DECEMBER 3, 1956
Ricky Vernon sat in the playground bench, hand over his right cheek, crying. Donald Williams, Anita Benson, Jackie Connor, and Paula Sampson stood around him chanting. “Crack face, crack face, crack face… so ugly he made a tree fall down, so weird he couldn’t be a clown, the only place he’d fit in is underground… ugly little crack face…” they screamed.
Ruth Sawyer, Charlotte Ray, and Laura Carter came running over. “Get away from him!” they all screamed. “Shut your gobbling pie hole” Laura said. “Oh, Laura likes dog face because her mommy doesn’t love her. Laura and Crack Face sitting in a tree, together they’re hogging all the U-G-L-Y.” Paula said. “Shut it Paula.” Laura said, “We all know your mother doesn’t love you because she’s to busy cheating on your father because he’s a low down drunk.”
Paula stood there staring at Laura. “We all know your mom’s a whore.” Paula said snidely. “Why I oughta...” Laura said. “Oughta what?” Paula said, “ Your to fat to even move.” Laura turned around and started to walk away. “Laura’s a wimp, Laura’s a wimp.” Paula said. Laura turned on her heel and slugged Paula in the nose. Paula fell to the ground.
“Come on Rick.” Laura said reaching out her hand. Rick smiled and took Laura’s hand. The two walked away together. “You got a girlfriend?” Laura asked. “No.” Rick said in a low voice. “You do now.” Laura said.
Later that evening Rick walked home with Laura by his side. As they walked by Carlson’s General Store some older kids walked out of the Alley. David Williams, Paul Benson and Lucille Sampson stopped Rick and Laura in their tracks. Laura screamed as Paul Benson took a glass bottle from behind his back and smashed it across Rick’s face. Laura tried to run as Lucille Sampson grabbed her by her hair and threw her to the ground. “No one beats on my sister.” Lucille said. Laura dug her fingernails into the side of the General Store, as she was drug into the dark alley.
David Williams pulled a board from the side of the store and smashed it into Rick’s face. Rick rolled over as Paul kicked him in the ribs. Rick spat blood and Paul kicked him in the face. Laura screamed as Lucille sat on top of her smashing her face with a brick. Lucille got tired of swinging the brick and stood to whip Laura with a piece of steel cable.
Laura screamed as she was whipped with the cable. She laid on the dirt ground clinching her fist, pulling on dirt, trying to escape. Laura caught onto the brick and tried to pull it into her grasp. “Oh no you don’t.” Lucille screamed as she lashed Laura across the back for the final time. She threw the cable to the ground and pulled Laura toward her.
“This won’t hurt on little bit.” Lucille said as she grabbed the brick again. She swung the brick into the side of Laura’s face. Laura turned her head to the side and spat out eight teeth. Laura grabbed the cable and wrapped a third of it around her hand. She readied herself and swung the cable, it caught Lucille in the neck as its crude point tore her flesh open. Her eyes widened as she poured out blood and fell onto the ground gasping for her last bits of air.
David punched Rick in the eye, breaking his eye socket. Paul swung the piece of wood into Rick’s leg splintering the bone. David turned and noticed Lucille lying on the ground. “Paul.” David said. Paul turned and screamed in disgust. “We’ve got to get out of here.” David shouted. Paul dropped the board onto the ground and the two disappeared into the shadows.
Rick lay on the ground, gushing blood from his mouth. Torn flesh revealed facial muscles as Rick yelled for help. Laura laid a few feet away from Rick. Her face, a crumpled pile of flesh, bone, and teeth, was motionless as she entered an almost comatose state. Lucille lay on top of Laura, still squirting blood from her neck.
Three hours later Mr. Carlson walked into the alley arms full of trash. “Holy Father.” He said, bags falling from his arms. He turned and rushed back inside to call 911. Fifteen minutes later he stood watching as Rick, Laura, and Lucille were hauled away. Mr. Carlson scraped the ground trying to soak up the gallons of blood with sand.
Ten minutes later the Crawson Memorial Hospital filled with tension. “Help me!!! We’re dying! Am I ok? I can’t feel my legs! Where’s my daddy??? Why can’t I see?” Laura screamed. She thrashed her hands around, broken fingers limply flying through the air. Her and Paul were rushed into surgery. Seven hours later they were taken into plastic surgery for facial repair.
