Eviscerating the Snake - The Complete Trilogy

by Ashley Fontainne

  After about a minute they did, just enough time for me to determine that I was in a small room of some sort, my feet and arms tied with what felt like a piece of cloth to a thin, wooden chair. I was sitting near the middle of the room, wearing the same clothes I had on before, surrounded by what looked to be a couch on one side and a bed or another couch on the other. I winced in pain as I tried to turn my head to look behind me to see if indeed it was Nicole that I heard moments ago, for even though I wasn’t able to use my trussed hand to feel the egg-sized knot on the back of my head, it surely was there, the pain so intense that it made bright bursts of light splash into my vision, momentarily blinding me. Work through the pain, Audra. Now is not the time to cry over a bump.

  I inhaled deeply and quietly and forced myself to twist my neck further than even my toughest yoga workout ever required me to do, and I caught a glimpse of Nicole’s shoe and lower leg, crudely tied to a chair just like mine and about six feet behind me. I turned my head back to the front and stared at the door in front of me, a small sliver of dim light barely visible through the crack at the bottom. A million thoughts raced through my head, each of them clawing for the forefront of my attention. I felt the perspiration seep out of my skin as my heart pounded, even though I was silently begging it to slow down. I was having difficulty forming a cohesive thought with the loud whooshing sound in my ears.

  I blinked back the burning tears of fright and focused on what I did know, which wasn’t much other than, obviously, Nicole and I had been kidnapped. By Kevin? Why? It was Piper that killed Robert and probably snatched Gabrielle, so just what in the hell was Kevin’s involvement? No, not the time to figure the puzzle out Audra. Get loose and get the hell out of here, wherever that may be!

  I clamped my jaw down and gritted my teeth, focusing my rambling attention on freeing myself from this infernal chair. After a bit of slow movements, I determined that the cloth binding my hands behind me wasn’t as tight as I first thought, though it was now thoroughly soaked with my reeking sweat, making the material’s grip on my skin a bit stronger than when I first woke up. I struggled quietly in the darkness as I tried in vain to maneuver my wrists out of their cloth shackles, but to no avail, and I knew that the more I struggled, the tighter I was twisting the cloth. If I could just get my arms in front of me, then I could use my teeth, but accomplishing that was going to be nearly impossible, especially without alerting wary ears that I was awake and trying to escape.

  Think, girl, think!

  There was only one way I could come up with to free my arms from the back of the chair, and the thought of that much pain made my stomach lurch in protest. You have no choice; just do it!

  For the first time in my life, I closed my eyes and said a silent prayer to a God that I really hoped existed, hoping it would extend past the dark ceiling above me, asking for the ability to withstand the inevitable pain. I slowly released my breath and forced my muscles to heed my instructions as I slowly leaned sideways in the chair, aiming for the couch/bed next to me, hoping beyond hope that I judged the distance correctly so that I would land on it rather than the hardwood floor. Suddenly, my weight shifted too quickly, and before I could even really register that fact to react to it, I landed silently on the couch. I fought hard to keep in check the joyful yelp that wanted to burst out.

  I held still and listened for any telltale sounds of discovery that my movements might have incurred, and upon hearing nothing but the beating of my heart, I held my breath and forced all my energy and weight on my shoulder, waiting to feel the sickening crunch and lightning bolt of pain shoot through me when I dislocated it. But then I realized my left foot was dangling free and touching the cool floor below it.

  Oh, thank God for thin ankles!

  I planted my left foot on the floor and slowly pushed myself until I was completely on the bed flat on my back. Once fully there, I stretched my left leg around the chair leg over to the right one, loping my toes around the cloth as I began to wiggle and tug at the cloth. A few minutes later, fully engulfed in sweat now, my right leg was free, so I quickly stood up, my sweaty feet making no sound as they touched the floor. I squatted a bit and weaved both legs around each leg of the chair and then pushed and stood up, and thankfully, the chair remained in place as my arms slid over the back of the thin wooden spindles. Oh God, I was free!

