Page 75 of Hello, Listener
The look of shock doesn’t leave her face. Her extreme reactions are a new form of entertainment I could watch reruns of over and over again. I open the new package and continue to observe how her face changes from disgust to panic.
“Oh, don’t you think that’s enough, Listener? I mean, don’t you think at this point, you’re being a littledramatic?” I interrupt her loud, pathetic noises, kneeling with a brand new trash bag next to the partially disassembled body in front of me.
“I had to cut Ashley’s body into smaller pieces,” I explain, gently placing Jace’s ankle into the first trash bag. “Maybe, since the decomposition process has started to take over, Jace’s body will be more flexible.”
I add another portion of his leg to the trash bag, staring down at the remaining torso and arms lying in front of me.
“Maybe…” I stroke my chin, trying to piece together his human puzzle. “He is small enough, I could always throw all of him in one bag. What do you think?” More of her vomit falls down the front of her chin. Drops of her bile fall on top of Jace’s pink, buzzed hair. “Such a messy girl you are.” She glares at me with fear in her eyes.Good.
My hand grabs the back of his head, missing the drips of Thalia’s purge.
"Poor Jace. If he had made better life choices, his head wouldn't be in my hands right now." The bloody gaping hole under his chin looks almost inviting. Thalia’s eyes are on me while I examine her friend's decapitated head.
"What the hell are you doing?" Her loud question almost breaks me out of my gaze.Almost.She studies me closely as I push my hand deep inside.
To my surprise, it is a comfortable fit inside Jace's severed head. The cold, clotting blood feels like a protective slime that covers all of my hand. I strategically move my hand so my thumb sits nicely along his jawbone. My fingertips press deep into his skin tissue above his lips. His mouth moves in sync with my movements.
“It’s time to say goodbye, Thalia.” His lids half open, looking up at her large, hazel ones. I move his mouth open and shut as I mimic his voice.
“Please, don’t make me do this,” she pleads. She does her best to hold down more bile that gathers in her throat.
“Listener, don’t be rude. This is going to be the last time you’ll see your best friend. Is that any way to act?” I turn my wrist to face me, adding more to my new ventriloquist show. Her eyes close, and she shakes her head. “Open your eyes and tell him goodbye.”
“Goodbye, Jace.”
"Goodbye, Thalia," my decapitated head hand puppet responds. She cries as I pull off his head from my hand and drop it into the trash bag.
“Now, baby, that wasn’t so hard,” I tease, stepping over his remains while scanning my eyes over her body. Even like this, she looks mouth-watering. Her breasts stand out in my view under her tight shirt in a full view.
“I was thinking, I love what I’ve done to your leg, but since I’m not the only man in your life who loves these tits so fucking much, maybe we need to add more.” I reach for my switchblade, still in my pocket, and release the blade. Her shocked expression will never get tiresome.
“I need you to sit still for me, okay? I’m going to love every minute of watching you bleed again for me.” I peer into her eyes as I carve more into her skin. My blade cuts deep into the top of her chest, and she screams, so beautifully, in agony.
“There we go, baby. Two M’s to match the name of our podcast logo. Since you like fucking both of us so much.” Our eyes meet as I run my tongue over the bleeding letters.
“Your Knight in Shining Fucking Armor”
My heart beats faster as I pull through the open chain-linked fence. Rows of red, pulled-down doors seem never-ending. I drive around until I can find any clue or create an idea of what I need to do next. It seems like half an hour until I see Alan’s silver Lexus. A small sliver of light shines from under the door.They have to be in there.
“There you are, you fuck.” I say under my breath.
Quietly as I can, I park behind his car.Now, what the hell am I supposed to do? I can’t just get out of the car without a plan. He wouldn’t be stupid enough to leave the door unlocked. How the hell would I go in? Just knock politely and hope he answers? Honestly, that might be my only fucking choice.With the only terrible scheme I could muster up, I reluctantly get out of the car and quietly shut my door.
The eerie silence in the area is deafening. The hair on my arms stands on end as I continue to make my way to the storage unit. With each step, my blood heats under my skin more and more.She fucking let him touch her!The image repeats once again in myhead. I bang on the door loudly with what feels like all of my rage coursing through my body. No one answers, but I can hear Alan’s voice and the sounds Thalia makes that I am all too familiar with.
“Alan! You better not be fucking my girl!” I yell and pound on the door once again.
Alan’s voice stops, and I can hear his footsteps get closer. I can tell they’re his by the way the soles hit the concrete.Alan and his expensive fucking dress shoes.
My body vibrates with anger and anticipation as I wait for him to open the door. The lock from the inside clicks open, and my heartbeat picks up more than I thought was ever possible. I stare down and watch as he slowly pulls it up.
“Oh, Lee. How nice of you to join us.” A smirk covers his face, but all I can focus on are his clothes. His pants are soaked in blood, and his white shirt is slightly open with even more drops of bodily fluids covering his chest and sleeves. He continues to smirk while he digs under his fingernails with the tip of a bloody switchblade.
“Lee! Turn around! Get back in your car and leave! He’s fucking crazy! He’s killed everyone!” Thalia screams. I watch her struggle to break free from the metal chair she’s tied to.Why the fuck is she strapped to a chair?
“I AM NOT FUCKING CRAZY!” He turns his head and yells back at her.
“What the hell did you do to her, Alan?” My eyes quickly notice her bloody body, starting with the large gash going up nearly the entire length of her leg.
