Cheater's Paradise

by Keith Trimm

  “Who is that?” Bob yelled as he sprinted full speed towards the cabin.

  At the cabin, Bob and Aaron were shocked to see Laura tied to a stake and ablaze. She was now silent and leaning over, only ropes held her up.

  “Cut her down!” Bob yelled. He turned to see Anne standing with a knife to Cindy’s back.

  “You touch her and your girlfriend’s dead,” Anne said.

  It was obvious that Laura was either dead or too far gone to save. “Why?” was all Bob could muster.

  “She admitted she was a Witch!” Anne yelled.

  “Bullshit! She never said that.” Bob replied.

  “Ask your girlfriend if that’s the case.”

  Bob looked at Cindy and didn’t say a word. Cindy nodded and looked at the ground. “When?”

  “A few days ago, I overheard these two talking about it. Laura freely admitted to being a Witch.”

  “She wasn’t serious!” Bob yelled. “It must have been some stupid club she was in.”

  “I heard her conjure a hex against my husband, I heard her with my own ears,” Anne said.

  “Then why didn’t you stop me from killing him?” Bob asked.

  “He needed to die, doesn’t change the fact your friend was a Witch.”

  Bob shook his head in disbelief, he was in shock and had no idea what to do next. Laura was too far gone and his girlfriend had a knife to her back. It wasn’t like he could call the cops, he was on his own and whatever actions he chose would determine Cindy’s fate. “Let her go, Laura is dead.”

  Anne pushed Cindy away. “Take her, I don’t need her anymore.”

  Cindy ran to Bob and stood behind him. He rubbed his hand on his forehead and asked Anne, “How did you get her tied up? How did you do it with all these people here?”

  “They helped me,” Anne said.

  “What?” Bob said and felt a stab in his neck. It was Cindy, she had a blade and cut Bob from behind. In a pain reflex, Bob spun around to see Cindy holding a knife. “Why did you do that?” he yelled.

  Cindy took another swing at Bob and missed.

  “Cindy! What are you doing?” Bob yelled.

  Cindy looked to Anne for direction. “What should I do?” she asked.

  “Kill him,” Anne said.

  “Why? What did I do?” Bob asked.

  “You are cursed with black evil, like your friend who I burned at the stake,” Anne said.

  “What” I don’t even know her, we met last week in a basement.”

  “She put a hex on you and now you must suffer the same fate as she.”

  Bob backed away from Cindy, he was injured, but he could outrun a fat girl any day. “I don’t know about any hex, but I do know you’re one fucked up old bitch.” Bob turned to address Cindy. “Cindy, what are you doing listening to her? This morning you were ready to bail on this place and now you’re trying to kill me. Hell, you killed Laura.”

  “You left me, what was I supposed to do?” Cindy asked.

  “I was gone for less than a day, I didn’t leave you, she said don’t come back without food, I didn’t have any.”

  “No, you were leaving me, she was the only one that offered to save me,” Cindy said.

  “How did she fucking manage to brainwash you in less than eight hours?” Bob asked. “Is she fucking with your food?”

  “I’m so confused,” Cindy said with a tear. “I thought you left me.”

  “Still doesn’t explain why you stabbed me.”

  “She told me too.” Cindy said.

  “I didn’t hear her say anything.”

  “Before you came from the woods.”

  “How did she know I was coming back?” Bob asked. “And since when do you carry a knife with you? Something’s not right here.”

  Cindy stepped forward, looking like she was going to give Bob a hug. He backed away keeping his eye on her right hand. “Drop the knife first,” he said.

  Cindy held onto the knife, Bob couldn’t tell if she was listening to him or not. It was like she was getting directions from someone else entirely.

  “Drop the knife!” Bob yelled. She didn’t comply. “Who are you?” he asked.

  Cindy stood like a trained dog, not moving, not responding.

  “She’s with me now,” Anne said.

