Horror Excerpts

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Bereft Reality published 4/16/2015.         

             Summer awoke to shouts from across the room, Amanda was calling for Sabrina, but she was not getting a response.

             “Sabrina, shit, come on, let me loose, we can talk about what’s bothering you, hon,” Amanda said.

             Summer tried to move and see how much of her drug-induced paralysis had remained. She could pull herself forward, now it was time to sit up, and then to walk. All was normal, as she stood and told Amanda to shut the fuck up.

             “Your precious is on the table, what happened to get her there you will never find out from me. It appears that she’s unable to speak at the moment, and probably would not want to talk to you anyway.” Summer stated.

             Amanda quieted and searched through the recent events that she remembered. It was rough sex, followed by intimacy, and then a struggle. Yes, a struggle, then I blacked out, she thought. She saw Summer walking over and she looked haggard, bruised and beaten up. Summer looked at Amanda’s eyes and saw how shocked she was to see her free, or maybe it was how she looked, she laughed to herself.

             “You should see the other guy” Summer said smiling.

             Amanda looked away angry and confused. She heard Jake going to town on someone, and guessed that Sue was still alive, as Summer would be very angry at her. Sabrina on the other hand, she was not sure. It was obvious that a fight resulted in Summer’s release, and possibly Sabrina’s death; this saddened her, and her spirit seemed to be broken.

             “You should know that she fought valiantly, and that it was a hard fight for me to gain my freedom. I barely had enough strength remaining to fend her off, and then from where I do not know I mustered enough to overpower, to overcome.”

             Amanda did not speak. Summer looked at Amanda, tied to a grate, small in stature, subdued. She did not seem as formidable as she was when she wielded a foot-long penis in one hand and a bottle of whiskey in another.

             “It’s off to the tube for you, hon, but I have to get you there first, and I’m wondering how you would like to go?”  Summer said looking at Amanda.

             Amanda still chose not to speak, turning her head away from Summer.        Summer walked up to Amanda, sat on the floor, and slid in behind her. She took her arm and placed her in a head lock, squeezing her very tightly. Amanda just stayed put and did not fight it. Summer purposely squeezed much harder than she needed to cut off the blood flow to Amanda’s brain. It was fun to her, she felt angry, Summer wanted revenge. The only reason to put her in the tube is for safe keeping, and to be able to spend more time with the two on the tables. Amanda faked blacking out, released her body and fell backwards onto Summer. Summer held on to her a few moments longer then released her grip.

             Summer took the keys from the kitchen table where she left them earlier and walked back to Amanda. She unlocked the handcuffs holding her left arm from the grate and followed with the right. Reaching down she grabbed Amanda and raised the dead weight. Backwards she dragged her towards the room with the vertical glass tubes, stopping briefly to open the door, and then continued through. It was very dark; she sat her down against the door and searched for the light switch. Finding it on the left, she pushed it upward and light filled the room. The tubes looked scientific, lit from the top, the sides had buttons and dials, and two of the three had women in them. She turned to pick up Amanda and she was gone. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuucccccccccckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk Summer said slowly, drawing the word out way beyond what was necessary.

             Walking out of the room carefully, she saw the TV turn on and the screen turn blue, but Amanda was nowhere to be seen. The screen changed again, and she heard ‘The Princess Bride, by S. Morgenstern’. A movie, she had just put on a movie. Summer scanned the area in front of her, looking towards the door on her left, all the way to the right where the tables with her two friends were. She noticed that the Jakes were still fucking, and that Sabrina seemed to be bothered more than Sue, she’d have to change that later, she thought.

             “You know you are never leaving this place, right?  You don’t know the code, hon. What were you thinking?” Amanda said from somewhere in front of her, but out of sight and muffled.

             Summer did not speak, she kept looking around the room, standing completely still, completely quiet. Summer did not have any plans of leaving anytime soon, she had everything she needed right here, everything except Amanda.

             “On the table there are three pain pills and a glass of whiskey, hon.” Amanda said.

             Summer took small steps forward as Amanda spoke, “Take the pills, crush them up and place them into the glass, stir it with your finger and drink it down.”

             Summer stepped forward and off to the left side, going slightly towards the security door.

             “Then you can sit at the table and wait to get sleepy.”  She told Summer.

             Summer looked for places Amanda could hide, for places where she might be. She turned her head this way and that, looking for movement. Only Jake could be seen moving, and an occasional twitch of pain from his girlfriends.

             Summer still kept quiet and waited for her to speak; she wanted to get a better view of the couch.

             “Come on, Summer, its either those pain pills to stop your pain, to relax you, or it’s pain, hon. I’m sitting on the couch with a knife, a taser, and a bottle of half empty whiskey. You can join me after you finish your drink, if you like,” Amanda said half laughing.

             Summer froze, she had not seen the taser earlier when she looked through the rooms. Summer already knew she was in trouble, but now she knew that she could not fight Amanda close up, she had to disable her from a distance. Just in case she took a knife from the table, she needed a weapon, just in case. She looked for heavy objects to use, and there were plenty of choices, just none that were available and not too close to the couch. For all she knew, she wasn’t even on the couch, or even in the area of the TV. The Princess Bride continued to play; it was a good movie; she found it distracting.

             “I’m not drinking that; I’m going to save it for you.” Summer said as she started walking up to the couch.

             Amanda did not speak. Summer continued to work her way to the left side of the couch, keeping her back to the security door. It was too quiet, and as the seat of the couch came into view, it was empty. The movie continued to play, and except for that movie, there was not a noise to be heard; Amanda was somewhere nearby, she had to be. Amanda waited for Summer to get closer to the couch before sliding down from the table; she had been pressed against Sue, her ass hanging half off of it and it was very uncomfortable.

             Softly she walked towards her living room, a taser in one hand, and the remote in another. Summer listened and continued to stare at the coffee table in front of the TV. It looked like she could fit inside of it, she wasn’t sure.

             “Come out, hon” Summer said as she slowly reached for the lid.

             The knife’s point was being used to threaten the edge of the coffee table. She was going to use it to open the corner, and to keep it in Amanda’s general direction, in case she lunged at her with the taser. Slightly bending over she reached the corner and began to raise the lid when she noticed the movie had been paused. She looked up and saw Andre the Giant holding a rock, paused as if in an action shot.

             Amanda adjusted the volume about six more bars, then un-paused the movie. This happened as Summer threw up the lid and stared into an empty compartment. Amanda tackled Summer in midair, the taser crackling as they tumbled towards the TV. She had missed. Summer threw her right arm backwards slashing at Amanda with the knife. Amanda felt the warmth of her blood drip down her stomach as the taser crackled with life in Summer’s direction. Summer’s feet kicked at Amanda, landing directly against her chest. The kick was hard enough to make her drop the taser, temporarily stunning her.

             Summer grabbed it and pressed it against Amanda’s butt, pushing a few buttons along the way. Amanda could not move as the crackling sound found its way through her body. She continued to bleed but could do nothing to defend herself further. Summer removed it, hopped closer on her knees and pressed it against Amanda’s back. Amanda tried to kick and flail but was stopped mid-action as current again entered her body, rendering her attempts useless. She placed her knife into the coffee table, closing it and sat on top of Amanda, hitting her with the taser.

             “All over now, hon.” She said to Amanda.

             She rolled her over, and put her arms behind her back, holding them with one hand, she placed the taser on the floor where Amanda could not easily grab it. She then grabbed a handful of Amanda’s hair, raised her head up and slammed it onto the floor a few times. She wanted this woman defeated, she wanted to hurt her. Amanda saw stars as the floor treated her badly again. On the third attempt Amanda knew she was going to die. Blunt force trauma was not the way she had predicted her death. Summer rolled her over, sitting on her stomach and looked at her face. She was bleeding from above her eye, and from her nose, and even her mouth had an open cut where a tooth had cut her lip, she guessed.

             Summer bounced a few times over Amanda’s stomach and kept trying until she saw grievous pain on her face. A few more bounces would see the air leave Amanda’s lungs. She then walked over to the table, took the pills and crushed them into the whiskey, stirring with her finger.

