Tourniquet

by Chuck Buda

  Aiden pulled out his phone again. “Look. I’ll call everyone again. We’ll see where they are and we’ll join them. There’s safety in numbers, right? Maybe it’ll be better if we all work together instead of spreading out. Hm?”

  Samantha’s arms swallowed her torso. She stared at her feet for a long moment. Then nodded almost imperceptibly.

  Aiden felt some relief. Maybe he had convinced Samantha to stay on Zoe’s trail a while longer. At least until he could find his friends again. He dialed Spencer’s phone. More rings and then voice mail. He hid his frustration, immediately dialing Todd’s phone. More ringing and no Todd. Aiden walked a few paces away from Samantha so she couldn’t see his face. Aiden was sure she would be able to read his emotions and he feared the slightest doubt would sway Samantha back to her desire to go home.

  He hung up on Todd’s voice mail and dialed Jordyn. A few seconds later, he was back at square one. No response. Where the fuck are they? How could everyone be missing at the same time? Aiden’s belly groaned with the answer to his own question.

  They might be dead already.

  He needed to act fast. Standing around in the park would achieve nothing. It would probably lead to Samantha taking off for home. They had to remain active, to cover more ground. And locate the missing search party.

  Hunting party is more like it.

  Aiden walked to Samantha’s car. He opened the passenger door. “Let’s go.”

  “Where?”

  Aiden sat inside without looking at Samantha. “Where evil lives.”

  As Samantha shuffled toward her car, she sounded confused. “I don’t know where that is.”

  Aiden cheered up. An idea came to mind which he hadn’t considered before. It almost made too much sense to NOT be right. He wished he could kick himself for not thinking of it sooner. He smiled to himself.

  “I do.” He chuckled. “I’ll show you.”

  Samantha climbed behind the wheel and started the engine. She glanced across the seat at Aiden several times as she spun the car around toward the park exit.

  Aiden laughed out loud.

  His fears and self-doubts escaped through the open window.

  His purpose was renewed. And Aiden felt confident he would be able to find Zoe.

  And kill her.

  Chapter 25

  Jordyn kicked Todd in the balls.

  He dropped to his knees, clutching at his groin. Jordyn wasted little time. She scratched his face with her fingernails. Each drag leaving a raised, bloody welt where smooth flesh used to exist. Todd’s hands flew to his face. He screamed in agony as he attempted to soothe his bloody face.

  Jordyn heard a distant primal scream. Its rage echoed through the school yard, hitting brick walls and swirling into the night sky like wild fireflies. She knew in her mind the sounds came from her own vocal chords. Yet, it seemed foreign to her ears. Distant. From another dimension, thinly veiled and adjacent to her own.

  Zoe laughed from above, hidden safely among the shadowed branches and leaves.

  Todd flailed as Jordyn moved in for another attack. She yanked clumps of his hair, violently pulling his head down and to the right. Todd issued another shriek of pain. He swung a fist upward, catching a glancing blow along Jordyn’s cheek. She fell backwards but maintained her balance, quickly gaining composure like a cat jumping off a high dresser.

  As Todd tried to right himself, Jordyn decided to pounce again. She lunged forward, smashing into Todd’s chest before he could rise to his feet. While Jordyn was petite, she had very strong legs from years of cheering and gymnastics. She used this strength to her advantage, driving her legs forward to plow into the boy she thought she loved. Both flew along the grass, Todd on the bottom, Jordyn on top. Her momentum carried her scraping over his face with all her weight. She sensed Todd’s nose raked upwards by her belt buckle. The sensation mixed with a satisfying clicking noise as his nose cartilage gave in to the offense.

  Jordyn slid face first into the earth. She sprang to her feet, poised in a low crouch. She spun to face Todd who, stunned, remained on his back. His hands caressed his nose, muffled groans croaking from beneath his hands.

  “You broke my fucking nose.”

  Jordyn could not care less. If Todd wasn’t going to be with her...if he’d rather be with Zoe instead of her, then she wanted to make sure Todd’s rugged good looks were ruined. She ran forward, lifting off the ground in an attempt to vault her body into the air like an acrobat, and land on Todd’s ruined face with her knees. She sailed through the darkness, feeling free for the first time since she could recall. All thoughts of The First Cut or college or her skank mother were long gone. All her focus was on Todd.

