In His Home Pt 02

There were no more complaints about it being hot.

The temperature drop plus the wind cooled us to the point where we were shivering. I reveled in it knowing tomorrow was to be another day of tit sweat and freezer dunkings.

My head lolled against the frame as empty fields turned to tourist towns and then back to empty fields. It was so odd how fickle this all was, one town over and you were in a completely different place.

I'd never understand it.

"Get some rest, Oppie." Lila squeezed my knee, dozing off on my shoulder, "Tomorrow is a big day."

My lips quirked up at her saying, in my darkest of times, I'd remember those words, I would chant them almost, knowing that tomorrow was a big day somehow made the rest fall away.

That rhymed.

My eyes closed a few times but I could not rest, I was in a state of anticipation, like there was something huge hurtling my way. I was excited and scared all at once.

Hours ticked by and Darren eventually pulled over for some rest. We had skipped the nearest rest stop so he just parked on the street of some abandoned farm. It did not sit well with me but no matter how I pleaded and cried he groaned that he couldn't move an inch.

My gaze kept flying sideways towards the farm, I could swear faintly there was light, I squirmed again. I hated this.

My eyes were locked on the black shingles and the uneven cement, swearing if I looked hard enough I would see someone swaggering around the land.

A hand fell on my knee and I jolted, gasping out a scream I couldn't quite get out. Lila looked at me through squinted eyes and jerked her head, "Let's put the seats down, my back is killing me."

I woke Kaleb while she shook John and we eventually got the seats flat, I rustled in my bag for some blankets and John snatched out the pillows we forgot to lift up from the floor before laying out the seats.

John pulled Lila into his chest and left Kaleb and I staring at each other groggily. His lips parted and my eyes flicked down to watch them move. "I don't suppose there's any chance you and I could-"

I lifted a hand to stop him right there, "No."

He sighed, puckering his lips but readjusted to allow me in if I so wished.

The warmth he offered cajoled me but I was stronger than the heat licking up my legs and stomach. I snapped my eyes closed and grit my teeth.

I wasn't sure when I fell asleep, but I woke up not too long after, a stiff rod was pressing into my ass and I jerked around to see what was squashed against me. I was caught by the side of the van with John at my back, the realization that his cock was digging into my ass sent me into a flurry.

He jolted awake and went flying away to the other side of the van, "Oh my god!"

He shouted waking up Jasmine, then Darren. "Eyuck!" He pronounced each syllable, "What are you doing?"

"What am I doing? You're the one rubbing your crotch on me!" I shouted back.

Darren groaned but woke up fully looking around.

"Where's Lila and Kaleb?" He grumbled with morning voice, and pushed out the seat to look outside the windows. We both sat up and did the same, my brows slammed down in hopes they weren't doing what I thought they were doing.

"I see them." John laughed without humor, his skin prickling with cold, calculated anger. "That fucking bitch." He roared throwing off all the blankets and sheets we got tangled in.

He jumped out the trunk and stalked towards the adulterous couple, a switchblade flicked open in his hand.

Darren rushed out the car behind him swearing up a storm, I could faintly hear their words but I watched Kaleb and Lila rush to dress.

My lip curled in disgust while Jasmine shook her head with disappointment, "If you and Darren weren't siblings, if I saw that, I don't know what I'd do."

"Well, we are so don't say that. You'll only give me intrusive, nasty ass thoughts." I retorted watching the drama unfold. A breeze elicited goosebumps up my arms and neck. I reached over, tucking the trunk door back closed and leaned back to watch them argue and fight.

A shadowy figured moved behind them and my eyes narrowed. Pressing my nose to the glass, my breath fogged tight circles as I spoke to Jas, "Do you see something moving behind them?"

Her eyes narrowed as well as she looked harder at the figure stalking closer behind them. "Fuck!" She screamed fumbling to open the door, "DARREN, RUN! RUN NOW, RUN!"

Darren's head whipped around for danger while the other three made a break for it. A large hand palmed Darren's shoulder and cold, hard steel found its way lodged in the column of his throat. Blood seeped from the wound, the ruby glinting off the moonlight clear for even me to see, and dripped down to the white of his shirt.

Lila screamed, running faster and hopping into the driver's side. Kaleb and John jumped onto the platform and screamed at Lila to go.

