“Hi,” she said with a bright smile.
He looked up from the concession stand he was working at. He usually worked the concession at the high school basketball games. It wasn’t the most glamorous job but at least it was something to do.
“Hi, what are you looking to get?” he asked as he took a quick glance at her and her cuteness immediately was overwhelming. He tried looking somewhere else to keep from staring. He noticed she was with a group of people for the game.
“Can I get umm...a large coke and some popcorn?” she said with a bounce in her step.
“Sure, anything else?” he replied.
“Nope, I think that’s it.”
“Alright,” he said tapping his hand on the counter as he turned to get her coke and popcorn. The whole time he was moving behind the concession stand, he was thinking about how really cute she was and was trying to think of something to say that was smooth and flirtatious to her. He looked over his shoulder a few times to glance at her. Trying to build his courage. She was standing there going through her phone. She had short brown hair, pale skin and beautiful big brown eyes. She was fit and had a slim tiny frame of a body. Her smile was the most radiating thing. It was large and welcoming, the type of smile you wish you could come home to when you had a bad day.
“Aren’t you in biology with me?” she asked as she put her phone away in her purse.
“Uh, yeah. Mr. Peters’ class. I sit like two rows behind you,” he said filling the coke cup with ice.
“Yeah. I thought you looked familiar. I don’t think I know your name.”
“Joe,” he said as he placed the coke in front of her. Placing a lid on top and setting down a straw to the side.
“Emily," she replied.
“You’re new here right?”
“Yeah, just moved here about 3 months back. Trying to meet new people," she said smiling her huge smile.
“Hurry up Emily!” someone shouted from behind her.
He leaned and looked over her shoulder and saw the group of people she was with.
She turned and yelled, “shut up Corey or you wont get any popcorn!”
“Seems like you got plenty of friends already,” he said.
“Oh yeah, those are mostly my cousins and their friends. I have a lot of family here. One of the reasons my parents decided to move here.”
“That’s nice. Probably makes the move here easier then, huh.” He said as he grabbed an empty popcorn bag and began scooping and filling it.
“Yeah, for the most part. I still miss my friends though...you know...and..." she said taking a pause before continuing, "...moving sucks. I still have most all my things in boxes. Lazy right,” she said smiling at him.
“Nah, not lazy. Just organizationally deficient.”
“Hi, what are you looking to get?” he asked as he took a quick glance at her and her cuteness immediately was overwhelming. He tried looking somewhere else to keep from staring. He noticed she was with a group of people for the game.
“Can I get umm...a large coke and some popcorn?” she said with a bounce in her step.
“Sure, anything else?” he replied.
“Nope, I think that’s it.”
“Alright,” he said tapping his hand on the counter as he turned to get her coke and popcorn. The whole time he was moving behind the concession stand, he was thinking about how really cute she was and was trying to think of something to say that was smooth and flirtatious to her. He looked over his shoulder a few times to glance at her. Trying to build his courage. She was standing there going through her phone. She had short brown hair, pale skin and beautiful big brown eyes. She was fit and had a slim tiny frame of a body. Her smile was the most radiating thing. It was large and welcoming, the type of smile you wish you could come home to when you had a bad day.
“Aren’t you in biology with me?” she asked as she put her phone away in her purse.
“Uh, yeah. Mr. Peters’ class. I sit like two rows behind you,” he said filling the coke cup with ice.
“Yeah. I thought you looked familiar. I don’t think I know your name.”
“Joe,” he said as he placed the coke in front of her. Placing a lid on top and setting down a straw to the side.
“Emily," she replied.
“You’re new here right?”
“Yeah, just moved here about 3 months back. Trying to meet new people," she said smiling her huge smile.
“Hurry up Emily!” someone shouted from behind her.
He leaned and looked over her shoulder and saw the group of people she was with.
She turned and yelled, “shut up Corey or you wont get any popcorn!”
“Seems like you got plenty of friends already,” he said.
“Oh yeah, those are mostly my cousins and their friends. I have a lot of family here. One of the reasons my parents decided to move here.”
“That’s nice. Probably makes the move here easier then, huh.” He said as he grabbed an empty popcorn bag and began scooping and filling it.
“Yeah, for the most part. I still miss my friends though...you know...and..." she said taking a pause before continuing, "...moving sucks. I still have most all my things in boxes. Lazy right,” she said smiling at him.
“Nah, not lazy. Just organizationally deficient.”
She let out the tiniest giggle behind her smile as she looked down.
“And moving to a new school does suck,” he continued. “I did it a few times with my mom when I was younger and it made it hard for me to make friends. But I’ve been here now for the past 4 years and I like it.”
“How about the concessions? Is this fun?”
