Cheater's Paradise

by Keith Trimm

  “You cast a spell to make yourself look that way, to deceive me and my family.” Behind the man stood the woman who was digging in the yard and two young adults, one boy and one pregnant girl. “It was you who cast your spell upon my daughter and placed your seed in her.”

  “What?” Cindy said. She was pissed. “Nobody put no seed in your daughter, at least neither of us did, maybe you, or your son, but if you haven’t noticed, I’m a woman!”

  “You came in the night and placed the seed in her sleep, you carried the seed inside you from an illicit affair with a warlock and now his child is in my daughter.”

  “That’s kind of a stretch don’t you think?” Laura asked.

  “Now you come to claim the child.”

  “No, we want to use your phone.”

  “We don’t have a phone.”

  “Do you have any other way of contacting the outside world?” Laura asked.

  “We do not need the outside world,” the man replied.

  “How about health care for the girl, does she see a doctor?”

  “My wife takes care of her needs.”

  “So you’re saying you're isolated out here? No contact with anyone?”

  “That’s correct, that’s how I know you placed the seed in my daughter.”

  “Take responsibility for your own actions, it was either your or the boy,” Laura replied.

  “You accuse me of having relations with my own child?” the man asked pissed.

  “You’re accusing me, I guess it goes both ways, Main thing is that I didn’t know you were here till an hour ago, you’ve known her all your life.”

  “Aaron,” the man said. “Get me my blade.”

  “Blade? For what?” Laura asked.

  The young man took off and disappeared into the house.

  “I need to defend my family against witches, you will see.”

  Laura backed up off the grass onto the sand. She looked at Cindy and at the lake behind them. “Why do I have a feeling we went from the frying pan into the fire?”

  “What do you want to do?” Cindy asked.

  “We need to move on before the boy gets back.”

  The man spoke up, “You will be going nowhere.”

  “You may have a blade, but I still have two working legs so I do think we’ll be moving on,” Cindy said like a bitch.

  The front door opened and the boy ran out with a long bladed knife in his hand. When he got to his father he handed it off and stood back. The man raised the blade in a defiant posture to scare the women from running. It had the opposite effect as the women took off running further down the beach away from the house.

  “Get them,” the father said to the boy.

  Without hesitation, the boy took off running towards the women and ran down Cindy knocking her onto the sand. Now angrier than ever, Cindy took a swat at the boy and smacked him across the head with the back of her hand. The boy rolled off and his leg went into the lake water. Cindy then got up and jumped onto the boy crushing him with her weight. She felt very guilty, but very pissed and relieved at the same time. It was her life or his and compassion was out the door.

  “Let me go!” the boy yelled. He couldn’t have been more than fifteen.

  Cindy rolled off in time to see the father come down on her with the knife. She raised her hand and took a stab to the palm. The blade passed easily through her hand and came out the backside. She grabbed his wrist with her other hand and didn’t allow the man to pull the knife back out.

  Seeing this, Laura ran over and began to punch the man in the head repeatedly. He finally let loose of the knife and tripped on the soft sand falling backwards. Cindy still had the knife protruding through her hand. Laura then kicked the man and stomped on his back. She was in a fury and couldn’t stop herself. She was so focused she didn’t see the wife coming at her with a fireplace poker. Looking up, that last thing Laura saw was the poker swinging at her like a baseball bat.

  Laura woke to find herself in the main room of the cabin. It was dark other than the fireplace fire and an oil lamp. She was tied to a chair next to Cindy who was also tied up. She felt the pain from the poker that struck her in the face and felt the dry blood crusted on her nude body. A simple cloth bandage covered the wound.

  “Are you ready to talk Witch?” the man said from across the room. He had been sitting there watching her all this time.

  “Sure, what’s on your mind?” Laura said. She was exhausted, dehydrated and starving.

  “First, admit you placed a demon seed in my daughter.”

  “What do I get if I do?”

  “You will be punished,” the man sad.

  “What if I say I didn’t?”

  “Then we beat the confession out of you.”

  “What’s the difference?” Laura asked.

  “Punishment is by fire, beating you is with my fists,” the man replied.

  “I think I’d rather be punched than burned.”

  “Once you confess you are punished, so by denying your evil, you get both. Your best bet is to confess and forgo the beating.”

  “Yeah, that makes sense if you put it that way,” Laura said. “So how long do I have to get back to you?”

  “You have till sunset.”

  “How long is that?”

  “It’s setting now,” the man said.

  “Wow, time flies when you're unconscious,” Laura said. “What are you going to do to us if we confess?”

  “Burn you at the stake, like I do to all Witches.”

  Cindy was tired of the bully and decided to speak up. “I see a big hole in your plan mister. You have what you call two Witches, so which of us are you accusing? It doesn’t take two people to knock up your daughter, especially when both of us are female.”

  “One of you had relations with the devil and carried his seed in your womb, the other removed the seed and placed it in my daughter. It would take both of you,” the man said like he had his answer all planned out in advance.

  “So which is it? Her or me? Who had relations with the devil smarty pants?” Cindy asked.

