilly had dried blood under her nose. More of the thick red muddy slime, now dried, covered her cheeks, chin and neck.

  Shaun looked at her arms. A short rope hung from her right wrist. Both arms had sore red bruises that circled her wrists just above her hands. Her left wrist was almost black from some kind of deep bruise. Her feet were bare. Her eyes were red from crying. She stood trembling as she looked up at them.

  “Lilly, who did this to you?” Shaun managed to ask.

  Megan ran over and hugged Lilly. Lilly desperately hugged her back as she cried.

  “Shaun, get Lilly a drink of water.” Megan said softly. She gently led Lilly over to a chair and pushed her softly into a sitting position.

  Shaun brought a glass of water and held it while Lilly took a sip. Her hands were shaking too badly to hold the cup on her own.

  After a few minutes of sobbing, Lilly looked up and stammered. “You’re not going to turn me in are you?”

  “We would never turn you in.” Megan answered softly.

  “Turn you in to who?” Shaun asked. His voice barely above a whisper.

  “Bill and those men up at the main fort.” Lilly replied, her teary eyes pleading.

  “Is that where this happened to you?” Megan asked. “I went to visit you and found your cabin was empty. I asked someone about you and they said you had been relocated.”

  Lilly started to cry again.

  “It’s OK, Lilly. You’re safe with us.” Megan said in a low voice. “What happened?”

  “The day I was to be relocated, two guys came in to our cabin in the middle of the night. They tied us up. They took me to some place in the main fort. They tied a rope around my wrists and hung me up by my hands from the ceiling next to this other girl. She was to have been relocated a couple of days before me.” Lilly sniffed.

  “Where is your mom?” Megan asked.

  “Lilly started to cry again. “She’s dead.”

  “She’s dead. How?” Shaun asked quietly.

  “I don’t know. I just saw her hanging in the room and she was dead.” Lilly cried.

  “Are you sure she was dead?” Megan asked.

  “Yes. They had cut off her leg and she was hanging with her head bent backwards.” Lilly started crying hard again.

  Megan looked up at Shaun. “Lilly, I’m so sorry.”

  “How did you get away?” Shaun asked wanting more information, but also wanting to change the subject so Lilly didn’t have to relive the horrific scene of her mother.

  “My ropes slipped off my left wrist and I fell down on the floor. I hide behind the door. When they came in to cut up pieces of the guys they had hanging on the other side of the room to make dinner, I slipped out the door.” Lilly answered as she stared at the ground.

  “They did what? What guys?” Shaun asked sounding shocked.

  “There were about half a dozen guys hanging in the room next to my mom. They came in and cut pieces off them twice while I was there. All their legs were gone. A couple had most of t
heir sides gone.” Lilly said quietly.

  Shaun looked at Megan.

  “Why would they do something like that?” Megan asked clearly shaken by Lilly’s revelation.

  “I heard them talking. I pretended I was unconscious the first time they came in. Ed sent them in to get meat so he could cook dinner. When I escaped, they came in to get forty pounds of meat so Ed could make stew.” Lilly whispered as she raised her head and met their eyes.

  Shaun looked appalled. Megan quickly bent forward and violently threw up all over the floor.

  When Megan threw up, Shaun started to gag. He tried but he couldn’t hold it back any longer, and threw up.

  “I’m sorry!” Lilly said. “Please don’t send me back there.”

  Shaun wiped his mouth on his arm. As he raised his head, he looked at Lilly and knew right away what she was covered with.

  He struggled to control himself as Megan continued to vomit in front of him.

  “We would never send you back to that.” Shaun said as he continued to wipe at his mouth.

  Megan finally wiped off her mouth and looked up at Shaun. “We have been eating people the whole time?” Horror showed in her eyes.

  Shaun couldn’t say anything. He was using all his concentration not to throw up. He just nodded.

  Shaun thought for a minute. “Lilly, I’m sorry to ask you, but I need to know. The people that they were cutting up for food. Where they girls, guys or both?”

  “Except for my mom, they were all guys.” Lilly replied.

  Shaun continued. “Where they had you tied up, were there any guys tied up?”

  Lilly looked at him. “No. Just me and this other girl.”

  Shaun motioned Megan to follow him over to the door. When they were at the door, away from where Lilly would be able to hear them. “Meg. This all fits with what George said. They are taking the girls and apparently handing them over to that gang. They are killing the guys and feeding them to the people here at the fort.”

  Megan started to gag, barely able to hold it back.

  “George was right. This fort is a house of horrors. Who knows what the hell else is going on around here?” Shaun whispered.

  Megan looked at Shaun. “Then there really isn’t any farms or relocating people to houses outside the fort? Is there?”

  Shaun shook his head sadly. “George said people come in but no one leaves. Meg, any doubts I had about what George was saying are gone. Lilly just cleared all that up for me.”

  “Then if all that is true, then so is what he said about what would happen to us…..” Megan gasped as she looked terrified.

  “Meg. We have to get out of here.” Shaun said.

  Lilly looked at Shaun and Megan whispering from across the room. “Did I say something wrong? I’m sorry.”

  Shaun and Megan walked over to Lilly. Megan got down on her knees, wrapped her arms around Lilly and hugged her. “You didn’t say or do anything wrong. Don’t you worry about anything. We are going to take care of you. We are getting away from here and we are going to take you with us. We’re going to get far away from here to some place safe.”

  Shaun listened as Megan talked to Lilly. He thought. “Someplace safe? Is there such a thing anymore? We thought the fort was safe. What other horrors are waiting out there for us?”

  “Meg. I’m going to go over and get Doug and Lisa. Help Lilly get cleaned up. I wish we had some other clothes for Lilly, Something clean, darker and smells better?” Shaun said.

