Fragmented Evil

by Craig Wrightson

  No one had believed his sordid truths and he was left alone to process his thoughts. He locked himself in his bedroom for weeks on end, curtains closed and only the internet for company. He came across the German rock group Rammstein on YouTube and soon found himself thrashing around, trashing his room while the eerie music played out at full blast. That had been his calling and he had embraced it with a passion.

  Shaking his head, trying to drive the memory away, Ethan quickly towel-dried his pale, skinny body and made a promise to himself that he would work hard to integrate himself as best as he could over the coming weekend.

  He dressed quickly in dark combat trousers and a worn grey Sons of Anarchy t-shirt. Picking up his rucksack, he left his room unsure of what the next few days would hold.

  Chapter 3

  His house was no more than a ten-minute brisk walk away from the college, but Ethan left early, giving himself plenty of time. He wanted to be there well before everyone else, so he could pick his own spot to stand and wait without fear of walking past the other pupils who would blatantly ignore him or make snide comments behind his back.

  It was only eight-thirty in the morning and the streets were practically deserted. It was the end of the first week of the half-term holiday and the sun had already risen into the clear blue sky, basking the old council houses in full technicolour, making them appear more beautiful than what they actually were, allowing for the fact that they were close to one-hundred years old. Looking out into the North Sea, Ethan noticed dark clouds forming on the horizon. He hoped they would retreat to another faraway land. He did not want the weather to spoil this trip. Since his surprise phone call the previous evening, he had been more excited than he had been for a long, long time.

  He had been at home, tucked away in his bedroom reading Bram Stoker’s Dracula when the phone had rung. He had let it ring, knowing it wouldn't be for him and that his mother would eventually answer it. He had been surprised when moments later his mother timidly knocked on his door and told him that Mrs Mae, his history teacher, wanted to speak to him. In a flash he discarded the book, unconcerned that he had not saved his place with his worn bookmark and paced the room anxiously. His heart was beating like a bass drum. Mrs Mae? His history teacher; the only teacher he had a crush on in his entire college. The woman whom he had masturbated over numerous times. What on earth was she doing calling him at home?

  Still fluttery, Ethan had opened the door and accepted the offered phone from his mother, before shutting the door in her face and sitting on his bed.

  In a hushed but excited voice, Mrs Mae had explained how a new possible burial site had only just been uncovered by the National Trust, located about four miles from Allendale in Northumberland. It was yet to be disclosed to the media, and Mrs Mae went on to explain that a close friend working on the Hadrian's Wall site had told her about the discovery the day before. Ethan had listened, mesmerised by Mrs Mae's voice as she explained how her friend had spoken to her superiors and had arranged approval for Mrs Mae's history class to view the site before anyone else. They had agreed that it would be good publicity for the Trust if they involved local pupils in significant findings. A way of attracting younger people to the typically typecast ‘boring' history genre whose followers were predominately much older. A National Trust photographer was going to be present to capture everything. Mrs Mae finished by saying that Mr Charles, the head of Sixth Form, had agreed to the trip instantly and granted permission for her pupils to visit the site over the weekend. The bus and all the camping equipment had been kindly provided by the school.

  Ethan could not shout out the word ‘yes’ quick enough when Mrs Mae had asked him if he wished to go along. Of course, he did! Did she not know he was a goth for god's sake? Death fascinated him. After agreeing to go, she told him to be at the school for nine a.m. and hung up. Ethan had lain back on his bed and before he knew it, was wanking himself into a frenzy over the thought of spending a weekend with Mrs Mae.

  In a joyous mood, despite the early hour, Ethan turned right into the street that would lead him to the college gates. He idly walked up the path and was surprised to find the college gates firmly locked. Sat on a wall just opposite, casually smoking a cigarette, was Alex Earle. Ethan had already guessed that Alex was the college stud. He was touching six feet and had a slender build. His fair hair was shaved short and matched the stubble on his face. Rumour had it that Alex had started shaving even before high school. He was very popular with the girls and was the college rugby captain. Unfortunately, he wasn't the brightest and Ethan had noticed how he struggled in their history class together. Alex looked up at Ethan and flicked his cigarette onto the path.

