Regardless of the fancy alarm system, Justin didn’t feel comfortable being all the way downstairs in the den with an entire floor between him and his parents.
“Let’s go back to my room,” he demanded. “I don’t like being down here.”
“Yeah,” Mitch agreed as he strained his eyes to see through the darkness that hung outside the door like a thick blanket. “Do you see anything?”
“No, man, but I’m not sticking around to look, either.”
Something hit the glass door hard, causing Mitch to fall backwards. “What was that?”
Something was laying on the concrete patio just outside the door, causing Mitch to crawl over and look at it.
“Come on!” Justin yelled. “Who cares what it is. We need to go tell my—”
“Wait,” Mitch said, getting closer. “It looks like a—”
A boney hand reached down and picked up the piece of meat that laid on the patio, putting it back onto the cone it held. “Oops,” the creepy, zombie-looking thing said through the glass. “I’m so clumsy sometimes.” Its tongue licked the bloody edge of its cone. “Mm.” If it would’ve had a mouth, it would’ve been smiling as it looked back up at them. “Delicious.”
“Holy shit,” Mitch said. “It’s him.”
It didn’t look like Oxford Manning, but they knew it was—a very terrifying and horrifically maimed version of the former ice-cream man.
Both the boys screamed as they turned to run, Mitch finally scrambling to his feet, but neither one made it very far. “How did you—?” Justin’s words were quickly silenced as a large piece of duct tape was slapped across his mouth.
“That may sting a bit when it comes off,” it said, kicking Justin backwards into Mitch, both of them flying backwards down the stairs. “I wouldn’t want you to be left out,” it said, taping Mitch’s mouth, too.
Justin tried to run, but was quickly grabbed, ropes he hadn’t noticed suddenly wrapped tightly around his hands and feet.
Mitch crawled away backwards, toward the stairs, hoping he wouldn’t be noticed, but he was, black eyes turning toward him. Shaking his head and begging through the tape to be let go, he held up his hands, which were instantly tied together, along with his feet.
“What’s that?” it asked Mitch. “I can’t seem to—” it ripped the tape off, taking his skin with it. “There, that’s better. Now, what is it you wanted to say?”
Tears were streaming down Mitch’s face, stinging his now raw mouth. “Please, let us go. We didn’t mean to. We never meant to—” Tape covered his mouth once again.
“Tsk, tsk,” it said, waving its finger at him. “I don’t like liars.”
Mitch shook his head. “Mm-mm, mm-mm.” He was ignored.
It turned and walked toward Justin. “I’m sorry to have to do this.” It took a deep breath, its large, yet, boney chest rising and falling like a wild animal’s. “No, I’m really not.” It laughed; or it appeared to laugh. The way it looked, it was hard to tell.
Oxford no longer had hair, and whatever he’d become was covered with tough, pale skin that was obviously scarred. It had no lips and not much of a nose, making him look more monster than human. Its eyes were soulless, black holes that neither Justin nor Mitch seemed able to look into. It wore no clothes, its skin so deformed that it didn’t need any. It was hideous.
“It’s late,” it said, looking from Justin to Mitch. “Shall we get started?” They both shook their heads, crying hysterically. “Great!” He snatched them up like they were nothing more than sacks of laundry. “Let’s get going, then. We have much to do and so little time to do it.”
It walked straight toward the glass doors, crashing right through them, glass shattering and slicing the boys’ skin. When the alarm sounded, they felt relieved, thinking they were going to be saved. Then they were moving at a high rate of speed across the yard, weaving between houses until they reached the woods, and they knew they were wrong—dead wrong.
It carried them deep inside the woods, not too far from the lake’s edge, where there was already a campfire burning. What surprised the boys even more than the cozy fire was the fact that there were several people already sitting around it.
At first they felt relieved, thinking it had made a wrong turn and they’d be rescued, but they soon noticed that, like them, the people were all tied up, mouths taped.
“Sorry we’re late,” it said, dropping the boys next to the fire.
Several people started grunting pleas when they saw the boys, causing it to raise its bony finger and wave it at them, silently letting them know they better stop, which they did.
“Now, for those who don’t know me, my name is Ox. Some of you may know me best as Oxford the ice-cream man, but I’m stronger now.” An exceptionally wide smile spread across its face, since it wasn’t limited by the restrictions of having lips. “As all of you know, Oxford was tied up, robbed, and left for dead. A couple of you are actually the ones who did it.” It bent down over Justin and Mitch “Well, you and your two friends. Oh, don’t feel bad for them. Compared to what’s about to happen, they’re pretty lucky.” It stood back up and continued with its speech. “Anyway, the rest of you covered it up. And we all know those who cover up crimes are just as guilty as those who commit them. Isn’t that right Judge Maples?” It ran over to where the older man sat on a log and forced his head to nod up and down. “Yes, yes they are. And in this case, it’s even worse because you’re all adults, mature and sensible.” His voice turned melodious. “You should’ve known better.”
He walked back to the center of everyone and stood by Justin and Mitch, tapping his long fingers together. “Brandon Vick, first to die, was a prelude of what was to come. Josh Grody, second to die, was a confirmation that everyone’s growing fear was warranted. Mr. and Mrs. Vick, accessories to murder. Seeing their son’s mutilated body was punishment enough for them, so I got rid of them earlier than planned. I’m not a monster.”
