by Derek Slaton
THE BUTCHER OF CAMP BARLOW
By Derek Slaton
© 2018
PROLOGUE
October 1976
Officer Winston Jones relaxed by the side of the road in his squad car, nursing a warm cup of coffee on a cool fall Texas evening. Much to the displeasure of his fellow comrades in arms, Officer Jones had drawn the coveted Camper’s Row beat from the CO, giving him ample time to slack off.
In the entire history of the assignment the biggest problem an officer faced at Camper’s Row was a rogue counselor doing a little underage drinking. No robbery, no domestic disputes, no dealing with the drunken fraternity parties on the University of Texas campus.
Just a quiet evening in the country.
The officer perked up when the dispatch radio whined, hoping to hear the troubles his buddies had to deal with that evening.
“Car forty-six, car forty-six, respond.”
“Shit,” Jones muttered. He picked up the walkie-talkie, shaking his head. This is supposed to be an easy night, not a working one, he thought. “Car forty-six.” He sighed. “Go ahead, dispatch.”
“We got a call from a motorist who saw fireworks coming from Camp Barlow,” came the reply.
He sighed again. “Come on dispatch, fireworks? Really?”
“Car forty-six, please be advised we are in the middle of a burn ban, so unless you want to explain to the channel nine news why you ruined thousands of kids camping trips, it would be advisable for you to go get them to cease and desist before they start a wildfire.”
Jones paused before responding, dumbfounded by his poor luck. “Ten-four dispatch. Car forty-six en route. Out.” He popped the car into drive and headed for the camp.
As the turnoff approached Officer Jones leaned forward in his seat so that get a view of the sky. There were no fireworks, however the sky glowed with the distinctive orange hue of fire.
“Man if I got called out here for a bonfire I’m going to beat the shit out of some counselors.”
He maneuvered the patrol car along the winding dirt driveway, thick trees creating a darkened hallway for him to drive through. As the forest gave way to an opening, it exposed the source of the colorful sky. Officer Jones looked on in horrified silence at one of the camper’s bunkhouses engulfed in flames.
He fumbled for the receiver. “Dispatch, dispatch, I need immediate assistance at Camp Barlow! Fire, EMT, send it all!”
Crackle. “Car forty-six, what is the situation?”
“One of the bunkhouses is on fire, and I don’t see the kids anywhere!” he cried.
“Confirmed car forty-six, dispatching fire and rescue now. Do you need backup?”
Jones’s eyes focused on a silhouette in the middle of the clearing, a woman laying face down on the ground. He stared at her, praying for movement that never came.
Crackle. “Car forty-six, respond. Do you need backup?”
“Yeah… send… send everybody you can,” he stammered, and dropped the receiver. He emerged from the vehicle, approaching the woman on the ground. “Ma’am? Are you okay?” he asked, keeping his head on a swivel. “Ma’am?”
He touched her shoulder, and then hesitated before he flipped her over, hoping that she was just playing an elaborate prank on him.
“Oh dear god,” he breathed. Her eyes were seared shut, as if someone had taken a white hot blindfold and strapped it on.
The officer took a moment to compose himself before inspecting her further, leaning over to take her pulse. The light from the fire barely lit her face, so Jones had to feel around her neck for the vein. He quickly pulled back when his fingers brushed a warm, gooey liquid.
He rose to his feet and drew his weapon, hands shaking. Anxiety raced through him as he moved towards the main two story structure that housed the counselors. Lights were on inside, but the lack of movement made him fear for the worst.
Jones readied his service revolver and pushed open the door. It cleared the threshold, but stopped cold six inches later, slamming into a heavy object with a thud. He lowered his shoulder and shoved, forcing the obstacle to scrape across the floor. He gave himself a good two feet of clearance before sliding into the house.
A wave of nausea rolled over him like an avalanche over a hapless skier. His free hand flew to his mouth to prevent his lunch from making a second appearance. Three bodies were strewn across the floor, swimming in a puddle of crimson. Jones remained motionless, mind groping at coherent thought.
“Hahahaha… heheheheheh.” The faint sound of laughter snapped the officer snapped back to reality. “Hahahaha… heheheheheh,” the voice repeated.
“Hello? I’m a police officer and I’m here to help. Where are you?” Jones asked, straining his ears to get a location on the noise.
“Hahahaha… heheheheheh.”
Jones moved slowly through the blood soaked carnage, careful to avoid staining his boots with the blood of the poor teenagers.
“Hahahaha… heheheheheh.”
The voice grew clearer the closer he got to the back room. He gently pushed the cracked door, giving a creak as it glided open. His eyes glazed over, at the sight behind that door.
A large boy wearing a Camp Barlow Kids t-shirt sat in the middle of the room with his back to the officer. The white wood paneling was splattered with red like it was created by an experimental expressionist painter.
