Category : Stories

Sub Category : Horror

As I sat there helplessly, I could smell irony pungent order the fresh crimson blood pooling near me. Being tied up in a poorly lit room in the back in a hole-in-the-wall on the outskirts of town, the only thing that I could be thankful for was the blood that was starting to dominate the floor belonged to the dead body lying near me.

Don’t worry, kid. I’m coming back for you.

The soulless man’s words rang in my mind.

Who would have thought that a road trip through the deserts of the U.S. would lead to this? I told Barry not to pick up those girls on the side of the road. I had a feeling they were trouble.

I looked over at the body of my best friend. My eyes welled up. I could feel the sting in them as the tears mixed with the dried blood and dirt that covered my face.

“Dude. Why didn’t you listen to me? We could have been having drinks in LA.” I sniffed as I began to bawl. “Instead we are in the middle of fucking nowhere and you’re FUCKING DEAD!”

I wanted to scream but I knew that the man with the knife would be back.

“Hold it together, Schaffer. You need find a way out of this shit hole.”

I took a moment to calm my mind. Once I was focused, I scanned the room. 

“What the hell do they do here?”

 Rusted chains with hook adorned the walls. Boxes that seemed soggy and rancid looked like they were tossed into the far corner. I didn’t want to know what were in them. Then, there it was. A bone saw was laying off to the to the side of them. My eyes shifted to the thick metal door. He could have walked in at any moment. I squeezed my eyes shut and gathered the nerve.

“I need to get out of here.” Wasting no time, I stared to quickly inch my body over to the saw, the whole time keeping an eye on that door.

Sweating my balls off, I prayed with every scoot I made that the man wouldn’t come back. I was inches from the saw when I heard heavy footsteps. “Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit!” I hurried the rest of the way and sat frozen. I pleaded to God that the door would stay closed. Suddenly, the steps stopped in front of the door. I knew then he was coming back to kill me. I could hear him starting to unlock the door. Just when I thought I was doomed, someone from down the hall yelled out. I couldn’t make out what they said but the man hollered back. I took a deep breath when I heard him walking back down the hall.

“Now is my chance.”

I situated my hand to feel for the bone saw. “Got it. Now to get it so I can cut this damn rope.” Grabbing it by the end, I felt the boxes. I could feel vomit creeping up my throat as my fingers slid across whatever was soaking through the boxes. “Not now.” Gathering up spit I attempted to use it push down the upcoming puke. With a hard swallow, I succeed. I could feel my breathing quicken and my heart race as I fumbled with the saw trying to set it blade up between two boxes.

He would be back.

Just when I felt like giving up, I was able to do it.

“Yes.”

I carefully made sure I didn’t cut myself, since my hands were tied behind me, and started to drag the rope across the blade.

 “Fuck! Fuck! Need. To. Go. Faster.” I felt the tightening of the rope loosen with every cut.

“Just a little more.” I picked up speed until…

“Yes. Now my feet.”

I rubbed my wrist then picked up the saw by its cold steel handle and began cutting the rope around my ankles. I was racing against the clock. I knew that I still had to find a way out or figure out how to fight him and anyone else trying to stop my escape.

“Done.” I threw the rope away from me. I sprang up. My head was still lightly throbbing from when the blond bitch hit me over the head and I could feel my bruised ribs from that other cunt was kicking me when I dropped to the ground.

I picked up the bone saw. At that moment, it was the only weapon I had.

Being a gamer, I feel that in a way, I trained myself for this with every survival horror game I played. But, unlike a game, the real-life version had no restart or checkpoints.

I had one shot.

I stared at that door. “Did he lock it back up when he left? “I wondered as I crept to the door, knowing at any moment he could burst through and I would have to think fast and defend myself. My hands shook. I hadn’t slept in days but the adrenaline was pumping through me like cocaine.

I made it to the door. I pulled the handle.

The door moved.

I knew that if there was a God, he heard me. I closed my eyes and whispered a thank you. I slowly pulled the door open. The hallway was wall to wall concrete. The wet musty smell reached my nose.

I looked over my shoulder. There was my best friend in the whole world on the floor with his throat slit. We were having one last hurrah before college in the fall. We were supposed to be roommates. We should have left those bitches there.

“I’m sorry Barry. I must leave you here. I promise I’ll get out of here and bust theses assholes. Ill tell your parents that you fought hard. “

“I love you, dude.”

With that, I walked out of my tomb.

I rubbed my eyes, which didn’t help. I focused on the door at the end of the hall. A single light bulb slightly swung just above the top of it. I was out in the open. He could open that door and I wouldn’t be able to stop him if he charged me. His frame was massive compared to my lanky one. The only thing I had in my favor was the bone saw, but I’m no action hero.

“Well there is no time like the present to become one.”

