This Land of Monsters

by Tim Gabrielle

  “You’re just telling me this now?” asked Melissa.

  “Well I didn’t want you to worry. I don’t know if he saw me watching him from the kitchen but he hasn’t been back since. Not that I’ve seen, anyway.”

  “Nash...” Melissa said, staring at the group of people staring at Fletcher on the stage.

  “Oh God…” Nash said as Fletcher stood with Sarah in his grasp.

  “What the hell could she have done wrong? She’s the sweetest woman I’ve ever known.” Melissa remembered how kind she had been, volunteering to help her with the food truck rations.

  “I have a feeling he could find an issue with any of us from the Treefort.”

  Fletcher shook Sarah, trying to get her to cry or respond to the accusations he was leveling at her, but Sarah stood firm. She found Nash and Melissa in the crowd and stared at them with sad, tired eyes. Fletcher followed her gaze to the two of them, watching from the stage as they stared back with sorrowful eyes. Fletcher straightened his posture and instead of the usual slice on her throat, he stabbed her in the stomach repeatedly until she finally cried out in pain as slumped to her knees.

  Nash and Fletcher continued to stare at each other as Melissa turned and walked away. Fletcher placed his boot on the back of Sarah’s head and pushed hard, sending her flying forward onto the wooden stage. Her blood reached the edge of the stage and started to pour like a waterfall as Nash turned and hurried to catch Melissa.

  “Mel…”

  “I don’t want to talk, Nash. Let’s just get back to our house.”

  They walked back to their house with Sarah’s scared face carved into their minds. Atonement ceremonies had begun to happen almost every other day, sometimes even daily. On Dietrich’s advice, Nash and Melissa had started attending most of them, simply to be seen by Fletcher in the crowd. They’d walk together to the town center and watch Fletcher murder a new person, but usually stood far in the back as to not be too close to the action. Each time someone from the Treefort was dragged on stage was hard for them but something about Sarah’s murder sent their minds ablaze.

  “I need to get out of here,” Melissa said as they approached their front door.”

  “I know…”

  Nash stepped onto their front porch and stopped in his tracks, listening to the sounds of someone rustling around inside. The sound was faint but as he locked eyes with Melissa, he could tell she heard it as well.

  “Stay here,” said Nash as he slowly opened the door.

  Nash stepped inside and grabbed a baseball bat from the coat closet at the base of the steps before he slowly worked his way up the stairs. As he climbed upwards, it was clear to him that he was listening to the sound of Samantha being raped in her bedroom. As his eyes crested the top step, what he already knew was confirmed as he watched a half-naked Duncan in Samantha’s room, on top of Samantha as he violently moved against her.

  “You son of a bitch!” yelled Nash as he ran into the room and swung the bat at Duncan’s head.

  “Hey, Buddy Boy!” yelled Duncan while he used his forearm to block the bat and falling off Samantha in pain. “You little prick, that fuckin’ hurt!”

  “Get out of here!” screamed Nash and positioned the bat for another blow.

  “Take it easy, you cock,” yelled Duncan, pulling his pants up while he winced in pain. “I think you broke my fucking arm. You’re in so much shit, you don’t even know.”

  “If I ever see you here again, I’ll kill you!” said Nash as he let Duncan out of the room and followed him down the stairs.

  “Sure you will, big guy,” said Duncan as he cradled his forearm and fumbled hurriedly down the steps. “You’re not fucking her! Somebody’s gotta!”

  “What the hell’s that supposed to mean?” asked Nash as he chased Duncan outside.

  “You’re a lucky girl!” yelled Duncan to Melissa as he passed her outside. “That Samantha’s a good lay!”

  “Oh go to hell you damn pervert!” yelled Melissa as Nash guided her back inside.

  “Don’t,” Nash said as they made their way up the steps.

  “Don’t tell me what to do!” she yelled as he closed the door behind them.

  “I’m trying to protect you!” Nash yelled. It was the first time he’d raised his voice to her and he immediately felt bad. He reached forward to pull her in for a hug only to have her push him away with both hands.

  “I can’t do this, Nash. This is all too much! We need to leave!”

