Curse of the Gut Ripper

by Tim Miller

  "Oh shit!"

  "What?" Marc asked.

  "It's the Gut Ripper! The fucking Gut Ripper!" Ben screamed as he turned and ran down the trail, back toward the camp.

  "Ben! Where you going! Don't fucking leave me!"

  "Sorry man!" Ben called out as he kept running.

  Marc tried to spin around and did so enough to where he could see the pair of legs walking his direction.

  "Who is that? Who are you?" he asked, but the figure didn't speak. Once the man was closer to him, Marc could see the mask.

  "What the fuck? Who are you? Did you kill Lisa? Oh shit! Oh shit! Help! Somebody help me!" he screamed as the direness of his situation hit him like a freight train. Panic spread through his body as he kicked and flailed, trying to do anything to free himself. Nothing worked as he dangled there helplessly as the Gut Ripper held up a large shiny ax.

  "No! Oh God! No! Please! No!" Marc screamed but it did no good as the Gut Ripper raised the ax and brought it down the center of his crotch. Pain shot through Marc's body as it felt like his testicles had just exploded. He screamed again as the Gut Ripper brought the ax back a second time and brought it down with even more force. The blade struck his crotch again. Marc could feel the bone shatter as the skin continued to split. He coughed up blood and spit it out as he tried to scream but blood kept filling his mouth. The Gut Ripper chopped again and again. Before Marc lost consciousness, he saw his intestines spilling out, slapping him in the face.

  The smell of bile and excrement filled his nose at the same time. The Gut Ripper continued chopping away until the right side of Marc's body fell away, hanging to the other half only by a few strands of skin and muscle. His liver, stomach and lungs spilled out. The Gut Ripper stood there admiring his handiwork for a moment before putting the ax over his shoulder and continuing toward camp.

  Chapter 17

  Ben came screaming back into camp like his hair was on fire. Jason, Sophie, and Sally jumped to their feet as he ran up.

  "The Gut Ripper's here! The Gut Ripper got Lisa and Marc! We gotta get out of here!" Ben was screaming.

  "What the hell are you talking about?" Jason asked.

  "The Gut Ripper man! The fucking Gut Ripper! He's here. I saw him. Big tall dude, scary fucking mask, and big ass shiny ax. Lisa is all fucked up. He bashed her head in. Now Mark is stuck back there, but I heard him screaming. I'm sure he’s killed him too. We gotta go."

  Ben turned and saw movement in the tree line.

  "Look! That's him! There he is!"

  They looked and saw a masked figure in the trees stepping out into the clearing. As he stepped over a bush, however, his leg got caught, he stumbled and fell forward. The Gut Ripper landed face first as his ax fell to his side. The group watched with curiosity as he got back to his feet.

  "That's the Gut Ripper?" Sophie said. "He's clumsy as fuck." She started laughing watching the man approach them.

  "Shit's not funny man. We need to go! Now!" Ben said.

  "I think Ben's right," Jason said. "No need for us to stick around. We need to get help."

  Sophie walked to the car and dug a crowbar out of the tailgate.

  "I'm not afraid of this asshole. And if he did hurt my friends I'm going to fuck him up," Sophie said as she began moving toward him with the crowbar.

  "What are you doing?" Jason said as he grabbed her arm. "Are you fucking insane?"

  "Let go of me!" She shrugged him off. "If you're going to stand around like a pussy then fine! I stand up for myself. I don't give a shit who it is." She continued marching toward him. Jason wanted to stop her but knew it would be pointless to try. He stood and watched her heading into certain death.

  * * * *

  Buddy felt like an idiot for tripping and falling. The whole group had seen it happen too. No way they would or should be scared of him now. What kind of slasher trips and falls on his face? He wondered if any of the previous Gut Rippers had done the same. Despite gutting two of their friends, at least, one of them wasn't scared of him. One of the girls was now coming toward him carrying a crowbar. What the hell was she trying to prove?

  The woman stopped about ten feet ahead of him banging the crowbar against her open palm.

  "Ok asshole. If you're Marc under, there I'm going to fuck you up. If you're not Marc, then I'm seriously going to fuck you up. Now take off your mask!"