             She fed the glass of whiskey to Amanda upon telling her “Take this, you are going to need it.”

             Amanda finished the drink, and Summer pulled the glass away from her grip.

             “Let’s go” she told her, as she dragged Amanda by her hair towards the room with the glass tubes.

             She made her climb up with her and stuffed her body into the tube with little resistance from Amanda. Summer placed the lid back on top, secured the two clips, and then climbed down to read the buttons on the side to see which one would fill it with water. As it turned out, you had to hold the ‘fill’ button to add water, and when you released it, the water would stop. This is how one would place enough water to shoulder level of a person no matter how short or tall they were; it was totally adjustable. Amanda was defeated; she was helpless, injured and bleeding. She had a very bad headache and overall, she ached all over. To make matters even worse, she was in a glass tube that was secured from the outside and submerged in water up to her shoulders.

 

Picking Murphys published 2/15/2016.

           Lucy walked through slowly and still limped pretty badly. People turned to look at her when they walked past her, but they turned their head less now that she was wearing the jacket. A couple of guys stared at her as they walked past and a woman wearing not much more than her smiled at her when she walked by. Making her way further inside Lucy was confused, she was tired, and probably in shock. A large neon sign to the left said ‘Antique Show’ and flashed an arrow that led down a hallway to her left. Why not, she thought, as she headed for the door at the end of the hallway.

           She was thirsty, she was hungry, and these urges were followed closely by the need for sleep. Lucy reviewed tonight’s events over and over in her mind. She was fatigued, tired and at the same time excited; she smiled as she saw a few women giving their partners shit for checking her out. Lucy looked around for a restaurant or any place to get a meal. The large conference room held about ten large tables where experts in their fields sat to examine treasures that people brought in, organized by category.

           The lines to see them stretched to the other end of the building, for some experts. Lucy watched some people leave from their meeting pleased, but most were unhappy; she guessed that this was due to the estimated value of their antique. Some old things were more valuable than others, she laughed, as she continued walking around. A few tables sparked her interest as she moved past people to check them out.

              There she was by the table, all queued up, waiting to be seen by all. Oh, and I was seen, Lucy thought. Dark on the top, a golden center, and a lovely red bottom; she was very slender, not too old, but aged, experienced. She was being held close by another. Lucy thought of ways to get closer, to place herself into the situation, or a conversation, even. Lucy had to go in for a closer look. She walked past the table and took one step forward when she turned and addressed her.

              “May I?” Lucy asked.

              “Sure,” said the lady who was holding the jewelry box steady against her chest.

           Lucy opened the drawers one at a time, very carefully examining the craftsmanship.

              “It’s lovely. Good luck,” Lucy told her.

              “Thank you,” replied the woman.

           She probably could get enough money to buy it outright, but if the woman chooses to put it up for auction, Lucy might be out of luck. She had to have it! Lucy stared at the object and thought hard about her next course of action. She turned her head to the left and blinked her eyes. She had an idea. Lucy turned to face the woman again and she was pushed aside, bumped if you will, by another woman who was also interested in the box.

              “Oh, I’m sorry, didn’t see you standing there,” she said to Lucy.

           Lucy smiled and walked away. She stopped at a few tables down and turned back to watch. There was the man beside the woman who had bumped her. They were a couple, and probably married. Lucy thought she would make the old lady an offer after she had her box examined, but she soon lost all hope of that when the young blonde gave the old woman what appeared to be a check. Lucy watched her box change hands, and she grew very angry. She followed the couple for several minutes from a distance, being careful not to be seen. She watched them sit at a nearby table and check out their newest member of their family. Lucy walked forward to the table and pulled up a chair. She sat down between them, slightly to the left of the man. She let her valet’s jacket slightly open and addressed the couple on their box.

              “It’s a very nice piece,” Lucy said to the woman.

              “Lucy, my name’s Lucy,” she said to them.

              “Yes, thank you. I’m trying to decorate my living room,” she replied.

           The man smiled at her briefly as he looked into her open coat. He was a bit sad when he noticed that all the good parts were covered up. Lucy turned slowly to her left so she could check out the doors on the box, exposing the right side of her left breast. She smiled further as she heard the man say ‘all right!’

           “Can you show me the insides please?” Lucy asked as her right hand slid over the man’s knees.

           He parted his legs as she slid her fingers down and over his groin. Several firm downward motions caught him off guard, and when she latched on and held him tightly, he asked her if she liked the drawers.

           “Oh, very much so, can I make you an offer?” Lucy asked.

           The lady looked up at her husband and his eye contact didn’t really matter to her.

              “I’m sorry, it’s not for sale,” she told Lucy.

           Lucy’s grip tightened on the man and she began stroking him. He really could not believe this was happening.

           “OK then. I’ll catch you later then,” she said as she smiled to the man and removed her hand.

           As Lucy stood up, turned and walked away he couldn’t help to notice that she wore no underpants.

              “Honey, we didn’t’ even listen to her offer,” he said.

           She looked at him but didn’t speak.

           “If we make double or triple our money back, we can purchase more. I’ll be right back,” he said as he took off after the woman.

           She called the man’s name one time and watched as he caught up to the lady very quickly. Matthew took hold of her arm and asked her to wait.

            “Wait. What do you offer?” he asked as he waited for the woman to turn around.

           His eyes focused only on a two-inch gap of flesh visible between the edges of her jacket. It ran the entire length and promised excitement.

           Lucy smiled at him and said, “forty dollars and a fuck,” placing a hand on her hip she exposed a nipple to him and the fact that she was a natural blonde.

           Matthew moved his hair to the side with his hand and turned to his wife being careful to hide the woman’s body from her view. He held up ten fingers and waited for a response. Susan shook her head ‘no’.

           Turning back to the woman he said “well, you’ll have to fuck us both, and we’ll need two hundred, hon.”

           He delivered that message with a very large smile, and awaited her decision.

           “Deal, give me your room key, you can use hers,” Lucy said.

           Matthew turned to face Susan and walked away. Lucy stood still, defiant, and positive that her offer was acceptable. She smiled at Susan and blew her a kiss.

           Matthew reached for Susan and told her “she’s game, two hundred dollars and she’ll do us both for the box.”

              “She wants my room key, are you sure?” he asked Susan.

              “She’s beautiful, why not?” Susan said as she walked over to the woman.

              “Eight o’clock, then?” Susan asked Lucy.

              “Yes. Works for me, hon. I’ll catch you later,” Lucy replied.

           Lucy wanted something new to wear tonight; she just didn’t know exactly what. She walked over to a nearby corner and entered the casino’s bar. The sign read ‘Lucky’s’ and somehow she thought that wasn’t true for some poor man. Sitting down as the bar she ordered four beers and four shots of whiskey.

              “I hear boiler makers are making a comeback,” she told the waitress.

           Mary smiled and told her she would be right back. Before Mary left she grabbed her arm.

           “Can you find me someone to pay for those? Be a dear and hurry up,” Lucy told her as she watched her walk away.

           Mary walked past a table of four guys and told them that a woman was looking for someone to get her drinks.

           A soon to be a totally drunk blonde bitch wants you to buy her drinks, anyone interested?” Mary asked in passing, laughing as she walked away.

           They all looked at each other and began arguing on which one should do it. A gentleman at a neighboring table heard and saw everything. He walked to Lucy and placed two twenties on the table.

           “Have fun tonight, enjoy yourself. Those guys are trouble,” he said smiling as he walked away.

              “I intend to, sir,” Lucy said smiling back.

           Lucy looked to the four and then back to the man who was quickly leaving her. Well, there’s one lucky guy, I suppose, Lucy thought, turning her head back to the four; focus woman, geeze.

              She could still smell the couple that had just left; the man smelled unique, strong, and virile, full of testosterone, but also educated. The woman was less motivated, angry inside, and even bitchy or stuck up. That woman was not a nice person, not nice at all, Lucy thought; this was going to be fun. All Lucy cared about was obtaining that box. It was old, it had purpose; Lucy found the whole situation interesting. Why it would be the most fun that she would have since she left the other bar…

           Lucy motioned towards the staring young men to come over.