  Todd sensed Jordyn’s flight. She watched his eyes open wide, in slow motion, as the realization that he was a sitting duck rushed upon his consciousness. At the last second, Todd raised his arms above his head to deflect Jordyn’s landing. Jordyn, realizing she was going to be thwarted, balled her body up as she fell towards Todd.

  Jordyn slightly missed Todd as he began to roll away. Her landing caught one of his arms and the left side of his torso. She tumbled into the turf. Todd cursed under his breath and climbed to his knees. In a flash, Todd was on Jordyn, quicker than she figured a human being could move. He turned her on her side with a violent tug. Jordyn stared up into Todd’s crazed eyes. The boy she had loved since she was a little girl appeared to be a maniacal stranger above her. She screamed at the top of her lungs.

  Todd clamped a strong fist over Jordyn’s mouth, stuffing her screams for help back into her throat. Spittle flew from his lips as his heavy breathing blew her hair away from her face.

  “Shut up. Shut the fuck up.” Todd barked into Jordyn’s face. His breath came out hot, hotter than a Texas afternoon. Jordyn struggled against his hand. His strength overwhelmed her jaw and she quickly found it difficult to breathe. Jordyn moved her head just enough to free her lips from his grasp. As Todd re-formed his hold on her, Jordyn bit into Todd’s flesh. He yelped and pulled his hand away immediately. Todd stole a glance at the meaty side of his palm. Jordyn couldn’t see the wound but she tasted the bitter blood along her teeth and gums. She had bitten Todd with all her might.

  Wasting little time, Todd released his wounded hand and lunged forward. His fingers closed around Jordyn’s neck, squeezing hard. Jordyn felt the cords on her neck strain against the assault. Her eyes felt as if they would shoot out of her skull and enter the earth’s orbit from so much force built up inside her head.

  She pleaded wordlessly for Todd to stop.

  “You should’ve listened to me. You should’ve listened.” Todd spat the words into Jordyn’s face.

  She clawed at his cheeks with her nails. A few tips found new grooves in his skin. She inched her index fingers higher, blindly searching for Todd’s eyes. Jordyn felt blackness engulfing her, dragging her under to a place where no sights or sounds could reach her. Her only hope was to dig her fingers into his eyes in a last-ditch effort for survival.

  The thumping of her blood filled her ears. It drowned out Zoe’s laughter and the cadence of crickets in the wood line. Each beat slowed subtly, lulling her into oblivion. The shadows grew around her frame of vision, clouding Todd’s face. His features warped and drifted away along the starry backdrop.

  Todd used his clutch to bounce Jordyn’s head off the ground several times as he finished choking her to death. He refused to release his grip, even though Jordyn had ceased fighting back a few minutes ago.

  Todd slowly began to realize what he had done. It dawned on him that Jordyn was gone, and he had been the one to kill her.

  He continued to choke the lifeless body beneath him as his tears dripped into Jordyn’s face.

  “No, no, no, no!”

  He bounced Jordyn’s skull a few more times and collapsed on top of her corpse. Todd cried into Jordyn’s neck. His hands slid down her arms and alongside her breasts. He hoped he would feel her chest rise as her lungs refilled with air. But it w
as to no avail.

  Jordyn was gone. And Todd knew there would be no turning back. No do-overs. This game had been for real. And the stakes were more than he could fathom.

  As Todd cried, sorry for what he had to done to Jordyn, Zoe enjoyed the show from high in the tree. Her laughter was absorbed by the darkness. Todd never heard her glee. He was too lost in his own hell. A fiery pit that Zoe had opened for him. And Todd had chosen to walk into.

  He had nobody to blame but himself.

  Todd wished he could join Jordyn. Right now. He no longer wanted to face reality and the horrors this night had unleashed on their quiet, upscale suburban town.

  Chapter 26

  Zoe made her way down the tree trunk. She scraped the side of her leg along the rough bark, scratching just enough skin away to release a dotted line of blood. The scrape burned hot along her thigh. The pain only enhanced Zoe’s excitement.