  “Go get Doug and Lisa. I’ll work something out for Lilly.” Megan replied.

  Shaun smiled weakly at Megan. He walked over to the door and slipped outside.

  He stood with his back against the side of the cabin in the shadows. He studied the area around him and over to Doug’s cottage. For the first time since they arrived at the fort, he felt exposed. Before when he looked around the fort, he felt comfort in knowing he was surrounded by friends. Now he felt nervous. Everyone one at the fort now had to be considered an enemy. If he wasn’t careful, he would end up dead.

  He tried to stay in the shadows and walk in his normal manner as he made his way to Doug’s door. He breathed a sigh of relief when he reached the door. He quietly knocked. A few minutes later Doug opened the door.

  “Doug, I need to come in.” Shaun said as he pressed inside, pushing Doug backwards into the room.

  “Is it time to go on watch?” Doug asked still half asleep.

  “No. We have a problem. We have to get out of here!” Shaun whispered urgently.

  “We have to do what?” Doug replied.

  “Listen carefully. I need you and Lisa to pack up everything. Bring your blankets. Come over to my cabin as quickly as you can. And Doug, be quiet and don’t talk to anyone.” Shaun instructed.

  “Shaun, you’re scaring me. What’s going on?” Doug asked.

  “Doug, just do what I say. If we don’t get out of here in the next ten minutes, we may never be able to leave. Trust me. You and Lisa get packed and be over at my cabin in five minutes.” Shaun said sternly.

  “OK.” Doug answered. He didn’t know what the hell Shaun was talking about, but he knew enough to trust whatever Shaun said.

  Shaun slipped out of Doug’s cabin and quietly went back to his own cottage.

  He knocked lightly as he opened the door. “Meg it’s me!” He called out quietly as he slipped into the cabin.

  Megan was just finishing with Lilly.

  Lilly stood in front of the table. Her hair was wet. Megan had used the drinking water they had in one of their plastic bottles, to wash Lilly’s face and clean up her hair the best she could.

  She was wearing a long army green something. Her dirty night clothes were lying on the floor along with her yellow stained underwear.

  “Where did you get that dress for Lilly?” Shaun asked smiling at Lilly.

  “It’s not a dress, it’s a poncho. I took our blanket and cut a hole on the center so it would slip over her head. Then I took a piece of leftover material and cut a strip to tie around her waist to keep it together.” Megan smiled. “We couldn’t let her run around in those dirty night clothes any longer.”

  “I like it.” Shaun said as Lilly smiled. “And it’s a dark color. That will be better for sneaking around in the dark.”

  “Did you talk to Doug?” Megan asked.

  “Yea. I told them to be here in five minutes with all their stuff.” Shaun answered. “We better get moving and get our things packed up too.”

  Shaun and Megan dug out their back packs. They quickly filled it with all the belongings they had brought with them. Their old blankets, pan, and the remaining snacks.

  After they had packed all their belongings, the packs were still half empty. Shaun looked around the small room they had called their home for the past few days. “Take whatever you can fit in your pack from the bed. Any thing you can fit in the pack, I’m sure we will find a use for it. Let’s roll up Lilly’s dirty clothes. Maybe we can wash them out somewhere and she can wear them again. I’m sure she likes her poncho, but she will want to wear her regular clothes again.”

  They worked quickly. Soon they heard a knock on the door. They looked as Doug stuck his head in the door.

  “Quick, come in and close the door.” Shaun said.

  Doug and Lisa came in carrying their back packs. Lisa didn’t look very happy.

  “Hey, it’s Lilly!” Lisa said. “I thought you were relocated. Did you come back to visit?”

  Lilly smiled weakly as she looked at Shaun.

  “Keep your voices down!” Shaun whispered sternly.

  “Can you tell us what this is all about?” Doug asked quietly. “Why did you want us to pack our things? What’s all of this about us needing to leave?”

  Shaun started. “Long story short! We just found out a few things about what is going on here at the fort. It is nothing like we were told. The fort isn’t relocating anyone. There are no farms or houses outside the fort. Bill and the bikers planned this th
ing together. All the newcomers to the fort are being killed and they are trading the women to the bikers. Doug and I are to be killed when we show up for guard duty tonight. There is one way out of this, but we have to get out of here now! I’ll give you the whole story when we get somewhere safe.”

  “Shit!” Doug stared. “That’s the short story?”

  Shaun motioned Doug to follow him closer to the door. When they were near the door, Shaun stared at Doug and whispered. “Bill and his buddies are killing all the newcomers, cutting them up and feeding them to the people that live in the fort. Lilly was being held captive up where they keep the bodies, but she managed to escape. George stopped in to warn me what was going to go down tonight. He told me how we can get out of here. There is a little tunnel that starts under the bed in cottage four. He said Bill plans on adding us to the menu tonight. Don’t tell Lisa all of this, but just so you know what we are up against tonight. You need to keep her under control until we get out of here.” Shaun said seriously.

  Doug nodded his head, then he slowly looked at Shaun. “You mean all that ham we have been eating?”

  Shaun stared at Doug and slowly nodded his head.

  “Damn!” Doug said right before he threw up.

  Lisa ran over. “Doug, are you OK?”

  Doug wiped his mouth and looked at Lisa. “I’m just a little nervous. I’ll be fine when we get out of here.”

  “What’s your plan to get us the hell away from here?” Doug looked at Shaun.

  “We’re going to get behind our cabin. Meg and I will hide Lilly between us and walk casually up to the outhouse. When we get to the outhouse, we are going to duck into the shadows along the wall. We are going to start working our way to the back corner. The last cottage along the wall is where we are going. When you see us get in the shadows, you and Lisa walk like you are going to the outhouse, then follow us.” Shaun said. “We should be able to stay in the shadows the whole way up.”