           “Here you go. You can each have one, do it now, take them. Here’s my room key. I’ll be with another man and a woman, and we’ll be having sex. I want you to come in and beat up the man really good, make him hurt, real bad. Then stay with him as you all take turns with his girlfriend and I,” Lucy said in a quiet, serious tone.

              “Seriously lady?” the tallest one said.

           “Yes, and when we’re all done you can take pictures for all of your friends; I guarantee you they won’t believe you unless they see them,” she smiled.

           They looked at each other and turned their backs comically, talking amongst themselves as if she could not hear them.

           “Now take your drinks and commit to my offer, by drinking them you’ll be bound to fulfill your end of the deal. Now hurry and tell me you’ll be there,” Lucy said to them.

              “What time?” another asked

              “Eight thirty, on the dot, not a minute sooner,” she told him.

           “Remember, I want a shot at him first; he’s wronged me and must be punished. You’ll need to hold on to him for a few, when I’m done he’s all yours, and so is my girlfriend,” Lucy told them with a firm voice.

           The quiet one smiled at her and told her that there was nothing to worry about, and asked for the key.

           “You’ll get your shot first, and then we’ll fuck your friend before you do us; deal,” he said smiling with an extended hand.

           Mary looked at the guys and laughed as Stewart stuck his hand out and was given a room key from the older blonde. That was way too funny she thought, Mary doubted that he knew how to use one. She watched on as they finished their drinks and the blonde left the bar, wondering all the while about the four young men that stayed behind.

              The four continued talking about the woman they had just met, and about her offer.        

           “She didn’t even tell us her name,” Timmy said.

           “No harm in it, there’s four of us; we can take care of whatever goes down, we just have to have each other’s back,” said Joe

           “Her name’s ‘Free Ass for a Night’, because when we’re done with her, we are taking her back to the house to do her again!” Mark cheered.

           “Mary! Another round of these, please,” Scott said pointing from above at the empty glasses.

           Lucy walked to the lobby very slowly as she looked for a woman who was approximately her size. Several couples mingled through, coming and going, but nothing. The valet outside was looking inside the lobby through the window at the woman who was wearing his jacket, waving. Lucy waved at the man who was wearing a wrinkled white shirt and smiled as a newlywed couple passed in between them.

              The valet smiled back, thinking that Lucy had smiled to him, but he was crushed as she was still smiling when she turned her head to the right. Lucy followed them at a distance, listening as best she could. Lucy’s heightened senses took them in. She was a virgin, smelling as pure as an unopened night blooming flower. And like that flower that opened this very evening to enjoy, only a single night of existence, she would be gone by morning.

              When she took in the man, she knew he was older and definitely wasn’t pure of heart; he was however nice to her. She was absolutely beautiful; the man’s mind was clouded with thoughts of sex, lust and wait, there it was, he planned to kill her. Can this be, Lucy thought, maybe she had use for this man, after all.

              “And here’s your room key, Mr. Jones,” the lady at the front desk said to him.

           He smiled at her, and then to the woman by his side. They both walked to the elevator, hand in hand, totally oblivious to the woman who was following them throughout the main lobby.

              “I can’t wait. We are going to have so much fun on this trip,” she told him.

           Lucy listened to them as she continued to search their thoughts. She laughed as she saw all of the ways he wanted to make love to her. Her thoughts now were something different; they were harder to read, damn near impossible to gain access to, wait. The woman looked directly as her and put a finger to her lips, telling Lucy not to tell…  ‘Find your own casino’, Lucy mouthed to her. ‘I was here first’, Lucy heard her say. Fuuuuuuck, Lucy thought; all she wanted was a nice dress… Lucy smiled at her as the elevator doors began to close. Lucy leaned toward the two-inch gap that was rapidly closing and spoke to the couple.

           “She knows of your plans, she knows everything. Now is your time, strike now while there are no witnesses,” Lucy said as the door closed shut.

           Lucy hung around the elevator doors for a few seconds more, watching the elevator floor lights above the door light from left to right. She started counting to ten, and when she had reached three, she heard his screams of horror with great clarity; they could be heard four floors away. The screams lasted for a few seconds and then became silent. The elevator light stopped on floor five, and a few seconds later it started descending.

              Lucy had started walking around again looking for a like-sized woman when she heard the elevator doors open. A woman in a lovely white dress stepped out and slowly walked to the main entrance. She shot Lucy an ‘eat shit and die’ look and immediately headed for the casino door. Lucy smiled at her, mouthing the words ‘I told you,’ as the woman left through the casino door.

           She spotted another couple that had turned the corner and started heading for the elevator. Lucy continued following them, noticing the strong smell of jasmine. The elevator doors closed and again Lucy watched where they stopped. She smelled jasmine, it would be easy enough, she thought. Waiting where she was, Lucy watched the light stop at four; the fourth floor it was then, she thought, as she hit the stairs at breakneck speed.

           All she needed now was champagne. Passing back by the bar she looked at the bartender and told her to prepare a cheese tray with two bottles of champagne for room four ten. She waited until she started gathering the request before she took the elevator up. Looking around Lucy quickly found the service elevator and waited nearby. A muffled ding could be heard and then a man came through the doors pushing a cart.

           “You’re all done here, John. Leave the cart please. Move along,” Lucy told him and stuffed a twenty into his pocket.

           John left with a ‘yes ma’am’ and a smile. She left the cart where it was and followed the faint smell of jasmine through the hallway. It became stronger at door four fourteen; not too far off she thought, laughing. Lucy turned around and walked back to the cart and pushed it to the couple’s room. A door opened and a woman walked out wearing a black dress and ready to party. She smiled at Lucy and walked past her with a condescending glare; Lucy would deal with her later.

              Lucy stopped the cart in front of their room and knocked three times. A few seconds later the door opened, and she was greeted with a smile.

           “Oh, sorry, you have the wrong room,” the woman smiled at Lucy again and started to close the door.

           “No, it’s complimentary. We’ve selected your room at random, along with two others. Enjoy,” Lucy said as she started to push the cart into their room.

           Lucy guessed that the man was in the bathroom; she had just heard the toilet flush. She turned to face the lady, telling her to undress where she was and then to go inside the bedroom to await her man. The woman started stripping off her clothing and stepped out her dress before walking into the bedroom completely naked. You can thank me later, phantom shitter, Lucy said under her breath.

              Lucy heard another flush from the bathroom; nice, she thought, that would make the first one a courtesy. She smiled as she bent over to pick up the woman’s dress. Lucy turned her head to the bathroom and waited for it, and voila, he had turned on the fan. The woman smiled at Lucy from the bedroom doorway, waiting impatiently for her partners.

              “Get on the bed and wait there,” Lucy told her.

           The woman obliged and took her place on the right side of the king size bed. Lucy placed the dress on a nearby table and waited for the bathroom door to open. The handle turned and the man came out, turning off the fan.

           Lucy raised her hands in the air holding up a bottle of champagne in her right hand allowing her jacket to open and said “room service.”

           The man stared at her, smiled and then asked where his wife was.

           “In bed awaiting us; champagne then?” she asked, moving the bottle around in the air.

           “What a joker, sure,” he said, taking his trousers off.

           “Shall we?” Lucy said as she grabbed a glass from the cart.

            “Forget the glasses, bring the bottle please,” he said and turned for the bedroom.

           Lucy gave suggestions to the woman and followed the man into the bedroom. He walked in to his wife on the bed, totally naked and masturbating like there’s no tomorrow. Lucy told the man that she’s going to sit on the corner of the bed and watch him make love to her.

              “When its right, I’ll join you,” Lucy said to him.

           The man crawled up and mounted his wife while she continued to help him.  Lucy was watching them go at it like rabbits when she sent more suggestions her way. She told the woman that she had to pee really badly, and then she told him that he should go faster, hold her down and give it to her real good.

              Lucy told the woman that she should hold her breath as he made love to her so it would intensify her orgasm. The woman was nowhere close to coming, but she followed her instructions and held her breath. She did this for about thirty seconds until she was told to start breathing again. Her husband loved the noises his wife was making at present and redoubled his efforts.

