“Hey,” he said to Henry, clapping him on the shoulder, “I’m going to go outback and utilize your outhouse before dinner.”
“Okay, but hurry back. The food is almost ready,” Henry said. Zach left the house and hurried past Tom, who also reminded him that supper was about to be served. Zach looked into the distant sky and saw the storm clouds approaching quickly and the last rays of light of the long gone sun. The wind was picking up and the air was very cool. Zach reached the outhouse, which was not far from the garage, and saw that it even had a little moon cut into the door.
“Adorable,” Zach muttered as he opened the door and stepped inside. The smell was horrible, and a certain four-letter word could accurately and literally describe it, and Zach hoped that he didn’t have to stay inside for long. Peeking out through the moon-shaped hole in the door, he watched Tom put the strips of meat onto a plate and carry it inside. He looked at the house, making sure that no one was looking outside the windows just now. By the light of the candles, he could see Anne, Hannah, Tom, and Abby sitting down around the table and preparing to eat. Henry was not in the dining room, but he couldn’t see him in any of the windows, so he probably wasn’t watching.
The coast being clear, Zach carefully opened the door and quickly made his way over to the garage. Once safely behind the garage, he peeked back towards the house to make sure that he had not been seen. Everyone was still chatting happily inside, unaware of Zach’s current location. Turning back around to survey the wall behind which he was standing, Zach noticed a small, square window at about head level. But to his dismay, it was covered up on the inside by something. Zach felt around in one of his cargo pockets, and then pulled out a small but sturdy flashlight. Gripping it firmly, he smashed the base of it into the window. The breaking glass made a ‘tink’ sound, but wasn’t loud enough to be heard by anyone inside the house.
As soon as the window shattered, a powerful, pungent odor accosted Zach and he nearly vomited. It smelled like urine, feces, blood, and even decaying flesh. Zach pushed aside the thick blanket that had been covering the window, poked his flashlight inside, and clicked the light on, revealing a grisly scene. Blood was all over the walls and soaked into the dirt floor, giving it a morbid hue. A long wooden table was pushed against the far wall, and on it sat tools used for slaughtering animals, and some tools that looked like they belonged in a torture museum.
But it was another, smaller piece of furniture that made Zach take a step back in horror as he tried to wrap his mind around what was going on here. It was an old wooden bedframe that looked like it was a prop for a horror movie. It had leather straps and large buckles affixed to it, the type of restraints one might find on an insane asylum bed. And on top of the bedframe was a bloody human torso. Just the torso, but Zach had a pretty good idea where the legs and arms had gone. “We never should have come here,” Zach said as he clicked his flashlight off and dropped it into his pocket. But another clicking sound caught his attention, and he turned around to find himself staring down the barrel of a .44 Magnum revolver.
“On the contrary, you two coming here was a great way to end the day,” said Henry, aiming his gun at Zach’s head.
Chapter Three
“Pig meat, huh?” Zach said after a short pause.
“Well, he was rather rude like a pig, and he squealed like one when we cut him up,” Henry said in a nonchalant tone.
“You people are sick.”
“Are we? We’re just surviving, Zach. Just like everyone else.”
“By eating people?!”
“Why not? There’s no room for compassion when you’re trying to survive. Survival of the fittest sound familiar? Besides, what makes it so wrong to eat other people, anyway? Every other animal in the world eats their own kind, so why not us? It’s natural!”
“Because we’re more than just animals, Henry!”
“Bullshit! Animals are all we are! And ever since zombies came around and took over as the planet’s dominant species, we’ve been made into hunted animals, all of us just trying to survive! And to survive, an animal’s gotta do two things: eat and fuck.”
“Is that why that one sheep looked like you?”
“Shut up! I wouldn’t fuck a goddamn sheep! I’ve got my sister for that.”
Zach’s face contorted in disgust and disbelief. “Oh come on, you have got to be kidding me.”
“Sure, she wouldn’t let me at first, but I’m twice her size, so I took it whenever I wanted. She finally realized that fighting me was useless, and Ma and Pa don’t mind as long as she don’t get pregnant.”
“You people need serious professional help.”