The figure drew closer, it's step curious, as we screamed and cried at Lila to fucking go. She shoved the keys into the column and turned them but it sputtered out, a resounding chugging filled our ears as the shirtless male stalked around the car.

We fell into complete, utter silence while he prowled, taking a moment by each door, the top of his shoulders weren't even in view. Breath caught in my throat as he made his way around and stopped at the trunk. His arms moved until the handle clicked and it started to slide up.

"AHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed rushing to the other door and throwing it open, we got out at the same time, scattering into different directions on the wind.

I chanced a look back, a glimpse at who it could be, I couldn't recognize anything.

And that scared me more.

It wasn't Jamie, or Darren pulling some kind of prank.

My heart thundered in my chest as the dude started moving, moving towards me. I let loose another scream, willing myself to fly, to go far away on the breeze and land somewhere safe.

My legs burned and my lungs were seared by the time I realized he was no longer after me. I broke left and dropped into the waist high weeds, hiding in its depths, to catch my breath.

Something was crawling towards me, I barely contained my yell when cries reached my ears. "Lila?" I screamed in a whisper.

The crying stopped and her crawling grew quicker, drawing towards me in short bursts. We made eye contact and she visibly relaxed. "He's killing them, I ran with Jas and John." She whispered deathly quiet, "It only took a moment to kill Jas, I don't know what happened to John when I ran."

I stilled, listening, willing my pulse to calm so I could hear foot falls, "Did you see what he looks like?" I asked finally, trembling with every risky word.

"No, not a single eyelash," She whispered when screams in the distance reached our ears. It was masculine, he got John.

"He's coming for us." She sobbed. "It's our turn now."

My hand clamped over her mouth, I pressed a finger to my lips to silence her. "We can't stay here and wait for him, we have to go, it's our only chance." Her head shook 'no' as her face contorted into sobs again. "Come with me or die here, either way if you cry again, I'm definitely leaving you."

She sucked in her bottom lip and I dared a peak above the grass, he either wasn't there or concealing himself. Either way, this was our chance. I drew her up under her pit and dragging her along with me down the road.

She was quicker than me, always a foot ahead and I thanked the stars for her days as a track runner. I pulled her into another unkempt field and laid still, unmoving like a corpse. Her chest ragged but at least she stopped crying, I was sure the running cleared her mind.

Again I listened.

Again there was nothing.

We flew through the field, jumping over manmade streams, chopped wood and even some tools. We ran until our legs gave out and ran some more after that.

I pulled her into a home that lined the street after yanking on the handles of the others, it seemed abandoned and no doubt unused, I thought as heat filtered out onto the porch. I refrained from turning on any lights aside from a flashlight I dug out of a drawer on the kitchen, the light was dull, I put it on the stairwell.

Her hands drug through her hair, panic and something more terrorizing plagued her eyes as I fished around for some kind of phone, computer, anything.

I came up short and paced the vintage foyer with stained fuzzy carpets and littered with photos on the wall, fear steadily crawling up my throat, "He lives here, he knows the land better than us. We cannot simply bide our time, he will find us. There is no 'If'."

Her tears drew harsher, shuttering out in sobs. "How can we outrun the chainsaw massacre villain? Hmm? This guy is insane, chopping people up with swords and shit."

"We don't need to outrun him," I suggested ripping my hands through my dirtied hair, "Just outlast. We need a phone, some weapons. Maybe even a car if we can steal one."

She nodded but didn't look convinced, "He killed Johnny."

"And Darren and Jasmine." I retorted, bile racing up my throat and I turned on her.

"You slut, I can't believe you. Fucking some one else while John is right there. You three all yelling and fighting, you drew him out."

A sharp rapt at the door slammed into my heart and I skittered out, we stared at the wood in horror as another knock rattled our souls. "Its John, open the fucking door."

Lila rushed to the handle but I yanked her away, stealing a glance out of the side window, he was alone and injured. A dead give away.

As I fought with my morals and self preservation, Lila flung open the door and let him in. "Fuck, you scared me."

"I thought you weren't gonna let me in." He heaved for air and sighed harshly, leaning to rest his hands on his knees against the wall. His face turned vicious, nearly unreadable as he looked to me.

"Its that gas station fucker, I saw his damn scar." His head shook softly, as if trying to believe it himself.