  The man had no clear answer. He struggled for a moment and replied, “That doesn’t matter, what matters is that I have the responsible party.”

  Now livid, Cindy snapped back, “You know the simplest answer here is that either you or your son got horny and jumped into bed with her and knocked her up. That’s something your wife would buy.”

  “You accuse me or incest?” the man said with a huge smile. “I am incapable of that sort of behavior.”

  “You’d be surprised what people will do. I bet your wife turned you down one time too many and instead of taking it out on her, you took it out on your daughter instead.”

  “Sorry, didn’t happen,”

  “Then your pubescent teenage boy decided to try out his sister,” Cindy said.

  The man walked over to Cindy, reached out and touched one of her nipples.

  “Where is your wife? “Cindy asked.

  “Tending to chores,” the man said.

  “So she has no idea you're feeling up a Witches tit?” Cindy asked.

  “No, I guess not,” the man said. He grasped hold of one of Cindy’s breasts and gave it a good long squeeze. He then rubbed his crotch on the breast and moaned under his breath.

  “I think I was right about who fathered your daughter’s child,” Cindy said.

  “Yes, you are so so smart,” the man replied. “I fucked the shit out of that young pussy, it was sweet like honey.”

  “What I’d do for a digital recorder right now,” Cindy said. “When is your wife due back?”

  “Soon, but I will send her out for another chore, something that will allow me to take you the way I did my daughter.”

  “Why not fuck your wife? She’s the one you married.”

  “She only allows that one day a week, and it’s as boring as fuck.”

  “Listen to you cuss,” Cindy said.

  “I don’t plan on killing either
one of you, I plan to keep you for my pleasure.”

  “What’s the deal with us getting locked up all the time? You men needed to get beat by your mothers when you were kids.”

  “What do you mean?” the man said.

  “Laura and I were locked in a basement and almost made into stew,”

  “By that family across the lake?” the man asked.

  “Yeah,” Cindy replied.

  “Doesn’t surprise me, they are such fools.”

  “You’re not related to them?”

  “No, my family has been here for two hundred years, they moved in five years ago.”

  “If they ever came near me or my family, I would have killed them all.”

  “With what? A fireplace poker?” Cindy asked.

  “I’m a woodsman, they are city cannibals living in the forest. I have my ways,” the man said.

  “You want to go with me?” Bob asked

  “My family would disown me,” Kane replied.

  “Sounds like you’re not too proud of them to start.”

  “No, but I don’t have any place to go.”

  “You realize you may get a lethal injection one day because of them.”

  “I don’t agree with them, but they are my family,” Kane said.

  “So you’re saying I’m free to go?” Bob asked.

  “Sure.”

  “What are you going to tell them when you get back without me?”

  “I’ll tell them I let you go,” Kane said.

  “I know honesty is the best policy, but in this case it might be a bad thing for you.”

  “They know my feelings, I’ve made them known many times.”

  “Then why would they trust you alone with me? Wouldn’t they suspect you might let me go?”

  “I’m sure they do.”

  “You are confusing the fuck out of me, what are you doing? Using me to make a point with your family? Are they watching us right now?’

  “I don’t know for sure, but probably.”

  “So, if I walk into the woods, somebody’s going to put a bullet in my back.” Bob said.

  “Or head, if they want you dead it will be a head shot.”

  Bob looked around for a sniper’s nest. “In that case, I think I’ll hang here for a while.”

  “It’s up to you,” Kane said.

  “Your mother expects you to kill me and put me in the freezer, what about that?’ Bob asked.

  “You could unplug it and hide there.”

  “You do realize I could suffocate?” Bob asked. “Plus you said there are people watching us.”

  “Honestly, I don’t know what to tell you, I’m not here to make a point with my mother, you are incidental. I honestly hope you survive this, but my family is pretty fucked up.” Kane said.

  “If you walk off, I’m dead.”

  “Probably,” Kane said.

  “Then I can’t afford to let you walk off,” Bob said.

  “How do you plan to stop me? Remember, you said it yourself, there is probably a gun pointed at you.”

  “Now I’m not so sure,” Bob said looking around. “I might have to play the odds and chance it.”

  “Up to you, I’d make my decision fast if I were you, my family might start to wonder where I am. They expect the freezer to be full soon.

  Bob bolted for the woods leaving Kane behind. There was no gunshot. Nothing.

  Kane walked back around to the front of the building where his brothers were waiting. “He ran off,” he said.

  “What do you mean he ran off?” Henry yelled. “Go get him!”

  “I can’t, he’s too far gone.”

  Henry pushed Kane back and grabbed him by the collar. “If you let him go momma is going to have your ass.” Henry peered into Kane’s eyes and shoved him away. He then took off out of the building and headed towards the rear where Kane was supposed to kill him.

  Bob again was free and on the run. He easily traversed the woods and the rough ground putting a lot of distance between him and the family. He had no clue where he was going, but he was free. He didn’t stop until he was thoroughly lost and exhausted. Then he stood silent and listened for anyone that may be following him. Nothing. But he could smell smoke, and thought either a forest fire, or a campfire, either way he had to make adjustments. One could kill him, the other may save him. To the fire, he thought.