  ‘Alright, Ethan? Fuck knows what's going on here.’

  Ethan was about to reply when Alex turned sharply away and picked up his phone, ultimately ending the conversation. Ethan was pleased that for a change someone had spoken to him without an insult being directed his way. He sat on the kerb next to the college gates and retrieved his Dracula book from within his rucksack. He hoped he wouldn't have to sit around for long.

  Ethan had only been reading for a few minutes when he was distracted by a commotion at the bottom of the street. He looked up and smiled as he witnessed Zoe Ashton, another member of his history class, struggle up the path with a huge, bright pink suitcase whose castors she was struggling to keep in a straight line. Where the fuck does she think she's going? Ethan thought to himself. St Tropez?

  Zoe Ashton was probably the most beautiful girl in college and boy did she know it. She was tall and slender, and her breasts were firm and much bigger than any of the female teachers. She had long wavy blonde hair and a year-round suntan, paid for by her rich daddy. Ethan guessed Zoe was still a virgin after listening in on a few of the older pupils chatting next to the lockers. He’d heard one of them say that it took about six months of hard work for any boyfriend to even get a hand inside her panties. In all honesty, Ethan had no problems with Zoe. She hadn't spoken to him, of course, but she had smiled at him a couple of times during class.

  He was just debating whether to offer Zoe some gentlemanly assistance when a rusted cream camper van zoomed around the corner of the street, travelling well over the speed limit and nearly mounting the kerb.

  Chapter 4

  The driver of the camper van gained control at the last minute and narrowly missed the kerb, sending a startled Zoe further into the pavement, where she lost grip of her suitcase which fell to the floor. Without stopping, the camper van slowed down and continued up the street. Zoe composed herself and continued with her struggle, cursing under her breath.

  Ethan and Alex were now both stood up, standing close together surveying the scene. The camper van pulled up slowly and stopped at the locked college gates.

  Both boys were equally surprised when Mrs Mae climbed out of the passenger seat, smiling as she made her way over to join them. Ethan momentarily held his breath; Mrs Mae looked stunning. She was about five foot ten and big built, not fat. She had the athletic build of someone who seriously worked out. She was wearing a flowing red silk summer dress that showed off all her womanly curves and a pair of bright red high heels emphasised her muscular calves to perfection. Her red hair was straight and came just down below her shoulders. Ethan heard Alex take a deep breath.

  Reaching the boys, Mrs Mae greeted them with a perfect smile, showing off her pearly white teeth.

  ‘Hi, boys. So sorry we are late. A last-minute change of plan. Don't worry, though, everything is sorted.’

  The boys nodded, mesmerised, unable to speak. Mrs Mae turned around just as Zoe joined them, her face bright red from a mixture of exertion and anger.

  ‘Zoe, sweetheart,’ she said in a soft tone, ‘are you OK? I'm sorry about that. Dominic can be a complete tool at times.’

  Zoe calmed down and replied, ‘I'm fine, Mrs Mae. Just got a bit of a shock.’

  Mrs Mae walked over to Zoe and put a caring arm around her.
Glancing back to Ethan and Alex, she continued.

  ‘Well, we are here now, and I promise we are all going to have the most wonderful time together this weekend.’

  Alex looked at the camper van and asked, ‘Where is everyone else? I thought we were going in the school bus?’

  Mrs Mae looked to the sky with doe-like eyes and explained. ‘Dominic, my fiancée, isn't insured to drive the school van. We had to borrow this from a friend, so we could only pick three pupils from the class to join us. Looks like you were the lucky ones.’

  Ethan was just about to ask if the trip was still approved by the head when the driver's door to the camper van opened and Dominic stepped out. He was tall and thin, not healthy thin but sickly thin with gaunt greying skin. His eyes were dark and rodent-like. He was dressed in faded denim jeans and a matching denim shirt. The look was completed with dark greasy hair that was swept back and tied up in a ponytail that resembled a rat's tail.

  Dominic ambled over to the join Mrs Mae and placed a hand around her waist. Ethan decided they were chalk and cheese and could not for the life of him fathom out why someone of such beauty could be with someone like Dominic, who looked at total letch.