My jaw hit the ground as Lila grinded her teeth, John continued. "He has a hatchet, or an axe, what the fuck ever, slammed Jas' head then picked through her hair to see her face. He called her ugly and slashed her face, then bashed her head open some more, super cool shit."

He was panicked, we all are, I think.

"Ugly?" I echoed unsettled, "What does that mean?"

He shrugged not wanting to talk about it, "I don't fucking know, why don't you go ask him, you stupid ass."

"Stop, let's think this through." Lila shook her head, "Where's Kaleb? Did you see him die?"

John stood up straight, opening his mouth to let out a slew of terrible words and I stopped him with a hand on his chest, "Did you see him die?" I asked instead. John's eyes never left Lila's.

"No."

"He's probably alive, or injured then." She thought aloud, "If we pick him up on the way, he could have more information."

"There's no way in hell I'm going back there." John snapped out sniffling. I knew he meant every word.

"I'm not either." I agreed, "Fuck Kaleb, the world is better without him anyway."

Her eyes narrowed but she didn't disagree.

"We need to leave, we can't stay altogether in one spot." I clicked the flashlight back on and dug around for some bandages or cloth to wrap John's leg. It was shredded from waist to mid-thigh, dark blood crusted his ripped jeans and I was terrified because it wasn't slowing. I read you could die from that.

I sighed and picked through another room, this one wasn't dusty like the others.

A large bed pressed against a corner of the room with blue patched blankets and pillows tucked neatly into place, a round yellow rug peaked out and stretched halfway across the creaky wooden floor, one dim light was on, a chain dangled from the side but no covering.

There were two large wardrobes and dozens of bags, untouched, settled organized next to an empty one. I fished through the bags but there was no receipt in any. Each filled with dresses and shoes, pants and heels, some even had beautiful accessories and I wondered if whoever used to live here would mind very much.

I decided against it and set them back exactly how I found them.

A small blue top wood table was set between two waist high bookshelves filled with children's books, some Sesame Street, others Roald Dahl, Bernstein Bears.

I noticed some of my favorites, Hungry Caterpillar and Where The Wild Things Are and Dr. Seuss.

My nails drummed against the table while I dug through some papers of shabby handwriting, others traces of book titles. I twisted papers on the table around and noted a few with practiced handwriting.

I couldn't make out the penmanship but I was sure the kids name was something like Simon.

Another stack caught my eye on a nearby dresser, I waltzed over quickly, taking the envelopes into my hands and feeling like a spy.

There was an address and a coffee spill over most the letters, I looked behind me to the small table and saw the rather large cup on the corner, only the dregs were left in it.

I squinted to make out the words, some clue or exact words of where we were. The address came into view and I made out the rest quickly. The P.O. box and the zip code, who it was from and to.

Oh my god.

"Leave!" I howled to Lila, throwing the letters down and flinging myself down the steps haphazardly. "We need to leave right now!"

"Is he here?" She shrieked throwing open the door while I slung an awfully pale John across my back, ignoring his protests when I grabbed under his thighs.

"Worse." I took off into the night jostling the poor man on my back who squeezed my shoulders to fight the pain, "That was his fucking house!"

She turned horrified towards me and John went completely still on my back, the dull roar of an engine sounded from far away, this town was desolate. There was only one car.

I pushed Lila towards the field and we laid flat some ways in, headlights lit up the yellowed weeds at our feet and I wished I could sink into the ground, that mother nature would have a care for me and save my sorry ass as a car door closed. The engine shut off and I heard keys jingling.

They were so close, I was so stressed, my breath ragged and I fought to even it, to just breathe.

If we made it out, I'd grow grey hair for the rest of my life.

Keys jangled again and a suspicious hum resounded over the area. Did we close the door?

I hope we did.

Footsteps drew near and my body stopped. I don't know how to explain it but it just stopped. Stopped breathing, moving, coursing blood, thinking thoughts. Just stopped.

All I could focus on was the man, who if he left the headlights on, would see my face if only he turned slightly. My jaw set as he stared out and inhaled deeply, nostrils flared with the intake of the breeze.

His head tilted back slightly, letting the moonlight reveal his chin to his bridge, and just as John said, there was that scar that cut through his lips and to his left nostril.