  Buddy had to admire the balls on this woman. When he and his friends encountered the Gut Ripper, none of them even thought of standing there and getting lippy with the guy. The only reason Buddy had attacked him was because he was actively cutting up one of his friends. Otherwise, he'd have hightailed it out of there. In retrospect, he wished he had.

  "Well? What's it gonna be? You just gonna stand there looking stupid? Trust me, you're not scary at all. I've never seen Freddy trip and fall like a dumbass. Did you go to the slasher school for slow kids?" she screamed.

  Jesus, she was harsh. Buddy wanted to stab her just for being a bitch. He stood there waiting on her to make a move. He didn't want to start toward her too soon and startle her. If he fucked this up in front of her friends, he was fucked for sure. The last thing he wanted was to be replaced on his first night out.

  "Ok, fine," she said as she started toward him. She reared back the crowbar and swung. Buddy held out his ax and caught the crowbar by the hook and flung it away. She stood there looking shocked as he grabbed a handful of her hair and lifted her off the ground. The defiance left her eyes and was instantly replaced by sheer terror.

  She struggled against his grip, but he was too strong. He dragged her by the hair back into the woods. Her friends screamed as he dragged her. It was hard to keep from looking back, but he knew they wouldn't come for her. Once in the woods, he lifted her until her hair was snagged on a tree. She struggled and kicked to free herself but was unable to free herself. He sat down the ax and dug behind a bush where he picked up a baseball bat.

  "What are you doing? Let me go! Please! Help! Somebody help!" she screamed.

  He ignored her as he reared back with the bat and struck her in the stomach. She stopped screaming with a grunt as she coughed and wheezed. He watched her for a minute before swinging again. This time hitting her in the legs. He began hitting her repeatedly with the bat. Striking her in the stomach, chest, shoulders, and legs. He was careful to avoid her head so as not to kill her too quickly.

  She gasped for air as her bones snapped and crackled with each blow. Sophie coughed up blood as she tried to speak.

  "Please," she whimpered. "Please, no more."

  Buddy wanted to feel pity for her. Months ago he would have. Now, he wasn't really himself anymore. He was the Gut Ripper. Pity wasn't part of his training. He let her cry and plead for a few more minutes before he took a swing at her head. It was hard enough to do some damage, but not too hard. Her nose burst open as her eye began to swell. After a few more blows, she coughed up blood and teeth. Her face was no longer recognizable. She didn't even look human. Buddy thought she looked like a Halloween mask. She was still wheezing and trying to speak. He put the bat down and pulled out his hunting knife. He thrust the knife into her lower stomach as she let out a grunt. He sliced up to the base of her rib cage and reached into the incision.

  Her guts were warm and sticky as he grabbed a handful and began pulling them out. He was amazed at how such a small woman could have so many organs on her insides. He strung the intestines out until they were spilled all over the ground. Buddy then wrapped the intestines around her face and neck and pulled. She gagged and struggled as her body twitched while he strangled her with her own intestines.

  He'd seen the previous Gut Ripper do this, so thought it would be worth a try. After a minute, her body went limp. He let go of the intestines and stood back looking her over. Of all his kills so far, he had to say this one had been the most fun. He picked up the ax and headed back toward the camp once again where he could still hear them screaming.

  Chapter 18

  Ben, Sally, a
nd Jason had piled into the Expedition as Ben fumbled with the keys. He got them into the ignition and turned it, but the car wouldn't start. The engine just turned over and over. He pumped the gas, but that did no good.

  "Don't pump the gas dumbass!" Sally yelled from the back seat. "You'll just flood it! This car is fuel injected. You don't fucking pump the gas anymore!"

  "Then why won't it start?"

  "Because you're a fucking moron!" She screamed as she climbed into the front seat. "Get back there, and out of my way."

  "Shit! He's coming!" Jason yelled.

  They looked out the window and saw the Gut Ripper approaching. Sally fumbled with the ignition, but the engine just kept turning over.