              Messing with this couple wasn’t really doing anything for her; all she thought about was that antique jewelry box. Lucy told the woman that she needed to be on top, and that she should ask nicely first, and then apply herself.

              “I want to be on top, Ralph,” the woman said.

              “Fine by me, roll over on your side,” Ralph said.

           The woman rolled over and he crawled to the head of the bed and turned to lie on his back, allowing his wife to get on top. Lucy came over and gave them both some champagne straight from the bottle. She poured until they could not swallow fast enough, allowing some to escape down the sides of their faces. She told the woman to instruct her man to close his eyes so she could kiss him all over.

           Ralph closed his eyes and relaxed as his beautiful wife made love to him. She kissed him on his cheeks, his nose, and his ear. She slid off his lips after another kiss and moved back to his ear. Taking it inside her mouth she gently sucked on it; all this the woman did while raising and lowering herself onto him. She grew more passionate and vocal when she wasn’t using her mouth to kiss him. When her mouth was occupied with an ear or a small nibble of his flesh she hummed against him, licking where she could. Letting go of his ear she moved her tongue down his neck and nibbled over his collar bone.

           Lucy stood up and walked out of the bedroom, giving one more command to the woman. She turned to watch the woman grab the lamp on the nightstand and slam the base of it into the man’s face three times. He was dazed and bleeding when the woman rose and slid herself over his face. She held him firmly in place as he continued to breathe what air he could get past the woman’s body that pressed down upon him. Lucy saw the man release his load against the woman’s back as she worked on suffocating him.

           Walking out the door Lucy mumbled “chaos and carnage, one; newlywed couple, zero,” as she closed the door behind her.

 

First Responder published 2/21/2017.

              Across town in Linda’s apartment things were very quiet. If you saw Linda’s apartment and you were a man, more than likely you were miles away and had paid a pretty penny to do so. Upon your initial entry you saw a couch, love seat, and an end table facing a curved sixty-inch HDTV. To the left was a walled in kitchen with a half wall for entertaining. Adjacent to that was a very small bathroom. All the way to the opposite end was a bedroom door. It consisted of a normal almond colored wooden door with a medieval wrought iron gate, complete with an antique iron lock.

              The room smelled heavily of vanilla and sage, but there wasn’t a single candle to be found. Her floor plan was perfect for her line of work. Basic, meager furnishings occupied what the common visitor would see, but behind her closed door was another story. That bedroom door with its locked iron gate segmented her sleeping and working area very nicely. An oversized bed took center stage, with its four posts sporting cameras that pointed down onto satin sheets. Immediately to the right was a small desk with a media server and three monitors. The bed was perpendicular to a very long salt water fish tank, which expanded two feet on either side of the bed. A small walk-in closet held all of the clothes she owned, along with several pairs of shoes.

              Cameras also adorned the walls and corners, giving the viewer a full representation of the day’s events. The amount of video equipment present would have made any production company envious. Everything worked like clockwork, it was all computer controlled, and totally automated. It would transition from one camera angle to another with predetermined duration, seamlessly and endlessly. The only way it stopped was when the show was over. When Linda went live, she went live. There was no shortage of the tools of her trade available to her. A small table by the side of the bed held all manner of apparatus, in a multitude of types, sizes and colors. Very few shows were with partners, things just became too complicated. Most of her partners were not comfortable about the way she earned her living, so it really didn’t matter much to her anyway.

              For special occasions Linda used colored sheets on the bed covered with plastic. For really special occasions, an ornate butter knife complimented her tools for her show. It was located right next to her favorite massaging device. If you saw the knife, you knew it was going to be used. Tonight was one of those nights. Linda had two days off from work coming her way. There was no better time than the present. Nights like tonight made Linda feel special. Nights like tonight made Linda feel important. A few quick looks around the room and it was time for an equipment check. Minutes later it would be time for bed. She hoped she could get a few hours before her show started.

              Several hours passed quickly passed and Linda awoke fully rested. Parting her lips in a half-crooked smile, she threw her arms out to her sides and stretched before climbing out of bed. Linda slept on the bed with the plastic covers in place hoping to put her in the mood. Walking naked around her room she checked each camera in turn before entering her walk-in to get dressed. Looking through her clothes she picked out a white pair of shorts and matching tank top. Turning around she walked to the door and slipped into a pair of white sandals.

              Standing in front of her closed closet door she stared into the mirror. Linda didn’t like what she saw. Linda never liked what she saw. She would tell you she never did anything to correct what she disliked before mentioning that she was way too pale. Wearing white was only done for her show and was selected for maximum contrast to the blood that she would provide today. Inhaling deeply, she gathered her composure and exited the walk-in, closing the door behind her.

              A final check on her computer and all would be ready. Her program verified that all sixteen regulars were viewing and therefore had already paid. In addition, there were three first timers. Today’s show would be special indeed. Linda’s shows were somewhat sedated when only paying regulars were watching, but often new viewers witnessed an over the top show to get them hooked. What Linda did when she woke up was just as much for her clients as it was for her. In all actuality, her show started when she awoke and walked around naked for all to see. She checked her cameras and the room for lighting, offering up her body as she displayed her professionalism and showmanship. She was already live when she pulled the covers off and wiped the crunchies from her tired eyes.

              Linda sashayed over to her bed and sat her firm buttocks slowly on the left corner. Smiling at the camera on the post she made a pout face and turned over onto her stomach. Sliding under the top sheet she slid to the head of the bead and once again turned over on to her back. Leaving everything up to the viewer’s imagination she smiled as the sheets began to move up and down. With her left hand she began pleasuring herself. The sheets moved slowly at first, but then increased with her attempts to orgasm. A seductive moan escaped as her right arm shot out from beneath the sheets. Several muffled shrieks followed as she groped objects on her bed side table.  She blindly ran her fingers over an assortment of sex toys before taking hold of a long object. More moans followed as the blue object disappeared beneath the sheets.

              Her body was silhouetted as the camera angles changed. First a side view was displayed, offering up to one’s mind lovely mounds of breasts. If eyes strayed lower, the sheet betrayed a quick moving hand. The next moment viewers saw a top to bottom view with the sheet exploding in upward motions. More moans followed as her hands stopped moving and her body writhed to and fro. Several low sounds grew louder as she moved faster. Again her hands moved in upward thrusts. Each time seemed harder, longer, higher, and as she continued, the sheet began to pull towards the center of her body. First the toes of her feet and then the top of her head were exposed. The cameras changed again and this time viewers had an up close and personal shot from the left corner bed post.

              Linda sped up and began ramming home her long blue friend. More and more of her body was visible, now with the sheet barely covering her breasts. Her head moved from her right to left, seemingly timed with her thrusts. Her left hand was now clenching a fist full of plastic through her bed sheet. Simple moans and short squeaks left her open mouth and hit the surrounding walls only to fade away into silence. Strangers across the world watched on as the cameras changed. The camera on her left panned the entire length of the bed at a moderate pace. Linda raised her knees for a better angle to increase her efforts. She stopped turning her head and left it turned slightly to the side. Opening her eyes, she stared at the ceiling and screamed.

              Writhing in ecstasy, she shrieked several times before she let go of her friend and reached back to the table. Her timing was exquisite. As she took hold of the butter knife, the cameras changed yet again. As if on cue, from the top right post, the camera view came down widely on her body. This was the first view up close of her smile, her breasts, and her body. She threw her left arm into the air and pressed the knife against it. Linda’s body slid left and right against the plastic sheets as best it could. It made a noise that all people from the 70’s knew all too well. She distracted her viewers from her smile, from her breasts, but not from her raised arms. She ran the dull knife over her wrist a few times dramatically before the blood came. Little droplets at first came and went, sliding down her pale white arm. Her moans turned into grunts of anger as she flailed her body upwards. She never knew what camera was recording at the time, so she often turned to look and express her emotions to various corners of the room.