I really didn't think that was common around Texans, the crystal of his eye was a toss up. Broad shoulders turned abruptly, startling me, and he spoke in a gravelly voice, gasped and in intervals like earlier. "Beastly has a woman, but she is hiding."

I stifled a hysterical laugh, a sign I was loosing my wits, and waited for him to leave. But he just stood. Taking in the night, sporting splattered blood from his knees to his sharp cheek and I wondered which of my friends that belonged to, if not all.

Who's life did he take to become stained that way.

With one last inhale he turned, leaving us alive with shot nerves.

The moan of a screen door slamming closed was my only indicator he had went inside. I rolled over and drug John closer to my chest, his eyes were sullen, sunken in almost. And his skin was so pale.

"John?" I whispered patting his chest, he didn't answer and I looked to his blood crusted jeans, I wasn't sure how much blood loss could kill someone. I wasn't sure how to staunch a wound or suck venom from a bite.

This kind of thing only happened in movies, I don't know anything, aside from the fact that John needs to wake up.

"Johnny?" I sobbed quietly asking for God again to grant me this last blessing if nothing else. To grant me his life back in exchange for Lila's.

He deserved his life more, he deserved to live, and be happy.

I wiped tears from my cheeks, sucking up snot in my nose.

To be wed and have children so he could tell them all about the time we were chased by an axe murderer.

He deserved the life that was brutally taken from him.

And now he deserved vengeance.

My eyes tore from his body and towards the soft hum of yellow lights in the house. I could see Jamie moving about, washing his hands of my brother's blood. Readying pots for a dinner some would never have.

He will die, if not by my hand then another's.

I swear it.

I rolled over to Lila who was waiting for a answer from John, I shook my head and she broke. Sobbing recklessly but Jamie didn't seem to hear, if he did, he didn't care. She needed to get up, we needed to go.

I spared a look to John and felt my lip quiver, "I can't leave him here." A sob shook my spine but I pulled myself together, busting at the seams, and dragging her with me again.

One last time, I told myself, and then we would be free and safe.

We walked, ran, jogged and crawled back to the overpass.

Back to civilization or the best we could come to it, day was breaking, and we were thirsty, tired and hot. Mostly falling apart and breaking still.

My feet were dragging, shame and the overwhelming fact that I was weak were weights that stayed my tongue and wished I would die alongside them. It told me I didn't deserve to be here when Darren, John and Jasmine were not.

Guilt.

All I had was guilt.

Lila perked up and yanked my dirtied dress to catch my attention, her finger pointed to the Shell and I had hope. Relief and hope were all I had, and it perked me as well. We were going to go home.

We rushed across the road with buzzing minds and leaping hearts, and burst into the door, pushing away other customers to get to the counter. "We need a phone."

The clerk was the same from yesterday but his personality seemed to change, he was not welcoming, didn't want anything to do with us. I spied the phone and pushed my way past him to get to it.

I quickly dialed the numbers and waited for an answer, some hope to my sorrow. To lighten the pit of my stomach. My nails drummed against the receiver while I occasionally looked over my shoulder. Lila was wide-eyed staring straight out the doors, ready to bolt, while all the others in the store seemed to be uncomfortable.

The clerk wore panicked eyes that glanced between the two of us in silent trepidation.

Can't say I didn't understand their weariness, but this felt off.

"911, What's your emergency?" A feminine voice called and I bubbled with relief.

"My name is Opal White. I'm at a Shell in Texas, uhm- Martha? No, um mertha? A man is chasing my friend and I, he has an axe or a hatchet. He-"

The line disconnected.

I looked to the receiver then to the shiny scissors slowly pulling away from the wire. Shock slammed my brows down, coiled my loins and put me in unfathomable rage as the clerk shook with a mixture of fear and agony.

Something I'm sure I mirrored in my eyes.

Slamming the phone on the hook, not that it mattered, I turned on the greasy old bastard, eager to sacrifice him to appease the psycho, since he cares so much about him. Age spots smattered in his wrinkles, he was missing some teeth and gummed most of his speeches.

I was itching to punch out the remaining ones he had.

"Forgive me." He begged, tears springing to the corners of his eye. "You don't understand Jamie. You don't know what its like-"

I cut off his words with a resounding punch to his tanned skin, blood spurted from his nose and I winced at the pain in my hand.