  "Fuck!" she screamed as the passenger side window shattered. Jason screamed as the Gut Ripper reached in and pulled him through the window by his hair. The jagged shards of glass sliced and cut at his skin as he was dragged out. Sally grabbed his legs and tried to pull him back, but the Gut Ripper was too strong and yanked him away from her. Once he had Jason outside he dragged him toward the camp.

  They watched helplessly as the Gut Ripper pulled him in between some of the tents, which were now collapsed. Ben was screaming while Sally looked over to him.

  "Why don't you do something?" Sally screamed at Ben.

  "Like what? I can't do shit!"

  "He's fucking killing him! He's killed all our friends! All you do is sit there and scream!"

  "Fuck man. I don't even have a weapon."

  She dug in her purse and pulled out a pocket knife.

  "Here go stab that motherfucker with this."

  Ben took the knife and looked out at the Gut Ripper, who was kicking Jason along the ground.

  "Whatever. Fuck it," Ben said as he climbed out of the car and ran toward the Gut Ripper. He managed not to scream as he charged the slasher. The Gut Ripper turned and looked just as Ben thrust the knife into his chest. Oddly the knife was difficult to push in, and there was no blood. The Gut Ripper looked him up and down as Ben began walking backward.

  "Uhh, sorry man. No hard feelings huh?" Ben stammered.

  The Gut Ripper stepped forward and punched Ben in the face. He felt his nose crunch as his head snapped backward. Ben tumbled to the ground flat on his back and for some reason decided to play dead, or at least unconscious. He lie there as the Gut Ripper went back to work on Jason. Jason tried crawling away, but he was bloody and swollen from the beating he'd just taken.

  The Gut Ripper grabbed a hand full of tent stakes and held down Jason's hand. Using the mallet lying nearby, he banged the stake through Jason's hand. Jason screamed as the Gut Ripper pounded the stake all the way into his hand. Jason continued writhing and screaming as the Gut Ripper moved to his other hand.

  He pounded the second stake into Jason's palm as he continued screaming. Blood sprayed into the air as the stake penetrated the skin and muscle. Jason lay there moaning in pain as the Gut Ripper stood over him holding one more stake.

  "No! Please! Just let me go!" Jason screamed as the Gut Ripper shoved the stake into his mouth. Jason gagged and choked on the metal stake as the Gut Ripper pounded it into his mouth. Blood spurted from his mouth as gurgling sounds came from his throat. He hammered it in until Jason was lying still with the stake driven through his skull and into his brain.

  Ben lie there watching out of the corner of his eye while trying to pretend to be knocked out. It was difficult to listen to his friend's screams while doing so but he felt like he had held mostly still. He looked up and the Gut Ripper was walking his direction. He continued to lie still hoping that the killer would pass him by. Maybe go for Sally. He never liked Sally anyway. Not that he wanted her to die, but better her than himself.

  The Gut Ripper was not going to pass him by, however. Ben looked up to see the killer standing over him. Ben quickly got to his feet and ran toward the woods. He didn't look back, but he didn't have to. He already knew the Gut Ripper was behind him and coming right for him.

  Chapter 19

  Ben ran through the woods. He actually surprised himself at his agility with jumping over rocks and bushes. After a while, he had to stop and catch his breath. He ducked down behind some trees and looked back. There was no sign of the Gut Ripper. Had he lost him? Maybe he went after Sally. Ben figured he'd keep going the same direction. He figured the park couldn't go on forever. He had to find a ranger or highway sooner or later.

  He reached a razor wire fence. It was dumb luck he didn't run head on into it. There were strands of ripped clothing in places that told him others had been caught in it before. He walked down the length of the fence looking for an opening, but it seemed to go on forever. He took off his shirt and balled it up. Using it to grab the wire and try and work his way through.

  The wires cut through his arms and hands despite his caution as he pulled the wire fence apart and stepped on part of it pushing it down. The razors sliced at his legs and ankles. He tried to keep his grunting to a minimum and after what felt like way too long, he made it through and found himself on the other side.

  He turned and began running once again. His legs were turning to jelly as his muscles ached with each stride. He wasn't an athlete and had never been a runner. As the adrenaline wore off, fatigue began setting in. It was difficult to keep his balance but in the next few steps, balance was the least of his worries.

