Slashing Away: A Dark Psychological Thriller (Gushers Series Book 2)

by Chuck Buda

  Jordyn sighed and began to apply more make-up. As she stared at her face in the mirror, Jordyn wondered if tonight’s plan for The First Cut was really a good idea. Offering her mother up as a sacrificial piece of ass wasn’t something she looked forward to. But the desire for revenge was too strong. Each time she second guessed herself, the emotions behind her poor father unwittingly sharing his wife with the neighbor overrode any sense of decency. Her mother was now an enemy. And it couldn’t be changed.

  She had tossed and turned all night, wrestling with the decision to throw her mother under the bus. Restless nightmares squeezed themselves in between hours spent staring at the ceiling, or crying into her pillow. Jordyn wished none of this had happened. Her mother with Holden. The First Cut. Jordyn hated herself the most because it had originally been her idea to create this fucking club. She had been caught up in the boredom of routine her friends had complained about. Jordyn realized now they were just spoiled brats. They had it so good before. The most popular kids in the senior class. All from good families and solid upbringings. Was everyone’s family perfect? No, but who’s family was? They lived in a middle-upper class town. They all drove nice cars, not broken down jalopies. And they all had bright futures. Everyone had been accepted to colleges of their choosing.

  And yet they fucked it all up, Jordyn thought.

  The tears had been rolling down her cheeks for a few minutes before she realized it. Jordyn had been so focused on her lips as she drew the lipstick across them, she hadn’t noticed the mascara sagging below her eyes like a demented raccoon. She threw the lipstick into the sink and grabbed a tissue to dab her face.

  The dilemma was perplexing. Jordyn needed to avenge her poor father. So she either had to tell him what her mother had done, or take it out directly on her mother. Telling her father would lead to divorce and all kinds of continuous heartache. The revenge factor, while painful to Jordyn, would satisfy her desire to fulfill her primal urges, but hopefully protect the marriage from dissolution. There could be no way her mother would continue to cheat after being completely humiliated in front of her friends. The punishment was somewhat harsher than the crime but it would further cement the end of her infidelity.

  Images of her mother getting gang banged by Jordyn’s friends played over and over before her eyes. She tried to ignore the graphic displays while she finished re-applying her make-up. It was too difficult to whisk away, bringing fresh tears. Jordyn finally gave up with the make-up. She fixed what she could around her eyes and then formulated excuses if anyone should notice the fact she wasn’t completely made up. She figured allergies would be her best excuse even though she didn’t have allergies.

  Jordyn usually dressed herself up for school to look better than the other girls. She was well aware of her body and its ability to attract attention from boys and male teachers. Jordyn ate it up. Her dress garnered the same level of interest from the other girls and female teachers. Although it was a different sort of interest. More of a jealousy or admiration. Today, Jordyn didn’t bother leafing through her best outfits. She selected a pair of older jeans and a frumpy sweatshirt from the back of the closet. It was the sort of outfit she would wear to a camping trip out in the woods. Jordyn never dressed like that in public.

  Today, she didn’t care.

  Jordyn just wanted to get out of the house and get to school so her mind would be distracted. Being in the house with her mother, and thinking about the night ahead, was too much for Jordyn to bear.

  Sliding into the jeans and angling herself in the mirror, Jordyn began to feel a bit more uplifted. She suddenly liked the average girl reflected back at her. Today’s Jordyn was just as beautiful as the usual Jordyn. Maybe even better. She sensed a tougher girl, a more complicated person than the persona she had worn all these years. The Jordyn of yesterday was admittedly shallow, only concerned with grabbing attention and standing out among the rest of the kids. This new Jordyn felt more real. She looked average but there was a comfort in fitting in. A strength she hadn’t felt before.

  Jordyn thought how this new person she stared at in the mirror could better stand up to the power-mad Zoe. Because this Jordyn had nothing to lose. This Jordyn didn’t care if Zoe stole the show or barked out orders to get what she wanted. Why? Because this Jordyn didn’t give a shit. The new Jordyn no longer had to compete on the same stage with Zoe. Jordyn could be herself, for once. She could step outside and be who she wanted to be regardless of what others thought she SHOULD be.

