by Jon Athan
Terri stuttered, “I–I don't know... Like, are you talking about right now? Before school?”
“Yeah, before and during school... I'm asking if you want to ditch and hang out for a while.”
Terri held her books close to her chest and slumped her head down. She blushed as she stared down at her feet. Like her best friend, Jessica, she secretly liked Mason. She was also susceptible to peer pressure.
Mason smiled and said, “Come on. It'll be fun. Don't be a loser like these guys.”
Terri responded, “I'm just... It sounds stupid, I know, but I'm just scared of getting in trouble. My mom will kill me if she found out I was ditching.”
“Don't worry about that, Terri. I'm not going to let you get in trouble, okay? I'm going to take care of you. I promise.”
Terri held her books closer to her chest as she contemplated the offer. She couldn't resist the opportunity to spend time with her high school crush. She was blinded by his suave demeanor and appearance – his soft voice, his stylishly tousled hair, his glowing eyes. She couldn't read his true intentions, though. She didn't know he was simply trying to hurt Andrew with the invitation.
Terri nodded and said, “Okay. I'll go with you.”
Mason smirked and winked at Andrew as Terri sat behind him on the bicycle. He waved at his friends, then he pedaled away from the school. Andrew opened his mouth to speak, but he could not utter a word. He could only stand and watch as his crush cruised away from Mason. A friend, he thought, or is he an enemy?
Zachary said, “That dude is on a winning streak, man. He got lucky yesterday, he's going to get lucky today. He's probably going to–”
“Shut up, Zach,” Andrew interrupted. As he glared at the bike, Andrew whispered, “He's not getting lucky. He's... I don't know what he's doing.”
“Was that Terri?” a girl asked from behind the group.
Andrew hopped and gasped, startled. He turned and sighed in relief. Jessica stood behind him.
He asked, “What are you doing sneaking up on people? Fuck, man, you're going to make me shit myself next time you do that.” He glanced back at Mason and Terri. He said, “Yeah, that was Terri.”
“Terri and Mason,” Dominick clarified. “They're ditching today. Well, Terri is ditching. Mason is already suspended so it doesn't matter to him.”
Stunned, Jessica said, “Terri... Terri left with Mason? Where?”
“Probably to the theater or his house. I don't think they'll go out in public since they'd probably get caught. I don't know, though.”
“Holy shit. Did she really just leave with him?”
Jessica shambled to the edge of the sidewalk. She stared at a crowded intersection as Mason and Terri waited for the light to change. The bell rang in the school behind her. It was too late to stop the pair. Concerned, she watched as the couple cruised down the street and escaped her vision.
Andrew tugged on her shoulder and said, “Come on. We gotta go before the second bell rings.”
Jessica nodded and said, “Yeah, yeah. Okay...”
She constantly glanced back at the intersection as she straggled behind her classmates. The group entered the school and began their day, unaware of Mason's hidden intentions.
Chapter Nine
A Date
Mason shoved the front door open and said, “Come on.”
Terri stood on the porch and stared into the house, anxious. She was an inexperienced teenager who followed the rules. If she entered the home, she felt as if she were signing a contract – or pushing herself into a corner.
Mason beckoned to Terri and said, “Everything's going to be okay, Terri. I promise.”
Terri asked, “Are... Are your parents home?”
“No. My dad is at work until five or six and my mom is out shopping. She won't be home until three. Come on, we have the whole house to ourselves.”
Terri blushed and nodded – okay. She followed Mason into the house. As her peer locked the door, she took a gander at the kitchen and living room. She was immediately awed by the sheer affluence and elegance of the home.
The kitchen's clean tile flooring, granite countertops, and open space were marvelous. She could only imagine the types of fresh meals the family ate. The spacious living room's fancy furniture also caught her eye. The 88-inch 4K high-definition television was especially impressive.
She stood on her tiptoes and stared at the pool through the glass doors in the living room. She was hypnotized by the water sparkling in the sun.
Terri asked, “Can I go for a swim?”