  Dominic caught sight of Zoe and his attention was immediately drawn to her. He went over to check she was OK and to apologise for nearly crashing into her.

  Alone with the two boys, Mrs Mae said, ‘Please call me Sophie this weekend. I don't want any of this Mrs Mae nonsense.’ She left a deliberate pause before adding, ‘We are all adults, after all.’

  Both boys nodded dumbly. Mrs Mae bent down to pick up Ethan's rucksack, eager to get going. As she bent over, Ethan got a birds-eye view of her voluptuous, fleshy breasts jutting out of her dress. He felt himself stiffen. Glancing closer, he saw a vial of blood hanging from her silver necklace, resting perfectly in her cleavage. Preoccupied with his perfect view, Ethan forgot about it in seconds.

  Mrs Mae called Dominic over. He did not seem best pleased to be dragged away from Zoe. He walked over and shook Ethan and Alex's hands. His grip was weak and his palms were clammy.

  ‘Hi, boys,' he said. ‘I've heard a lot about you two from Sophie. I think this weekend is going to be full of surprises for everyone.’

  Ethan recoiled. Dominic's breath was earthy, sage smelling and not very pleasant. Before he could step back for fresh air, Dominic hoisted up Alex's rucksack loaded it into the camper van. To top off the sleazebag look, his denim shirt was unbuttoned at the top and Ethan saw that he also had a vial of blood hanging around his neck. That was creepy. A shiver went up Ethan's spine. He was just about to speak out, maybe even pull out of the trip, when Mrs Mae came over with Zoe and ushered them all into the camper van.

  The camper van was surprisingly roomy with four seats and a small table in the rear. In the boot compartment Ethan could see all the camping equipment and provisions and gradually began to relax.

  Zoe sat on a chair opposite the boys, facing forwards, and Ethan and Alex sat opposite. The moment she fitted her seat belt, Zoe opened up her expensive phone and began messaging away and taking selfies. Alex popped his headphones in his ears and started listening to some rap crap. Understanding that there was going to be zero conversation on the journey, Ethan placed his head against the window and gazed outside.

  Behind him, Dominic winked at Mrs Mae and leant forwards to turn on the ignition. From where he was sitting, Ethan failed to notice the crude 666 tattooed onto Dominic's neck.

  Chapter 5

  After slowly ambling through the streets of Newbiggin, they made their way across the county until they picked up the scenic and quiet Military Road that eventually took them close to the world-famous heritage site that was Hadrian's Wall.

  Hadrian's Wall was built in AD 122 and stretched over seventy-three miles, starting off at Wallsend on the banks of the River Tyne and ending at Bowness-on-Solway, close to the Irish Sea. Peppered with milecastles and turrets along the way, it had initially been designed as a defensive fortification and had been home to many bloody battles between waring English and Scottish armies. Ethan sat transfixed along the entire route, reliving the battles, imagining the horror and pain that death could only bring in those barbaric times.

  Beside him, Alex slept, though Ethan questioned how that was possible as the unidentifiable rap music still blared out from his headphones. Zoe had begun to irritate Ethan from the minute they had left by continuously taking selfies and constantly giggling at every message or tweet she received.

  Ethen was relieved that the dark history of Northumberland had kept his mind occupied or he was sure that he would have been forced to while the time away by planning very gruesome deaths for his two fellow passengers.

  They started to make good time once they picked up the A69 dual carriageway, until they turned a corner on the single-lane road and nearly ran into the back of a slow-moving combine harvester. Stuck in second gear, Dominic cursed non-stop until they were able to overtake ten minutes later.

  Just before the turn off to Allendale, Dominic pulled the camper van into a verge before crudely announcing that he needed a slash, much to the disgust of Zoe, who drew a sneering face from where she was sat. Alex also climbed out, having decided he wanted a cigarette. Dominic finished urinating into the deep bushes by the roadside and joined him. He pulled out a bag of rolling tobacco from his pocket and made his own, licking his Rizla paper with a lizard-like tongue. Watching from inside the van, Ethan smirked as Zoe physically shuddered at the ghastly sight.