  Jordyn felt light, as if hundreds of pounds had lifted off her shoulders. She smiled at her reflection, absorbing the radiance of the rebirth. She noticed goosebumps breaking out along her forearms, the excitement bursting through her flesh. Jordyn suddenly realized she loved herself and nothing anyone else said or did could take that away from her. Her self-esteem returned for the first time since she had begun to sprout breasts and look different from the other girls.

  Jordyn looked forward to tonight. Her trepidation over sacrificing her mother and fears of butting heads with Zoe disappeared. Jordyn would exact her revenge, getting the pound of flesh she needed to defend her daddy’s honor. And she would stand up to that cunt Zoe once and for all. Zoe was her friend, but no friend should lord over the other like Zoe did.

  The morning became refreshing and Jordyn looked forward to the school day as well as tonight’s meeting of The First Cut. The new Jordyn grinned at herself in the mirror. She made a mental note of the date, so years down the road, Jordyn could reflect on this day as the time when the old persona died, and the new, improved Jordyn was born. She giggled as she silently wished herself a happy birthday.

  Chapter 34

  Zoe pulled into her parking spot. She killed the engine and collected her books. As she locker her car up, Zoe noticed Spencer parking his car at the edge of the lot. He glared at Zoe. She chose to ignore his attitude. In nearly twelve hours, Spencer would be poised on the brink of sealing his own fate. Zoe smiled to herself, enjoying the thought of Spencer collapsing under her authority.

  She walked toward the school without waiting for Spencer to join her. Zoe intended to distance herself from her friends today. The silence would cleanse her palette, preparing her for the festivities to come. Zoe didn’t want anyone to taint her mood for later. They’d either piss her off with their stupidity or insolence. Or worse, they might accidentally convince her to go easy on them tonight.

  And that couldn’t be possible.

  Zoe saw Todd and Ryan up ahead of her. Their friendliness with each other exuded from the way they walked. So close, nearly holding hands. Zoe felt a stab of anger develop under her left breast. Had Ryan and Todd joined forces again? Could Ryan have been so idiotic as to give up her sexual prowess for Todd’s brotherly love? Zoe would have to formally add Ryan to the test tonight. She already had an exciting plan laid out for Spencer and Aiden. Todd and Jordyn would also be exposed to their true feelings later. Zoe had originally factored Ryan into the process, only to remove him after she crushed his balls. Zoe thought for sure Ryan had bought in without a doubt after that. She wondered if she had underestimated Ryan’s jock-boy stupidity.

  She purposely turned down the right hallway to avoid bumping into Todd and Ryan near their lockers. Zoe also wished to steer clear of Leah and Aiden who shared the same first period class near the main office. Her only worries would be Spencer and Jordyn. Although, Spencer liked to go straight to class without wasting time. He had always been a book nerd and she doubt anything changed today.

  Jordyn slammed her locker shut up ahead. Zoe ducked into the doorway of the Chemistry Lab to hide from Jordyn. Her eyes narrowed as Zoe attempted to scout out Jordyn’s attire. Was she dressed in an old sweatshirt and jeans? Zoe stifled a laugh. Had Jordyn cracked under pressure? Did she lose her mind now that Zoe had turned up the heat on everyone? She couldn’t believe her eyes. It even appeared Jordyn wore no make-up. Zoe reasoned either Jordyn completely lost her mind or she had thrown in the towel, giving Zoe full lice
nse to rule The First Cut unabated. Not like Jordyn could have unseated Zoe’s grip on control. But Jordyn and Todd had aligned in joint opinion that she had taken things too far.

  Zoe tucked herself into the frame of the door as Jordyn made her way past. Things had begun to take an interesting turn already this morning. Jordyn was no longer the queen of ball. And Todd and Ryan were going steady again. Interesting, indeed.

  Zoe made sure Jordyn had rounded the far corner before leaving the safety of the Chemistry Lab. She was forced to shoot dirty looks at a few underclassmen who squeezed by her to get into the room for their first period class. Zoe didn’t want to be seen with sophomores and juniors. She headed up the hall to her locker. She dialed the combination, opened it up, and placed two textbooks on the shelf. Zoe grabbed a thick notebook and stared at the photos taped inside her locker before shutting it. She grinned at the two pictures. The beautiful, blond-haired Eric Northman from True Blood. The character, played by Alexander Skarsgard, represented the king of the vampires for the story. The other photo, a simple pose by Anna Paquin as the character Sookie Stackhouse from True Blood.