“How does something like this happen to a seven year old?” asked Doctor Morgan. “The devil got angry and he had to do something.” Said Ms. Cuttle. “Oh lord Kathy, get that crap out of your mind. Was this scar here before?” the doctor asked. “Yes, it’s horribly ugly, poor thing.” Ms. Cuttle said as she scurried away. “I’ll take car of that for him.” The doctor said. Two hours later the horrible scar had vanished.
After ten months of recovery and physical therapy Rick and Laura were released from the hospital. They had become very close friends over their recovery. They emerged into the world as new people, people with a second chance at life. While in recovery the world around them had moved on, forgotten them, no one remembered them.
AUGUST 28, 1965
Rick Vernon walked out of his loft apartment. He turned and waited, “Are you coming Laura?” he asked. “Just a minute.” She replied. “We’re gonna be late.” He yelled, “ This is our last year of school and we’re gonna be late.” She finally came outside and they left.
That evening Rick went to the Crawson Food Market to apply for a job. “Don’t I know you?” Mr. Crawson asked. “Yes, you do.” Rick said, but that’s from another life.” “Well enough of all this. I need a butcher, Arthur’s getting to old and he keeps leaving bone in the meat. You want the job?” the old man asked. “Yes.” Rick replied.
JULY 23, 1977
“Rick, there’s been a shortage of cattle coming in, the economies just not making it possible anymore.” Mr. Crawson said. “Mr. Crawson. I’ve been working here since I was seventeen. I will do anything to stay here, I love this place.” Rick said. “Sure thing Rick, just repair these old floor tiles whenever you get a chance, they’re cracking faster than an old woman’s foot skin.” Mr. Crawson said. “Thanks.” Rick replied.
Rick washed the Butcher’s Shop and went over to the registers to help out with the crowd. “I’m open.” Rick yelled as he flicked on the sad yellow light. A crowd of people came running over to his register lane. “Jesus.” He yelled as a woman with four children knocked over the candy rack sending small generic candy packages everywhere.
Rick let the small yellow light die when he finished ringing up the customers waiting for him. He went over to collect the small candies. His face fell as he stood up the candy rack to reveal a cracked white tile. He finished cleaning up the mess and returned behind his small register station. He flicked on the light once again and was flooded with customers.
It was a quarter until six when he finally got his last customer of the day. The man had walked up to him wearing shade glasses. Eggs, Bacon, Oranges, Tequila, and a bag of potato chips. How healthy, Rick thought until he looked up, his jaw dropping.
The man had taken off the shades and was starring at Rick. “Oh, well if it isn’t crack face.” David Williams said, “What happened to your scar?” “Wouldn’t you like to know?” Rick said. “Look, I know you’re here, you killed my Lucille, I want your brain squashed under my foot.” He said. “Well you come back around eleven and we’ll see how it goes, oh and don’t forget Paul.” Rick said. David smiled and walked away.
Rick stood there waiting, wanting the clock to strike eleven, but frowned to find it was only seven.
He stood there wearing the fake smile many people would be happy to be able to pull off. His mind wandered of what to do to make the time pass, there were still two hours until the store closed. He walked around to the opposite side of the register and flicked a brown roach off of a candy bar. He smiled as the bug landed on the floor with a great cracking of its shell.
He wandered through the store, bored, very bored. He mopped the floors, still almost two hours ‘til closing. He wiped down his rotating belt, and scrubbed the mildew from the drink machines basket. He walked around wiping scuffmarks off the floor. Still an hour and a half left. He would never make it to closing, and then there would still be two hours until eleven.
He walked the isles, placing every box and can in its correct position and angle. He cleaned the windows, and the public restroom. He walked around swatting flies that tried to hide on the walls. He changed the lights in the freezers. He even dusted the boxes of crackers. Finally the store closed.
He still had two hours until he would get his second chance for freedom, his first for revenge. He went outside to the spider infested storage building and got out a pallet of tiles. He went back inside and chipped away at two tiles. His eyes grew wide as he saw the tiles were meant to float to allow extra storage area. His grim plan began to snowball in his mind.
He sat the tile in place and waxed the floor. Trying to pass time he repeated everything he had done before. This time he did it all in half the time of the first. He was bored, very bored. He stood between to register stations flicking the lights on and off, on and off, on and off, then it was ten fifty seven.
He walked to the front of the store and unlocked the door. Waiting, waiting, they were late. Aggravated he walked to the Butcher’s Shop and waited. Finally at eleven thirty he heard the bell in the front door give a slight ring. He stood there smiling, hoping, thinking, and waiting.