“Hahahahaha… heheheheheheh.” The boy rocked back and forth.
Jones’ hand shook as he reached out to the kid. “Son, you need to come with me.”
“Hahahahaha… heheheheheheh.”
His heart skipped a few beats and he struggled to keep his voice steady. “Son, it’s not safe here, we need to….”
The boy turned towards the officer, staring at him with cold dead eyes. “Hahahaha.” He cocked his head, pausing mid-laugh to raise his left hand.
His left hand that held the severed head of a male counselor.
Jones immediately turned and ran out of the house, leaving the boy to his own demented actions.
“Hahahaha… heheheheh.”
“Hahahaha… heheheheh.”
“Hahahaha… heheheheh.”
CHAPTER ONE
Ten years later.
Cooper and Pete walked along a tree lined path on the University of Texas campus. October had arrived, but being Texas, the weather was still in the mid-eighties. Perfect weather for the two freshmen to get out and enjoy the coming holiday.
“Come on man, it’s a four day weekend, we gotta go do something!” Cooper pleaded, shaking his head. His perfectly styled blonde mullet didn’t even move with the motion.
“Your fraternity not throwing a big blowout bash?” Pete teased. “Thought y’all were famous for those?” He poked his muscular companion in the ribs.
“Yeah, they are throwing the party of the year, but since I’m just a freshman I’m not getting an invite,” he admitted. “Apparently since the fire marshal shut down the last party we had, the leadership was forced to scale back the guest list.”
The shorter boy shrugged. “And freshmen didn’t make the cut?”
“Well, I know a lot of freshmen who are going, but they all have tits and like to show them off,” Cooper rolled his all-American blue eyes, and then squared his shoulders a bit as a pair of girls strolled across their path. He winked and one of the girls giggled, biting her lip as they walked off.
Pete cracked a smile. The five-foot-five farm boy sure enjoyed riding his good-looking friend’s coattails in the babe department. “And I’m sure they do a few other things you are unwilling to do,” he continued, and then raised an eyebrow. “At least I think you’re unwilling.”
Cooper attempted to punch Pete’s shoulder, ju
st missing as his short friend scampered ahead.
“Mother fucker I will beat your ass!” the blonde bellowed.
“Oh Coop, I didn’t know you liked the kinky stuff,” Pete mocked, but he didn’t get far before Cooper caught his pack and jerked him back.
“Cut that shit out man,” he said, eyes narrowed and voice low.
His short friend put up his hands in surrender. “Yo man, chill out. I’m just joking around,” he assured him.
Just like that, Cooper pulled out a cigarette and lit it before responding in a much lighter tone, “Come on, let’s go meet the girls and talk about what we’re gonna do this weekend.”
Pete waited for his companion to move on first, not wanting to turn his back on him after the short but intense outburst.
The two freshmen walked up to a picnic table in the middle of the quad and joined two young women. The first, Heather, was a tall buxom blonde with hair so big that there was a hole in a ozone layer directly above her bathroom.
“Ladies ladies ladies, y’all ready for the four day weekend?” Cooper said and threw his arm around her. “Lord knows I am.”
The shorter brunette, Daphne, rolled her eyes at the theatrics and leaned in to kiss Pete. “Hi,” she whispered, and he smiled fondly at her.
“Hi,” he whispered back.
“Hey babe, you find us something to do yet?” Heather asked as she fluttered her eyelashes at Cooper.
He nodded as he ran a finger across the waistband of her jeans. “Oh I know what we’re doing, just don’t know where we’re doing it yet.”
“You mean you couldn’t get us into your own frat party?” his girlfriend gaped.
“Well, I’m pretty sure he could get you an invite if you like,” Pete said, prompting an angry glare from his friend. “But I thought it might be fun if the four of us get out of town for a few days.”
“We could go to South Padre island?” Heather suggested.
“I’m pretty sure a lot of the businesses are going to be closed for the season,” Daphne replied.
The blonde crossed her arms and huffed. “But it’s like eighty-five degrees and I want to go swimming!”
“What about camping? I mean a lot of these campgrounds have lakes,” Pete suggested.
Heather’s eyes lit up. “Oh that sounds like fun, what do you think Cooper?”
“Get to see you in a bikini and check off the woods from our fucket list?” Her boyfriend grinned. “Hell yeah!”
“Guys I don’t wanna be a party pooper or anything, but pretty much all the campsites are going to be booked up. My dad used to take us camping a lot and the college break weekends would fill up weeks in advance.” Daphne piped up.
“Fuck!” Cooper said and slammed his hand on the table in frustration. “So now what?”
A squeaky voice cut in, “I know a place we can go if you aren’t too afraid.”
The group looked over see Ritchie, a skinny kid with glasses and faded superhero t-shirt that appeared to be a holdover from his elementary school days. He sat at the table kitty-corner to them, slouched over the latest issue of Omni magazine.