  When Jordyn had suggested they form a club similar to the storyline of True Blood, Zoe thought it was a great idea. She dug through old magazines in her parent’s bedroom and found some photos from the show. Zoe cut them out and hung them in her locker as a daily reminder behind the power of the idea. The two most powerful characters in the story earned the right to present themselves to her each time she opened her locker door. Zoe saw herself as the amalgamation of the two characters, in one body, one true leader. One god. Zoe.

  Staring at the pictures elevated Zoe’s spirits. It solidified her purpose for The First Cut and, more specifically, tonight’s meeting. So much of the future hinged upon the proceedings to come. If things went according to plan, Zoe would be extremely close to attaining her true glory. If it failed, and Zoe would see to it that it couldn’t fail, then she would end up in ruin. Further from her goals than ever. Zoe promised herself to not allow that to happen.

  Zoe kissed the photo of Eric Northman. She rubbed Sookie Stackhouse’s face with her finger. Then slammed her locker shut.

  The school bell signaling first period had begun chiming through the hallway. Classroom doors closed as teachers cut off tardy students from slipping in without notice. Straggler students sprinted through the hall or darted into classrooms underneath outstretched arms of teachers.

  Zoe took her time walking to her first period class. She had Physical Education and she wasn’t about to work up a sweat getting to a dumb class which forced the students to work up a sweat anyway. Besides, she was Zoe. And Zoe marched to her own beat. Let them try to give her detention for being late to class. Especially gym. Zoe scoffed at the notion of the gym teacher scolding her for being late.

  Zoe passed the classroom where Spencer sat in the front row. Zoe paused to stare at him through the door’s window. He sat in the front row, hurriedly jotting notes in his notebook, one hand on his shaved scalp. He must have felt eyes on him because he slowly turned his head to face the window. Zoe made sure Spencer saw her. She glowered at him through the glass, ending it with a wink. Zoe strolled on toward the gymnasium without waiting for Spencer’s reaction to her taunt.

  She felt great today. Even though she encountered a few surprises this morning, today was shaping up into a fabulous day. And it would only get better once night fell, and The First Cut reconvened in Jordyn’s back yard.

  Zoe arrived at gym class. The teacher, Mrs. Cullen, with her saddlebags and droopy tits, stood with hands on hips in disappointment at Zoe’s lack of hustle. But she knew better than to make an example of Zoe. She gave Zoe her best grimace, which Zoe aptly ignored, heading into the locker room to put on her shorts and tee shirt. Zoe snickered as she brushed past Mrs. Cullen. There wasn’t a thing this fat slob could do to me, Zoe realized.

  Or anyone else, for that matter.

  Zoe laughed out loud and shut the locker room door behind her.

  Chapter 35

  Aiden made sure he entered last. It was becoming his signature move, waiting across the street, behind the tree. Making sure all the others entered the back yard before him. This time it was more critical because he didn’t want to explain what the jug of blood was about. Aiden felt it would detract from the monumental gesture if everyone knew it was coming.

  Once he watched Todd get inside the fence, Aiden made his move. He crossed the street with the heavy jug. It weighed him down after holding it for a good twenty minutes. Aiden couldn’t wait to put the jug down.

  As he neared the gate, he could hear some muffled talking. The yard was big enough to swallow up the content of the words themselves. But close enough Aiden could distinguish Zoe’s voice from Todd’s.

  He swung the gate open. Immediately, Aiden felt all eyes upon him. He tucked the milk jug full of fake blood into the crook of his arm so it would be more difficult to distinguish in the yard’s shadows. The red lighting would mix with the crimson contents, further preventing a quick revelation.

  The First Cut was prepared for him. Zoe stood upon the top step of the hot tub. She was painted from head to toe in white paint, with huge black circles around her eyes. The black make-up spiraled out from each eye socket like frantic bolts of lightning. Aiden pictured her as the fifth member of the band KISS the way her face was made to look. He noticed dark streaks which ran from her lower lip down over her breasts to her stomach. From where he stood, it appeared as if she had already drunk blood and dribbled it down her body. Her nudity almost hidden by the collection of paints.