  “What’s with the cryptic shit?” Bob asked. “Next thing you’ll tell me you’re a Witch. “Silence, just the crackling of burning embers. “You are a Witch, “Bob said. “Now this makes fucking sense, you killed Laura because she was a rival, and now you put Cindy under some sort of spell.”

  Anne smiled and raised her arms a bit as to show she was figured out. “Yes, you are correct, I am a Witch, and there will be no other in my presence. My husband knew I was a Witch, even condoned it when it was to his benefit. My daughter is carrying the devils seed, provided by her brother Aaron.”

  Aaron spoke up. “What are you talking about mother?”

  “I put you under a hex, I made you have relations with your sister in order to conceive the devils child.”

  Bob chimed in, “You really believe this shit? He probably fucked her because he was tired of going without and she was the only pussy around. Besides you.”

  “Believe what you will, I conjured the spell and now the girl is with child.”

  “Alright, but now what? I have a gaping wound in my neck and the nearest ER is fifty miles away.”

  “You will die, either by bleeding out or by the spirits,” Anne said.

  “You mean staph infection?” Bob asked.

  “I know not what you mean,” Anne replied.

  “That can happen from two hundred years of living in the woods by yourself. Which begs the question, where did you meet your husband in the first place? It’s not like there are a lot of men to choose from out here?”

  “He was my brother,” Anne replied.

  Bob cocked his head and shook his head. “That makes sense, you’ve been inbreeding for centuries.”

  “We make do with what we can,” Anne said.

  “If that’s the case, I need a new plan, I’m not going to stand around here while you try to kill me,” Bob said. “What about you’re Aaron?”

  “Is this true mother?” Aaron asked.

  “Yes, now do your mothers bidding and restrain that man.”

  Bob stepped away from Aaron, “No thanks, nobody’s going to restrain me. Aaron, your mother is an inbred nut case, we need to get the weapons.”

  “Yeah,” Aaron said and took off behind the cabin to get the hunting supplies.

  “You on the other hand, need to be taken down a notch,” Bob said to Anne.

  “What are you going to do?” Anne said laughing.

  “Thinking about using that other stake, put you up there and see how you like to be burned alive.”

  “You? Who’s going to help you?” Anne asked.

  “Aaron for one,” Bob replied.

  “No, he will side with his mother.”

  “Don’t be so sure,” Bob said.

  “I got your own girlfriend to side with me, my son will be no harder.”

  “My girlfriend, as you put it, seems to suffer from some emotional issues that you played on and manipulated. You scared her into following you, you may have even drugged her, I don’t know, but it won’t last forever.”

  Aaron returned with a sack full of hunting tools.

  “Good, let me see those,” Bob said with his hand out.

  Aaron looked to his mother for approval.

  “Hey, Aaron, over here,” Bob said.

  Aaron hesitated.

  “Not you too!” Bob said.

  Aaron handed the sack to Bob and stepped away from his mother.

  “That’s more like it, are you hiding anything?” Bob asked.

  Aaron held out his arms to show he was unarmed.

  “Spin around,” Bob said.

  Aaron complied and spun around showing he had no weapons.

  “You’re on my side, right?” Bob asked
.

  “I’m against my mother, let’s put it that way.”

  “Good, now let’s tie her up. Oh, but first, Cindy, may I have your knife?”

  Cindy held out the knife blade first.

  “Just toss it over, “Bob said. Cindy compiled and waited for more instructions. None came.

  “Ok, first thing, momma needs to be tied up,” Bob said.

  Nobody moved.

  “I have a stab wound in my neck, now please, will someone get her before she fucks up anything else.”

  Aaron stepped over and took his mother by the arm.

  “What are you doing boy?” she asked.

  “I’m going to make sure you don’t hurt anyone else.”

  Bob looked to Cindy, “Find some rope, tie her up.”

  Cindy walked into the cabin to find some rope.

  Bob walked over to the stake where Linda was now a burned carcass. Slumped over, he couldn’t see her face, and that was fine with him. The fire had died down to a few flickers here and there and most of the coals were buried under ash. He knew she’d need to be cut down, and her body put out in the woods for the Wolves. But not tonight, the buried embers were too hot and he was in too much pain.