  I stood still for a moment and listened, my ears greeted only by silence and Nicole’s breathing. Then I immediately sat on the floor and rolled onto my back, twisting and stretching my arms until I could get my butt through their ready-made opening and around the back of my legs. Thankfully, the sweat that was now pouring off me made this process a bit easier, and suddenly, my hands were finally in front of me. I brought them up to my mouth, yanking and pulling until they too, were free.

  I stood up from the floor and padded silently toward the still knocked out Nicole, and just as I made it to her chair, I heard a male voice that I recognized as Kevin’s, coming from the other side of the door.

  “Oh, my God, but does she stink! Must this be part of your plan? I mean, can’t we just tell her you killed Gabrielle? Must she see this, this mess?”

  My heart shattered into a million pieces. Gabby was dead? That was what I smelled—her rotted corpse? Oh, dear God, please let me be dreaming! Please, please let me wake up and this all be some horrific nightmare!

  I felt a heavy lump in my throat the size of a baseball as the tears spilled out of the corners of my tightly closed eyes. Gabby, my friend, my comrade in arms, the girl whose energy and love for life made me smile every day, even when my moods were overshadowed with sadness or stress. Dead. Gone. Poor Jeff. He would be devastated. He was absolutely wild about her. My hand involuntarily flew to my mouth to cover my sobs and contain the vomit that was dangerously close to coming out.

  “Yes, you idiot, she needs to see this mess,” came the voice of a woman, barely audible and highly agitated. “You want every bargaining chip available to ensure her signature, don’t you? This ol’ bitty here might not be enough.”

  My heart sank as I recognized Piper’s voice. I felt lightheaded, sweat dripping down over my brow. My body involuntarily began to tremble, and tears sprang hotly forth and raced down my face. Gabby was dead because Piper killed her, just like she killed Robert, which meant Nicole and I were next. Oh God, why didn’t I see this before? Why wasn’t I more vigilant? Why was I so damned stubborn, unwilling to let Steve send an officer over to watch over me? Why did I always feel the need to handle things myself?

  Ol’ bitty? What the hell did she mean…?

  Suddenly, through the stench that was still swirling in my nose, I caught a faint wisp of another smell, a scent that made my blood almost leap out of my skin, and a small whimper left my lips—the warm, sweet smell of lemon infused tea and brown sugar cookies.

  Mrs. Milligan’s house.

  The tears dried up as the resolution took control over my body, almost like what some would call a religious experience. This was my destiny; Mrs. Milligan said it herself. I was her Avenging Angel and my love for her would be my guiding light. My purpose in life had never been clearer than it was right at this moment. This was my penance for the mistakes of the past because I knew that none of us would be here—no one would be dead—if it weren’t for me. My selfish actions, brought on originally by another’s, started a ripple in the pond that was now nearing the size of an enormous tidal wave, swallowing up people in its voracious path, almost like it was hungry for their blood. And only one person could end it.

  Me.

  Unsure of how much time I had before Kevin or Piper came in and found me free, I reached up and clamped one hand over Nicole’s mouth as the other grabbed her shoulder and shook her, hoping to God that however long we had been unconscious had allowed plenty of time to elapse for her to sober up, or at least enough time to comprehend the situation we were in. Suddenly, her eyes flew open, their sheer panic almost shooting out of them, and her body instantly struggling from
my grasp.

  I gripped her shoulder harder and leaned over to her ear, my lips pressed up against it as I whispered, “Nicole, it’s me, Audra. Hold still and listen to me. We’re in trouble, and I need you to focus, okay? I’m going to let go now, but you can’t make a sound. Promise?”

  I felt her slowly nod her head in agreement while her chest heaved as she struggled to control her panicked breath. I released her shoulder first and then my hand from around her mouth. I took another deep breath and whispered again, my words short and to the point.

  “Are you still drunk?”

  She nodded her head no, fear snatching her tongue from answering.

  “Are you hurt?”

  Again, she nodded no.