Mason approached and said, “I think we should watch a movie first. You know, so we can have time to hang out and talk. Then, maybe we can go skinny-dipping.”
Terri blushed and responded, “I never said anything about skinny-dipping.”
Mason chuckled as he walked up the stairs. He said, “You didn't have to. Come on, follow me.”
Terri followed Mason to the second floor. She barely caught a glimpse of him as he entered the first room to her right. She stared at the doorway from the top of the stairs. She had already signed the contract, she just had to fulfill her end of the deal. She pushed her hair behind her ears and inhaled deeply, then she entered the room.
To her utter surprise, Mason was not waiting for her on his bed – nude and erect, as she imagined. Instead, the young teenager turned on his television and browsed through the movies on his USB thumb drive. He didn't appear interested in sex.
Terri sighed in relief as she stared at her crush. She was convinced the young man was not a sex-starved pervert like many of her virgin classmates. The pair had the potential of becoming a real couple. True love, she thought, he actually wants to be my boyfriend. Butterflies flittered in her stomach as her heart rapidly pounded in her chest.
Mason beckoned to her and said, “You can sit down on the bed. It has the perfect view of the TV.”
As she sat on the bed, Terri said, “Thank you for convincing me to come over. I really... I really like you. It's probably a dumb question, but I thought I should ask you before I start dreaming about it. Is this a... a...”
“What? What is it?”
Twiddling her thumbs, Terri asked, “Is this a date? Like, an official date?”
Mason sat beside her and said, “I think so. If you want it to be a date, then it's a date.”
“I'd like that, but do you want it to be a date?”
“Yeah. I do.”
Mason leaned forward and caressed her cheek, then the pair shared a kiss. The kiss was simple – a peck on the lips, no slobber or slurping. The couple leaned away from each other and smiled. Terri felt love, Mason felt nothing.
Mason said, “Let me put on a movie so we can chill.”
He turned his attention to the television as he browsed through his options. He didn't want to scare Terri out of his house, so he figured he should keep it as light as possible. The infamous Guinea Pig movie series and A Serbian Film were taken off the table. Torture would scar the young girl. He stopped on a French film titled: Inside.
As he pressed play, Mason said, “This one is violent, but it's really good.”
Terri asked, “What's it about?”
“It's a home invasion movie. You know, kind of like The Strangers and The Purge? The first one, at least,” Mason said. Terri nodded – I know them. Mason continued, “Well, it's like that. It's about a pregnant woman who is attacked by this other woman who wants her baby. It's... It's crazy stuff, but I think you'll like it. This is real horror, Terri. Ghosts and all of that is scary, but it's also fun. This... This isn't so much fun. I hope you like it 'cause I love it.”
Perplexed by his speech, Terri said, “Okay... Well, I hope I like it, too. I don't really like nasty movies, but I'll watch it with you.”
The couple sat on the bed and watched the movie. Terri held her hand over her face and peeked between her fingers during the most violent scenes. She even squirmed closer to her date and hid behind his shoulder. She was disturbed by the mo
vie, but she felt comfortable around Mason – her knight in shining armor.
Mason's eyes were glued on the screen during the feature presentation. He didn't speak French, but he memorized every word. He mouthed his favorite lines as Terri flinched and shuddered beside him. His eyes widened with each drop of blood. The couple came from different ends of the spectrum – unbeknownst to Terri.
***
The film ended and the credits rolled. Mason grinned and clapped, praising the film's gruesome finale – Encore! Encore! Terri wiped the beads of sweat from her brow and sighed in relief. Mason's dream ended while Terri escaped from a nightmare.
Terri nervously laughed, then she said, “That was very nasty.”
“It wasn't nasty. It was real.”
“I think that was the problem. It was too real, you know? It felt like I was watching real people dying. It was all just so... so violent. It's kind of creepy if you ask me. I can't believe you actually love these kind of movies.”
Mason furrowed his brow and asked, “Don't you?”
Trying to keep a smile on her face, Terri grimaced and said, “It's a little gross.”