              A long moan slipped out and she rubbed her left arm over her breasts down to the flat of her stomach. Linda’s right hand returned to the blue object that was still inside her and once again she shrieked and threw her head to the side. Those sounds were playful, unusual, and carried with them a feeling of youth. Her body rocked as she drew closer to orgasm, all the while painting her breasts, her nipples and her stomach red with her own blood. Screams of passion erupted as the blue monster repeatedly slammed inside her. Throwing her right hand onto the bed she grabbed plastic, screaming ‘Oh God. Oh God!’ Running her left hand now as high as her face, and as low as the blue object protruding from down below, she again writhed, but more slowly now. Her breathing was fast, erratic, but she kept coating her body. The scene was quite horrific, with her pale body moving around a bed covered in plastic, covered in blood.

              Stopping her left arm above her face, she positioned her wrist over her lips to take a drink. The cameras changed again to a lower view from the foot of the bed. Linda’s legs were parted wide, exposing a neatly trimmed public area. She laughed at that part. Linda always referred to it as her ‘public area’, as she often displayed it to her paying customers. She curled her toes and moved her feet enough to allow her to bend more at her knees and began the first of many upward thrusts. Moaning constantly as she went along, her thrusts became faster and more violent. She didn’t know which camera was live, but she hoped it was one of those close to the bed. As Linda repeated these movements and they grew faster, her moans grew louder. Before she knew it, she had dislodged her blue pleasure seeker, bouncing it onto her flat, bloody stomach. When it exited her, Linda shrieked several times before bouncing her body in the air. Once again she slid her left arm over her body smearing her blood.

              The contrast of her pale, pasty body smeared with bright red blood was disturbing to most. Linda started turning over onto her stomach, moaned, and then turned onto her back. She continued rolling over until she thought her body was equally coated. Stopping on her stomach, she raised her body up and down several times. Linda used this time to reach back around for her knife. Her body shook several times and she moaned long and loud. Her moans grew even louder. Were it not for the fact that she had started so softly, it would have been shockingly loud and arousing to most hearing impaired people. When the moans became their loudest her butt raised into the air, exposing her left wrist. Blood poured from between her legs in a never-ending stream. She violently shook for approximately ten seconds before collapsing on her plastic sheets. Linda no longer moved. Linda no longer breathed. Linda was motionless, and just like that her live video stream ended.

              A few seconds later she heard her second timer go off. Linda knew by now she was no longer recording. She sat up on the bed and took in a deep breath before standing and walking over to her desk for a bandage. Taking a small roll of pink duct tape, she ran it around her wrist a few times to stop her bleeding. Looking around the room she admired her studio, smiling at what the bed looked like. She enjoyed performing, but the cutting made her feel the most satisfaction. It was the only way she felt important, liked, and alive. She was on an emotional high when she began buzzing around the room like a worker bee. Cleanup would take her around ten minutes for the floor and the bed. After that was done, she would jump into the shower and finish cleaning up. Linda would later exit the shower an exhausted young woman. Jumping back into bed, this time for sleep, she pulled up the sheets over her and fell into restful dreams.

              Linda was in bed for hours as motionless as the dead of night. She breathed in slowly, steadily, allowing her breasts to seductively rise and fall. Her face had the look of peace, sporting a small, uneven smile. All those things mattered not as Linda was in the middle of a nightmare. Her sleep was not restful. She was confused and her lungs pained to keep up from all the running she was doing. Dr. Stevens clung to the bricks on the outside corner of her bedroom window like a one-liner from an Arnold Schwarzenegger film. Climactic terror is what he was going for. He wanted her to abruptly wake and run out of her apartment right into his arms. He wanted to comfort her, to get an invitation into her life. He wanted to be her savior, and in the process, he wanted the sex and blood that would inevitably follow.

              She neither woke nor did she panic in an attempt to flee, she welcomed it. At times, it seemed that she ran toward death, or that she chose the more dangerous path. It seemed that Linda wanted to die. Several moments later he simply gave up and went around the corner to find a suitable location to transform. He simply walked up to her door and rung her bell. She heard the doorbell and hit the floor running thinking she was dreaming, stopping only long enough to look at the camera that covered her front door. She took in the image of an older man wearing a three-piece suit. Slowing down to catch her breath, she methodically walked to her bedroom door. Taking a few seconds to unlock her multiple dead bolts, she paused before unlocking the last. Another doorbell rang out before she had stepped through to her living room.

              “Yes?” she yelled from across the room as she continued walking closer.

              “It is me. The man of your dreams,” Dr. Stevens replied.

              “Nice try. I already have a man,” Linda retorted.

              “No, I’m the man in your dreams. And no, you don’t,” he said softly.

              She stood in front of the door and waited for him to speak again. He never spoke. Several seconds went by and still no sound came from behind her door.

              “What do you want then?” she asked.

              “An invitation. Let me in, you’ve been waiting to talk to me,” Dr. Stevens said matter-of-factly.

              He stood ready to bolt at a moment’s notice, but a few clicks came from the door and it swung open wide.

              “You look harmless enough, come in,” Linda said smiling.

              Dr. Stevens looked at her closely. He smelled sex, he smelled blood, and he smelled sunflowers, in that order.

              “Delighted to meet you,” he replied as he stepped firmly forward into her living room.

              Turning to face him and with a large smile, she closed the door, locking each and every dead bolt in turn.

              “I’m still not really sure why I let you in, I feel drawn to you,” Linda said with trepidation.

              Dr. Stevens nodded and paused for her to say more.

              “I’ve seen you before, at the diner. You are most polite and proper, and you tip very well,” Linda said affectionately.

              “And yet I stand before you a man of Ill intent,” he said as he began removing his jacket.

              “Oh, may I?” he asked as his arms spread his jacket outward like a bat’s wings.

              “Of course, get comfortable,” she said as she walked over to her love seat and sat down.

              Removing his coat, he folded it and walked over to the adjoining couch. Placing it on a cushion, he smiled and turned to her and stood just in front. He waited for her to move to a corner to allow him to sit beside her. Another smile and Linda placed her arms on the cushion and raised her body up enough to slide over to the left side. He sat down beside her, brushing her knee with his hand.

              “Do you know why I’m here?” he asked, looking around the room.

              She waited for the man to finish scanning and look at her before responding.

              “You’ve come for me. You’re almost late, I’ve been waiting for quite some time,” she said sarcastically.

              “Really?” he said smiling.

              Linda looked at him and smiled back before turning her head to the bed room door and its wrought iron gate.

              “Shall we?” she said seductively as she stood up, turning her neck slowly as she did.

              Pausing for him to stand, she smiled and waited for him to follow suit. Another smile and a nod from the man and he joined her in standing in front of the love seat. She left him and walked over to the gate. Stopping short of the entrance she looked over her shoulder at him and smiled.

              “I guess you only need an invitation once then,” she said laughing.

              Reaching for the gate she took hold of his hand and led him through the door. Taking her first steps into her bed room with a stranger is what Linda enjoyed the most. She loved the shock and awe. She loved the presentation. She loved most things, but not herself. Linda did not love herself. Noticing that he stood where they had first walked in, and that he didn’t seem to be examining the entire room, she turned to him and smiled.

              “Am I not what you desire?” she said sadly.

              “You are most beautiful. You are a dark soul, indeed,” he followed.

              Walking over to her desk, she undressed down to her underpants and walked over to the bed. Dr. Stevens smiled at her and dimmed the lights before moving in close.    

              “Does it bother you that tonight might be the last time your breath is heard inside these walls?” he said boldly.

              “I can take care of myself. I’ve been bleeding myself regularly for months now. When you take your fair share, I’ll still be able to function,” Linda replied.

              Dr. Stevens was behind her pulling her by her hair towards the head of the bed before she had finished her statement. His cold hands held her in various positions as he kissed her. It was like a spider turning it’s pray and wrapping it in a cocoon. Kiss after kiss pressed against her flesh. Moans came naturally for her; they were not rehearsed. She found his cold hands oddly arousing. Continuing to kiss her, he began folding her into the positions that interested him. It wasn’t long before her moans turned into gasps.

 

Site 123 published 4/1/2024.

              Hours later, and miles across town, the CO was driving towards the campground. Maybe arriving during the off hours would provide him with some leeway for his investigations, he thought. He was not sure what he could discover about their camping trip, but he hoped to get a lead on the area they were staying in, what campers they were using, or even their campground site numbers. He would find them. He would use any resource he had access to; he was after all, a CO.