  He ran through a set of bushes and straight into a ravine. The drop off was a good twenty feet. Ben both heard and felt his right leg snap as it hit the ground. His vision went blurry, and nausea welled up in his stomach. He felt like he should throw up, but didn't. Looking down, he saw his leg had taken the shape of an L. He lay back and looked up and along the edge of the ravine, the Gut Ripper was there looking down at him. How the fuck did he get there?

  The Gut Ripper moved away from the ledge as Ben tried to move but pain shot up his leg and through his body with any attempt at movement. Tears filled his eyes as the dizzying pain paralyzed him; even moving his arms hurt. Behind him, he heard someone moving. Looking over his shoulder, the Gut Ripper was climbing down some rocks and headed his way.

  Ben started crying as he lie there helpless. He couldn't move, certainly couldn't run, and a vicious killer was headed right for him. Within minutes, the Gut Ripper was standing over him looking down at his broken leg. The killer placed his foot on the broken leg and began putting his weight on it, twisting his foot back and forth, grinding it into the broken limb.

  The pain was dizzying, and Ben shrieked. He begged and pleaded for the Gut Ripper to stop or just to kill him and get it over with, but the killer ignored him and continued with his torment. The Gut Ripper finally stepped away and picked up a large rock. Ben didn't want to know what he was about to do with it as the killer raised the rock over his head with both hands and brought it down upon the broken leg.

  Ben screamed as more bones crunched and snapped. The Gut Ripper raised it again and brought it back down again and again. Each smash sent waves of pain at level Ben simply did not think was possible. Ben had recalled hearing that when someone is suffering in agonizing pain, they are prone to passing out. He hoped if that were true, he would pass out really soon. He wasn't sure how much more he could take.

  His leg was now nothing but a pudding of blood and bone. His blood covered shoe flopped to the side with his foot still inside, but the rest of his leg was a mutilated chunk of rags and splinters. The Gut Ripper took the rock and began smashing his other leg. That sent a whole new wave of pain throughout his body. Ben couldn't help but wonder if his internet research and talking about the killer on the way to the park hadn't somehow conjured him.

  The idea was absurd, and he knew it, but nothing else was making any sense at the moment. The Gut Ripper continued smashing away at his other leg until both legs matched. He then pulled out a hunting knife and stood over Ben, straddling his broken body

  "What are you gonna do?" Ben whined. "Please don't hurt me anymore. Please?"

  As usual, the Gut
Ripper ignored him and thrust the knife into his lower abdomen. Ben screamed as the killer used the knife to cut all the way to his rib cage. Ben cried out as the Gut Ripper pulled the new opening apart, not caring how much pain he inflicted or flesh he tore away. He then grabbed a handful of Ben's intestines and began stringing them about the ground. Ben wanted to throw up but was unable. The site of his guts being ripped out was enough to make him want to barf.

  The next thing the killer pulled out was his stomach. At times over the years, Ben wondered what human organs looked like. He regretted wondering the instant he saw his being ripped from his body. The Gut Ripper went so far as to slice Ben's stomach open as he held it in his hands. Fluid and bile came oozing out as the Gut Ripper squeezed it like a sponge. Ben screamed again as the Gut Ripper bent down and thrust his hand into his exposed abdomen.

  Ben felt the Gut Ripper's hand burrowing into his chest until he could feel the man's fingers wrap around his heart. Ben struggled to breathe as the killer ripped the heart out of Ben's body and held it before his eyes. Ben got to see his heart take its final beats before everything went dark.

  Chapter 20

  Sally had given up on the Expedition and wasn't about to wait for her turn to be killed. She took off down the dark gravel road that led them to the camp. She figured at some point she had to run into another person or ranger or anyone who could help. Fortunately for her, running was one of her hobbies, and she could go at a good clip for a long time.

  Running along a gravel trail at night wasn't the easiest thing, but she felt she’d put enough distance between her and the Gut Ripper to be mostly safe. She slowed her pace so she wouldn't trip or injure herself. She had gotten almost a mile away when she saw the headlights. She stepped to the side and waited for the vehicle to pull up. It as a midsize SUV with yellow lights on top. It was a ranger. Thank God!