“David’s on his way.” Paul Benson said, “Jesus, you’ve gotten tall, about six foot seven. Good, the harder you’ll fall.” “Please, Paul, don’t bore me with your lame idiotic skills of communication. I’m afraid I’d rather wait for David in silence, so you’ll just have to be put away so you don’t spoil.” Rick said calmly.
“What?” Paul asked. “Don’t be ignorant Paul.” Rick replied. Paul stood blankly. Rick lunged forward and threw Paul over his shoulder. “No, I’ll kill you, you big dumb bastard!” Paul shouted. Rick threw Paul onto the floor, cracking another tile, and kicked Paul in his jaw. The freezer doors slammed as Paul was thrown onto the cold floor, his jaw held on by only skin and muscle.
At twelve on the dot the bell rang once again. David walked into the barely lit store. He went to the back toward the light. He heard a noise, fainter it grew then loudly “David.” He jumped around and went down the frozen food isle. Faint, the noise coming from every corner, fainter, he turned around in circles, “David!” the voice shouted. Once again he jumped.
“David!!” the voice screamed in his ear, he jumped forward into a shelf full of VHS’s, the plastic cases flying across the floor. The voice, the hum of the old food freezers, the sounds of footsteps, the sound of the wheezing old clock, nothing, and then “David!!!” He threw himself around falling into the shelf of toys, throwing an open canister of marbles across the floor. Silence, the voice again, silence, the scattering of the marbles, silence, “David!!!!”
David made his way toward the back again. “David, David, David, David, David!!!!!” the voice screamed. He heard a noise behind him, he turned to look, the potato chip row behind him. There was a rustling. “DAVID!” the voice screamed as Rick jumped out of the potato chips slamming a meat hook into David’s shoulder.
David moaned as the hook tore his shoulder muscles. Rick dragged him into the back, through the deli and into the employee locker room. Rick laid David down on the floor and took a single locker that was against the wall and pushed it over, the door fell open. Rick picked David up, blood gushing from his shoulder, and dumped him into the locker, removing the hook, and locking the door shut. “Don’t go anywhere.” Rick said as he walked away.
Rick walked through the deli and over to the Butcher Shops freezer. He unlocked the door and the cold air blew over him in a white cloud. He didn’t see Paul. “Well, well, well.” Rick said. He walked over to the magnetic strip and pulled off a large meat cleaver.
He stepped into the freezer, closing the door behind him.
“Here piggy, piggy.” Rick echoed as he walked between the frozen carcasses of pigs, cows, and lambs. Paul was standing inside the rib cage of a cow, holding his jaw. “Oink, oink pig, I’m going to gut you like a pig Paul.” Rick echoed. Paul heard a noise as a sprinkler sprayed on the wall. “Oink!!!” Paul heard behind him, his eyes widened. Paul turned, shaking, he groaned in pain as the sharp cleaver flew through the air releasing the free hanging jaw.
Paul crumpled to the floor. Rick kneeled down beside him. “I’m Willy Wonka and this is my factory.” Rick said, “Oink, piggy, piggy, piggy.” Rick raised the cleaver over and over again, hacking at Paul. Rick smiled as he diced Paul into pieces. “It’s done!” he screamed. Rick dumped Paul into a trash bag and put it into a shopping cart. “I really need some Oompa Loompa’s” Rick laughed.
Rick walked into the locker room as David beat against the door. “Shut up, you’re not going ANYWHERE.” Rick laughed, “How rude, you’re in there bleeding, what a messy way to keep the cattle. Tisk. Tisk.” He picked up the locker and launched it through the air; it fell with a huge thud as David’s weight fell into the floor. Rick walked over and turned on the shower so that it the water poured into the locker. “I’ll be right back, gotta do some shopping.” Rick said.
Rick took a shopping cart and went to isle twelve, cookware. He rolled the squeaky cart down the isle and placed twelve knives in the cart. He ran it back into the locker room, and slammed into the locker, spinning it across the floor. “This won’t hurt one little bit.” He said as he pushed each knife through the locker and into David. When he finished he put David in a bag and sealed Paul and David each under a separate tile. “Privacy.” Rick said.
The next day Rick saw an old ‘school mate’ named Rhonda Wiggins. He asked her to meet him later that night and to bring a friend. Her and her friends showed up around twelve. There were many weird noises that night. The next day two more tiles had been replaced.
One evening after the shop had closed Rick waited for two ‘old friends’ from school. At twelve the bell rang and in walked Donald Williams and Anita Benson-Williams. “Back here.” Rick yelled. The couple walked to the back of the store. “Welcome to…. Hell.” Rick said. He pointed at them “One, Two, and baby makes Three.” He said pointing at Anita’s stomach. He stepped forward and took his hand from behind his back; in one hand he had a knife and placed another in his opposite hand. He laughed. He raised his hands in the air; the couple screamed and tried to run. Rick brought the knifes down across their spines. The next day there were three new tiles.
