I inhale deeply. It still smells of potting soil in here. I always liked that scent. It reminds me of my mother, of her warmth and nurturing, of her gentle way of caring for the lives of those around her. She deserved so much better than she got—than she endured.And even after Dad was gone, and I was culpable, vulnerable, and angry—she didn’t flinch in her love for me. She knew that darkness was bourgeoning and still she didn’t waiver.
Turning my focus back to the man in front of me, I continue.
“It was a really fucking stupid idea,Josh, because Dr. Katherine Pearson… ismine.” And without warning, I rip the tape from his mouth and use the pliers to seize his index finger and twist it upwards, breaking the bones and snapping the digit nearly in half.
As expected, he sputters and yells out in pain. Spittle flies from his mouth as he writhes and hurls a string of curses my way. I see the dark gap in his mouth from the tooth I had knocked out in the alleyway a few days ago.
“Fuck you, man! You’re crazy!” he heaves out.
“First time you’ve been right all night, Josh,” I say, “Iamcrazy. And you? You’re completely and utterly fucked.”
“Look man, I wasn’t even going to hurt her, okay? Just scare her is all! Fuck!” he yells again.
“I don’t believe you, Josh,” I singsong in his ear.
And he shakes his head back and forth, squeezing his eyes tightly shut. I can smell his fear on the air now. His sweat is rank with it.
“Who the fuck are you, anyway? Her boyfriend?!” He spits at me, doing a shit job of hiding the terror in his voice.
Slowly, I pull out the sharp blade from its holster on my hip and hold it up to the light bulb hanging over the center of the table.
“No, Josh,” I answer slowly, “I’m the goddamn grim reaper.”
My lips curl into a feral smile as I slowly drag one finger along the flat side of my 6-inch Bowie hunting knife. I see Josh’s eyes flit to the blade and then dart around the room searching for any possible means to escape.
Unfortunately for him, there are none.
I line my blade up perpendicular to Josh’s chest.
“I’ll ask you one more time, Josh,” I press, “why did you attack Dr. Pearson?”
Josh shakes his head back and forth, again going fucking mute.
With a surge of adrenaline and pleasure, I stab my knife in between two of his ribs.He screams. Feeling the sharp tip penetrate his skin and slide in between the tight ribs is like a balm to the aching in my heart. I know how painful this is. I know how much he is regretting every single life decision that has led him here to this moment with me.
How dare he touch Katherine. How dare he prey upon her, assault her.
Did he think his attack would go unanswered?No, my guy. You pay now.
Josh writhes as the sharp blade sinks deeper into his body. His agonized moans fill the dim room. I pull the knife out straight, in a surgical fashion, leaving a narrow slit in its wake. A wave of blood gushes out of the open wound, soaking his plaid shirt in a satisfying sort of way.
Grinning, I make an identical stab into the other side of his chest. Josh’s body shudders and shakes, as his voice whimpersout a wordless plea. My hand yanks the knife out again, this time with less control. Blood spurts onto my shirt and over my chin and lips. My tongue darts out and I taste the coppery flavor. Then, I spit the blood back into the fucker’s face.
Slowly, I trail the very tip of the blade down his stomach and toward his groin. There, I pause just below his navel and wait.
And Josh starts to beg now, really beg. He can sense the end is near. I make out a strangled “please, please” through a wet gurgling at the back of his throat.
The sound is music to my goddamn ears.
“Mmm,” I breathe out, “I hope you can atone in the next life, Josh. I really do. Cause you're fresh outta time in this one.”
And lining the knife up over the center of his jeans, I drive the blade home. I push hard through the unyielding, tough meat of his member, all the way until I feel the blade strike the oak table below. Josh lets out a guttural howl, raw and ragged. His scream tears through the shed, shaping into a single, broken, desperate word: “Ea... East!”
I hold my blade in place until his screams fade. Blood spurts over the handle and my clenched fist in warm waves. I stare into his eyes as the life slowly drains from them.
It's not until the shed has fallen silent, except for the steadydrip, drip, dripof the blood onto the dusty floor below that I stir from my murderous reverie.
Goodbye, Josh.You won’t be missed.