  Chapter 23

  Suffer the Witch

  Cindy and Laura watched as the man walked away. He opened the door and looked back at the two women still tied to their chairs. He smiled and said, ”I have to gather some wood before it gets too dark, I put up the stakes this afternoon while you were tied up. This will all be over soon enough.”

  “Fuck you,” Cindy said and he walked out the door.

  “We have to get out,” Laura said.

  “No shit,” Cindy snapped back. “Any ideas? This isn’t an episode of Scooby Doo.”

  “Pull on your ropes and loosen them.”

  “I’ve been doing that since he put them on me,” Cindy said like a bitch.

  “You don’t have to get all nasty, I’m trying to help.”

  “I’m not stupid, I know to pull on the ropes, unless you have some magic spell, shut the hell up.”

  Laura didn’t reply and Cindy found that odd.

  “Did the black cat get your tongue Broom Hilda?”

  “There’s something I should tell you but I probably should keep my mouth shut.”

  “What? I don’t need any surprises now.”

  Laura hesitated and continued to pull on her ties.

  “Spill it!” Cindy yelled.

  “I am a Witch,” Laura replied. “Sorta.”

  “Holy fuck, what do you mean you’re a Witch?”

  “I studied Witchcraft when I was in high school. I had friends that were into it and they got me into it. We had our own coven and everything.”

  “You mean like a club?”

  “Yes, but they took it very seriously. We didn’t sit around and drink tea and chat, we did what Witches do.”

  “What do Witches do?” Cindy asked.

  “We were really into casting spells, a lot of spells.”

  “Yeah, so what?”

  “They worked, believe me they worked.”

  “That’s bullshit and you know it, just like this fool who’s going to burn us alive if we don’t get out of here. These weak minded fucks believe all sorts of shit.”

  “You weren’t there, you didn’t see how powerful we were,” Laura said.

  “I don’t have a lot of time to discuss this, but give me an example.”

  Laura thought for a second. There was a Witch in our coven whose husband was cheating on her, at one meeting she cast a hex on the woman he was cheating on. She got busted for harboring a meth lab in her trailer and the relationship ended.”

  “Did you maybe think that the meth lab was there the whole time and that the hex and her getting busted was a coincidence?” Cindy asked.

  “Absolutely not,” Laura replied defiantly.

  “How do you do one of these “hexes” anyway?”

  “For that one, we crushed the bones of a chicken and placed them in a bag, we cursed the bones and sprinkled them on her lawn.” Laura said.

  “And sat back and waited?” Cindy asked.

  “Don’t be so cynical, I’ve seen it work.”

  “Ok, then put a spell on daddy Witch killer here and get us the fuck out.”

  “I don’t have my book of spells,” Laura said.

  “You can’t make one up?”

  “No, I don’t think so, maybe,” Laura replied

  “Can you be more indecisive?” Cindy asked

  “I don’t know if a made up hex will work, these things are tried and tested over years.”

  “I guess we have a half hour, while you're getting your ties loose, start making shit up and hexing that fuck.”

  “I’ll give it a try, but it would be better if I had a few supplies.”

>   “Like chicken bones?” Cindy asked.

  “Yes, and a few other things.”

  “Do what you can for now.”

  “Are you starting to believe now? “Laura asked.

  “Anything that will keep me from being burned alive I believe in. Ok?”

  For the next ten minutes the women pulled and tugged at their ties. They were making progress when the door opened and the man walked back in. The women could see through the door that it was dark outside.”

  “Are you ready?” the man asked with a smile.

  Laura raised her head and looked the man in the eye, then she said,”I call upon the ancient spirits of this land to do my bidding. Hear me now, oh hear me now. I see thine enemy before me and bind and crush him and bring him down. Turn thine enemy to dust and crush him, torment him with unholy fire, I hex thee, I hex thee.”

  Cindy paused for a moment and said, “Damn, that was pretty good.”

  The man stepped forward and got down on one knee before Laura. He grinned and shook his head. “Little too late don’t you think?”

  Then the door swung open and Bob stepped into the cabin. The women looked shocked as the man swung around to look who was standing behind him. “Who are you?” the man said as he stood up.

  “Name’s Bob, what are you doing with my two girls?” Bob asked.

  “”These two Witches belong to you?”

  “They don’t belong to anyone dipshit,” Bob replied. “Why are they tied up?”

  Cindy spoke up, “He’s going to burn us at the stake!”

  “Is that what those two poles are doing outside?” Bob asked. “Holy shit, what is this, Salem?”

  The man walked over to the fireplace and pulled the fireplace poker from the rack and raised it like he was sending a message. “No, that is in Massachusetts, this is Colorado.”

  “I’ll give you a fair warning asshole, I’ve been a bouncer for fifteen years and have taken care of fucks like you on a regular basis. If you think you’re stick there is going to do you any good, you’re nuts.”

  “Bouncer? What is a bouncer?” the man asked striking his palm repeatedly with the poker.

  “I worked in bars kicking the shit out of unruly drunks. Most twice your size and ten times as mean. “