A week later there were three new tiles. One night while waiting he walked around saying “ Donald Williams, Anita Benson, Baby Benson, Ruth Sawyer, Jackie Connor, David Williams, Paul Benson, Lucy Lawson, Amy Finner, Summer Morrison, Luke Davis, Mike Crawson, Rachael Morlow, Rhonda Wiggins, and Ashton Kroosdel.”
A month afterwards Rick was in the Butchers Shop when Bethany Morlow walked in at five in the morning. “Hey Charlie.” She said. “My name’s Rick.” He said. “Oh, wait, Oh my god, Crack Face.” She said thoughtlessly. “Yeah.” Rick said as he jabbed a knife into her stomach. He jerked the knife and her intestines spilt onto the floor. “Ohhh, you should see a doctor about that.” Rick Laughed.
Sheriff Morlow walked in at three thirty that evening and bought a pulled pork sandwich from Rick. “See you later, Rick, take care.” He said. “Will do.” Rick replied. Rick walked away laughing. “Have a good day, not in this life.”
Laura and Charlotte Ray walked up to the market. They were on their way to go grocery shopping when they stopped to talk to Sheriff Morlow who was eating in his car. Paula Sampson walked into the store while the three were chatting. Twenty minutes later the two went inside while Sheriff Morlow continued eating.
“I’m going to go see Rick, go get some frozen dinners.” Laura said. Charlotte walked over to the isle and started to stroll along. She got to a part of the isle and the tile cracked. “I’m not that fat.” She demanded. She took another step and the whole floor gave way. She fell into a sea of decaying body parts. Brown chunky fluid the consistency of oatmeal swallowed her. She pulled herself out in disgust and stripped into her underwear, she ran to go get Laura.
Laura reached the Butchers Shop and screamed in disgust as she vomited on the fresh meat counter. There, covered in her vomit was Paula Sampson’s decapitated head. She turned to run a Rick came after her with a hook. She ran into Charlotte and the both flew outside screaming.
Sheriff Morlow climbed out of his car. “What?” he asked. “He’s gone crazy. Murder!” they screamed. Sheriff Morlow took his gun from his holster and raised it. Rick crashed through the door and Sheriff Morlow hit him with three bullets. Rick flew to the ground like a pallet of bricks, an ape like zombie crazed mad man, shot down, but still alive.
Sheriff Morlow threw him into his car. “Get somebody over here at the market.” He said into the walky-talky. He drove along the long road. “How close are you to your daughter? When was the last time you held her?” Rick asked. “Only a little bit of time, maybe yesterday.” The Sheriff replied. Rick grinned and said “Well, she’s in your hands now, how does she taste?”
The Sheriff vomited onto the windshield and the car swerved. As the car went off the side of the road it hit a stump. The car flipped down the road for three miles and finally stopped. Rick lye their talking to the Sheriff. “You know, I thought, well he’s a pig, referring to a cop of course, and she’s his daughter, well, pigs make pulled pork. It’s ok; she’s the first one, just for you.” He said. Rick kicked open the door and escaped into the sunset.
OCTOBER 17, 1987
Laura and Charlotte drove along the long road where Rick had disappeared long ago. They drove very slowly, looking, waiting, hunting. They sped up through a long stretch of the road where there were no types of civilization. The car reached seventy when Rick Vernon jumped out in front of the car. He slammed onto the cars hood and through the windshield.
Rick got into the car and ripped open charlotte’s neck. Blood spew over him, he laughed as the refreshing liquid poured into his mouth. The car swerved, slamming into a tree. The impact ejected Laura and Rick; they landed seventy yards away from each other.
Laura stood up slowly; her leg was wobbling due to shattered bones. She pulled a cleaver and a gun from her jacket pocket. She sat down on top of Rick. She leaned forward and kissed him. “I love you.” She said as she cut one of his arms off. She fought the bone as she cut the other arm free of the body. She took the knife and buried it into his chest.
Laura took the gun and waved it in the air. “This might sting.” She said. She placed the barrel of the gun on his right knee. She pulled the trigger and repeated the process on the left knee. She kissed his forehead and said, “This won’t hurt one little bit.” She put the gun to his forehead and pulled the trigger. Bam… Bam… Bam!!! She removed his head and smashed it open with a rock. He was dead she was sure. There was nothing left in this world for her, she put the gun to her head and pulled the trigger. There was nothing left for her in this world, especially not a bullet.