  “Okay, listen. I’m going to untie you and help you out the window. We’ve been kidnapped, and you will need to go get us help. Gabby is dead, and we’re next if you don’t make it. We are in Summerset at Rosemary Milligan’s house, which is about five miles from town. When you get to the road, turn right and follow it.”

  Nicole nodded in agreement again, and I could feel her body shaking as the odor of her fear mixed with the flowery scent of her hair in my face, a welcome relief from the rancid odor coming from the other room.

  “Stay on the road, don’t veer from it. And Nicole, run faster than you ever have, for the devil truly will be chasing you now,” I said as I pulled away from her ear and bent over to untie her arms. We worked in tandem silence, and I was grateful that she was intelligent enough to grasp the gravity of our situation and not ask any questions. Once her arms were free, I paused again and listened, my ears only greeted by the quick breaths of Nicole as she fought to unknot her restraints. I slowly walked over to the window and eased the heavy dark curtains back, praying that my recollections of her windows were correct, and thankfully, they were. The old swing out windows that were as long as they were wide meant Nicole would have no trouble making it out to the short drop below.

  I looked back over at Nicole. She had just freed her other leg and slid off her heels and stood up, and as she did, I could tell from the horrified look on her face that she finally caught a full whiff of the smell. She froze for a brief second, processing the information, and I knew that since she grew up on a farm, she would recognize the sickeningly sweet smell of death.

  And she did.

  With grace and stealth that someone her age shouldn’t possess, she was quietly by my side, and we traded glances for the briefest of moments as I slowly turned the ancient handle and held my breath, hoping that it wasn’t sealed shut from years of neglect. To my surprise, it moved with ease and opened soundlessly, and I felt Nicole’s hot breath release with almost as much force as my own. She grabbed my shoulder for support and like a cat, she leapt up on the open sill and then turned and faced me, her mouth silent but her eyes screaming for me to follow.

  I shook my head and waved her away, almost pushing her out of the window. With one quick glance back, she jumped and landed in the hardened earth below, her feet barely touching it as she burst into a full sprint, and then I lost her in the darkness; the only confirmation that she was out there was the fading sounds of her feet attacking the road.

  God, please let her make it!

  I refused to let my mind wander anywhere except where I explicitly allowed it to, forcing myself to concentrate on one task at a time. I crept across the room and knelt down by the door, my cheek lightly grazing the floor as I cocked my head and listened, but all I could hear was the faint mumblings that sounded like they were coming from the other side of the house. I sat back on my haunches and mentally toured Mrs. Milligan’s home, realizing that I was in the spare bedroom toward the back, which meant that the hallway that led to the kitchen was on the other side of this door and that Kevin and Piper were probably in the front room since their voices were so muffled.

  Which meant that a brief window of opportunity to find a weapon just presented itself.

  I stood back up and surveyed the room the best I could in the darkness. Mrs. Milligan had been alone for a long time, and I recalled her telling me that she rarely came in here anymore and it had become more of a guest room. As I squinted my eyes and scanned the room, I noticed that only one small, twin sized bed was in here and one loveseat. Of course, the chairs that Nicole and I were attached to moments ago were here, but that was it. No phone to call for help with…no closet where an old gun might be hidden up on a shelf…no dresser drawers that might miraculously contain a pair of well-worn scissors, or even a hunting knife. Hoping against hope that either my purse or Nicole’s was in the room, my heart sank when I realized there was nothing in here to aide in my rescue. Damn, why couldn’t this moment be like in a movie?

  I realized the only way I would have an instrument in my hands that would give me some sort of stabilizer against Kevin and Piper was to silently creep into the kitchen and check the drawers where surely my protection awaited. The kitchen also housed a phone to call for help—or at the very least, to dial 911 and let my silence urge the operator to dispatch a patrol unit. Even if I did manage to accomplish that, Mrs. Milligan’s house was miles from town, which meant that the police aide wouldn’t be arriving anytime soon. Frustrated that arming myself seemed my only viable option, I tiptoed across the room yet again and listened at the door. Faintly, almost as if they were standing on the front porch, I heard the echoing of voices, yet was unable to match a face with the voice since it was so garbled. I held my breath again, praying once more to the God that seemed to have heard my inner screaming a few moments ago and slowly turned the door handle, closing my eyes almost completely shut as I cringed, waiting for the sound of the ancient metal to give my plans away with one high pitched squeak.

