Horror in the Woods

by Mountford, Lee

  Ted turned away and began to tie up the redhead again. Completely this time, like he had done with her friend; feet bound to arms. He wouldn't make the same mistake as his sister.

  'Ted,' she said again, the words still coming out as little more than mush.

  Ted hoisted the girl up to his shoulder. He looked down at his sister, one final time. 'Get home as quick as you can, sis. Food won't keep for too long. Might not be anything left. Imagine that? Imagine that hunger being extended for who knows how long, while the rest of us are content, with full bellies.'

  He turned and walked away, leaving her behind to moan helplessly to herself.

  He walked over to the other bound girl. She looked up at him in total fear. So helpless and afraid.

  Like a scared little mouse.

  What an interesting turnaround.

  'Okay,' Ted said, pulling free his weapon again with his spare hand. 'I don't think I can trust you enough to let you walk ahead. And I can't carry you both, so what I'm going to do is take off your scalp. That's going to hurt. And, to be honest, I'm only doing it for fun. I don't collect them or anything, I haven't even tried it before. Which is probably why I'm going to do it now. You're going to be my first. And when I'm done, I'm going to bury this thing,' he held up the weapon, 'into your skull, as far as it will go. Like your friend here did to my sister. Don't know if you saw that. Shame, would have been nice to get you back to the house. The family might have had half a mind to keep you around, like a pet. Not much of a life, but at least you'd have been alive.'

  He bent down and the woman, on cue, began to beg.

  'No,' she pleaded. 'Please, I swear, I won't try to get away. Please. I won't cause trouble. We can go back to the house. I'll walk. I won't run. Anything you want. I swear I won't try anything. Please. Please don't kill me.'

  Ted studied her expression and knew that she was broken now. A puppet for him to manipulate. He pretended to give this some consideration, before finally giving a nonchalant shrug.

  'Fuck it,' he said, 'we'll give it a try. It's not like you'd get far, anyway.'

  With his spare hand, he cut free her legs, leaving enough rope loose from her existing bonds for him to hold like a leash. He got to his feet and yanked hard at the rope, forcing the girl up to a standing position.

  'Okay, doggie, walk. Follow the trail.'

  She did as instructed, walking forward with her head bowed down.

  He smiled, pleased with his work.

  Despite Claudia's fuck up, he would single-handedly bring both of them back to the family.

  And, who knows, maybe even introduce them all to the newest member.

  27

  Craig managed to scream, even though every movement, no matter how slight, caused him great pain.

  'No,' he pleaded, as the cleaver was held aloft. 'Please, don't do this, just don't-'

  His words turned into a prolonged screech as the father dropped the cleaver, sinking it into the flesh of his thigh. Through it all, he heard the people gathered around him laugh manically.

  'I like it when the animals squeal when we slice them up,' the father said. He waggled the knife free and brought it up again. 'Proves you ain't nothing more than a pig. And this leg of yours looks might tasty.'

  The cleaver came down again, sinking farther into Craig's thigh. Warm blood squirted free. The pain was white hot.

  'Hit a good vein there,' the woman said. 'Careful not to waste any, dear.'

  'I won't,' the man said. 'Table's big enough to catch all the blood. Grandpa will get his fill, don't worry.'

  Again and again he brought the cleaver down, each time cutting farther and farther into Craig's leg as he screamed in agony and desperation. Another chop brought a new, more tender kind of pain as blade met bone.

  It was more difficult for the man to shake the blade free this time, and each twist of the metal sent a fiery jolt of agony up the length of Craig's thigh.

  Chop, chop, chop.

  Through the bone, again into the meat, and beyond. Craig's throat was raw from screaming so much. His voice began to give out.

  'Finally,' the man said. 'We're through.'

  Craig looked down and saw the man pull a length of dirty material from his overalls. He quickly began wrapping it round what was left of Craig's thigh, as a makeshift tourniquet.

  'Just so you don't bleed out too quickly,' he said.

  Then, after undoing the ankle bonds, the crazed man held his prize up high. Craig could see his own detached leg in the man's hands, one end no more than a jagged, bloody stump.