WRITTEN BY JOSHUA SESSOMS
Ruth Sawyer, Charlotte Ray, and Laura Carter came running over. “Get away from him!” they all screamed. “Shut your gobbling pie hole” Laura said. “Oh, Laura likes dog face because her mommy doesn’t love her. Laura and Crack Face sitting in a tree, together they’re hogging all the U-G-L-Y.” Paula said. “Shut it Paula.” Laura said, “We all know your mother doesn’t love you because she’s to busy cheating on your father because he’s a low down drunk.”
Paula stood there staring at Laura. “We all know your mom’s a whore.” Paula said snidely. “Why I oughta...” Laura said. “Oughta what?” Paula said, “ Your to fat to even move.” Laura turned around and started to walk away. “Laura’s a wimp, Laura’s a wimp.” Paula said. Laura turned on her heel and slugged Paula in the nose. Paula fell to the ground.
“Come on Rick.” Laura said reaching out her hand. Rick smiled and took Laura’s hand. The two walked away together. “You got a girlfriend?” Laura asked. “No.” Rick said in a low voice. “You do now.” Laura said.
Later that evening Rick walked home with Laura by his side. As they walked by Carlson’s General Store some older kids walked out of the Alley. David Williams, Paul Benson and Lucille Sampson stopped Rick and Laura in their tracks. Laura screamed as Paul Benson took a glass bottle from behind his back and smashed it across Rick’s face. Laura tried to run as Lucille Sampson grabbed her by her hair and threw her to the ground. “No one beats on my sister.” Lucille said. Laura dug her fingernails into the side of the General Store, as she was drug into the dark alley.
David Williams pulled a board from the side of the store and smashed it into Rick’s face. Rick rolled over as Paul kicked him in the ribs. Rick spat blood and Paul kicked him in the face. Laura screamed as Lucille sat on top of her smashing her face with a brick. Lucille got tired of swinging the brick and stood to whip Laura with a piece of steel cable.
Laura screamed as she was whipped with the cable. She laid on the dirt ground clinching her fist, pulling on dirt, trying to escape. Laura caught onto the brick and tried to pull it into her grasp. “Oh no you don’t.” Lucille screamed as she lashed Laura across the back for the final time. She threw the cable to the ground and pulled Laura toward her.
“This won’t hurt on little bit.” Lucille said as she grabbed the brick again. She swung the brick into the side of Laura’s face. Laura turned her head to the side and spat out eight teeth. Laura grabbed the cable and wrapped a third of it around her hand. She readied herself and swung the cable, it caught Lucille in the neck as its crude point tore her flesh open. Her eyes widened as she poured out blood and fell onto the ground gasping for her last bits of air.
David punched Rick in the eye, breaking his eye socket. Paul swung the piece of wood into Rick’s leg splintering the bone. David turned and noticed Lucille lying on the ground. “Paul.” David said. Paul turned and screamed in disgust. “We’ve got to get out of here.” David shouted. Paul dropped the board onto the ground and the two disappeared into the shadows.
Rick lay on the ground, gushing blood from his mouth. Torn flesh revealed facial muscles as Rick yelled for help. Laura laid a few feet away from Rick. Her face, a crumpled pile of flesh, bone, and teeth, was motionless as she entered an almost comatose state. Lucille lay on top of Laura, still squirting blood from her neck.
Three hours later Mr. Carlson walked into the alley arms full of trash. “Holy Father.” He said, bags falling from his arms. He turned and rushed back inside to call 911. Fifteen minutes later he stood watching as Rick, Laura, and Lucille were hauled away. Mr. Carlson scraped the ground trying to soak up the gallons of blood with sand.
Ten minutes later the Crawson Memorial Hospital filled with tension. “Help me!!! We’re dying! Am I ok? I can’t feel my legs! Where’s my daddy??? Why can’t I see?” Laura screamed. She thrashed her hands around, broken fingers limply flying through the air. Her and Paul were rushed into surgery. Seven hours later they were taken into plastic surgery for facial repair.
“How does something like this happen to a seven year old?” asked Doctor Morgan. “The devil got angry and he had to do something.” Said Ms. Cuttle. “Oh lord Kathy, get that crap out of your mind. Was this scar here before?” the doctor asked. “Yes, it’s horribly ugly, poor thing.” Ms. Cuttle said as she scurried away. “I’ll take car of that for him.” The doctor said. Two hours later the horrible scar had vanished.