  Todd trembled atop Jordyn’s lifeless body. He cried into the crook of her neck as Zoe finished her descent from safety. She neared Todd’s back. He was oblivious to Zoe’s approach, too wrapped up in his sorrow. Zoe swallowed back a chuckle at her last thought. She stood behind Todd for several moments, deciding on how to capitalize on the turn of events. Zoe’s plan had been to divide and conquer the young couple. She just had no inclination that one of them would rid her of the other, saving Zoe from some heavy lifting.

  She stroked Todd’s back as a comforting gesture.

  Todd whirled on Zoe.

  “Get the fuck off me.” Todd’s eyes revealed deep hatred for Zoe but lacked the same conviction with which he had arrived at the school earlier. All plans of attacking Zoe seemed to have evaporated as swiftly as Jordyn’s last breath had been expelled.

  Zoe pivoted her demeanor. “I’m so sorry, Todd. I only meant to cause a fight between you two. I never intended for it to go this far.”

  Todd stood up, his height imposing over Zoe.

  “Just like Leah? Everything you’ve done tonight has led to death.” Todd balled a fist and swung with all his might at Zoe’s head. She used her spry reflexes to avoid the punch. A few knuckles barely grazed the side of her head, catching mostly hair.

  Zoe backpedaled a few paces to stay outside Todd’s reach. She knew Todd’s power and strength were his greatest assets. If she could remain beyond his range, Zoe could manage her way out of the situation. She could use her cunning to control Todd’s rage.

  “Hold it.” Zoe held up her hands. Todd didn’t halt his progress. He lunged forward again to take a poke at Zoe. She ducked under his wild punch and kicked his shin. Todd barked with anger, grabbing for his new wound. Zoe ran away, quickly covering nearly ten yards. She needed more distance after miscalculating Todd’s range the first time.

  “Hold on. Wait a second.”

  Todd winced and pointed at Zoe.

  “Give me a second. Let me explain.”

  Todd hobbled to his feet. “Fuck you and your explanation. You just want to use me like you always have.”

  “You’re wrong. I used the club to get what I wanted. But none of this was supposed to happen. It was all about fun and sex and creating spells so we could get what we wanted.”

  “Well, you got what you fucking wanted, didn’t you? You ruined everything. And you fucking killed Leah.”

  Zoe used Todd’s words as a shield. “How about you, Todd? You just killed Jordyn.”

  “I didn’t mean to.” Todd hunched over as he screamed with all his might.

  “Neither did I, Todd.” Zoe watched Todd’s anger flag as he questioned his own role in the destruction. “It was an accident. Just like her.” Zoe pointed at Jordyn’s corpse.

  “What you did was no accident.”

  “It was. I had no control over the spirits I summoned. Spencer was the one who provoked me. He caused the whole ritual to go bad.”

  Todd stepped forward like he was coming in for another assault. Something stopped him in his tracks. Zoe read the trepidation in his soul. He had come to execute Zoe. Instead, he had murdered the one girl who would do anything for him. And now he was caught between the urge to flee and his desire to avenge Jordyn’s death.

  He blames me for what he did with his own hands.

  Zoe softened her tone.

  “Why do you think I’m running from all of you? If I meant for all these bad things to happen, don’t you think I would keep coming after you? After Spencer?” She rested her hands on her hips, showing Todd resignation. “I’m running because I’m scared. I don’t know how to fix what I’ve done.”

  Todd mirrored Zoe. He placed his hands on his hips and took several deep breaths. He exhaled and looked up to the sky.

  “I don’t believe you. You were just laughing up there and taunting us. Now you expect me to believe you’re fucking innocent?”

  “I told you, Todd. I was trying to cause a rift between you two because I was afraid of you both lynching me. I wanted to distract you both from coming after me. I never told you to kill her.”

  Todd’s lower lip quivered. He bit back another round of crying, running a hand through his hair and looking to the heavens for forgiveness.

  “Oh, God. I can’t believe she’s gone. She... I only...” Todd broke into tears. He slumped to his knees, beating the ground with his fists. Todd begged for forgiveness, reiterating his regrets for hurting Jordyn.