  'Who wants first bite?'

  'I do,' Henry said excitedly, raising his hand.

  'You've already had a bite,' the man said. 'I got an idea.'

  He set the leg and cleaver down on the table and picked up what looked like a strong carving knife. He then cut a thick slice from the top of the thigh, like carving turkey meat, and held it out to Tim.

  'I know you ain't getting much, boy,' the man said to his son, 'but for all you do for this family, this is the least you should get in return. First taste. And one day, you'll get your fill, I promise you that. You'll get your fill and everything that comes with it.'

  Tim actually looked touched, and he gratefully took the meat. He brought it to his mouth and bit down, sloppily chewing into it.

  It was too much for Craig.

  The pain.

  The sight of these people cutting into him.

  Seeing a person, who could have been a friend, start to eat him alive.

  The feeling of violation was staggering.

  Craig wanted to pass out. Surely he had gone through enough? Surely the pain alone should have been sufficient to knock him out?

  But no such luck. Whatever horrible fate God had planned for him, the twisted son of a bitch obviously wanted Craig to experience every last second.

  The sucking and slurping noises from Tim, as he greedily devoured his food, made Craig want to vomit. Hell, everything he'd experienced this night made him want to throw his guts up. But he didn't. He just continued to writhe and moan, helplessly.

  It was all he could do.

  The bearded man then started cutting off more from Craig's detached leg, and served up a section to his wife.

  'Thank you, dear,' she said to him. She then looked over to Craig and flashed him a crooked smile and a wink. 'And thank you, honey. I'm willing to bet this is going to be very tasty.'

  She bit down, still maintaining eye contact with him, and yanked a chunk free. She chewed, slowly and deliberately, savouring the taste. Her eyes closed and she let out an appreciative moan.

  'Oh boy,' she said, spitting small chunks as she spoke. 'I was right. This is delicious.'

  'Come on,' Henry said, bouncing up and down on his heels, 'I've been waiting long enough. When is it my turn?'

  'Soon,' the older man said, impatiently. 'But you go last, because you can't control yourself.'

  The man then carefully cut off another piece, slightly bigger than the previous two. 'I'm gonna need more than that,' Henry said.

  'I know you are,' the man said. 'You always do. It's how you ended up so damn big.'

  'Ain't my fault,' the brute said. 'Can't help the hunger inside of me.'

  'True enough,' the man said, nodding. 'But you should learn to control it. Anyway, this piece ain't for you.'

  The man held the newly cut slice in one hand and studied it. He then looked over to Henry, who was watching him like a greedy dog, salivating, waiting for his turn. The man shook his head and lifted the detached leg in his free hand. Craig saw exposed red flesh where the man had cut strips free.

  'Here,’ he said, and threw the entire leg over to his bulbous son.

  Henry was large, and powerful, but obviously not very nimble. In his excitement, he spilled and dropped the appendage and it rolled across the dirt floor, gathering up bits of dust and grime. The giant quickly grabbed it and held it out before him, an excited grin on his face, like a kid with a present on Christm
as morning.

  'Thanks, Da,' he said and bit down, mashing his stubby teeth through the skin. Blood ran free and slopped down his face. He pulled his head back, bringing a mouthful of meat away with it, and chewed greedily. He closed his eyes and let out a long, satisfied moan. He quickly swallowed and took bite after bite, like he was quickly working his way through a chicken leg.

  That was enough for Craig. He instinctively turned his head and threw up across the table.

  'Awww, don't worry about that,' the woman said, trying to sound sincere, but unable to repress a slight giggle. 'It always happens. Nothing to be embarrassed about, dear boy.'

  After coughing up some additional bile, Craig desperately tried to beg some more.

  'Please,' he croaked, 'just end it. I can't take it any more.'

  The woman approached him, still eating. 'Can't do that, sweetie,' she said. 'We need you alive. That's when you taste the best.' She then brought a bloodied hand down and traced her fingers along his remaining thigh, letting them dance up his skin.

