Page 2 of Bitten

Reggie pulled his truck in behind his mama’s car and jumped out. After fishing a flashlight from his toolbox, he headed for the door, turning it on as he walked. He had to knock it a few times on the edge of his palm to get a steady beam, but when he did, he turned it to guide his path to the door.

And that’s when he saw the front door sitting wide open.

He froze as he saw someone lying across the stairs, head down to the ground and feet up. The neck was at a funny angle, one he knew was next to impossible.

“Daddy?”

That heart that had already nearly burst once that night almost exploded then and there. He raced over to his father, calling out again. As Reggie dropped to the ground beside him, the flashlight fell and rolled a few feet. He slid his hands under his father and felt a slick, warm liquid coating the man.

He turned to the light and saw it then.

The blood.

His heart leapt to his throat, making it hard to breathe. Reggie carefully turned his daddy over before he grabbed the flashlight. Once he turned it to look, he almost wished he hadn’t. His father’s throat was ripped out, like some animal had attacked.

Reggie stared down at him. A numbness wrapped itself around him. The panic and fear made it impossible for him to think straight in that moment, but he couldn’t find the emotions within that would allow him to mourn the man. Not after all the beatings. Not after all the evil.

He rose to his feet and stumbled into the trailer. His feet slipped as he hit the second tread and his left knee slammed into the concrete stair. Wincing in pain, he forced himself into the house, following those terrible red lines on the carpet with his flashlight. Had someone dragged his father out, or had his daddy crawled through the living room, trying to save himself?

Save himself from what, though?

Fear making it next to impossible to move, Reggie slowly wandered down the hall and to his brothers’ bedroom.

There, he found Remy’s dead gaze staring up at him from the bed…

The air sucked from his lungs, and he slid down to the floor, staring at his twin brother. Remy lay on the white sheets; his neck was ripped out as well… blood everywhere.

Why? Why, my god, why?

He gasped for air, the coppery scent of blood cloying. Bile rose in his throat as the flashlight slipped from his fingers. Breathing took all his focus, his mind numb to the terror he witnessed.

A muffled sound suddenly came to his ear. He turned his head toward his mama’s room… where he heard… groans?

Mama?

Reggie almost feared what he’d find there if he went… The desire to run away came over him… to get as far from the house as he could…

What if they’re about to kill her?

Reggie forced himself to stand. His knees wobbled as he reached into the back of his jeans and pulled out his pocketknife. After opening it, he slowly headed toward his mama’s bedroom, his heart beating a mile a minute. He held on to the wall of the narrow hallway to help him remain standing.

Sweat slid down his back as he panted for air.

Each step felt like a mile.

Before he could reach the door, it whipped open and a large man filled the opening. Flickering light poured out behind him, masking the man in shadows. All Reggie knew was he was huge.

Huge.

Reggie might only be eighteen, but he’d always been ahead of the curve. He was big, muscled, and looked five years older than he was. But this guy made him feel like a little kid. He lifted the knife, his shaking, traitorous hand making the motion worthless. He wasn’t instilling fear in anyone.

“I thought I heard another beating heart out here,” the stranger said before grabbing Reggie and dragging him closer. “I thought we already killed you?”

He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

The guy chuckled. “Nope, you’re not him… a carbon copy, though, aren’t ya?”

Reggie lunged with the knife, but the man was as fast as he was big. He knocked the knife away and pinned Reggie to his chest.

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