such.” He peeked at his shotgun-toting ghoul and chuckled. “Once you were dead, that is.”
Both men laughed. I got it. I lose, they win. Shit.
Carmen did a quick lap inside the cabin and brought all the occupants outside to line up. I suppose it was to watch my execution, not that I’d see much of it once his henchman pulled the trigger.
Across from me the group stood, all but Lettie crying. Hope was in full scream mode, mostly because Violet was shaking from her sobs. Daisy held Libby in front of her, face inward towards her shirt. Her eyes squeezed shut, then open again, both wanting to be there for me and not wanting to watch the end.
Carmen paced before them. “Now, I don’t have anything against you all. And I sure don’t have anything against Bob here.” He smiled at me as if we were pals or something.
“But Bob’s going to be a problem if we let him live,” he continued, stroking his facial hair. “And since I’m down to one hired man, I can’t afford to let problems live.”
Daisy pushed Libby to Lettie and inched forward. “Please don’t do this,” she begged, pulling on Carmen’s arm, “I’m sure we can work something out.”
The evil one stared and nodded at her. “Something tells me you’re Daisy, right?” She refused to acknowledge him. “Susan said I should kill you, too. But…” his eyes roamed her thin body as his lips formed into a sneer, “I think I want you alive. You could be a fun one. You and that other taller gal.” His head flipped towards Violet.
“Please don’t,” Daisy continued to beg. “Please let Bob live. I’ll do anything if you’ll just let him go.”
Carmen took a step and peered down into her weepy face. “You’ll do anything if I kill him, too. Wouldn’t want anything to happen to that little girl of yours, now would we?”
“Let’s get this over with, Carmen,” his man stated in a bored tone. “I’m hungry. And I need a nap and someone to snuggle with.” They shared a demonic chuckle.
He spun and knelt next to me. “Okay, it’s time to say goodbye, Bob. Playtime’s over.”
John’s gun rose and my family let out a collective scream. I noticed the man’s brown teeth, his scarred face, the left eye that looked slightly out of alignment with the right. I refused to look at my group, instead facing my executioner.
“Get it over with, asshole,” I spewed, watching his grin grow.
“Gladly.” And the safety snapped free.
This was really happening , I thought — perhaps my last.
Day 1,030 - continued
The first shot rang out and I flinched, shutting my eyes. I felt a spray of something across my face. Wherever he’d hit me didn’t hurt, which seemed extremely odd to me. A second shot followed the first and more spray. Still no pain. Was this guy hitting me somewhere without nerves? Was this death or torture?
When something hard fell on me, my eyes shot opened. Staring at the face, what was left of it at least, I saw Carmen’s blank eyes staring back. The blood pouring from his head caused me to roll over and push away, jumping up from the ground.
Blood covered my shirt. His blood or mine, I wasn’t sure.
I glanced right, another dead body. Sticking out beneath it was a shotgun. That had to be John. Back to my left was Carmen. Both were dead, both shot in the head.
My group, every one of them still lay sprinkled about on the ground. Lettie was covering Violet and Hope; Daisy was on top of Libby. Strangely, I was the only one on my feet.
I noticed someone approached from the road. Whoever it was had a rifle leveled at me. My hands went up instinctively. However, once I spotted his bald head and long strides, I lowered them back down. Our savior strolled towards us stone-faced: Thaddeus Wilson.
“Johnny told me there was trouble on the road,” he called out, kicking both men to be sure they were dead. “Guess he was right.”
I felt like hugging the man. “Holy shit,” I whopped. “Am I glad you showed up when
Both men laughed. I got it. I lose, they win. Shit.
Carmen did a quick lap inside the cabin and brought all the occupants outside to line up. I suppose it was to watch my execution, not that I’d see much of it once his henchman pulled the trigger.
Across from me the group stood, all but Lettie crying. Hope was in full scream mode, mostly because Violet was shaking from her sobs. Daisy held Libby in front of her, face inward towards her shirt. Her eyes squeezed shut, then open again, both wanting to be there for me and not wanting to watch the end.
Carmen paced before them. “Now, I don’t have anything against you all. And I sure don’t have anything against Bob here.” He smiled at me as if we were pals or something.
“But Bob’s going to be a problem if we let him live,” he continued, stroking his facial hair. “And since I’m down to one hired man, I can’t afford to let problems live.”
Daisy pushed Libby to Lettie and inched forward. “Please don’t do this,” she begged, pulling on Carmen’s arm, “I’m sure we can work something out.”
The evil one stared and nodded at her. “Something tells me you’re Daisy, right?” She refused to acknowledge him. “Susan said I should kill you, too. But…” his eyes roamed her thin body as his lips formed into a sneer, “I think I want you alive. You could be a fun one. You and that other taller gal.” His head flipped towards Violet.
“Please don’t,” Daisy continued to beg. “Please let Bob live. I’ll do anything if you’ll just let him go.”
Carmen took a step and peered down into her weepy face. “You’ll do anything if I kill him, too. Wouldn’t want anything to happen to that little girl of yours, now would we?”
“Let’s get this over with, Carmen,” his man stated in a bored tone. “I’m hungry. And I need a nap and someone to snuggle with.” They shared a demonic chuckle.
He spun and knelt next to me. “Okay, it’s time to say goodbye, Bob. Playtime’s over.”
John’s gun rose and my family let out a collective scream. I noticed the man’s brown teeth, his scarred face, the left eye that looked slightly out of alignment with the right. I refused to look at my group, instead facing my executioner.
“Get it over with, asshole,” I spewed, watching his grin grow.
“Gladly.” And the safety snapped free.
This was really happening , I thought — perhaps my last.
Day 1,030 - continued
The first shot rang out and I flinched, shutting my eyes. I felt a spray of something across my face. Wherever he’d hit me didn’t hurt, which seemed extremely odd to me. A second shot followed the first and more spray. Still no pain. Was this guy hitting me somewhere without nerves? Was this death or torture?
When something hard fell on me, my eyes shot opened. Staring at the face, what was left of it at least, I saw Carmen’s blank eyes staring back. The blood pouring from his head caused me to roll over and push away, jumping up from the ground.
Blood covered my shirt. His blood or mine, I wasn’t sure.
I glanced right, another dead body. Sticking out beneath it was a shotgun. That had to be John. Back to my left was Carmen. Both were dead, both shot in the head.
My group, every one of them still lay sprinkled about on the ground. Lettie was covering Violet and Hope; Daisy was on top of Libby. Strangely, I was the only one on my feet.
I noticed someone approached from the road. Whoever it was had a rifle leveled at me. My hands went up instinctively. However, once I spotted his bald head and long strides, I lowered them back down. Our savior strolled towards us stone-faced: Thaddeus Wilson.
“Johnny told me there was trouble on the road,” he called out, kicking both men to be sure they were dead. “Guess he was right.”
I felt like hugging the man. “Holy shit,” I whopped. “Am I glad you showed up when
Similar Books