“Stop your preaching, boy! All these rules you have, these are all society’s rules, Zach. Look around you!” Henry said, sweeping his free hand around. “Where’s society now? Where are the police and the judges now? Nowhere!”
“So you think that gives you free reign?”
“Why the fuck not? Might makes right out here in the wild, Zach. And I’m the strongest one around here, so that makes me king!”
“What is this, a fucking playground at middle school?”
“Might as well be! And you know what? The teacher’s gone and zombies are picking off the weak while the strong take control. Haven’t you been listening, boy? Survival! Sure, I’ll eat a weak straggler! Sure, I’ll bang my sister! Because I’m a survivor! Don’t tell me you’ve never gotten it on with that sweet piece of ass you brought with you.”
“Don’t you talk about her, fucker,” Zach said, his voice barely above a whisper but full of a dark malice.
“So she’s a virgin, then? Good. That’s how I like ‘em.”
“Try it, bitch! I fucking dare you!” Zach shouted, and just then thunder boomed, and rain started to pour from the sky. Henry’s gaze darted skyward for just a moment at the sound of thunder, Zach noted.
“What will you do about it?! Nothing! I’m done talking to you! Now go back to the house, and keep your hands up!” Henry said. He stepped back as Zach drew near, putting space between them. Zach walked slowly, staring Henry down, looking for a chance to fight.
Another violent clap of thunder sounded overhead and Henry’s eyes once again flicked upward, but that was more than enough time for Zach. He turned and grabbed Henry’s revolver by the barrel and twisted it out of his hand. But Henry knocked it away from Zach and then punched him with his pineapple-sized fist. Zach was sent reeling, and fell on his hands and knees, facing away from Henry, slightly dazed. He started to crawl, groping around the grass with his hands, feeling for the gun or any other weapon of opportunity.
Henry laughed and said, “You know what the best part of all this is? After I take what I want from your daughter, we’re going to bring her into the garage and cut her up into tiny pieces while she’s still alive. Then, I’m gonna eat her!”
“Eat this!” Zach said. He twisted around and hurled a rock the size of a baseball at Henry with all his might. It was getting dark and was raining hard, so Henry never saw the rock coming and it hit him square in the head. He fell to the ground like Goliath after David smote him with a stone from his sling. Henry lay on the ground, barely conscious, as Zach scooped up his dropped gun and ran towards the house. Several lightning bolts flashed through the sky and the rain quickly picked up its intensity.
He burst through the door to find everyone seated at the table, looking bewildered to see Zach brandishing the large revolver.
“Zach, what-” Abby started to say.
“We’re leaving, Bug.”
“But-”
“NOW!” Zach roared, and Abby started out of her seat but Tom put his hand on her shoulder and said, “Hold on, son. What in the hell-”
“Get your hand off of her, asshole!” Zach said, pointing the revolver at Tom. “Give her the closet key so that we can leave.”
As Tom slowly handed the little key to Abby, who slid it into her front pocket, Zach asked Hannah, “Your brother’s sick, huh? Did you send him
to the garage?”
“Of course not,” said Anne calmly. “Frank is still family and we wouldn’t do that to him. But he will be punished for betraying our secret.”
“What secret?” Abby asked. She was starting to get scared now.
“Later, sweetie. Let’s just get our stuff and-”
Anne moved suddenly, grabbing a small pistol that was secured underneath the table, but she was slow in bringing it up. Zach turned and fired, and the huge .44 magnum slug slammed into her head, knocking her out of her chair and blowing grey brain matter and bits of Anne’s skull across the wall behind her.
“NOOO!” shouted Tom as he leaped from his chair and ran over to his wife. Hannah jumped up too, but she grabbed a steak knife from her plate and pressed the serrated edge to Abby’s throat, being careful to stay right behind the terrified young girl so that Zach couldn’t shoot her.
Abby could feel the sharp edges pricking the skin of her throat, and she froze in terror. The slightest movement could get her killed! Zach had taught Abby techniques for escaping from this very situation before, but right now Abby was petrified with fear and she didn’t dare try to fight back. Hannah started yelling at Zach, followed by a cacophony of scared and angry shouts.