I rubbed my head with my free hand. I wish I had some ibuprofen. I feel like my skull is going to explode.

I got to the thin wooden door. It had no knob or handle.  I put my hand on it and pushed.

“Please don’t squeak.”

The light from on the other side of it peered in. I pried it open just enough to peek through the crack. I could see the cunt twins sitting at the side bar in what seemed to be a makeshift kitchen and front room arguing with Barry’s killer while some older woman with a cigarette hanging out of her mouth was looking on.

My eyes darted to the side. There was a door. I hoped it led to the outside.

Somehow, I had to get past them and get to that fucking door.

The blond snapped. “Those assholes were young! They probably have rich parents. If you wouldn’t have killed their ass we’d be sitting pretty!”

The brunette was up in the man’s face.

“Are they both dead?”

The man glared down at her.

“You and your fucking cash. No, I was just going to finish off the other.”

 The man looked to the woman. “I’m going to go back and finish it off then put them in the cooler.”

The woman blew some smoke through her nostrils. “Good. Last time, you waited too long and the meat went bad.”

“Yes, Ma.”

The elder woman shot a look to the bitches. “Quit your complaining and get the hell back out there. Asking for ransom would attract attention we don’t need. Anyways, we get plenty of money doing what we do.

 The blond scoffed whole the brunette grabs the other’s arm. “Let’s go. You don’t want to piss off Grandma. Remember last time?”

The man walked to a room and slammed the door. The girls took off, I assumed to lure more victims.

The woman walked the door. “What the hell are you doing?”

“I’m taking a shit.” Groaning, she walked off. “You good for nothing fuck head. Where is their car?”

“It’s in the garage. I’m going to chop it in the morning.”

She walked behind the side bar and opened the fridge. The woman pulled out a can of beer and slammed the door. “I’m going upstairs,” she croaked while her cigg still hung from her lips. “Make sure you get them in the cooler this time.”

“Yes ma.”

The woman left room. Now was my chance. No fucking way was I going to be damn food.

“Sorry Barry.”

I slipped through the door, again keeping my eye on a damn door in case ass fuck came out. I glanced at it. If I kept going slowly, I would for sure be caught. After all, I doubt he was going to shit forever. I closed my eyes and took one last deep breath.

“I gots this.”

Just then, the toilet flushed. Without thinking, I booked it to the door and out of the house. I could hear the guy screaming as I ran for my life. I knew I wasn’t getting out of here without a fight. It was night time so the darkness was on my side. The yard was nothing but dirt and junked cars all over the place. I ran and hid behind a rusted body of a 57 Chevy. I slowed down my breathing as I watched the man, who now waving a gun, yelling out into the night.

“Get your ass out here! You have nowhere to go.”

I studied the gun in his hand. “I need to get that.” I knew if I had that gun, I would be able to get past all of them. My objective: Get the gun, somehow, and get to Barry’s Porsche.

“There isn’t a town for miles. You’re fucked, kid. I’ll find you and trust me,” He laughed.  “you’re not going to like what comes next.”

The cool night air was refreshing from the dank disgusting smells of that house of horrors. I could see him getting closer to where I was. I needed to distract him so I could get that gun from him. I glanced down at the bone saw in my hand. I figured there were two ways to go about this:

One, I could rush him and hope that I knew how to use it as a weapon and him not shoot me or two, I could throw the bone saw and get him to go there while I charged him from behind. Suddenly, I moved my foot and it hit something. I peered down. It was a fist size rock.

“This is a way better Idea.”

I picked up the rock and chucked it far away from me. The man jerked his head and followed the sound.

“You’re time’s up, kid.”

I rushed out from behind the Chevy and came at him like a linebacker.

“I don’t think so, asshole.”

Before he could react, I threw my entire body into the goal of knocking him down. When I hit him it was like throwing myself against a human wall. With luck on my side, the man lost his footing and tumbled forward. While he was on the ground, I saw his hand with the gun in it and I brought down the bone saw on his wrist with all the remaining strength I had. The man screamed as the bone saw broke through the skin. I grabbed the gun from his hand and cocked it. 

Still screaming, the man cradled his wrist. He rolled over to see me standing over him with the gun pointed at his skull.

 He became silent.

I was trembling. Here I was standing above the asshole who kidnapped me and killed my best friend.

I could finally see his face. He looked like he hadn’t showered in weeks. His face seemed liked I wasn’t the only victim who fought back because it was covered in slashed scars. His dark clothes were dirty and full of worn holes. He looked like a slasher killer straight out of a horror film.

He began to chuckle. “Many others have tried to get away. You will fail too. You better pray to your God now.”

I bobbed my head as I aimed at his. “Sorry. I’m not religious, but I did pray. Guess what happened?”

The man raised his hands. “No no no no no no!”

“I got this. Go meet your god in hell.”