“I guess it's kinda gross, but it's supposed to be like that. It makes it, you know, more effective. This movie isn't even the nastiest one out there. There are a lot of extreme movies and I think they're very important.”
Terri repeated, “Important?” She asked, “What do you mean? Like, important to movie history or something?”
With zany eyes, vibrant and enthusiastic, Mason said, “Human history. Like I said, ghost movies and stuff like that are fun. This is actually scary, though. It's scary because it can actually happen. It's scary because people actually do shit like this to each other. Humans do bad things – nasty things. Just look at the news, Terri. These crazy assholes in the Middle East are chopping off heads and raping kids! That's scary, isn't it?! It's scary 'cause it's real, but no one wants to talk about it.”
Baffled, Terri leaned away from the young man and analyzed his peculiar demeanor. She was amazed by his passionate speech and sincere defense of extreme cinema. Although she was not a fan of the content, she agreed with Mason's statement. Taste in media aside, the boy was blunt, rational, and honest.
Terri said, “I guess you're right. People are disgusting in real life, so why shouldn't they be disgusting in movies? Everything isn't some animated fairy tale. I saw clips about all the stuff that's happening over there... It's crazy.” Wide-eyed, she leaned closer to Mason and said, “It's crazy here, too. I was talking to my mom about that missing boy. Carlos, you know? She said he was probably taken by some pervert. I mean, that perv could be living right next door to me or you! He could be doing anything to that kid.”
Mason smirked and said, “He could be anyone and he could be anywhere. I don't think that boy was taken by some old man, though. I think something bad happened to him. Something really bad.”
“H–How... How do you know that?”
“You're saying too much, Masey,” the television said. Mason furrowed his brow and glanced over at the television. Before the boy could utter a word, the TV said, “You know I'm right, kiddo. You've already planted a seed of suspicion in her little mind. At the first sign of trouble, she's going to be raising red flags and telling everyone about everything.”
Mason stuttered, “S–So, what do I...what do I do?”
“You have to close your loose ends, Masey. You have to get rid of her before she ruins your plans. Kill her, boy.”
“Are... Are you sure?”
Terri glanced at the television, then back at Mason – befuddled. She couldn't find a logical reason for her date's erratic behavior. He appeared to be talking to someone, but there was no one else in the bedroom. She cracked a smile as an idea dawned onto her. He's joking around, she thought, he's trying to scare me.
Terri asked, “Are you done with this little game? Can we go for a swim now?”
Mason stood from the bed and said, “Wait here. I have to grab something real quick.”
Astonished, Terri giggled and asked, “What?”
Mason did not respond. With stiff shoulders, he walked out of his bedroom. The creaky stairs could be heard from the room.
Terri anxiously laughed and shrugged as she stared at the door, confused. She glanced at the television and pondered Mason's questions: what do I do? Are you sure? She tried to find the joke in his act, but she couldn't find any humor in the situation. Still, she remained seated with a twitching smile on her face. She stared at the doorway and waited for Mason's return.
The home was eerily silent, though. The trees rustled in the backyard, the water clashed in the pool, and a few birds chirped on the roof. The interior of the home, however, was dead silent. The floorboards did not creak, the pipes did not groan. It was as if Mason had left the house without telling her.
Terri slowly stood from the bed and leaned forward, trying to get a better view of the hall. She asked, “Mason, is everything okay? Mason, are you there?” There was no response. She coughed to clear her throat, then she said, “I think I should go back to school now. Okay? I was... I think I was wrong. I don't want to get in trouble. I'm going to go now. Okay?”
Once again, no one answered.
***
Terri gasped and stepped in reverse as the sound of footsteps emerged – the creaky stairs. She held her trembling hands to her chest and watched the doorway, terrified. Someone was approaching. One, two, three, four, five steps – she sighed in relief as Mason stood in the doorway.