  “Keep your voice down!” Nash whispered, forcibly. “Do you think I want to be here? I hate this place and these people just as much as you! Dietrich has something in the works and we just have to trust him. All I can do right now is trust him and keep you safe in the meanwhile.”

  “I know. I’m sorry,” said Melissa, putting her arms around Nash. “I appreciate you watching out for me. My blood just boils when he’s around. Was he doing what I think he was doing?”

  “He sure was. He’s probably been doing this whenever we are outside the walls, which might explain you feeling like someone has been in the house.”

  Melissa visibly shivered at the thought as the two of them walked up the stairs to check on Samantha. She was laying on the bed with a smile on her face as they entered the room. She fixed her gaze on Melissa as Nash picked up her sundress to cover her up.

  “Not yet,” said Melissa, taking the dress from him and placing it on the messy bed. “She needs a shower. A very hot, thorough shower.”

  The two of them helped her from the bed and into the bathroom. Nash left Melissa alone to clean Samantha and went back into her room to clean up the mess Duncan had left. The entire room smelled of sweat and aggression. Nash ripped the blankets and sheets off the bed and tossed them aside in favor of clean sheets. He was tucking the last corner of the mattress into the sheet when the church bells began to ring again in the distance.

  “Are you kidding me?” yelled Melissa from the bathroom. “Again?” She turned the shower off and patted Samantha’s skin dry.

  He could hear the crowd cheering in the distance as Fletcher took the life of another of his residents. Melissa led Samantha into the room, covered in a robe with her wet hair hanging against her neck.

  “I’m not in the mood to do her hair right now so she gets to have frizzy hair this afternoon,” said Melissa, dropping Samantha’s robe as she quickly slid a clean sundress over her figure. “Should we say anything to Fletcher about what Duncan did?”

  “I think we may have a bigger problem,” said Nash, his arms crossed in front of him and moving to look out the window. “I think Duncan knows we aren’t using Samantha for sex.”

  “I heard that,” she said, sitting Samantha on the bed. “He’s been watching us, hasn’t he?”

  “I think so. This is bad, Mel. I feel like I need to let Dietrich know.”

  “Well he can’t do anything, can he?” said Melissa. She sat beside Samantha and rubbed her shoulder soothingly.

  “No, I suppose he can’t.”

  “I can’t take this place anymore, Nash. Do you think Dietrich is almost ready to move forward with his plan?”

  “I don’t even know what the plan is but I hope so. Dietrich is smart and calculated; he’s not gonna make his move until the perfect moment presents itself.”

  “Sooner than later, I hope,” she said, wiping away another tear out of her eye.

  Banging from the front door rattled the entire house as they turned away from the window.

  “What now?” Melissa said. She followed Nash out of the room, leaving Samantha perched at the edge of the bed. Nash motioned for her to stay behind him as the crept down the stairs toward the foyer.

  Through the front door window they could see Fletcher standing on the front lawn about ten feet from the door, Duncan and another of Fletcher’s henchmen stood on the porch.

  “Don’t open it,” said Melissa and stepped back nervously.

  “I have to, Mel. Fletcher’s with him.”

  Nash
steeled himself and unlocked the door. His hand hovered over the doorknob while he prepared to put on his smiling face when the door burst open and knocked him to the ground. Duncan stormed in first while the second man, a hulking beer-bellied mass, came into the foyer and shoved a shotgun in Nash’s face, forcing him to the ground.

  Duncan grinned at him from the foot of the stairs before he charged up. Melissa’s face shifted from surprise to horror as Duncan headed for Samantha’s room.

  “Duncan! What is this?” Nash yelled.

  “Just let it happen, my boy,” Fletcher yelled from the front yard, his demeanor calm as usual. “That’s two ceremonies you’ve missed today, for the record.”

  “Oh, God,” Melissa whispered when Duncan reappeared at the top of the stairs. He dragged Samantha down the stairs, tossing her at Melissa’s feet.

  “Come on, darlin’!” Duncan crowed. He grabbed Melissa by the hair and shoved her face toward Samantha.

  “Let go of her!” yelled Nash as Melissa winced in pain.