I pulled the trigger. The shot rang out like a firecracker from the Fourth Of July.

The fucker was dead.

I started to look for the garage but suddenly stopped in my tracks. “If I leave now, I’ll live but more people will fall victims to them.” I really wanted to go but I didn’t want any more Barrys. So, I decided on a new game plan:

Kill all them.

I walked through the yard. “I can’t believe I’m going to do this. I think this is part of the movie where the victim becomes the season bad-ass.” I figured out how to check the bullets, it being my first gun. I think it was a nine clip. It had five bullets left. Plenty for what I needed.

I ventured back in the house. I snuck through the great room. Finding the stairs on the side, I made my way to them.

I could hear some talk show on the tv mixed with some smoker’s cough as I got near to the top of the stairs.  It smelled like the smoker’s room at a nursing home.

“Billie! Is that you? Get in here you moron!”

I cocked my head and followed the sounds. Piles of old newspapers and scattered mice covered the floor. I guess between kidnapping and killing people and chopping up cars they had no time to clean the house and forget hiring a housekeeper.

I stood just outside her room. The room was filled with smoke and suffocating air. I walked in.

She looked at me and the color drained from her face. “How the hell did you get out? Where is my son?” I stood over her bed with the gun pointed at her. She cackled. “Oh, you think you’re grown with that gun? Do you even know how to use it?”

I glared at her defiantly. “Why don’t you ask you son? Right now, he is laying in the backyard. I doubt he will be getting up.”

She growled. “You killed Billy. You better kill me or you’re a dead little boy.” I shook my head. I think you better shut the fuck up and answer my questions.” “Fine, what is it?”

I took a breath. “How long has your family been doing this?” She laughed again. Her teeth were as black as her heart. “You were in the backyard. Where do you think all those cars came from, dumbass?” the tv was bothering me, so I turned around and shot it. “Better.” She looked around and stared at her television which now had a bullet hole in it. “Nice shot, kid.” Turning back around, I asked, “So generations. Why?”

She cackled followed by coughing. “Why not?”

My blood was boiling. “So just because? You eat people just because?”

The woman took a sighed, “Did you think you were going to get some great revelation or something? We like human flesh. We sell the car parts for money. It’s really that simple. So, if you’re going to fucking shoot me, then shoot me, if not get the fuck out of here.”

I aimed at her head. “Fine by me.”

I shot her. Two headshots. If it would have been a game, I would have been racking mad points.

“Now, to get the car and find the cunts.” I left the house and started to search for the garage. I was willing to bet that they would be near the same spot where Barry and I picked them up.

I walked around the house, which was larger than I first thought and finally found that garage in the front. Sure as shit, Barry’s Porsche was sitting there looking pretty. “I have never been so glad to see you.” I jumped in. the keys were in the ignition. When I turned it over, it purred. I pulled out and did a whippy in the dirt driveway. Leaving the place, I yelled with delight.

Eventually, I made it to the highway again. My headache was going away and I didn’t even notice the pain in my ribs. I turned on the radio, nothing. “Fuck it.” And I turned it back off. Lyed the gun beside me and kept my eyes open for them. The whole reason Barry is dead and I killed two people, if you can call them people.

I got a few miles down the road and there they were. The two girls talking up a guy in a convertible. I stepped on the gas and sped up right beside him. “Dude, trust me. You don’t want these bitches.” The guy took one look at my dirty and bloody face and took off meanwhile the two girls stared at me in horror. The blond with the hooker’s clothes spoke first. “You’re supposed to be dead. How are you here? Where is Grandma? Billy?”

“Well Billy and I got into a fight and Grandma and I had a nice chat. They are dead, of course." The brunette charged the car. “You killed them! You fucking killed them?” I lifted the gun and shot her. “Yes.”

The blond, who looked sluttier than her sister, started to cry, “I’m sorry. They made me do it. I didn’t want to. Please believe me.” I eyed her. “Do you want to come with me?” Nodding her head, she shuffled towards the car. I inclined my head. “Just one thing.” She stopped as she wiped the fake tears off her face. I raised my gun again. “I’m not rich.” And I shot her.

Her body dropped and fell on her sister’s.

I turned off the car and got out.

“It’s over. It’s really over.”

I started to hyperventilate. Tears dropped from my eyes. Whatever was keeping my composure though the whole thing left. I slumped to my knees and bawled. I couldn’t believe it! My best friend since grade school was lying in some room at that house, dead.

“I killed four people.”

I stood up and ran to the other side of the highway. I took off my shirt and wiped off the prints and threw the gun into the desert. That was the last time I ever touched a gun.

I silently got into the car and drove the way, leaving all those bodies behind.

That night forever changed me.

My life will never be the same again.

Life lesson: when your best friend tells you not to do something because it doesn’t feel right,

Listen.