After ten months of recovery and physical therapy Rick and Laura were released from the hospital. They had become very close friends over their recovery. They emerged into the world as new people, people with a second chance at life. While in recovery the world around them had moved on, forgotten them, no one remembered them.
AUGUST 28, 1965
Rick Vernon walked out of his loft apartment. He turned and waited, “Are you coming Laura?” he asked. “Just a minute.” She replied. “We’re gonna be late.” He yelled, “ This is our last year of school and we’re gonna be late.” She finally came outside and they left.
That evening Rick went to the Crawson Food Market to apply for a job. “Don’t I know you?” Mr. Crawson asked. “Yes, you do.” Rick said, but that’s from another life.” “Well enough of all this. I need a butcher, Arthur’s getting to old and he keeps leaving bone in the meat. You want the job?” the old man asked. “Yes.” Rick replied.
JULY 23, 1977
“Rick, there’s been a shortage of cattle coming in, the economies just not making it possible anymore.” Mr. Crawson said. “Mr. Crawson. I’ve been working here since I was seventeen. I will do anything to stay here, I love this place.” Rick said. “Sure thing Rick, just repair these old floor tiles whenever you get a chance, they’re cracking faster than an old woman’s foot skin.” Mr. Crawson said. “Thanks.” Rick replied.
Rick washed the Butcher’s Shop and went over to the registers to help out with the crowd. “I’m open.” Rick yelled as he flicked on the sad yellow light. A crowd of people came running over to his register lane. “Jesus.” He yelled as a woman with four children knocked over the candy rack sending small generic candy packages everywhere.
Rick let the small yellow light die when he finished ringing up the customers waiting for him. He went over to collect the small candies. His face fell as he stood up the candy rack to reveal a cracked white tile. He finished cleaning up the mess and returned behind his small register station. He flicked on the light once again and was flooded with customers.
It was a quarter until six when he finally got his last customer of the day. The man had walked up to him wearing shade glasses. Eggs, Bacon, Oranges, Tequila, and a bag of potato chips. How healthy, Rick thought until he looked up, his jaw dropping.
The man had taken off the shades and was starring at Rick. “Oh, well if it isn’t crack face.” David Williams said, “What happened to your scar?” “Wouldn’t you like to know?” Rick said. “Look, I know you’re here, you killed my Lucille, I want your brain squashed under my foot.” He said. “Well you come back around eleven and we’ll see how it goes, oh and don’t forget Paul.” Rick said. David smiled and walked away.
Rick stood there waiting, wanting the clock to strike eleven, but frowned to find it was only seven.
He stood there wearing the fake smile many people would be happy to be able to pull off. His mind wandered of what to do to make the time pass, there were still two hours until the store closed. He walked around to the opposite side of the register and flicked a brown roach off of a candy bar. He smiled as the bug landed on the floor with a great cracking of its shell.
He wandered through the store, bored, very bored. He mopped the floors, still almost two hours ‘til closing. He wiped down his rotating belt, and scrubbed the mildew from the drink machines basket. He walked around wiping scuffmarks off the floor. Still an hour and a half left. He would never make it to closing, and then there would still be two hours until eleven.
He walked the isles, placing every box and can in its correct position and angle. He cleaned the windows, and the public restroom. He walked around swatting flies that tried to hide on the walls. He changed the lights in the freezers. He even dusted the boxes of crackers. Finally the store closed.
He still had two hours until he would get his second chance for freedom, his first for revenge. He went outside to the spider infested storage building and got out a pallet of tiles. He went back inside and chipped away at two tiles. His eyes grew wide as he saw the tiles were meant to float to allow extra storage area. His grim plan began to snowball in his mind.
He sat the tile in place and waxed the floor. Trying to pass time he repeated everything he had done before. This time he did it all in half the time of the first. He was bored, very bored. He stood between to register stations flicking the lights on and off, on and off, on and off, then it was ten fifty seven.
He walked to the front of the store and unlocked the door. Waiting, waiting, they were late. Aggravated he walked to the Butcher’s Shop and waited. Finally at eleven thirty he heard the bell in the front door give a slight ring. He stood there smiling, hoping, thinking, and waiting.
“David’s on his way.” Paul Benson said, “Jesus, you’ve gotten tall, about six foot seven. Good, the harder you’ll fall.” “Please, Paul, don’t bore me with your lame idiotic skills of communication. I’m afraid I’d rather wait for David in silence, so you’ll just have to be put away so you don’t spoil.” Rick said calmly.