              Time to replenish body and mind, Scott thought as he pulled up to the stop sign. Looking right he saw the lights turning on in the convenience store. The large sign read Snacks, Beer and Bait inside. The CO took notice of the missing comma and moved on. He put on his right turn signal and pulled into the parking lot, stopping parallel to the building. He turned off his vehicle and finding the parking lot empty and dark, he quickly walked to the door.

              Looking through the window he saw her. Behind the counter was a petite young woman with dull blonde hair. She had acne, she was short, about 5’2”, and she wore a black ball cap. The woman was packing a blacked-out pistol on her right hip, locked and holstered.

              Upon first glance, although slightly unattractive and moderately homely, she became a woman of interest when she radiated a ‘hands off, I can take care of myself’ attitude by moving around sporting her weapon at her side. It drew his attention away from her face and down to her body. All he wanted to know was, could she?

              The CO walked in and turned over their business sign to closed, before locking the door. Looking around at the distracted woman, he smiled and greeted her.

              “Sodas and snacks?” he questioned, pointing to the left.

              “All along the back wall, actually.” she replied to the CO.

              Smiling still, he nodded and walked straight ahead. Grabbing an energy drink from a nearby shelf, he quickly turned on his heel to watch her. He had to make sure no one else had come in, and that she had not noticed the fact that he had turned her sign over and locked her door. Seeing that she was still wiping down her counter and organizing what was there, he quickly made his way back to her. He extended his left hand holding a twenty and waited. She smiled and rang him up.

              “One sixty-nine. Out of twenty,” she stated, looking up to reach out for his bill.

              “Yes please,” he replied, finding her offer of a 69 acceptable.

              He took hold of her wrist and tightened his grip, causing shooting pain to radiate through her small hand. Smiling still, he was looking at her face when he pulled her over the counter and onto her stomach. This was all done very quickly, and without pause, catching the usually vigilant woman totally off guard. All the hard work that she had done organizing the contents of the countertop had been in vain as everything followed her over the edge. Tiny eyeglass repair kits, lighters that looked like a small mouth bass, packs of toothpicks, colored flashlights, everything landed on top or around her, scattering across the aged white tiled floor. When she finally realized what was happening, and struggled to free her pistol from its holster, she hit the floor with an unbalanced thud, breaking her concentration.

              The CO leaned backwards, stretching her out by her hands and pulling her further away from the edge of the counter. Stepping over, he sat down on her small backside. Keeping her hands outstretched from her head, he removed her pistol. Placing it behind his back he tucked it inside his pants and glanced down at the woman who was beginning to shout for help.

              “Shut up and stop squirming or I’ll shoot you in the face,” he yelled as he continued to control both of her hands.

              She screamed several times before his message became clear. He bounced on her back twice, and then grabbed a fist full of her short, dirty blonde hair, slamming her headfirst into the floor. He felt the fight leave her; the young woman’s arms loosened, no longer trying to pull away from his grip. He bounced on her one more time for good measure. This sent the air racing out of her lungs in a large exhale, fully granting him the confidence he needed to proceed.

              He checked the small shop to ensure they were still alone. Once certain of that, he stood up and dragged her across the floor and into the back room by her hair. Keeping hold of her head, he again lowered himself to her. This time she found herself on her back, still struggling to breathe. With the situation even more unmanageable because of her trouble breathing, it was difficult for her to concentrate and struggle on getting free. She was looking to the side inhaling deeply when the CO started pistol whipping her. He used her own weapon against her repeatedly, until she succumbed.

              Dazed and beaten senseless by this point, the woman was looking aimlessly away when the CO again secured her weapon. Scott pulled down her shorts to her ankles and she began to struggle anew. She was attempting to crawl backwards away from him when he moved close to sit on her stomach. With the woman held down in place, he slid up to her navel. Scott easily sequestered her arms, holding them together above her head by her wrists. They were small enough for him to grip with one hand, so with his other he took hold of her chin, and positioned her head towards his face, getting her full attention.

              He squeezed harder, shaking her head until she began crying, before violently pushing her head backwards and letting go. Feeling overcome with fear and somewhat overwhelmed, she started crying uncontrollably. She turned her head from him and while continuing to cry and sob, she closed her eyes against his abuse. She found it difficult to catch her breath. Her back hurt, her face felt beat up, caved in. Looking up at him for a brief moment, she looked away lest she show her attacker the fear he so wanted.

              He took her by her waist and flipped her over. He sat on top of her lower back and again fished her wrists out in front of her. She screamed as he pulled her arms up toward the ceiling. Raising them higher into the air while sitting on her lower back sent pain throughout her body, her mind. She did not see herself living through this; the man on top of her was systematically tearing her apart.

              “Shut up!” he spat, as he lowered her back onto the floor.

              She continued crying but ceased her screaming. She did not struggle, she did not cry out in pain; whimpers did escape her lips, but only reluctantly, and with reservation.

              “I said SHUT UP. DO nothing. Say NOTHING!” he finished as he jerked her around and over on to her back, slamming her down again like a child’s doll.

< Skipping ahead >

             Scott looked down at the woman who he had controlled. He sat down beside her and played with her hair, moving it around her face. He brushed the back of his hand against her breasts. He reached down and took a handful of ass, raising her up he looked on, but nothing. Squeezing her one last time he again noticed how cold the white tiled floor was, and how clean. Good thing I did not have to kill her, he thought. It would be a shame to have to bloody up the clean lemon-scented floor.

             He took a knee and kissed her. Pulling away he looked at her face, at her mouth, her lips; he found them uninviting, unattractive. The CO stood up and walked to the front of the store. Taking a candy bar from the side of the counter he read the wrapper. Snarky, he mumbled. The CO looked one last time, before taking the energy drink, his candy bar, and his twenty-dollar bill and left, closing the door behind him.

 

 

They Heinous Published Fall 2024.

             Seven thirty in the morning and it was already sunny and eighty degrees! With two coffees already put to bed, Sami continued driving down the highway to her destination. Pulling off the county road and onto the shoulder, she came to a stop and went for a small walk. Sami stood motionless, albeit a little wobbly, on the edge of an asphalt covered road. Looking down a steep grade was the bundled carpet remnant, just like she was told it would be. Using her metal walking stick to assist her, she leaned over the rusty guard rail as far as she could for a better look. Examining the area, she wondered how she would get down to the body. It was at least three feet to the bottom, might have well been thirty, she thought as she moved back to her car with an exaggerated limp. Taking her camera and placing the strap around her neck, she took out her cell phone to call 911.

             Before dialing, she thought it prudent to take one more look at the surrounding area. She had to find a way down there. Sami needed to gather as much information as possible before calling this one in. It was, after all, the fifth in a string of possibly related, unexplained murders. If this could be proven to have similarities to the other girls, then they would be talking about the first serial killer ever in these parts. How exciting! Sami thought as she used her walking stick to move closer to her Jane Doe.

             Looking down again she paused to light a cigarette. Taking one short puff, she turned her head to the left and noticed a small brown trail that led uphill and out of sight. Dropping her cigarette, she mashed it with her good foot and headed to the trail; quitting smoking’s a bitch, she muttered, picking up the pace.

             Walking to the edge of the guard rail she paused to regain her strength. A few more feet and she saw the trail moving down to where she wanted to be. She would take that very slowly, and after several minutes of stop and go, she was finally at the bottom. From the looks of it, the carpet was carried down and placed there. If it were dropped, it might have unraveled or rolled and opened, exposing what was meant to be hidden. There was nothing keeping it together and tightly rolled; no duct tape, no rope or string, the opening or the loose end was underneath towards the ground.

             Facing the trail where she stood was one of the open ends. Through it she saw the short hair of a white twenty-something female, she guessed. The only eye she saw was barely open, cold and lifeless. Only half of her face was visible, and from a quick glance inward, she was recently deceased. There appeared to be no bite marks from predators, no flies, or worms, and she was clean, unusually clean, as if recently bathed.