  “Shut up!” the man growled, shoving the gun against Nash’s head.

  Duncan roughly let Melissa go and delicately brushed a strand of hair behind Melissa’s ear. He leaned in close, and cupped the back of her neck in his hand, directing her to look at the slowpoke on the ground. “Fuck her,” Duncan whispered.

  “What are you doing, Duncan?” Nash demanded.

  “Another word from you and I’ll put a hole in your head,” said the gunman.

  “I said, fuck her,” Duncan whispered, his lips grazing the side of Melissa’s temple.

  “Why are you doing this?” asked Melissa as tears ran down her cheeks from her red eyes.

  “Oh come on, honey! If you’re anywhere near the pervert that Fletcher’s told me you are, you’ll probably enjoy it more with us watching!”

  “I know I’d enjoy it,” said the gunman, grinning.

  Samantha stared up at Melissa with the same trusting smile she had every day, her happy face sending chills down Nash’s spine as he watched helplessly from the ground. Duncan grabbed Melissa’s hand firmly and shoved it hard between Samantha’s legs.

  “Work your magic for us, honey,” he said, taking his hand away as he watched the tears continue to rush down her face.

  “Why are you doing this?” she asked as she struggled to get the words out.

  “I knew it, you little bitch,” said Duncan as he pushed Melissa to the ground. He snagged Samantha by the hair and dragged her out to the front lawn.

  “Stop!” yelled Nash as the man shoved the barrel of the gun firmly against his chest.

  Samantha continued to smile as Duncan roughly flung her around. The gunman dropped his weapon from Nash’s head and followed Duncan outside, whistling. Nash rushed to Melissa’s side and took her in his arms.

  “Come on outside, Buddy Boy!” yelled Duncan.

  “I’m sorry, Nash,” Melissa croaked. “I couldn’t do it.”

  “It’s okay,” Nash soothed, brushing her hair.

  “What’s going to happen if we go out there?” Melissa whispered.

  “Nash.” Fletcher’s voice cut across the lawn. “I need to see both of you down here. Now, please.”

  “We have to do this, Mel,” he whispered to her.

  Melissa wiped her eyes the best she could before she nodded to him and rose to her feet. Nash walked at her side, his arm around her waist. Each step felt like it was a mile long. They stepped out onto the front porch and found the three men standing on the lawn, Samantha on her knees in front of them. Her dress was lying beside her on the ground and she smiled wider at them as they exited the house.

  “The day we met, Nash, I knew you were going to be trouble,” said Fletcher. “Duncan has always told me you were a pain in the ass, but I had high hopes for you. To be perfectly honest, I still do. You seem like a reasonable kid, so I think you can still be reasoned with. It’s not a hard concept to grasp; you do something that benefits me that you were already doing at your old camp, and in return I give you anything you could ask for.”

  Nash watched as Dietrich came walking up the road but stopped far away to observe.

  “Everyone from your camp, and I mean everyone, fell in line, except you two. I give you the nicest house this place has to offer. I give you the freedom to work outside the walls, with Melissa, as per your request, and this is the thanks I get. I even gave up my most beautiful girl, for the two of you to do as you please, and I find out today it was all just a lie.”

  “You son of a bitch,” yelled Melissa as she lunged toward Duncan as Nash grabbed her.

  “She’s a feisty one, Fletch!” said Duncan as he and the gunman laughed together.

  “What did you expect from us, Fletcher?” asked Nash. “There’s nothing we wanted from you. We just want to live in peace.”

  Silence filled the space between them as Fletcher regarded them. “You’ve done me well, kid,” Fletcher said, finally. “I don’t have any reason not to believe that’s going to stop. With that being said, this kind of behavior is unacceptable. This isn’t how I saw today going, but I think this situation warrants it.”

  Without breaking eye contact with Nash, Fletcher held out his hand for the shotgun.

  “Please, Mr. Crawford, don’t,” said Melissa. She started forward, but Nash grabbed her arm and held her back.

  “Honey, a little tough love goes a long way,” said Fletcher. He grabbed Samantha by the hair and pulled her into the middle of the yard. He took a couple steps backward before firing the shotgun at the back of her head.

