Demented (Sinister Tales Book 1) Page 11

  The man walked away, heading back up the hill to his car. Kylie stayed where she was, resting her head against the rocks and feeling mixed emotions. Her cries stayed inside her head and tears never left her eyes.

  Ten minutes passed after the man had left before she felt brave enough to finally get up. Dirt and little pebbles made her shirt their home until she swiped them all away with her hand. She brought herself to her feet, balancing herself before she walked over the rocks and went back the way she came in.

  She looked back at the glowing pair of eyes in the water before she turned the corner. “Well, look who finally came out to play.” The man stood there, smiling at her, grabbing Kylie before she could run off. “No fighting or screaming and I’ll be easy on you,” he warned her as he took her under the bridge. His right hand pressed against her mouth while his left hand pointed at the creature in the water. “See that? I could throw you in the water to him. I’m sure he’d love a good meal right now. You see, I don’t appreciate liars. There was no one waiting for you, I checked. No one was on the phone with you. So many girls used that trick on me before.” His tone grew from smooth and calm to frustrated and aggravated. “You’re just like the other girls. I should throw you in now and not waste another second worrying about you.” He forced her to look into the eyes of the gator.

  Kylie screamed into his hand, but he pressed his palm more into her mouth to muffle the sound. She dug her teeth into his palm, tearing out pieces of his skin. Her elbow went flying into his stomach. As he was bent over, she pushed him over and sent him falling into the water. She spit out the bits of his flesh that were still in her mouth. She used her feet and arms to push herself up the hill. When she reached the top, she took off running. Kylie grabbed her phone out of her pocket, attempting to dial 911.

  Her fingers touched the screen, pressing the 9 button. But before she could press the other numbers, the soaked man tackled her. He climbed on top of her, forcing his body weight on her to pin her down. She held tightly on her phone as she hit him with it, using the only thing she had as a weapon.

  He snatched it from her, throwing the phone down the hill. It eventually landed into the water. Then he turned to Kylie who fought him with all her might, scratching at him and digging her nails into his face. Blood spilled out of his wounds, making its way down his cheek then dripping off his chin onto Kylie’s clothes.

  He lifted one balled fist and hit her hard on the face, knocking her unconscious. His punch left an ugly red mark on her face. He picked her up and threw her limp body over his shoulders. Then, he carried her through the forest, where his house was.

  As the man walked into the house, he let go of the girl, causing her to fall onto the couch. His face remained emotionless as he grabbed a chair and rope. “Same thing. Just another girl, but this girl is different. Something about her. She’s different.” he said, convincing himself that she was special. His face brightened up and his voice sounded more cheerful as he spoke. A smile appeared on his face when he looked down at Kylie’s body.

  He tied her hands together behind the chair and he watched her until she awoke. He never looked away, not even for a second. He stared at her chest as she breathed, observing her body moving up and down repeatedly at the same pace without missing a beat.

  An hour passed when her dazed eyes opened, looking around at her new surroundings. Panic flashed in them when they landed on the man in front of her.

  “I thought about it while you were sleeping.” He sat back on the couch, watching her eyebrows knit together as she narrowed her eyes at him. “About why you’re different,” he continued. “You fought while the others never did. They just begged for me not to hurt them. All of them were stupid enough to take the ride and talk to me, but you never did. You’re going to be my favorite trophy.” His hands reached for a box sitting on a stand, then brought it up close to Kylie so she could look its contents. He opened the box and showed that it contained several locks of hair that were kept in a small bags with names on it—names of his past victims.

  The man walked over to the kitchen, searching through the drawers. Meanwhile, Kylie had found her way out of the rope but she didn’t make a move just yet. She needed the perfect timing.

  “Aha!” He found the scissors. He walked towards her confidently, as if he had just won a championship. “Now don’t move.” He brought the scissors close to her face, pausing to decide which spot to cut.

  Kylie quickly grabbed the scissors and stabbed him in the eye. He fell back, wailing. She pushed him on the floor and got on top of him. He pulled the scissors out, tearing his eyeball from its socket as she did so. Without hesitation, she jabbed the scissors into his throat and kept it lodged there.

  He smiled at her, using his last breath to speak to her. “I knew you were different.” He forced the scissors out of his throat, too weak to fight back. Blood spurted from his throat. He began to choke on his own blood. As he fell, blood spilled onto the wooden floors. Pride filled his eyes when he looked at her. He stared at her until life finally escaped him.

  Kylie left the house, dragging his body somewhere it’d never be found. She scoped the forest, looking for the right spot. She saw the bridge off in the distance and an idea popped in her head. She made her way through the forest and headed towards the area under the bridge. The same pair of glowing eyes were in the water, watching her. Kylie lifted the body and threw it into the water.

  A few seconds later, she saw the eyes moved towards the man’s body. The gator didn’t hesitate as it chomped onto the man, crushing his bones and eating every bit of him. She watched, making sure no trace of him would be left behind.

  Then she started to walk home. She didn’t bother to clean the blood off of her before she left. There was not another car in sight as Kylie made her way home.