             Sami found it difficult to balance herself and take pictures. Ever since her diagnosis, she had learned to do things differently. It made her job slightly more difficult, but she did enjoy the work; the money wasn’t that bad, either, as long as she was able to write her stories. It wasn’t always about getting one’s words on the front page; it was just getting one’s story completed, seen, and read. She was a crime reporter, an investigator of sorts, and a damn good one, she would tell those who asked.

             Taking another glance around for anyone nearby, she took a knee then sat down on the warm sunny grass. Reaching for her camera, she took several pictures of the carpet from different angles. She then turned her focus to the contents inside. She added some flash, zoomed in real good, and took various pictures of her newest discovery. Sami made it a point not to interfere with crime scenes or investigations from the police and their detectives; but this time was different. This time her Jane Doe was wrapped up so tightly that Sami could not get enough information, she didn’t have enough to go on.

             From her experience, once the call was made and the crime scene tape put up, that’s where her chance to investigate on the particulars of the body were done. She was lucky enough on girl three to have the body out in the open, left almost as if staged. Girls one and two were not found by her, so she only knew what was rumored to be true, or what was leaked to the papers. Girl four was found by her, as well. She was more cut and dry, and although the body was not staged, she did get some interesting pictures of the victim and the surroundings that she could cross reference with the others.

             This one was Jane Doe number five, and once again she had found her first. This one came in through a tip, like the last two did. Sami was lucky enough to pick up on it first, and she was here for almost an hour now, and still no one else had showed. She took a few more pictures, and because of her confidence, and the remote stretch of road the body was discarded from, Sami stretched out her good foot and accidentally kicked the carpet. It rolled a few times slightly downhill before stopping and opening, unravelling as it went.

             The woman’s exposed body turned over a few times before settling back on her left side. Her arms were about her sides, her feet were together. She was totally naked, and duct tape secured both her wrists and ankles. Sami quickly snapped numerous pictures of the woman’s arms, legs, feet, chest, and face, and then headed up the hill to hide her camera and inform the police.

             Sami was halfway to the office when she finished making the call. She gave specific information to aid in Jane Doe’s discovery. She described the road and its curves, approximately how far they had to drive, and how many guard rails they needed to count before they located the body. She also spent a few moments rambling on about being scared and mentioned that she saw someone by the side of the road with a large roll of carpet.

             “Maybe it’s nothing, I’m not sure. I just know it looked suspicious and I was too scared to stop,” the frantic woman said excitedly to the 911 operator before hanging up.

             Seconds later she turned off her burner phone, wiped off as much as she could, placed it under her foot and smashed it. Picking up the pieces with a disinfectant wipe from her pocket, she threw it down the hill. A few unbalanced steps later, supported by her walking stick, and she was back in her car.

             Her walking stick was an unusually heavy, unusually unique metal survival stick, with interchangeable parts. It was a tactical survival device that she took everywhere. It had five main sections, each with something valuable hidden inside; things one could use in a survival situation. This was not something she could take on a plane, it was a weapon, several weapons actually. When she did fly, she took a boring wooden walking stick with a large silver head of a wolf. The large head was for your hand to hold on too, it was pretty cool, but a cheap knock-off from the one that Mr. Talbot used in that old black and white movie. She liked it well enough, but she doubted that she would run into any werewolves while traveling on a plane.

             Looking over her shoulder, she made sure no cars were coming before pulling out. Once on the road she stretched and opened her glove box. While keeping her eyes on the wheel, she rummaged around and finally found what she was looking for, another burner phone. A necessary expense for being a criminal reporter, she thought, as she closed the glove box and placed it into her purse.

             Her office was up a few miles on the left. A few more left and right turns and she pulled into her driveway. A small all red brick ranch house heavily overgrown with vegetation of all sorts stood only feet from the left of her gravel driveway. It was a rough house with a leave me alone attitude. It drew few salespeople, and come Halloween, little to no trick or treaters; it was wonderful. It wasn’t that she didn’t like kids, kids were great; it’s just that she didn’t like the distractions. Sami left the car, checked her mailbox, and went inside.

             All of her writing was done remotely; she didn’t have an office where she was employed. Everything was handled electronically these days. Deadlines were still deadlines, it’s just that they were met with time stamped emails and documents that were transferred to servers. Sami wrote a syndicated column called Dead Me, Dead You. It focused mainly on the stories that mattered for more than a week or two, and generally about murders or deaths. It was meant to cover and discuss topics that were meant to just go away. Yes, topics were discussed, people were mentioned, leads were listed and documented for public record, but little came of them. That was until now. Sami thought she had uncovered a serial killer working in her own back yard; all she needed now was proof.

 

 

Upcoming – Check here often for what’s down the road.

 

First Responder 2 Coming 2025

             Entering the winery, Destitutione’s senses were again assaulted, although she smelled grapes, wine, assorted cheeses and various fried and baked foods, her palate was not sophisticated, grapes in all their stages of death wafted through the large central area. That was the extent of what she knew, she could not tell one grape from another like she could her cheeses, it wasn’t that cut and dry. Looking around she saw a lovely wooden interior made almost exclusively out of maple. The wood ranged from untreated, to sanded, to treated and polished; it was beautifully done, and were it not for the heavy smells of fermenting grapes, it would be a wonderful place indeed.

             Looking around and listening, Destitutione didn’t see a single soul, nor did she hear one. The place was open for business, it was after their normal hours from what was posted on their front door, but all the lights were on. The air conditioning was working, and soft music played in the background, everything looked like business as usual, except there were no employees or customers to be seen. Looking around again, she noticed steps that led down into the cellar, stairs that led to a loft, and across the room to her left was another section set up with tables and what she guessed was a secondary tasting bar.

             From what she remembered on their flyers at the fair, their main tasting area was upstairs in the loft, adjacent to their gift shop. Where she was standing was where they took orders for food, with some small tables along the walls that held wine openers and coasters, small towels, and the like. Back where you first entered were rows upon rows of bottled wines, this place was huge, she thought. Pausing to listen again, she made her way upstairs, she had her fill of dark basements, she didn’t care to go in one ever again, but she knew she would have to check it, she would do so last. Upstairs was no different from where she was before, no people were to be found, she didn’t feel nauseous, so she was pretty sure the creature wasn’t present, but she couldn’t tell if she had been here, not yet.

             Everything looked ready to go, as if prepared for today’s business ahead of time before employees left on their prior shift. It didn’t seem right, things looked normal, but Destitutione wasn’t sure why the winery wasn’t locked up for the evening. It was with a sigh, and a little dread that she turned and started walking back downstairs, it was time to go into the basement, into the cellar. There was no need to enter the kitchen, she heard no equipment running, and nothing smelled like it required attention; their friers and ovens were quiet, and like everywhere else, there were no sounds of people.

             Hitting the last step with purpose, she turned to her right and paused, the closer she got to the steps that led down, the stronger the wine smells were. She wasn’t nauseas, not yet, but Destitutione expected those sensations. Outside of a few small buildings that she passed on the way in, a small ice cream and cheese shop, a slightly larger farmer’s market, and possibly a tool shed or two; she was running out of places to inspect. A cellar, looking for a vampire in a dark, smelly cellar, why not, she thought. As she slowly crept below, the temperature was easily ten degrees cooler, it was a cellar, she expected it to be that way.

             The further Destitutione went down the stairs, the stronger the scents of wine became, as if they were heavy enough to hover around four feet in the air, but no higher. She found that fact interesting and made it a point to learn more about that later. One thing she did not smell was death, one thing she did not feel was nausea, and with both of those missing, she sped up, and turned right at the bottom of the stairs. Large barrels adorned every inch of the walls in front of her, to the left, and to the right. Further down to the right were a few rectangular tables where she guessed they did tastings, and a small area where customers could pay for additional services and wine.

             It was quiet, no machinery operated, and there were no people at all present; outside it is then, she thought, as she turned on a dime and headed back upstairs. Walking to her right she took one step towards the double glass doors and froze. It wasn’t her sense of smell or a feeling of something wrong that had alerted her, it was her heightened vision. Across the parking lot she saw sparkles, hundreds of individual points of light moving through the air this way and that. Something was reflecting the rays of the moonlight that escaped the heavens on an unusually clear evening. Destitutione would have laughed at her determination that the woman had left her strip club and came straight here to feed, or just to kill, if they weren’t so disturbing. Those thoughts were too scary and frightening to allow her to laugh, but she did briefly smile.