  Todd and Ryan stood off to the left of the hot tub, Jordyn wedged in between them. They both wore bathing suits, while Jordyn was decked out in a silky robe. Aiden scanned her figure and found no lines of clothing pushing against the silken robe. He figured she was naked beneath, and ready to begin.

  Leah stood to the right of the tub. She wore a bikini but it was nothing as revealing as the ones Aiden had seen Jordyn and Zoe in before. Leah’s was more of a conservative cut.

  In front of the group stood Spencer. Like Zoe, he was decked out in white paint from top to bottom. He was already naked. Spencer also had black designs etched on his face and chest. The symbols looked more like Egyptian hieroglyphics. Except for one large symbol across his muscular chest and stomach. Plain as could be, a pentagram was drawn on his torso. Aiden knew what it represented as he had seen enough movies and ghost hunting shows. Before he could begin to worry about the meaning behind the new symbols, Zoe called Aiden to the front.

  He startled when Zoe called his name. The voice he heard sounded more like a growl. It didn’t resemble a young female’s voice at all. Aiden thought he had lost his mind because nobody else seemed to react to Zoe’s command.

  Aiden, the most dressed attendee, thought it would be proper to come dressed in an unassuming manner. Even though Zoe had given him permission to re-join them, Aiden wanted to appear humble and submissive. He stepped forward and knelt before Spencer. Aiden raised the milk jug full of fake blood above his head.

  “As extra penance for my sins, I wanted to offer up my blood. The blood of my veins. The veins which humbly thank you for giving me a second chance.”

  Aiden glanced up and saw the smirk on Zoe’s face. Spencer looked confused. He checked with Zoe, who nodded for him to accept the offering. Spencer yanked the jug from Aiden’s hands. He placed it on the bottom step of the hot tub, then faced Aiden again.

  Zoe stepped down. She grinned over Aiden. He felt her gaze burning through his flesh. Aiden had a sudden urge to flee for his own safety. Something about her made his skin crawl. Danger coursed through his limbs.

  “Your offering is acceptable. A tad dramatic, but it shows your dedication to The First Cut is true.” Zoe looked around the members on each side.

  Aiden sensed unease on either side of him. It felt as if his friends were as apprehensive as he was about tonight’s meeting. He thought about standing up but decided to
wait for Zoe to order him. It would help butter her up.

  Zoe reached down to Aiden’s jaw. She stuck her finger under his chin and raised his face to meet hers. As she towered above Aiden, he glanced at her vagina which poised inches from his nose. The clean-shaved folds covered in white paint. Aiden felt his penis stir, the sexual desires overriding the pangs of fear.

  Zoe must have picked up on his glance at her privates. Her smile grew wider. Her confidence shined through. “Your blood is a good sacrifice on behalf of your brothers and sisters.” Zoe gestured to each side. “And while it is a good sacrifice and an even more meaningful token of your dedication, the blood offering does not constitute loyalty...or trust.”

  Aiden’s stomach fluttered with nervousness. He could tell Zoe was building up to something. Something he wasn’t going to enjoy. Because Zoe never allowed people to enjoy. He realized it was a bad decision to come back to The First Cut. Every fiber of his being told him to run. To get away before it was too late.

  Yet, he stayed. Aiden wanted to exact his own revenge. And he needed to protect Leah. Running out on her would only further endanger her. She would never want to see him again if he did something so cowardly.

  “You will have to PROVE your loyalty. Before all of us. You must submit to the will of the hive. Every man and every woman is a star. Aiden, you must submit yourself before us. I am divided for love’s sake, for the chance of union. Remain bowed upon one knee, and give yourself to The First Cut. Love is the law, love under will.”

  Aiden listened to Zoe speak but it sounded as if two, distinct voices spoke out. A few of the things she said were strange, like quoted verses from an ancient poem. He wished to lift his head and see what Zoe was doing above him. Aiden needed to absorb the expressions of his friends, to understand if he was in harm’s way or allowing his subconscious to scare the crap out of him. Aiden was afraid. He fought the urge to scream out in terror and run.