  Her hand turned the doorknob to her house, it was still dark. She walked in, hearing the sounds of the television on. “You’re late, you said you’d be home about two hours ago,” her father spoke, not having seen the way she looked.

  “I’m sorry, won’t happen again.” Her voice remained unemotional as she made her way to her room. Kylie walked into her bedroom and grabbed a random jewelry box from her nightstand, tossing all of the expensive rings and necklaces on her bed. “My first trophy.” She placed a lock of the man’s hair into the box. She smiled to herself, madness shining in her eyes.

  Fate

  When Richard finally finds love, what will he do to keep it?

  “Hello?” Richard called out, walking through the beaded curtain. Inside the room was a table, with a chair on either side of it. A decorative mat decorated the table. Posters hung on the walls and books about magic filled the shelves. There were also a couple of boxes that were filled with things he could not quite recognize.

  “Yes?” Tamara, a blonde woman came through a different entrance. She poked her head out see Richard standing there.

  “I’m here to see Tamara.” He sounded unsure whether he got the name right or not. “Or a name close to that.” His shoved his hands into his pockets and started awkwardly swaying his body.

  “That’s me.” She held her head up with a sweet smile. “Sit.”

  “I’m Richard.” He took a seat, feeling his jitters become obvious in his voice. “My friend says you’re really good.”

  “Your friend is right, Richard.” She sat at the chair across from him and took a good look at him. She noticed his messy brown hair and dull brown eyes. She took note of the bags under his eyes, guessing that he might not have had much sleep lately. “Calm down, I’m not going to eat you.” She laughed. “Give me your hands.” She reached out her hand, waiting for him to comply.

  He lifted his hands nervously, bringing them close to hers. She grabbed them and held on to them as she closed her eyes and bobbed her head up and down.

  “What do you see?” he asked, looking at her then staring back at his hands.

  “Shhh.” She hushed him, nodding her head more. “Yes, yes.
” She opened her eyes, let go of his hands and looked directly at him. “You came to talk to me about something important, something that has bothered you.” Tamara paused for a few seconds to study his reaction. “Love?” she asked.

  “How’d you know? Oh wait. Yeah, you’re fortune teller.” He laughed, out of nervousness and embarrassment. “I don’t have very good luck with women.”

  “Tell me more.” Tamara leaned closer into the table, intrigued by his love issues. Richard looked at her cautiously. “It’s okay, I’m not here to judge. I’m here to help.” Her hands patted his out of comfort.

  A sigh escaped his lips before he started. “Several times before, I thought I found love, but I always end up being disappointed. You see, my ex-girlfriends…They were, well…” He could not find the words to describe them.

  “Hurtful? Evil?”

  “No, I was thinking something along the lines of rotten.” His eyes dropped. “They never did love me. They led me on all the time, not thinking of my feelings.”

  “So they were selfish?”

  “Exactly. That’s the perfect word to describe them.” He played with his fingers. “I came to you to see if there was something you could do to help improve my situation?”

  “You know what I think?” Richard paid close attention as she spoke. “I think love was testing you, seeing if you could handle the tough trails of love and deceitful women. You gave them all the love you could give, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then, you’re passing the tests. I have a feeling that you’ll be finding love very soon.” The reassurance in her voice made him smile hopefully.

  “That makes me feel better. Is there anything you could give me? Like a potion for love or good luck on love?” His voice faltered. “Never mind, I’m pretty sure that sounds ridiculous. Probably doesn’t even exist.”

  “Nonsense. I have just the thing.” The fortune teller scooted her chair back. She got up and patted his shoulder as she passed him to head to a door.

  The door opened, revealing shelves full of things. Tamara stepped out of view as she walked to the back of the room. She picked up an empty glass bottle and pouring water into it from a water bottle she had sitting in there weeks ago. With the water, she added little flavorings, including sugar and salt. Twisting the top of the bottle, she shook it until she was certain it was shaken up enough. Her hands went rifling through shelves until she found an empty label and pen. On the label, she wrote; “For Love Needs.” Tamara set the pen down, walking out of the back of the room to where Richard was waiting patiently.

  “Found it.” She shook the tinted glass bottle, setting it on the table. “It’s going to cost extra though.”

  “Okay, yeah, anything.” He pulled out his wallet, and tossed money onto the table.

  She counted in her head two hundred dollars. “Let’s get this started,” she said with glee in her voice. “First, I’m going to need you to drink this.” Richard began to reach for it, but she swiped his hand away. “Not yet. It may have a sweet, salty taste to it as I’ve been told by customers who’ve used it.”

  “Has it worked for them?” Curiosity filled his eyes.

  “Yes.” She nodded her head. “After you drink it, focus on the love you wish you had. Think of a girl, maybe a girl from your work or someone you’ve known for a while. Think about stuff like that as I chant. Get it?”

  “I think so.”

  “You need to. Or else it won’t work.” Her eyes stared into his, looking for an emotion. All she saw was nervousness. “You don’t have to be nervous. I don’t have to do this if you don’t want it.”

  “I do,” he shouted. “I’m sorry, I do though. I really want this.” he said quietly.

