Page 29 of Monster
“What the fu—” Ben begins to shout next to me, but before he can finish, I punch him right in the fucking nose and his ass flies to the side and he hits the floor, but not before smacking the side of his face on the table. I smile as I watch him fall and the contents which were strewn over the table go flying from the force of his body hitting it.
“Let the fun begin,” I say with an evil smirk gracing my face.
* * *
“Wake the fuck up,”I bark out as I smack Ben across his face. His eyes fly open and when he sees me standing in front of him with a knife, he screams, but the sound is greatly muffled by the dirty T-shirt I shoved in his mouth, which I secured with duct-tape I wrapped around his head.
I then move to Sierra and wake her up the same way. Tears spring to her eyes and when she turns her head to look at Ben, they fall down her face, leaving trails through the dirt and grime coating her skin. I laugh as I watch the both of them panic and try to squirm out of the duct tape I have them secured with.
Their hands are bound behind their backs and their legs are taped to the chairs they are sitting in. I stand in front of them both with a knife in my hand, contemplating how exactly I want to do this. I want it to be painful, but I know I have to be fast because we’re in the middle of town. I can’t afford to get caught.
Fast and painful it is.
“Since you couldn’t fucking answer me earlier, let me inform you,” I state as I walk back and forth, swinging the knife in my gloved hand. I love taunting my victims. “I’m here because of Essa. Because of what you pieces of shit put her through for her entire life.”
At that, Ben tries to yell something, and I turn on my heels and lunge toward him. I sink the tip of the blade into his thigh and yank it right back out, ripping his flesh open, and he lets out a muffled scream.
“I didn’t ask for your fucking commentary,” I growl as I straighten back up. “Like I wassaying,you both are the biggest pieces of shit. You’re going to pay.” I turn toward Sierra and smile. Her tears are now falling rapidly, but I know they're in vain. She doesn't give a shit, or even feel guilty about Essa. She just doesn’t want to die.
Sucks to be her.
I grip her greasy brown hair in my fist and yank her head back slightly. “You fucking deserve this, and I hope while you’re rotting in hell, all you can think about is how badly you fucked up at doing theone fucking thinga mother is supposed to do.” I push the blade in right under her ear and quickly drag it around the front of her throat to her other ear. I step out of the way just in time to watch her blood spill from her throat and down her chest, staining her already filthy shirt.
Beside me, Ben’s muffled screams ring out. I let out a bark of a laugh as I turn back to him, my eyes blazing. “Your turn, motherfucker.”
I observe in sick fascination as fear overtakes his body and he jerks from side to side, trying to escape, but it’s futile.
“You are the biggest piece of shit of all. I don’t know the specifics of what you did to Essa, but I know you fucking hurt her. You scarred her for life and for that, you’ll pay withyourfucking life. No one hurtsmy baby doll.” I sink the blade into his other thigh, and he screams again. I pull it out and push it back down in a new spot, more screams. The sound of his ripping flesh rings out around me, and I get lost in the moment. I do it over and over again, eighteen times total. Eighteen times for how old Essa was when she was finally free of him.
Who knew her becoming my slave would’ve ended up being her saving grace?
I’m heaving, attempting to catch my breath when I snap myself out of my trance. I peer at Ben and scoff with disgust. Blood soaks through the T-shirt shoved in his mouth, and it begins to slowly drip on the dirty floor between his legs. His head is slumped forward at an awkward angle, presumably passed out.
Tsk, tsk, tsk. That just won’t do.
I yank his head back and slap him across the face a couple times and he comes to, albeit a little groggy.
“Wake the fuck up,” I growl, and he sobs. Full body sobs and I can’t help but laugh. “What a cry baby bitch,” I scoff as I bring the knife to his throat like I did with Sierra.
“Hmm. I have a better idea…” I ponder as I drag the tip of the blade over his cheek, digging it into his flesh until it rests on his eyelid which is swollen shut and already turning black and blue.
“Burn in hell, motherfucker.” I shove the blade forward and it sinks straight in. I let go of it and step back to admire my handiwork. I take a deep breath as a smile pulls at the corners of my lips.
Now my baby doll is free of them.
I go to the door where I set the gas cans I went and grabbed while they were knocked out, and untwist the cap on one of them and begin pouring it around the room, soaking everything in sight. Once one is empty, I go back for the second and pour it down the hall and in Holley’s room, but when I get to Essa’s, I stop. I peer in the tiny space but don’t see anything of significance.
I can’t believe she actually fucking lived here, in such filth. I guess it explains why she was such a clean freak though.
A wave of guilt washes over me, but I shove it aside and continue soaking everything I can, ending in Ben and Sierra’s bedroom. Once I’m satisfied everything is as soaked with gasoline as it can be, I make my way back to the living room and cut Ben and Sierra from their binds. I toss them both on the couch—careful not to get their blood on me—and once they’re both on the couch, I kick the chairs over and walk to the front door.
I glance down at the watch I keep on me when I have to do kills off of my own property—my Day-Date 40 Rolex—and see it’s three-thirty in the morning. The kills went too fast and I’m angry it’s fucking over. I want to bring them back solely to fucking do it all over again.
And again.
And again.
But I can’t, so I dig the matchbook out from my pocket and my zippo and light the entire thing. The matches spark and light up fast, the smell of sulfur right under my nose until I toss the matches into the living room and flames instantly shoot up. I observe the flames for a moment. I stare, rapt, as I watch them lick up the walls, devouring everything in sight. They shoot across the walls, fast and hot and the heat blowing in my face snaps me out of it, and I hastily make my way out of the house and to the car, not bothering to look back.
Thankfully there aren’t any street lamps on this road, so everything is hidden amongst the shadows. I start the car and pull away from the curb, stepping on the gas. I drive four blocks over and park in a store parking lot. I wait for twenty minutes, watching the smoke slowly grow more dense, while smoking four cigarettes back to back before I hear the wail of fire trucks in the distance. No one cares what happens on this side of town so I’m kind of surprised they’re coming this soon.
I pull out of the parking lot and drive towards home, feeling like a weight has been lifted off of my chest. Ifinallyfeel Imightbe worthy of Essa now.
Maybe.
Just fucking maybe.