  The touch made Craig flinch, which in turn made her giggle again.

  She ran her hands farther up, eyeing his body as she did. Then her hand hovered over his groin and Craig felt his body impulsively tighten up. She flicked her eyes up, meeting his own, and winked. 'Suppose there are ways to make this more bearable for you'

  ‘Adela,’ the bearded man spat. 'Stop that. Now.'

  'You shut the fuck up!' she yelled back, not even looking at him. She continued to lock eyes with Craig. He gave a sudden intake of breath as her finger brushed against his member. 'Would you like that, sweetie?' she asked, trying to make her voice as seductive as possible.

  Craig felt dizzy.

  What the hell was wrong with her? In what realm of crazy did she have to live in to think he would want anything like that done to him while he was being eaten alive? Let alone from someone like her. She stroked it again, still smiling, her lips red and wet with blood.

  Craig just shook his head, hoping his mind would break. Maybe then he could be free of this nightmare and get lost in sweet insanity.

  The woman didn't take too kindly to his rebuttal. 'Why?' she asked. 'Something wrong with me? Too much woman for you?'

  'Just leave me alone,' Craig said, softly. 'Please. Just stop all this. I'm begging you.'

  The woman curled her top lip into a scowl. 'Are you fucking stupid, boy? Take a look around you. Does it look like we have any intention of stopping? Have you seen how Henry is chomping down on that leg of yours? It's going to happen, we're going to eat you all up, and it's going to hurt. Now,' she went on, as her face softened and her stroking continued, 'what I'm offering is a way to take your mind off things.'

  Craig began to weep. The whole situation was beyond fucked up. Did she really think her advances would do any good whatsoever? Kim could be stroking him right now, but with the pain he was in there was no chance of any kind of sexual reaction.

  The woman seemed to notice this too. 'Hmmm, it's not playing. Why isn't it playing?'

  'Please,' Craig repeated, shutting his eyes. 'Please, just stop. I can't take it any more. Just end it if you're going to.'

  He knew it was hopeless, but he had nothing else to offer.

  'Fucking prick,' the woman said, exploding into anger. She bent forward and her hand quickly found his balls and squeezed tight, causing him to squeal in fresh agony. His eyes shot open so wide he thought they would pop from his skull. 'Does this thing even work? I bet it doesn't.' She squeezed again. 'So, if it don't work, might as well get rid of it,' she said, turning to the bearded man. 'Ted? Pass me a knife. A big one. One that will get things a little messy.'

  The man chuckled and picked up a knife, one with a serrated edge, and held it out for his wife, directly over Craig's body.

  'No,' he pleaded. 'Don't. Please don't. I'm begging you. Please, for the love of God, just let it end.' He was screaming now, totally manic, and yet the man and woman, the two evil bastards who held his fate in their hands, just laughed. The woman took the serrated knife and looked it over.

  'Ohhhh,' she said, 'good choice.'

  She then leaned in again to Craig, bringing her head close to his, so he could make out every feature on her face; the sores, the wrinkles on her dirty skin, the milky, pale eyes, and the yellowed teeth. It all repulsed him.

  'Now,' she said. 'I'm sorry to say this, honey, but I expect this will hurt quite a bit. But we can't let anything go to waste, anything at all, even down to the last small mouthful. Which is about all your little friend down there would measure up to.'

  Craig began to scream for help. Another useless gesture, but he was beyond desperate now.

  'Keep screaming,' the older man said. 'Won't help you a jot. But damn if we don't enjoy the sound. Makes all of this a little bit more fun, you know.'

  Craig barely heard him, he just continued to scream and thrash around uselessly on the table.

  To make matters worse, the woman held up the knife directly in front of him, letting him take in every detail. He continued to scream.

  'Time to get to carving, don't you think?' she asked him, then stepped back a little. She centred beside him, near his crotch. 'Should have taken me up on my offer, boy. I'm good, you know. You would have enjoyed it.'

  She grabbed a handful, pulled it up as far as she could, and swung the knife towards it.

  Craig screamed again.