  Toilet break over, everyone stretched then assumed their positions back inside the camper van. After travelling for ten minutes in silence, the signpost for Allendale appeared. Dominic turned off the A69 and entered a single-lane road that twisted and turned around the countryside and farmer’s fields. Knowing they were nearing their destination, Ethan's bladder started to play up. He secretly wished he had taken the opportunity to relieve himself moments before with the others. The last few miles were going to be slow and painful for him.

  The pupils were disappointed with what they saw as they entered the main street of Allendale. There was a smattering of shops, mainly tourist and charity shops, a fish and chip shop and one pub only. All plans of a wild Friday night out were squashed. No chance of getting drunk in a park or trying their hand at getting served in the bars.

  The camper van trundled through the main street, which soon petered out to a quiet country lane with the occasional bungalow built on the side.

  ‘Fucking coffin dodgers,’ were Alex's only words and his full input to the entire journey.

  Everyone became alert as the road started climbing, looking forwards to stretching their legs and a chance to breathe in some fresh countryside air. Dominic had to drop down into a lower gear as the road became narrow with tricky turns lurking every minute. They cleared the incline and came across another much smaller village. Setback, away from the old farmhouses, an old church took prime position over the village and caught everyone's attention. They passed a wooden display that desperately needed revarnishing, with a dusty glass frame that was partially covered by an overhanging willow tree. It read:

  The Parish Church of St Cuthbert, Allendale.

  Mrs Mae and Dominic exchanged an excited, almost sexual glance at each other. The air in the camper van became charged. The three passengers in the back were also drawn towards the church. Ethan felt strange, his stomach knotted at the sight. He couldn’t explain why, but he was certain it did not bode well.

  Ethan looked at the others; they were both ashen. Neither of them spoke and Ethan was positive that they had experienced the same unexplainable feeling.

  Without any warning, Dominic suddenly spun the camper van into a farmer’s field, narrowly missing the steel gate that had only casually been pulled open and not secured completely. Bouncing around in the back, Ethan looked ahead and saw that they were travelling on a worn farmer’s track that it led to the start of woodland about one hundred metres away.
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  Mrs Mae turned around, face beaming. ‘We’re here campers, this is us.’

  Reaching the start of the trees, Dominic slowed down to a crawl looking for a safe spot to stop. A large opening appeared and he nosed the front of the camper van inside before coming to a halt, half-hidden by the trees.

  Zoe was the first to exit. She jumped down into the wood and screamed the moment she straightened herself upright.

  Her scream tore through the silent air and made everyone inside the camper van jump. Looking out they could see Zoe stood rigid, white as a ghost, as a dead rabbit, hung with barbed wire from the branch of a tree, swayed inches from her face.

  Both of the rabbit's eyes had been pecked out and was a mass of blood.

  Chapter 6

  They exited the camper van as one and ran around to where Zoe was stood, visibly shaking in distress and rooted to the spot. Alex grabbed the rabbit from the branch and unceremoniously flung it deep into the woods.

  Mrs Mae was the first to reach Zoe. She placed her hands gently on her shoulders and asked if she was OK. Zoe was unable to respond and stared out blankly beyond them. Mrs Mae carefully led her back to the camper van and gave her a bottle of water.

  Ethan checked in on Zoe; she seemed to be coming round. Pleased that she was not in too much shock and merely suffering from fright, a bad one at that, Ethan turned back to where Alex and Dominic were standing. Alex was open-mouthed and Dominic looked spellbound.

  Following their gaze, Ethan exclaimed, ‘Oh my God!’

  Further animals were hanging from trees. They were all hung out in a line, separated by only a few metres, all garrotted with razor-sharp barbed wire which had tightly bitten into their throats. Ethan identified more rabbits, something that resembled a stoat, a fox and what looked like a new-born lamb all strung up at head height. They were all in varying stages of decay with flies buzzing around wildly in mini swarms. An army of maggots crawled freely around their fur. The stench in the air could only be described as the smell of death. Ethan felt his stomach knot as he saw that every animal hung was missing its eyes.