  Zoe approached Todd. She knelt in front of Todd, several feet away in case he decided to renew his zeal for getting revenge. Zoe faked her own tears to disarm Todd. He continued his tirade with the earth beneath his hands. Zoe crept closer to him. She got close enough she could smell his stale breath every time he cried out for God’s mercy.

  Little did he know, even if God could hear his pleas, the devil was close at hand.

  Zoe felt the butterflies of excitement come to life in her belly. She knew she was closer to realizing her dreams. Each kill eliminated another hurdle in her path to power. And it fed the beast, the devil who required sacrifice to grant Zoe her wishes.

  Zoe reached out one hand. She stroked Todd’s shoulder. He broke down more. Zoe felt his body quake at her touch. He needed someone to hold him, to comfort him. Zoe wanted to be that person. She wanted to give Todd what he needed.

  So he could give her what she needed.

  Blood.

  Zoe embraced Todd. His muscular arms wrapped around her small frame. His chest heaved and ground against her breasts with each quiver of pain. Zoe squeezed Todd. She whispered into his ear.

  “It’s okay. It’ll be okay. We’ll figure this out. Together.”

  Todd’s head nodded against her shoulder as he broke down harder.

  Zoe smiled.

  She slowly turned her face into Todd’s neck.

  Zoe sunk her teeth into Todd’s neck. His flesh tore apart as her canines dug through the layers, finding his carotid artery.

  Todd fought against Zoe’s grip but it was too late. The first bite had been so deep that the blood shot into the air. It doused both of them like a city fire hydrant opened to cool the playing children on a summer day.

  He screamed but no words made it past his torn throat.

  Zoe giggled as she drank the hot blood straight from the tap. In between slurps, Zoe chewed sinews of flesh.

  Todd faded back toward the ground.

  Zoe gently lowered him to the grass. She threw her head back and howled at the moon.

  Todd groaned weakly, reminding Zoe she hadn’t finished her meal.

  Zoe laughed and bent forward to continue feeding.

  Chapter 27

  Samantha was lost in her thoughts. She rolled through the stop sign and failed to put on her turn signal. There weren’t any cars on the road at this hour of night. Even if there were, Samantha would have mindlessly ignored her responsibilities anyway.

  She drove Aiden through town while her mind was elsewhere.

  Leah.

  Holden.

  Tommy.

  All gone now.

  Tommy was
still alive but Samantha figured she could never look him in the face again. After all, the poor kid saw the carnage. And the only one who walked away from it was his mommy. He was young but he wasn’t naive enough to think some stranger had come into their home, chopped everyone to pieces and then walked away without touching her. She bit the inside of her lip against the threatening tears. She missed Tommy already.

  Her mind flitted to Leah. The pretty young girl who had become a well-adjusted young woman. Samantha had fantasized about the day she could help Leah care for her first child. Samantha wanted to prepare Leah for childbirth. Cover all the nuances of caring for a baby, from feeding it to bathing it to stimulating the baby’s development. She imagined what their future relationship would be like once they could interact as two adults on equal footing. No longer playing the roles of mother/daughter. Sharing experiences and enjoying each other’s company without the need to protect and shelter.

  I guess I failed at the protection aspect anyway. Some mother I turned out to be. I should have been there for her. Seen the signs of coming trouble her group of friends had fallen into.

  Samantha swabbed a stray tear. She glanced to the right to make sure Aiden hadn’t seen her. He had seemed so fragile a short while ago. Then, just as suddenly, Aiden had become aggressive. Overly authoritarian in his quest for finding Zoe. He took the reins in their search, relegating Samantha to the position of chauffeur.

  I should have realized Rebecca was behind Holden’s increased desires.

  He kept bringing up wild and carefree sexcapades from their early years. Things Samantha had long forgotten. Samantha’s first impressions about Rebecca had been spot-on. She was a slut. Samantha thought Rebecca was too sultry for a neighbor, always sauntering around her driveway and yard, wanting all eyes to pay attention to her body. Then Rebecca and Turner had convinced Samantha that they were nice folks. Typical neighborhood people. Sure, they may have been more attractive than most others and more youthful in their affections for each other, both private and publicly. And Samantha had fallen for the act. She should have known better.