Terri said, “Oh, God, it's just you. I don't think I should watch scary movies anymore. I thought you were–”
She stopped mid-sentence, her eyes widening and jaw dangling. Mason held a steel claw hammer in his right hand. His arm trembled as he tightly gripped the handle. His eyes appeared feral, sharp and malevolent. He was not enigmatic. His heart could be read like a generic romance novel – he was wicked.
As he approached, Terri stepped in reverse and stuttered, “Wha–What are you–”
She slipped and tumbled down to her butt. She crawled in reverse and indistinctly yammered, trying to make sense of the situation. Senseless acts of violence did not make sense, though.
Mason ran towards Terri. He fell on top of her and straddled her chest. She flailed her limbs in every direction, slapping at the psychopathic teenager's arms and face, but to no avail. He was not injured by her weak slaps.
He gritted his teeth as he tightly gripped her throat with his left hand – digging his fingers into her neck. He lifted her head from the floor, then he smashed the back of her head on the hardwood floorboards. Despite her gasping and crying, he repeated the process.
Terri scratched Mason's wrist and stuttered, “Pl–Please, don't...” With bloodshot eyes, she stared at Mason and begged for mercy – but she could see he was determined. Tears streaming down her blushed cheeks, she croaked, “I liked you... I really liked you.”
Gazing into her eyes, Mason held the hammer over his head and said, “I liked you, too.”
He struck Terri with the hammer. The thud of steel hitting bone echoed through the room. With the first hit, a small laceration formed towards the center of her brow. The young girl was immediately disoriented by the attack. Her eyelids flickered as she shuddered uncontrollably. The entire room spun around her.
Mason held the hammer over his head, then he struck her again. The gash on her forehead worsened with the second hit. Blood squirted from the wound, splattering on Mason's shirt and face. Thud – he hit her again in the same location.
Barely clinging to life, Terri mumbled, “Don't... Do–Don't hurt me. I don't... I don't want to die.”
“Shut up!” Mason barked. He leaned towards his left and tugged on Terri's shoulder. He said, “Turn around. I want to show you real pain. I want to show you human horror. What you see in the movies, in TV... It ain't shit.”
Against her will, Mason flipped Terri over. Lips and nose planted on the dusty floorboards, she reste
d on her stomach without any hope of escaping. Blood dripped from the wound on her brow, plopping on a puddle under her face.
Mason grabbed a fistful of her hair and lifted her head up. He said, “They like beheading and shit over there in the Middle East. Shit, the cartels even love it in Mexico. I don't have the tools for that, so I can't cut your stupid head off.” He chuckled as he leaned closer to her ear. He said, “They don't teach us this in school, but, did you know: Native Americans weren't the only people who scalped their enemies; Europeans did it, too, and they loved it. Humans are fucked up, aren't they? Let's see if I can match them.”
“N–No, please...”
Disregarding Terri's pleas, Mason twisted the hammer so the claw faced away from him. He held the hammer over his head and inhaled deeply, trying to keep a steady hand. As if the boy had the hands of a skilled surgeon, he masterfully struck Terri with the claw of the hammer. The claw dug into the gash on her brow, buried in her scalp and cracking her skull.
Terri shrieked as Mason tugged on the hammer. The sound of shredding skin, like thin fabric being torn to shreds, echoed through the room. Blood dripped out of her forehead as part of her scalp was ripped from her skull. The young girl gasped for air as she struggled to breathe. She went into shock, her legs violently trembling and saliva foaming in her mouth.
Yet, the boy did not stop tugging. He loudly exhaled and stumbled back as he lost his balance. Terri's head fell to the floor, half of her scalp dangling away from her skull. The bloodied hammer was still buried in her scalp, too. She squirmed and panted, then she stopped. She wasn't breathing. She involuntarily twitched here and there, but she was dead.
Mason swiped at his nose, smearing the blood on his face. He stared down at her bloodied head and smiled, amused.
He said, “Shit, I really fucked it up. That was a botch job. I didn't think she would die just like that. I didn't even get to rip it all off. I didn't get to crush her face like that stupid kid in the woods. I didn't get to do anything fun.”