“What?” Paul asked. “Don’t be ignorant Paul.” Rick replied. Paul stood blankly. Rick lunged forward and threw Paul over his shoulder. “No, I’ll kill you, you big dumb bastard!” Paul shouted. Rick threw Paul onto the floor, cracking another tile, and kicked Paul in his jaw. The freezer doors slammed as Paul was thrown onto the cold floor, his jaw held on by only skin and muscle.
At twelve on the dot the bell rang once again. David walked into the barely lit store. He went to the back toward the light. He heard a noise, fainter it grew then loudly “David.” He jumped around and went down the frozen food isle. Faint, the noise coming from every corner, fainter, he turned around in circles, “David!” the voice shouted. Once again he jumped.
“David!!” the voice screamed in his ear, he jumped forward into a shelf full of VHS’s, the plastic cases flying across the floor. The voice, the hum of the old food freezers, the sounds of footsteps, the sound of the wheezing old clock, nothing, and then “David!!!” He threw himself around falling into the shelf of toys, throwing an open canister of marbles across the floor. Silence, the voice again, silence, the scattering of the marbles, silence, “David!!!!”
David made his way toward the back again. “David, David, David, David, David!!!!!” the voice screamed. He heard a noise behind him, he turned to look, the potato chip row behind him. There was a rustling. “DAVID!” the voice screamed as Rick jumped out of the potato chips slamming a meat hook into David’s shoulder.
David moaned as the hook tore his shoulder muscles. Rick dragged him into the back, through the deli and into the employee locker room. Rick laid David down on the floor and took a single locker that was against the wall and pushed it over, the door fell open. Rick picked David up, blood gushing from his shoulder, and dumped him into the locker, removing the hook, and locking the door shut. “Don’t go anywhere.” Rick said as he walked away.
Rick walked through the deli and over to the Butcher Shops freezer. He unlocked the door and the cold air blew over him in a white cloud. He didn’t see Paul. “Well, well, well.” Rick said. He walked over to the magnetic strip and pulled off a large meat cleaver.
He stepped into the freezer, closing the door behind him.
“Here piggy, piggy.” Rick echoed as he walked between the frozen carcasses of pigs, cows, and lambs. Paul was standing inside the rib cage of a cow, holding his jaw. “Oink, oink pig, I’m going to gut you like a pig Paul.” Rick echoed. Paul heard a noise as a sprinkler sprayed on the wall. “Oink!!!” Paul heard behind him, his eyes widened. Paul turned, shaking, he groaned in pain as the sharp cleaver flew through the air releasing the free hanging jaw.
Paul crumpled to the floor. Rick kneeled down beside him. “I’m Willy Wonka and this is my factory.” Rick said, “Oink, piggy, piggy, piggy.” Rick raised the cleaver over and over again, hacking at Paul. Rick smiled as he diced Paul into pieces. “It’s done!” he screamed. Rick dumped Paul into a trash bag and put it into a shopping cart. “I really need some Oompa Loompa’s” Rick laughed.
Rick walked into the locker room as David beat against the door. “Shut up, you’re not going ANYWHERE.” Rick laughed, “How rude, you’re in there bleeding, what a messy way to keep the cattle. Tisk. Tisk.” He picked up the locker and launched it through the air; it fell with a huge thud as David’s weight fell into the floor. Rick walked over and turned on the shower so that it the water poured into the locker. “I’ll be right back, gotta do some shopping.” Rick said.
Rick took a shopping cart and went to isle twelve, cookware. He rolled the squeaky cart down the isle and placed twelve knives in the cart. He ran it back into the locker room, and slammed into the locker, spinning it across the floor. “This won’t hurt one little bit.” He said as he pushed each knife through the locker and into David. When he finished he put David in a bag and sealed Paul and David each under a separate tile. “Privacy.” Rick said.
The next day Rick saw an old ‘school mate’ named Rhonda Wiggins. He asked her to meet him later that night and to bring a friend. Her and her friends showed up around twelve. There were many weird noises that night. The next day two more tiles had been replaced.
One evening after the shop had closed Rick waited for two ‘old friends’ from school. At twelve the bell rang and in walked Donald Williams and Anita Benson-Williams. “Back here.” Rick yelled. The couple walked to the back of the store. “Welcome to…. Hell.” Rick said. He pointed at them “One, Two, and baby makes Three.” He said pointing at Anita’s stomach. He stepped forward and took his hand from behind his back; in one hand he had a knife and placed another in his opposite hand. He laughed. He raised his hands in the air; the couple screamed and tried to run. Rick brought the knifes down across their spines. The next day there were three new tiles.