It started pacing back and forth, continuing to tap its fingers. “And that brings us to you all. Justin Brady—” he motioned to where he laid “—who helped hold and tie down the victim. Mitch Miller, who tied down, taped up, and set the victim on fire. Lance Grody, who suspected Josh had been involved in the horrendous crime of burning a man alive, but turned the other cheek with nothing but a warning when those suspicions were confirmed.
“And then we have Officer Brad James, chosen to protect and serve the fine citizens of Conrad county. Oh, he served them, alright.” It laughed. “Banging married women. Tsk, tsk,” it added, shaking its finger at him. “You got a little too close to one of them. Not wanting her to be upset, mad at you for arresting her son, you decided to protect him—cover up his crime.” It leaned over the boys again. “That’s right, Mitchy! Your mom’s a whore!” It turned its attention back to Officer James. “You found the lighter a few yards away from the ice-cream truck. It fell out of Mitch’s pocket when he ran. You knew it was his because you saw him light a cigarette with it a few days before at Carol’s Grocery, when you accidentally ran into his mom. You even said told him it was a nice lighter!”
It spun around toward the last three people who were sitting terrified near the end. “That brings us to this little trio.” It shook its head. “I almost feel bad for including you in this. Almost.” It walked around to where they sat, tied to one of the larger logs. “Caleb, Caleb, Caleb, the one who ran. Sylvia Moore, the mother who tried to do the right thing. I bet you wonder why you’re here, don’t you?” They made no effort to reply, tears streaming silently down their faces. “Well, like I said before, I’m no monster.” He slid his finger across Caleb’s mouth, causing the tape to dissolve painlessly. “Don’t scream or I will, sadly, have to kill you. Not that anyone will hear you; I just don’t like it.” Caleb nodded, glancing at his mom, eyes filled with terror. “The same goes for you,” it said, removing the tape from her mouth. “Unlike those around you, you get to live.” It held his arms out like they should give it a hug. “Unlike those around you, you tried to do the right thing.”
It stood up, walking behind Judge Maples, laying its boney fingers on his shoulders, squeezing them so hard he cried out in pain. “They told you what had happened. You knew. Wanting to blame it on outsiders, you waited, hoping no one would find out it was your beloved up-and-coming youth. Conrad County would never raise teens to do this. No, this is a perfect little town with perfect little families whose perfect little children running up and down the street, their cute, fluffy dogs nipping at their heels.” He squeezed him even harder, causing Sylvia, who sat next to him, to whimper. “Oh, Sylvia, I know. You’re going to miss him. Trust me when I say you can do better.”
It walked to the edge of the group and clapped its hands. “Enough talk! Let’s get this party started.”
It walked toward Caleb, who started to cry, his mom shaking her head. “Please, don’t hurt him,” she pleaded quietly, afraid she’d enrage the monster if she begged too loudly. “Please,” she whispered.
“Did you not listen to a word I said?” it asked. “If there’s one thing you all should do it’s listen to me when I speak!” Its voice echoed across the lake, causing the frogs and night creatures to fall silent.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“As I stated before, you two are the only ones making it out alive. I brought you here to teach you the importance of life. Thinking you were going to lose yours, don’t you value it that much more and appreciate the fact I’ve spared yours?”
They both nodded, snot running across their lips as they cried. “Yes,” she whispered. “Thank you.” She was still terrified and felt bad for the others, especially Caleb’s friends, but her son was her first priority. She had to get him out of here.
“I’m not going to force you to witness what is about to take place. It’s not going to be pleasant, I must admit. However, I am going to insist that you go back and tell them the of the horrors in these woods. Tell them that vengeance is not only malicious, but it’s just. Their bodies—” he motioned to the others “—as well as your freedom, will be proof of that.” He waved his fingers, causing both their ropes to fall away. “Please, go.”
Thinking it was a trick, they moved slowly, Sylvia wrapping her arms protectively around her son, looking at her fiancé, Judge Maples. He nodded, urging her to go. She didn’t want to leave him, but her son was her life. If she had to choose between him and anyone else on this earth, she’d always choose him.
As they gradually slid off the log, it ushered them to move faster, and they did. They ran, glancing back at the ones they had to leave behind, before sprinting into the darkness.
“Now, let the fun begin.” He walked over to the boys. “Justin, under the circumstances, and the sheer terror I feel oozing out of you, I’ll make your death swift. I doubt it will even hurt, but then again, I wouldn’t know, would I, since my death was excruciatingly painful; you know, the burns and all,” it added, pointing to its scarred skin.
It held up what looked like an ice-cream scoop, the edges sharp, razor thin. Before Justin could process what was about to happen, Ox slit his throat with the sharp, circular blade.
The adults started moaning and grunting through the tape while Mitch flopped around on the ground, shaking his head, knowing he was next.
Justin, his best friend since third grade, was dead… and he was next.
It knelt beside Mitch, ripping the front of his shirt. The harder he tried to fight it, thrashing back and forth, the tighter the ropes got, until his bones began to snap. Screaming against the tape, he tried not to think about the pain he felt. He also tried not to think about how his stomach looked, squeezing his eyes shut so he couldn’t see the intestines it had exposed.
Smiling up at the three men, Ox held up the bloody scoop filled with Mitch meat. “One scoop or two?”
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