1099 words.
HACK!
“I told you,” says Nathan.
HACK!
“I… warned you. But look…”
HACK!
“Look what you made me do, Victor! “
HACK!
“Victor with a big mouth…”
HACK!
“Victor with the guts…”
HACK!
“I will show you. And you… come here, boy.”
All-bloodied Nathan is crouched over two dead bodies sprawled against one another. His hands are red, same to his mouth, parts of his face, and hair. A mobile phone lies somewhere between the two bodies, beaming strongly at the dark heavens.
The dismembered body to the left of the flash is cut open at the chest, gut, genitals, and worse is the gape in the head. The body to the right has dry blood over the face and an ugly cut across the belly.
The alley ends on a high wall to a distance behind Nathan’s crouched position. Ahead and to about half a meter, lies another cold body.
Nathan drags the body to the right over the one on the left.
“Who are you, Cosmas… huh?” Asks Nathan as he unbuttons the dead man’s shirt.
He spreads it to the sides, then smiles at the nasty wound across the tummy.
“There…” says Nathan, “who…”
He takes a machete from behind him, and gets busy.
“Are… hmm… You just had to…”
HACK!
“Why, Cosmas. Why could you not…”
HACK!
“Mind your own…”
Nathan puts down the machete. He digs one hand into Cosmas, draws his boot knife with the other, and starts cutting out inner organs.
“Business. Huh?”
He cuts the stomach out, and places it in a plastic bag behind him. It has some of Victor’s organs too. He digs his hands back.
“Welcome, then…”
He speaks over cuts.
“To… your… end.”
Nathan exhales. He pulls out the intestines with both his hands, then smiles, placing them in the same bag behind him.
He proceeds, until Cosmas is no more than some flesh and bones. With his boot knife, he makes a small, fine cut around Cosmas’ temple, then all around his scalp. He takes some hair, then peels the head open. Nathan goes down on his knees, digs his fingers in, then starts to lick like a dog, or a predator on its prey.
The phone rings, and Nathan is at first startled. He composes himself, sighs, and puts Cosmas down. He gets up, licks some fingers, then wipes them all against his clothes. He takes his phone, and flips the screen.
“Mich Yf” reads the caller ID.
(Michelle), he thinks.
Before he can slide accept, the call ends.
Nathan pauses for a moment with the gadget in his hand. He looks at the time—3.33 AM. He always believes the early AMs are cursed.
(You should be asleep, or in bed with your wife. If you do not have one, you should not take another man’s. You just… sleep. Wake up, peaceful, happy… you go to work. You do not snoop around another man’s house to see what they left behind. You could… die… like Victor, here. And supporters of evil die, like Cosmas, here. Walkers of the night die, like the strange boy lying over there. Just sleep… or stay in bed with your wife).
Another call comes in and gets him off-guard. Nathan looks at the screen for a second, then swipes.
“Nathan? Where are you? It is 3 in the morning… I thought… I thought you came back! You said you were off-duty, Nathan… Nathan? Are you seeing someone else?” Speaks Michelle.
Silence.
“Just tell me, Nathan. I had a dream when I slept off, you know? And… and, Nathan, you left me. You walked away and did not care to even look back. You just… walked away… like… like a stranger. It is about Victor, isn’t it? But Nathan, I already told you…”
“Michelle,” says Nathan, according the usual compassion, “I am not seeing anyone. I know it is not the first time but…”
“But Nathan… please open up to me, okay? Talk to me, please… don’t just leave that way…”
“O’, Michelle…” exhales Nathan, “I have done something horrible.”
“What have you done? Na…”
“Michelle, just let me tell you, okay?”
“Okay.”
“It is about Victor, yes. I asked him to stay away. I asked him nicely, Michelle, trust me; I tried.”
Silence. Nathan waits, but still nothing.
“Michelle? My love…”
He checks his screen, and the call is disconnected. He dials back, and it rings once and twice, then she picks up.
“Nathan,” says Michelle, “what did you do to Victor? My airtime ran out.”
Silence. Nathan sobs.
“You almost sound concerned,”
“Of Victor? Of you? Of course, I worry all the time! Should I not? What if you fight over me one day and… and… you kill each other?”
Silence. Sob.
“Nathan? Na…”
“He is dead, Michelle. I ended him.”
Michelle chokes, coughs, then clears her throat.
“Stop it!” She bursts into tears, “It is not funny, Nathaniel!”
Nathan scoffs.
“Funny? I dug out his gut, his balls, and ate part of his brain. Bastard doesn’t taste as delicious as his friend…”
“What?” Michelle gasps.
There is silence for a little longer, then Nathan breaks it.
“You do not believe me, do you? You think I’m drunk? Insane… huh. The balls are yours, Michey. I wanted to show you. I know you have sucked them—you know them. I will…”
“Nathan,” Michelle whispers, “I… will call… the… the… po-lice. Stop… it.”
“Too late, my love. It is nothing my Captain does not know. I told him three armed robbers attacked me, so I had to ‘take care’ of them. I told him I should not have done it and I was…”
“Three?” Michelle whispers.
“Yes, this fool…” Nathan kicks Victor’s corpse, then Cosmas, “and this one. And then there is the boy. An eye witness. He left me no choice, Michey. You have to believe me.”
Michelle mumbles inaudibly.
“So, as I was saying… Captain retired me. I’m free now, Michelle, free!” Nathan sounds excited.
“Re… tired…”Michelle mumbles.
“Yes! He gave me a choice to be investigated… he said it would be necessary for the families. And another choice to quit—early retirement. He called it ‘leaving quietly’; I agreed. Now, I just have to take care of these bodies then come home right to you.”
He cannot tell when the line went dead. Nathan stares at the screen for a few seconds. He tries dialling back.
“Sorry, the mobile subscriber cannot be reached.”
He will either find a clean house when he returns, with Michelle gone, or she will be waiting, hanging from the ceiling.
To be continued…
- Alone With Death I: The Rewind Button
- Alone With Death II: Flash KiFlash
- Alone With Death III: Damsel In Distress
##
(Update)
Benie Writes 
7 thoughts on “Alone With Death: IV”