  As I twisted, the metal did make a small grinding noise, but it was barely audible to even my ears. I finally pulled the door open just a crack so I could peer out, and I scanned the hallway. There was just enough light streaming from the dimly lit kitchen down the length of the corridor to allow me to determine that the other bedroom doors were closed, giving me a straight shot into the kitchen, which was roughly ten to fifteen feet away.

  I cracked the door open just enough for me to contort my body through and pulled it shut quietly behind me, a faint click of the locking mechanism the only sound heard in the empty hallway. I crouched low with my back against the wall, and unsure as to how much time I had to accomplish securing a knife and dialing 911 before Piper and Kevin found me, I scurried quickly into the kitchen. Suddenly, almost as though I hit an invisible brick wall composed of sights and smells, I came to a forced stop, my brain unwilling to compute the images my eyes were sending to it.

  I knew from my own nose what the smell was, plus from the conversation I overheard moments ago between Piper and Kevin, I knew that Gabrielle was dead, but seeing her lifeless, limp body secured crudely to a chair under the bright glow of the kitchen light was more than I could bear. Her once beautiful face and body were now a swollen mass of unrecognizable, decaying flesh; her glorious mane was matted from dried blood and solidified, unmoving, to the sides of her ruined head. The light from above reflected off of the large section of exposed skull, illuminating it, almost as if the light was coming from the inside of her brain, like some deadly beacon forcing my eyes to look in its direction. She was dressed in sweats that looked like they once had been lightly colored, but now appeared dark and grimy from the stains of her leaking body fluids.

  Both of my hands flew up and clasped around my mouth to stifle the scream that was forever stuck in my throat. My knees waivered and my body instinctively leaned back against the kitchen wall for support. Clenching my eyes shut, I tried in vain to wipe out the ghastly image as tears spilled down my face and onto the cold linoleum floor. Oh, God…Gabby! I tried to control my breathing, but it was coming in great heaves now as I began to hyperventilate, and as much as I didn’t want to uncover my mouth, I had no choice but to let go as the roiling vomit burst out of me all over the floor.

  Th
is isn’t happening. This is another nightmare! Oh God, please, let it be another nightmare! Let me wake up! Please! I can’t live with this…I can’t! It’s my fault she’s dead! No, no, NO!

  The release of my stomach’s contents was loud, and I knew that any moment, Piper or Kevin would find me, so as tears blurred my vision, I stepped over the vomit and crossed the kitchen floor over to the countertop and reached for the huge knife that was sitting in Mrs. Milligan’s cutlery set. The sound the sharpened steel made as I yanked it out screeched across the neurons in my head, and I knew then that I wouldn’t stop until I killed them both. Screw 911. This is your mess to clean. Turn around and walk past her, Audra. Don’t look at her. Just go avenge her now and find Mrs. Milligan if it isn’t too late. Focus!

  It’s funny how the trajectory of my life path could shift so quickly, the dizzying motion of such huge leaps almost stifling, forcing me to take on a journey that I am woefully ill-equipped to navigate. Unprepared…unsure of my footing and direction, I was stumbling through each day just to be able to say I forged some new ground on the trail. Other times, like right now, the journey is slamming me face down in the muck-covered path and forcing me to stay where I am, the weight of discovering my purpose in life finally coming into focus and crushing me to the ground, unyielding to my desperate pleas. My direction was already preordained and no amount of fear, anger, sadness, love, or any other emotional state was able to change my circumstances. This is where I suddenly found myself as only two thoughts remained clear and strong in my mind: I knew that there was a real possibility that I wouldn’t leave this house alive (I didn’t care), and I needed to save Mrs. Milligan.