“Drop the gun, Zach! I’ll slit her throat!”
“Put the knife down!”
“My wife! My beautiful wife!”
“Shut up, asshole!”
“Zach, help me help me!”
“Drop the gun, Zach!”
“You murdered my wife, motherfucker!”
“I said shut the fuck up!”
“Dad, help!”
“Drop the knife, bitch!”
“She dies in five seconds!"
“Do it, Hannah!”
“Daddy daddy help!”
“Drop the knife! Drop it!”
“Four! Three!”
“Hannah, do it! Now!”
“Let her go!”
“DADDY!”
“TWO!”
“Alright! Stop!”
Zach threw the revolver to the floor and put his hands up. Tom’s face was a twisted mask of rage and he launched himself forward, striking Zach as hard as he could and knocking him to the ground. “Motherfucker! Motherfucker!” Tom shouted as he sat on top of Zach, raining blows down on his head as Zach tried desperately to cover up.
“Stop it! Stop hurting him! Please!” Abby shrieked as tears fell from her eyes like rain, but Hannah still held the blade roughly against her throat. Henry suddenly appeared in the doorway, soaked with rain and holding his head. “Let me kill him, Pa!” he shouted.
“No, wait! I’ve got a better idea,” Tom said. He stood up and smiled wickedly at Abby, who was wide-eyed with fear. “Henry,” said Tom calmly, “why don’t you take Abby to the garage and get her ready for supper? We still need to feed Zach something.”
“Don’t you d-” Zach started to say, but a vicious kick from Tom cut him off.
Henry grinned and said, “My pleasure.” He took Abby from Hannah and carried her under his burly arm like a sack of groceries, heading for the back door. Abby kicked and slammed her fists against Henry, but he barely felt it.
“Zach! Dad! Help me! Please get up, Dad! Don’t let them hurt me! Dad!” Abby screamed as she was carried out the door and into the stormy night, but Zach could not answer her. Tom had his huge foot pressed against his throat and was suffocating him.
“You murdered my wife,” Tom said to him. Zach tried to wriggle away, but Tom was very big and was practically crushing his wind pipes. “Now I’m going to murder your daughter. We’re going to grind her up while she’s still alive and force her down your throat. But not before Henry takes every last shred of innocence and purity that she has. By the time he’s done having his way with her, which might take hours, she’ll be begging for death.”
He released his hold on Zach, who gasped for air and coughed violently. “Let me hurt him, Dad!” Hannah said.
“All in good time,” Tom answered. He stomped on Zach’s head and then pressed his foot into his throat again. “This would have been a lot less painful for you if you hadn’t fought back. We probably would have just killed you quickly and gotten it over with. But now I am going to introduce you to a type of Hell that you can’t even begin to imagine.” He released Zach again, whose face had turned slightly purple.
“I’ll kill you,” Zach said in a hoarse, feeble voice.
Tom laughed as he kneeled down over Zach and said, “Not a chance, son. You can’t kill me. I won’t allow you.”
“Then allow me!” said Frank! He grabbed Tom by his hair, yanked his head up, and slammed a knife into this father’s throat. Tom fell backwards, his body twitching as he clutched at the knife.
“Daddy, no! Frank, you fucker!” Hannah screamed as she snatched her dead mother’s gun and shot Frank in the head.
As soon as Tom had fallen off of him, Zach was moving. He yanked the knife out of the dead man’s throat and charged Hannah. She saw this all too late. She fired once at Zach, but he knocked her gun aside and buried the blade in her heart. She fell backwards, grasping at the table and pulling the tablecloth off, along with all the plates and silverware.
Zach took a brief moment to survey the carnage all around him. Four dead people were strewn across the floor, all having met grotesque ends: Anne’s head had been blown almost in two, blood flowed down Frank’s face like the many branches of the river Nile, Tom’s throat bore a gaping hole, and Hannah’s corpse lay tangled in a blood-stained tablecloth. Zach’s eyes met the giant round eyes of that porcelain owl, and it seemed to have a menacing, incriminating stare, but he shook it off. Wasting no more time, he ran to the back door, practically tore it off of its hinges, and disappeared into the darkness.