  Chapter 26

  Devil’s Fruit

  Cindy ran from the cabin yelling, “They baby’s gone! It’s gone!”

  Bob yelled, “What are you talking about?”

  “Sandra’s in the cabin, but her baby’s gone.”

  Bob and Aaron ran back into the cabin, Cindy stayed outside to watch Anne. One the bed lie the sister, no longer pregnant, awake and alert. “Where is your baby?” Bob asked.

  “I don’t know, they took him,” she replied.

  “They who?” Aaron asked.

  “The angels.”

  “This place is getting too fucking weird for me, what angels? Who are you talking about?” Bob asked.

  “They came while you were outside, they took my son.”

  “I don’t know who could have come here and done this,” Bob said. “I didn’t see anyone. But then we were busy with the fire, someone could have come in and taken the baby, but how? Did they cut it out of you?’ Bob asked.

  “No,” she said.

  “Did you deliver it?”

  “No, they took it without touching me. He was in me, and then they took him.”

  “I don’t see any blood,” Aaron said.

  “Neither do I, are you sure you were pregnant?” Bob asked.

  “I was six months along, I know I was pregnant.”

  “Aaron, is she a nut case like her mother? Is there a chance she was faking it?” Bob asked.

  Aaron shrugged his shoulders. He didn’t know. “I saw the bump, I think she was pregnant.”

  Bob lifted up her dress and looked at her belly. It was flat. “I’m not doctor, I don’t know what’s going on. She might be a psycho like her mother and made this whole pregnancy up. I wasn’t here when she got knocked up. You all seem like crazy fuckers to me.”

  “I had a baby in my, I know,” she said.

  “And some people think they have been abducted by aliens, I don’t buy it. Nobody sneaks into a cabin and steals a baby.”

  “Angels do,” she replied.

  “Get up,” Bob said.

  Sandra got off the bed and stood up. Her dress lay flat now against her belly, not like before.

  “You know what? I don’t think this is anything to worry about. If there was a baby in distress, I’d be freaking out, but there is no evidence there ever was a baby to start with. Unless I hear the crying of a baby, I’m not bothering with this.”

  Aaron spoke up. “Sandra, where did they take the baby?”

  “They took him to father,” she replied.

  “What?” Aaron asked. “Did you see the angels?”

  “Yes, they were short, dark women, dressed in rags.”

  Bob chimed in, “Not my idea of angels.”

  “How did they get in?” Aaron asked.

  “I didn’t see them come in, I didn’t see them leave, it was like a dream.”

  “If I’d known how much of a horror house this would be, I think I would have kept walking and found someplace else to stay. Of all the bullshit that’s happened so far tonight, this is about the least of my problems. I still have a wound in my neck, a Witch tied up outside and a lady roasted on a stick next to the house.”

  “Find my baby please?” Sandra asked.

  “No, you find your baby,” Bob replied. “I’m going to find a bandage for my neck.” Bob poked around and looked for a cloth to tie around his neck. He found a pile of rags by the bed, pulled one off and saw at a dead baby lying on the floor. The umbilical cord was still attached but there was no blood.

  “I think I found it,” Bob said.

  Aaron stepped over and looked down at the dead baby on the floor. He was stunned and in shock.

  Sandra ran over to the baby and screamed, “My baby!” She got down on a knee and scooped it into her arms.

  Neither Bob nor Aaron knew what to say. She wasn’t lying, somehow she delivered a baby, whether it was dead or alive at the time of delivery nobody knew, but at least the body was found.

  “I can’t take much more of this shit,” Bob said. “I’m out of here at daylight.”

  “What about your wound?” Aaron asked.

  “There’s nothing for me here, nothing, I’ll take my chances in the woods.”

  “You’ve bled a lot already.”

  “Yeah, but it stopped,” then an idea crossed his mind. What if all this were a delusion created by the blood loss, or a quick acting infection. Maybe he was imagining this. It looked real, it felt real, but in his condition, it was sort of like being drunk. “I’m taking a nap, then I’m leaving at dawn. Take care of your mother, make sure she can’t get free, I don’t need her killing me in my sleep.”

