by Aaron Niz
I try and scream, try to move, but I’m all tied up. Eugene and Walden and Jared are here. Walden takes off his glasses and casually wipes the lenses.
“So who’s going to do the honors?” Hetridge asks the gathering.
I turn my head and see Neil’s body not far from mine. He’s been completely disemboweled. His face is bled white. I shriek but nothing comes out, because they’ve stuffed rags in my mouth.
“Maybe Eugene should do it,” Randall says. “If it wasn’t for him, Gabe would’ve gotten away.”
“What about us? You think we were going to let him tell the whole world that this fraternity is full of psychopaths?” Walden jokes.
“You can do it if you’re up for it,” Eugene says to Walden. “You’ve always been better at that sort of thing.”
“What sort of thing?”
“You like fishing and all that crap.”
Walden shakes his head. “Fine. Give me the knife.” I can feel my bowels give way. The smell reaches my nostrils and I find that I no longer care. I’m praying again, only I’ve stopped praying for a reprieve. Now I’m just praying that they make it quick.
Reyes hands Walden the knife.
Tyler steps into view. “No, I want to do it.” He takes the large hunting knife and wipes the blade across his pant leg. Examines it in the faint light of the sun. Clouds have cast a shadow over the clearing.
“Should we let him say his last words?” Stutty asks.
“Sure. Why not?” Hetridge replies, bending down and ripping the rag out of my mouth. I cough and spit, taking a few deep breaths.
“Any last words?” Tyler asks me.
“Why are you doing this to me? I never would have told anyone.”
“We can’t take that chance,” Randall says. “The brotherhood is too important to risk it all on your phony promises.”
“The cops will figure it out eventually,” I tell them. “You’re all going to jail for this. I promise that much.”
“Maybe, maybe not,” Reyes replies. “But either way you’ll be in the ground and you won’t know the difference.”
Tyler raises the knife and brings it down once, twice, again and again.
There’s no pain, surprisingly. It makes me want to laugh. I was so frightened of this moment but when it comes, there’s no pain at all.
I try to laugh, to let them see that it’s not bothering me at all.
But for some reason, all I can do is scream.
THE END
If you enjoyed THE TRIP, please go to Amazon.com or Barnesandnoble.com and leave a review to let people know what you think. Check out Aaron Niz’s other available titles such as THE SKEPTIC, COMPELLED, or INITIATION.