Frank paced back and forth in his room upstairs, cursing his family and his securely locked door. He was sick of it all! He couldn’t take it anymore! How could his family butcher and eat innocent travelers just looking for help? That poor young man this morning had only been looking for some water, but he ended up being hacked to pieces. And now they were going to do it to a little girl! Henry was going to rape her, just like all those times he’d raped their sister. Of that, Frank was sure.
Earlier he had pleaded with Henry to just let them go, but Henry wouldn’t have it. So Frank had to warn Zach, and in an obvious way that could not possibly go unnoticed. Now he was in trouble. He didn’t know what his family was going to do to him, nor did he care. He had stood by while his family committed countless atrocities for too long, but no longer. If there really was a Hell, he would certainly end up there with his family for allowing such wickedness to happen, but at the very least, he would go with a clean conscience by making his last deed on Earth a good one.
He heard a gunshot and then Hannah screaming. “I have to get down there, now!” Frank thought. He tried the door again, but it had been locked from the outside, and wouldn’t budge. Everyone downstairs was shouting but Frank couldn’t understand their words. There had to be a way out of there! He opened his closet and pushed all the clothes aside. He knew the wall between his and his brother’s room was thin. Maybe, just maybe…
Crash! Frank took a running start and managed to kick a large hole into the wall. He pulled desperately at the remnants of drywall and plaster until he was able to squeeze himself through the hole. He was free! He grabbed one of the large knives on Henry’s dresser and then, as quietly as he could, crept down the stairs. He reached the bottom and heard his dad talking right around the corner. “You can’t kill me. I won’t allow you.”
“Then allow me!” Frank said, and he plunged the knife into his father’s throat. He felt no pity or remorse. Family or no, their crimes far exceeded his capacity to forgive.
“Frank, you fucker!” Hannah yelled. Frank looked up just in time to see his sister aiming a gun at him. “Sweet death,” he thought, and then Hannah fired.
Zach was heading for the garage in a dead sprint, running as fast as
his legs could carry him. He reached the garage and, without slowing down, gave the old door a devastating kick that shook the entire building. The door flew open and he burst into the dark confines of the garage, illuminated faintly by a lone light bulb in the far corner. The bloody torso that had been on top of the bedframe was gone, and in its place, constrained to the bed by her ankles and wrists, was poor Abby. The rain had caused her eye-liner to run down her cheeks along with her tears and had soaked her hair so that strands of it clung to her face. ‘Terrified’ does not even begin to describe the way she looked.
“Look out!” she screamed, but too late. A 2x4 cut through the darkness and smashed into the side of Zach’s head. He fell to the ground in a daze as he slipped in and out of consciousness. Everything was blurry and colors were dull. He was acutely aware of the beating of his heart and his heavy, slow breathing. He could hear Abby shouting, but could not discern what she was saying. Henry was dragging him over the straw-strewn ground, but he could not fight back. He felt himself being propped up against a wooden support beam that was helping to hold up the rotting roof. His arms were thrust behind him, and he could feel something sticky being wound around his wrists, trapping him to the beam.
He slowly started to come back as he watched Henry lumber over to Abby. Henry looked back at Zach and said, “Are you awake? I don’t want you to miss this.”
“Fuck…you,” Zach whispered, still unable to hold his head up straight.
“Just so you know, this isn’t personal,” Henry said, after a short pause. “We were going to kill you both, but you got the jump on us. Just like I said, we all do what we have to in order to survive. So I don’t really hold it against you.” Zach started to pull his arms apart, but they were held together by duct tape. He felt around behind him, hoping to grab something sharp, but there was nothing.
“But we play by the law of the jungle out here, Zach,” said Henry, not noticing Zach’s subtle movements. “Survival of the fittest, just like I said. And today, that would be me!” He walked back to Zach and squatted in front of him. Zach’s head still hurt, and he could feel blood oozing down his scalp and neck, but he could lift his head now. He stared back at Henry defiantly, hatred burning in his eyes.
His Name Was Zach Page 5