  The agony was immeasurable.

  And still he did not pass out.

  28

  Ashley wasn't sure if she was in some kind of hell.

  Images and scenes played out; horrible scenarios that she just couldn't get away from. Waking up with Tim, lying in a large, warm bed. She felt so happy that they were together and in love.

  Then he struck her.

  And tied her down as she struggled in vain.

  His face changed, twisting somehow. His top lip pulled itself up to meet his nose and his eyes began to sag. There was a knock at the bedroom door, a room she didn't recognise.

  At least it's clean, she thought.

  Only a moment later, it wasn't. It changed into a filthy wreck of a room, with junk piled everywhere and the skeletal bodies of animals strewn across the floor.

  They were large animals, and the skulls looked decidedly human.

  Tim walked to the door and pulled it open with a slow squeak.

  'Hey, babe,' he said, 'you're here.' He then stood aside as Kim entered, a big smile on her face.

  'Oh, you have her tied up already,’ she said. 'Kinky. Do we get to play now?'

  'We sure do,' he said, and they kissed.

  Then there was another knock at the door, but no one needed to answer it this time, it opened on its own. More people entered; a man with a scruffy beard and a cleft lip, a woman Ashley knew to be his wife, and a large, hulking thing.

  'Everyone's here,' Kim said, pleased.

  'So, lets make a start,' said the mountainous fat man, with the cherubic face.

  They all gathered round Ashley as she screamed.

  Then things changed again.

  She felt herself dragged upwards, as if being brought to the surface of an expanse of water.

  It took her a moment to realise that reality was once again flooding her senses.

  She felt movement, a sway from side to side, and she was aware of cold air against her skin. There was a throbbing pain in the back of her head, which overpowered the other aches and strains in her body that also screamed for attention.

  She slowly opened her eyes.

  It was disorientating at first as things slowly came into a nauseating focus.

  The man, who had seemed ready to end her life before she blacked out, was now carrying her, and she was once again completely tied up.

  Which meant he had decided against killing her.

  For now.

  Ashley lifted her head a little, though the small movement caused more nausea and pain. There was no one behind them, but she could hear someone walki
ng ahead, sniffling every now and again.

  Kim.

  There didn't seem to be anyone else with them, or if there was, they were moving silently. Which meant the woman Ashley had gutted had been left behind. Perhaps Ashley's attack had been enough to kill her?

  Regardless of whatever grow-a-new-ass properties these freaks seemed to have, surely slicing open her stomach and cutting into the brain like that would be enough to make things permanent? Then again, the faceless man seemed to still be operating with a hole in his head and his brains scrambled. How they managed to survive such things was beyond Ashley, and she was pretty sure it always would be.

  The pounding in the back of her head seemed to be growing worse, and she let out a woozy moan.

  'Ah,' the man said, without stopping or altering his movements, 'looks like someone's awake. Have to say, girlie, you impressed me a little back there. Did a real good job on my sister. Going to be a while before she is back to normal and able to get herself home.'

  Back to normal? After that? How was that even fucking possible?

  People weren't built to get back to normal after suffering such wounds. Certainly not without immediate medical attention and a shit ton of luck.

  'What are you people?' Ashley asked.

  'Just a family,' the man answered, 'doing what we need to do to get by.'

  'No,' Ashley said, still woozy. 'I mean, how come nothing can hurt you?'

  'Things hurt us plenty, I guarantee you that. You think Claudia isn't in pain after what you did to her? Shit, she'll be feeling that for months.'

  'But she isn't dead.'

  'No,' he said, 'she isn't. Takes a little more than that to put us down for good.'

  'How is that possible?'

  The man laughed. 'People don't tend to find that out, it's kind of a trade secret.' Ashley stayed silent, knowing she’d wasted her time asking. To her surprise, the man actually carried on. 'But you may well get to know. Have some things to talk to Mother and Father about when I get back. About you, actually. Might be that you end up finding out more about us than most do.'

  Ashley had no idea what that meant, and had no desire to find out, though she knew she wouldn't get a lot of say in the matter.