  Samantha’s head erupted into a splatter of blood and flesh as she crumpled forward to the ground. The two men on each side of Fletcher cheered, clapping their hands with smiling faces. Fletcher handed the gun to Duncan and stepped in front of Nash and Melissa.

  “I hope you understand the seriousness of this situation,” he said calmly. “This is your final warning.”

  “Fuck you!” Melissa yelled. Fletcher stared at her as she gazed back at him intently.

  “She don’t get it, boss,” said the man standing with Duncan.

  “No, Paul, I don’t believe she does,” Fletcher said. He continued to stare at her, silently weighing his options. “Grab her.”

  “No!” screamed Nash as Paul stepped forward and put his muscular arms around Melissa. Melissa began to scream but stopped when Paul smacked her hard across her face. Duncan stepped forward and secured Nash as Paul carried Melissa away with Fletcher walking beside him. “Fletcher, you gotta let me fuck her before she’s turned! I can’t leave it to chance that she’ll be a slowpoke!”

  Nash wiggled his arm free and landed a punch against where he’d hit Duncan with the baseball bat. Duncan wheezed in pain as he let go but was able to grab Nash’s left wrist as Nash turned to run. Nash turned and swung his right fist as hard as he could and connected with Duncan’s mouth, sending him backward to the ground in shock as Nash took off.

  “Stop,” said Fletcher, calmly pulling a handgun from behind his back and pointing it at Nash. “Give me one reason why I shouldn’t put a bullet in your brain and sit Melissa in one of my pews?”

  “I’ll mind them, Fletcher,” said Dietrich, joining them. “Leave them in my charge. They’re both excellent outside the wall. They’re two of the only ones here that are easily trusted not to be drunk or high when on a run. Please, leave them with me. I’ll keep them in line.”

  Fletcher held the gun in one hand while pointing it at Nash. He looked at Dietrich, considering his offer in silence. “Anything goes wrong and you’ll be the one putting them down. Understood?”

  “Yes, I understand.”

  Fletcher lowered the gun and smiled at Nash. “See, I can be reasonable. Paul, put the girl down. Duncan, let’s go.”

  Paul dropped Melissa to the ground with a chuckle as the three of them left the property. Nash quickly helped Melissa to her feet with tears in her eyes. A large, red handprint had already formed across her cheek. Duncan looked back at them fro
m the road with a scowl and a trickle of blood on his lip.

  “It’s time,” Dietrich said, glaring back at Duncan until he disappeared out of their view.

  Chapter 28

  Nash guided Melissa up the stairs and into their bedroom. She sat on the edge of the bed, her face throbbing with pain from Paul’s slap. Her eyes were a deep red, filled with shock and sadness as the bathroom filled with steam from the shower.

  “I love you,” he said when he pulled her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her. “It’s going to be okay.”

  “I want to leave,” she said as she pulled back and looked into his eyes. “The next time we go out on a run, I want to leave.”

  “You know we can’t do that,” he said as he brushed a wet strand of hair off her cheek. “He’d find us, and kill us. If he can’t find us, he’d kill anyone associated with us here.”

  “Is it almost over?” she asked.

  “Yes. You heard Dietrich, he’s ready to move.”

  Without saying a word, she walked slowly into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. Nash ran both his hands through his hair and exhaled deeply, trying to release the tension of the morning. He still felt the sensation of the gun pointing directly at him, turning his stomach as he relived the fear in his head. The shower continued to run as he left the room to stand in the doorway of what had been Samantha’s room. Duncan’s dirty footsteps left marks on the carpet from the door to her bed and back.

  “You son of a bitch,” he said out loud as he closed the door and made his way down the steps. He found a shovel and an old plastic tarp in the basement and brought them outside with to find Dietrich was already digging a grave at the edge of their property.

  ”Thank you for being there,” Nash said, grabbing his shovel and starting to help dig. “I don’t think there was anything I could have said to stop him.”

  “You’re right about that. Melissa would have been turned by now if it wasn’t for me being there. He’s going to have the two of you under a microscope now.”

  “So what’s the next step?”