  “What should we do with the baby?” Aaron asked.

  “Seem like the woods is where we’re putting all the bodies,” Bob replied.

  “You’re not putting my baby in the woods to be eaten by wolves,” Sandra snapped.

  “You have a better idea?” Bob asked.

  “I will bury it in the morning, give it a proper funeral,” she said looking down at the lifeless body in her arms.

  “Fine,” Bob said. “I’m going to check on mother.” Bob stepped out on the porch expecting to see Anne tied up sitting on the ground, instead what he saw made his jaw hit the floor. The fire that had been burning under Laura was now burning with fresh wood; Cindy and Anne were lying on the ground in the light from the fire, nude and engaged in a lesbian sex act.

  “Holy buckets of shit, now what?” Bob asked in amazement. “All I need to see now is Laura and daddy come back from the dead and my day will be complete.” Bob walked down the steps and over to the two women busy working on each other. He pulled back his right leg and kicked Anne off of Cindy. “Stop that shit!” he said. “Cindy, what the hell are you doing now? You’re supposed to be my girlfriend!”

  Anne stood up, nude, and said, “She is in my coven now!”

  Bob slapped her in the face and kicked her to the ground. “Take that bitch,” he replied.

  Cindy got to her feet, again, she was nude. “I am hers now,” Cindy said.

  “I didn’t know you went both ways,” Bob said. “This really blows, I thought if I ever caught you cheating on me, it would be with a dude.”

  “Most men don’t consider lesbian sex as cheating,” Cindy said.

  “I consider a dildo cheating, so shut the fuck up whore,” Bob said.

  “You can’t hurt me, her power covers me,”

  “She’s on the ground, I don’t see a lot of power displayed” Bob said.

  “We will put a powerful hex on you, and you will be ours,” Cindy said.

  “I liked you more when you weren’t such a bitch,” Bob said.

  “Bitch?” Cindy laughed.

  “I don’t think this is the real you, ok? I won’t take yo
u too seriously, but if you ever want to get back with me, you better cut out the carpet munching. You know my stance on cheaters.”

  “Yeah, your poor mommy,” Cindy laughed.

  “You’re preaching to the choir, you’re not going to piss me off dissing on her.”

  “You got your little feelings hurt did you?” Cindy taunted.

  “I guess so,” Bob said. “If you want me to bring it on, keep going. I’m not sure why you want your ass kicked so badly right now.

  “Buck up asshole, you’re mommy isn’t the problem, it’s you. Nobody wanted you, everyone wanted your mommy. You’re jealous of a whore,” Cindy said.

  “Jealous? Fuck you,” Bob snapped.

  “You had to wait in the car while your mommy fucked everyone in town. I bet she came back smelling like cum and cash.”

  “Yeah, so what?”

  “No woman wants you, no woman.”

  “Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t you and I date for a while?” Bob asked.

  “That was pity sex, I never liked you.”

  “It was more than sex.”

  “No, you are wrong,” Cindy said. “And it was bad sex, sex like fucking an idiot.”

  “If you’re trying to pick a fight, you’re doing a good job,” Bob said.

  Cindy stepped over to Bob and looked him in the eye. “The thought of having sex with you makes me sick.”

  “Why are you saying this?” Bob asked.

  Cindy shook her head in disgust and walked back to Anne. The two embraced in a kiss and looked back to Bob as if saying “We are one, you no longer count.”

  “You know, I could care less about your new girlfriend, who is old enough to be your mother,” Bob said. “I knew we’d never last.”

  “Think of her as your mother,” Cindy said.

  Now Bob was about ready to pop his cork. Comparing Anne to his own mother, standing nude in front of him making out with another woman was about all Bob could take. His neck still hurt from the stab wound but he was on the verge of kicking ass and takin names. In the back of his head he knew Cindy was baiting him into something, what he didn’t know.