  “It’s time.” She smirked at him, sliding him the bottle. He grabbed the bottle, taking the top off and chugging it down. He closed his eyes, thinking of what the woman told him to do. “Give this man mercy. Help him find the one he loves, the one that he deserves and one that deserves him. Let them live a happy, long life together. Never let this man feel the pain of rejection ever again. Help him find his soul mate.” She stopped and he opened his eyes, looking at her with a grin plastered on his face.

  “I think it worked. Thanks so much.” He tossed more money on the table, leaving without another word.

  “Thank you, love-deprived man.”

  She laughed, sitting back in the chair, resting her feet on the table. She counted the cash he tossed on the table. Her eyes peered up at the clock, checking the time. “8:39? Shit!” She hastily grabbed her things, shoving the money into her purse then exited through the front door of her shop. She brought the phone up to her ear, calling her daughter. “I’m sorry, I was caught up in work. I’m coming to pick you up from practice now.” Tamara left a voicemail then placed the phone back into her pocket.

  She reached for the door handle but she was yanked back. Her body went crashing against the asphalt, eyes gazing up at the person who knocked her down. “I think I found the one for me.” He walked towards her. She was frozen in place. “You.” The word triggered her senses, placing them on high alert. She got up on her feet and took off towards the road. Cars passed by, but none stopped to help the obviously distraught woman.

  He caught up with her and dragged her back to his car. His hand snaked its way around her neck, smashing it into the car door and knocking her unconscious. Tamara’s body fell to the ground.

  “I’ve got you.” Richard spoke softly to her, caressing her face. He picked her up bridal style and threw her into the back of his car. He drove off, taking the back alleys, the ones with barely any cars lurking around. Tamara remained unconscious the whole ride to Richard’s home.

  He pulled up in front of a nice, one-story house. His nearest neighbors were a mile from his home, so he was ensured privacy. He stepped out of the car and took Tamara with him. “Come on, honey,” he spoke to her as if she were conscious. He wrapped one hand around her while he used the other to fumble with the key to open the front door. The inside of his house was pitch black as he walked in. He reached for the switch, lighting up the living room. From there, he took her into his room and tossed her onto the bed. His hands found the switch, bringing light into his small room. Handcuffs hung on the wall. He grabbed them and cuffed to the bed.

  “What…Where am I?” Tamara mumbled as she woke up, staring around the room.

  “You’re in our bedroom, darling,” he answered, watching her body as she struggled to move against the handcuffs.

  “I’m not the one for you. I have my own family.” Her voice remained calm as she talked to him.

  Richard took a seat on the bed. “How can you have another family when it’s obvious we’re in love?”

  “You need to find another girl. I’m no good, trust me.”

  He chuckled. “Don’t be modest, you’re perfect.” His body scooted closer to her as he moved his hand up her leg.

  “Back off,” she warned him, moving her legs away from him.

  He did not listen as he touched her, trying to undo her the button of her pants. Tamara kicked him in the chest, sending him flying off the bed and onto the ground. He got up, looking furious but he controlled his anger. With caution, he moved closer to her. “Now I know it must be hard knowing our love is so strong. I knew it the very first moment I saw you. I knew you were the one. When you said all those things about love and made me drink the potion, it gave me clarity. It showed me that it was you.”

  “I gave you sugar and salt mixed with water, it’s all in your head. There is no me and you,” she yelled at the top of her lungs. “Get me the fuck out of these cuffs.” She fought against them. She yanked her hands as far as they would go, leaving red marks around her wrists. “Get me out,” she screamed once again.

  “You lied to me?” He looked at her in disbelief. “You made me fall in love with you?” He turned his head in confusion. “You’re leading me on to break my heart just like my exes!” He shook his head in denial, covering
his ears. “No. No. No! No!” He shouted, shaking his head some more.

  “I didn’t lead you on. I thought some confidence would help you find a nice girl,” she explained.

  “I thought I found a nice girl.” He shot her a hateful look. “But she betrayed me just like the others.”

  “Just let me go and we’ll find you a soulmate.”

  “I can’t…I can’t trust you.” Richard turned away from her, pacing back and forth across the room. “What do I do? Richard, what do I do?” He spoke to himself. “Thinking room. Ah, thinking room!” He walked towards her, taking the cuffs off of her. “Run and I’ll slit that pretty little neck of yours.” He smiled then took her by the wrist out of the room.

  As he dragged her, she struggled to keep up with him. They arrived at a door. It looked just like the others. He pulled a key from his pocket and unlocked it. “Where are you taking me?” She asked, looking at him with fear in her eyes.

  “Thinking room,” he responded calmly. He opened the door, the darkness inviting them in. Richard walked halfway down, taking Tamara with him. He stopped and pulled a string, revealing the basement. Tamara shrieked, tears flowing down her face. “No windows, no doors, nothing. The perfect thinking room. You can think along with my other rotten ex-girlfriends until you learn to love me. The real kind of love.” He smiled at the rotting corpses of the women he captured in the past. “Soon, you will learn to love me.”

  One Last Game

  One more time couldn’t hurt, right?

  “Hey, sorry guys, I’m late. My sister decided to tag along.” Elizabeth motioned to her nine-year-old sister, Brenda.