“Bullshit, Ritchie.” Cooper waved him off. “You just want to see Heather in a bikini because you’re a perverted little cum stain.”
Heather smacked Cooper in the arm before leaning in to whisper, “If he knows a place to camp then that little perv can look at me all he wants. Or do you not want to check off something from our fucket list?” She pouted.
Cooper bit his lip. “I’m sorry Ritchie, just a little on edge about my biology test. Please, tell us more,” he muttered.
“Alright Cooper, I’ll forgive you. This time,” Ritchie deadpanned, and then trilled a high pitched laugh. “It’s a place my granddad used to take me to. It’s got a big house, close to the lake, you’ll love it.”
The blonde couple stared at the brunette couple, and Ritchie bounced on the balls of his feet as they raised their eyebrows at each other with a series of shrugs.
Finally, Pete turned to him. “Yeah, we’re in.”
“Oh I’ll ask Marie to come with us!” Heather gushed.
“If she comes then her boyfriend Edgar will want to come too,” Daphne reminded her.
“And her drugged out brother Jake will be attached at her hip too,” Pete added.
His girlfriend pursed her lips in thought. “Why does he go to every party with her?”
“Pretty sure he’s her dealer and it’s part of their agreement,” he replied.
“Oh,” Daphne blinked in surprise.
“So, we’re adding three more people to the trip?” Cooper sighed.
Heather tentatively leaned over, strategically brushing her cleavage against his arm. “Do you not want them to come?” She batted her eyes at him.
“Doesn’t Edgar’s dad own the Beer Barn?” He turned to her.
Heather shrugged. “Um, yeah.”
“Then hell yeah they can come,” he agreed. “Long weekend at the lake and we have alcohol and drugs covered? Whooo! Fuckin-A man!”
“Again, don’t want to be the party pooper, but how are we getting everyone up there?” Daphne spoke up. “Pete’s car is in the shop, and we’re not all going to fit in mine.”
“Well looks like ole Ritchie is going to come to your rescue once again,” their nerdy observer said and pulled out a set of keys on a brightly colored keychain. “Cause I got a party van big enough for everybody!” He winked at Heather.
Cooper nearly broke a blood vessel in his head from the stress of holding back his desire to snap the kid in half. Heather blew Ritchie a kiss in return, while rubbing her boyfriend’s leg under the table to remind him how they were getting their holiday trip.
Ritchie pounced from his seat and over to her side. “I’m going to gas up your chariot m’lady. Pick you up at your place in an hour?”
“Sounds good tiger, see you then,” she replied with a sultry wink, and he scurried off with a spring in his step.
“What the fuck was that?” Cooper demanded, prompting Heather to slide her hand over the zipper of his jeans.
“That was getting him to pay for gas instead of asking us to chip in. As well as making sure our fucket list gets a little shorter,” she licked her lips, and he practically melted beneath her talented hand as it slipped inside his pants.
Daphne cleared her throat and shot to her feet. “So Pete, you want to come help me pack for our trip?”
“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea since I’m pretty sure a public jerking is on their fucket list,” he replied, laughing as he led her away from the couple.
CHAPTER TWO
“Marie, you guys ready to go?” Heather yelled from the foot of the wood paneled stairs, Cooper draped all over her.
Marie glided down the stairs like a debutante making her social debut. “Yeah, we’re coming,” she said with a flip of her jet black hair.
“Damn baby, you know we’re only going away for the weekend, right?” her boyfriend, Edgar asked as he struggled with three suitcases. “Do you really need all this?”
Marie stopped and pivoted to face him. “Well... if you like, we can leave this one behind,” she said and opened the top of the biggest case.
He took a nice long look at what his girlfriend had packed. “Nah baby, this is definitely coming with us,” he conceded.
“Hey girl,” Marie greeted her roommate. “When’s Daphne picking us up?”
“Yeah, about that. Since there’s so many of us, we’re kinda letting Ritchie drive us,” Heather replied.
The ebony haired girl wrinkled her nose. “Why did you invite that perv? He always stares at my ass when I walk by him in chem class.”
“Because he has a party van and we need the room so we all can go,” Heather said. “Also, it’s his grandfather’s cabin or something.”
Marie pursed her lips. “Well if he stares at my ass, I’m going to smack the shit out of him.”
“Just make sure you do it after we’re there,” Cooper cut in
. “Cause we’re checking off some of our fucket list this weekend and don’t want to piss him off.” He gyrated his hips suggestively and his girlfriend giggled.
“That’s fine as long as doing it our bed isn’t on your list,” Marie said.
Cooper winked. “It’s not anymore.”
“Eww!” Marie whined, and then stormed outside in a huff.
“I swear I washed your sheets afterwords!” Heather called as she gave chase.