             She was sure it was the woman she was looking for as she continued watching from afar, the creature moved from the small building on her right over to the larger on the left. Her arms were to her sides, and bowed outwards, no, raised, no, they were both, as if she was carrying something. It took Destitutione a moment to realize that she was carrying two bodies, one on each side. I guess that’s more efficient than making an extra trip, Destitutione thought laughing. She moved slowly to the side to hide from the creature she was observing and waited.

             Destitutione watched as the vampire made no less than ten trips before again walking to the front of the large building and hesitating. She watched on as the woman dropped the two bodies she was carrying and turned around. Destitutione did not dare take her eyes off the vampire who was staring in her general direction. In her mind she reviewed the building she was in, and where the exits were. In front of her were the large double glass doors. Behind her and off to the left was a side door that went out into a patio with multiple tables. Upstairs were several large windows, and in the cellar, there was a large metal door with a large deadbolt.

             She didn’t have a preference, although if she went through the cellar, she would have to run a short distance before she could disappear into trees, whereas if she jumped out of a window upstairs, she could catch a tree on the way down. The least favorable exits were the main front and side doors. What to do, what to do, she thought. Destitutione decided on escaping through the cellar door and had started backing up slowly when she noticed it. The creature’s face, she wasn’t wearing a mask or scarf over her face, but she was too far away to get a good look. She was just outside the lights on the building, Destitutione could tell she didn’t have glitter on her face, so she was probably wearing something when she was dancing, even with her head in the shadows, Destitutione could tell something was different.

             Something was wrong, she wanted to get closer to possibly cause a confrontation where she could see better, but she moved further away. She stood in front of the stairs and felt comfortable enough to correct her posture and stand fully erect, instead of bent over and leaning on the stairs, which she did strictly out of her need for self-preservation. Come on. A little more to your left, Destitutione thought, taking one more step backwards, and right on cue, she stepped into the light. Destitutione shook her head; no, no, no, you can’t read my thoughts and kept watching as the creature looked to her left before again masking herself in darkness.

             She then took a few more steps and disappeared entirely into the shadows, she was gone! However briefly, Destitutione had to look at her up closely, and even without a mask, it was enough; her images were burned in her mind, it was horrific. Her hair hung lower than her shoulders, and slightly above her breasts. A part in her hair ran straight back, starting from just above and inside her left eye. It was ragged at first, but then it straightened out to the rear of her head. Some grays were seen along the edges, but for the most part, her hair was dark brown to light black in color. She had enough of her forehead present to make one wish it wasn’t there. If only her face could be covered altogether, was the common consensus.

             The most striking thing when gazing upon her was her lack of structure. Her nose, the tip of her nose was missing, as if the soft bones, the cartilage had been cut away, or ripped off, or possibly eaten by animals. Her right eye was sunken in, and healed over with flesh, a pale mass of stretched, wrinkled, and discolored skin, showing a thin, frail covering where her eye once was. Her mouth was devoid of lips, the skin just came down to the edges, and it too was sunken, drawn tight around her, offering a perpetual frown. A small, raised area resembling a flattened beak of a bird replaced her mouth leaving a gap leading into darkness when her face was relaxed. 

             Deb’ Orah’s other eye had the surrounding flesh around it pulled away, leaving her eyeball sitting in a darkened hole. It was not bloody, or bleeding, it was just scarred, sitting in darkness, and would never close. Her eyelids were missing, and although they too were sunken and recessed, there was an eyeball present, exposed and unprotected, although one could not know how well it functioned. Her face had several indentations, bumps, raised and sunken areas of where skin should and should not be; nothing was smooth or level. She looked haggard, aged, but she was still in her prime. If one could get past the face, the rest of her body begged for attention, but that was not to happen, not anymore.

             Destitutione found herself once again slightly bent over, with a hand near the ground, her entire body leaning towards the stairs, she was positioned in such a manner as to give her a head start to the outside cellar door. She stayed as motionless as a track and field runner awaiting the starter pistol to fire. She knew that at any moment that vampire’s face would appear in the front window and stare at her; or worse yet, she would launch herself through the glass doors and come for her. Destitutione wasn’t sure if the creature knew she was present, or if she knew she was being watched. In the back of her mind though, she couldn’t help to wonder, could the creature read her thoughts? She paused, waiting for an answer to pop into her head, or for the creature to make herself known, but those things never happened.

             She was patient, in her line of work, it often paid to be; she had been in that uncomfortable position for several minutes before she decided to again stand upright, that thought had popped into her head the exact moment that her friend came calling. From out of sight to her left, the right side of the building if you were outside, she slowly walked up to the front door. Accompanying the creature was mild nausea, which visited itself upon Destitutione, until she was only feet away, that’s when she really felt her. It was the same feeling as before, but it was stronger now, possibly because she was so close. Destitutione did not move, she wasn’t sure if she was frozen by fear, or frozen because she was remaining hidden and not willing to show her cards, but frozen she was, nonetheless.

             Moving up to the doors, she turned to face them, baring her teeth. Destitutione was still motionless, the creature’s true horror became shockingly evident as the two became up close and personal. Although only one knew it, the moonlight was hitting the glass like a two-way mirror, she watched as the woman picked at her teeth to remove something that was causing her some discomfort. Destitutione tried not to laugh, she didn’t even want to smile, she was unwilling to do anything to alert the creature to her presence, she remained motionless until the monster had finished, blew herself a kiss, and turned and walked away.

             Still, in the back of Destitutione’s mind, she had to ask herself again, did that woman know she was there? Did that woman know she was being watched? Did that woman read her thoughts? Looking away to her right, half expecting the vampire to have broken in through the side door, she turned back to the front to make sure the coast was clear. The vampire was not there, she was alone again, the nausea had subsided. With one final thought going through her head, did that woman just blow me a kiss?

             Deciding to make her way down to the cellar and leave via that thick metal door, she crept down the stairs one at a time. She felt nauseous, she ensured the door was still locked and the deadbolt secured before she even approached that old, rusty door. Unlocking it, she opened it just enough for her to squeeze through and closed it quietly. Listening to the night around her, she heard it grow quiet, that was either due to her, or another, but she didn’t dwell upon it. One way or the other, she had to check out the two buildings across the parking lot, she had to escape, and she had to get the hell out of here, even if she had to run away from that creature in the process.

             Passing through one or both of those buildings, she had to get on with her night, she had to know what the vampire did. Feeling like she could have been killed already, or that she probably should have been, if that creature was worth half her weight in blood, she walked across the parking lot like she owned the place. She was alert, and kept an eye on her surroundings, but she walked calmly, and with purpose. Destitutione’s confidence guided her to the smaller building first. Walking to the building on the right, she noticed it was totally dark, like the winery. The front door was unlocked, but unlike the winery, the ice cream shop looked totally closed.

             Going inside, it didn’t take long for her to determine it was empty, there was no signs of struggle, no scent of blood, and no people living or dead. Destitutione quickly left and walked around the back of the farmer’s market looking for another way inside, as expected, the back door was unlocked. She thought it would be safer to enter that way, as opposed to using the door she saw the creature make all her trips through. Moving slower now, she stuck to the darkness, around the edges of the building, like the ice cream and cheese shop, it too was totally in the dark, unlike them, there was a strong smell of blood, of death that was noticeable by her, more so than corn, gourds, breads and candies. The only redeeming factor was this place did not smell of fermenting grapes, Destitutione smiled.

             Destitutione had been through enough, she had gathered the information about her vampire friend to hand over to Amalie. she knew that she was dangerous, she knew she didn’t fit in, there was nowhere that Destitutione thought that creature would. It wasn’t up to her, she went back to check in with Amalie and to let her know in person; there would be no email or text message sent, nor would a phone call be made, no digital footprint was to be left behind. Up close and personal, Amalie preferred her communication with the undead to be up close and personal.