A week later there were three new tiles. One night while waiting he walked around saying “ Donald Williams, Anita Benson, Baby Benson, Ruth Sawyer, Jackie Connor, David Williams, Paul Benson, Lucy Lawson, Amy Finner, Summer Morrison, Luke Davis, Mike Crawson, Rachael Morlow, Rhonda Wiggins, and Ashton Kroosdel.”
A month afterwards Rick was in the Butchers Shop when Bethany Morlow walked in at five in the morning. “Hey Charlie.” She said. “My name’s Rick.” He said. “Oh, wait, Oh my god, Crack Face.” She said thoughtlessly. “Yeah.” Rick said as he jabbed a knife into her stomach. He jerked the knife and her intestines spilt onto the floor. “Ohhh, you should see a doctor about that.” Rick Laughed.
Sheriff Morlow walked in at three thirty that evening and bought a pulled pork sandwich from Rick. “See you later, Rick, take care.” He said. “Will do.” Rick replied. Rick walked away laughing. “Have a good day, not in this life.”
Laura and Charlotte Ray walked up to the market. They were on their way to go grocery shopping when they stopped to talk to Sheriff Morlow who was eating in his car. Paula Sampson walked into the store while the three were chatting. Twenty minutes later the two went inside while Sheriff Morlow continued eating.
“I’m going to go see Rick, go get some frozen dinners.” Laura said. Charlotte walked over to the isle and started to stroll along. She got to a part of the isle and the tile cracked. “I’m not that fat.” She demanded. She took another step and the whole floor gave way. She fell into a sea of decaying body parts. Brown chunky fluid the consistency of oatmeal swallowed her. She pulled herself out in disgust and stripped into her underwear, she ran to go get Laura.
Laura reached the Butchers Shop and screamed in disgust as she vomited on the fresh meat counter. There, covered in her vomit was Paula Sampson’s decapitated head. She turned to run a Rick came after her with a hook. She ran into Charlotte and the both flew outside screaming.
Sheriff Morlow climbed out of his car. “What?” he asked. “He’s gone crazy. Murder!” they screamed. Sheriff Morlow took his gun from his holster and raised it. Rick crashed through the door and Sheriff Morlow hit him with three bullets. Rick flew to the ground like a pallet of bricks, an ape like zombie crazed mad man, shot down, but still alive.
Sheriff Morlow threw him into his car. “Get somebody over here at the market.” He said into the walky-talky. He drove along the long road. “How close are you to your daughter? When was the last time you held her?” Rick asked. “Only a little bit of time, maybe yesterday.” The Sheriff replied. Rick grinned and said “Well, she’s in your hands now, how does she taste?”
The Sheriff vomited onto the windshield and the car swerved. As the car went off the side of the road it hit a stump. The car flipped down the road for three miles and finally stopped. Rick lye their talking to the Sheriff. “You know, I thought, well he’s a pig, referring to a cop of course, and she’s his daughter, well, pigs make pulled pork. It’s ok; she’s the first one, just for you.” He said. Rick kicked open the door and escaped into the sunset.
OCTOBER 17, 1987
Laura and Charlotte drove along the long road where Rick had disappeared long ago. They drove very slowly, looking, waiting, hunting. They sped up through a long stretch of the road where there were no types of civilization. The car reached seventy when Rick Vernon jumped out in front of the car. He slammed onto the cars hood and through the windshield.
Rick got into the car and ripped open charlotte’s neck. Blood spew over him, he laughed as the refreshing liquid poured into his mouth. The car swerved, slamming into a tree. The impact ejected Laura and Rick; they landed seventy yards away from each other.
Laura stood up slowly; her leg was wobbling due to shattered bones. She pulled a cleaver and a gun from her jacket pocket. She sat down on top of Rick. She leaned forward and kissed him. “I love you.” She said as she cut one of his arms off. She fought the bone as she cut the other arm free of the body. She took the knife and buried it into his chest.
Laura took the gun and waved it in the air. “This might sting.” She said. She placed the barrel of the gun on his right knee. She pulled the trigger and repeated the process on the left knee. She kissed his forehead and said, “This won’t hurt one little bit.” She put the gun to his forehead and pulled the trigger. Bam… Bam… Bam!!! She removed his head and smashed it open with a rock. He was dead she was sure. There was nothing left in this world for her, she put the gun to her head and pulled the trigger. There was nothing left for her in this world, especially not a bullet.
WRITTEN BY JOSHUA SESSOMS
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