“Well, not always because its work but I get paid by Mr. Ruiz so that’s nice and I get to see the games. Buuutttt...we suck though.”
She giggled again while flashing that bright beautiful smile that he was beginning to become entranced by seeing. He just wanted to keep making her smile. This was the first time he had ever talked to her and he didn't want to stop.
“Well, I’m not much into sports," she said, "but I think I can get into coming to the games. Its pretty fun doing the cheers in the stands and stuff. And hey, I get to meet new people like you.”
“Yeah it is fun,” he replied as he continued to scoop popcorn into the bag.
“Good company and the best concession stands right,” she said in a joking kind of way.
He smirked and she looked at him with a confused smile and asked, “What, is that not the case? You don't think this is the best concession stand.”
“Maybe good concessions but definitely not good food. I mean look at these hot dogs. Would you eat that?”
She laughed, “ok, maybe you’re right. They do look like the skin of the real housewives of Hollywood or something,” he laughed at the image of old scabby tanned women with leathery cracked skin.
“But at least you got raisinets,” she said.
“That we do,” he replied as he placed the bag of popcorn down.
“So, its all gonna be $8.50.”
“Oh shoot, I forgot my money. I guess I’m not paying,” she said playfully.
“Are you just gonna walk off with it now.”
“Maybe I am. Aren’t my good looks at least enough to convince you to let me have the coke.”
“Heck no,” he said.
She gasped in fake disgust, “are you saying I’m ugly?”
“Nah. I would never say that. For your good looks I would let you have the coke, the popcorn and a day old wiener...at least.”
She started laughing showing off that gorgeous smile of hers.
“Well, don’t worry. I won’t make you give me these and you can keep your day old wiener. My dad gave me some money to buy snacks. So it's all good,” she reached into her pocket and handed him a ten. “Oh and don’t tell my dad but you can keep the change.”
He smiled and right before she turned to leave he stopped her for a moment and said,
“How about the concessions? Is this fun?”
“Well, not always because its work but I get paid by Mr. Ruiz so that’s nice and I get to see the games. Buuutttt...we suck though.”
She giggled again while flashing that bright beautiful smile that he was beginning to become entranced by seeing. He just wanted to keep making her smile. This was the first time he had ever talked to her and he didn't want to stop.
“Well, I’m not much into sports," she said, "but I think I can get into coming to the games. Its pretty fun doing the cheers in the stands and stuff. And hey, I get to meet new people like you.”
“Yeah it is fun,” he replied as he continued to scoop popcorn into the bag.
“Good company and the best concession stands right,” she said in a joking kind of way.
He smirked and she looked at him with a confused smile and asked, “What, is that not the case? You don't think this is the best concession stand.”
“Maybe good concessions but definitely not good food. I mean look at these hot dogs. Would you eat that?”
She laughed, “ok, maybe you’re right. They do look like the skin of the real housewives of Hollywood or something,” he laughed at the image of old scabby tanned women with leathery cracked skin.
“But at least you got raisinets,” she said.
“That we do,” he replied as he placed the bag of popcorn down.
“So, its all gonna be $8.50.”
“Oh shoot, I forgot my money. I guess I’m not paying,” she said playfully.
“Are you just gonna walk off with it now.”
“Maybe I am. Aren’t my good looks at least enough to convince you to let me have the coke.”
“Heck no,” he said.
She gasped in fake disgust, “are you saying I’m ugly?”
“Nah. I would never say that. For your good looks I would let you have the coke, the popcorn and a day old wiener...at least.”
She started laughing showing off that gorgeous smile of hers.
“Well, don’t worry. I won’t make you give me these and you can keep your day old wiener. My dad gave me some money to buy snacks. So it's all good,” she reached into her pocket and handed him a ten. “Oh and don’t tell my dad but you can keep the change.”
He smiled and right before she turned to leave he stopped her for a moment and said,
“Hey Emily…”
“Yea,” she replied.
“Don’t tell Mr. Ruiz then,” and he handed her a box of raisinets. She gave him that big smile that he liked so much by now.
A sharp coldness on his cheek refocused him on the road. He didn’t notice his eyes were tearing up until one streaked down his cheek. The road seemed to last forever. He had a 2 hour drive in front of him still. His mind was a mess but focusing on those few sweet memories helped him concentrate. The road had been a long depressing straight line but he knew he was coming up to a stretch of twist and turns with the road winding up the mountain side. He always got nervous driving through the mountains. He found comfort in the memories he had with her even though it brought with it so much pain. He wouldn’t forget her. He loved her. He knew that much. Even if she rejected him.
They were at the carnival with friends and the two of them went on the Ferris wheel alone. He saw this as the perfect opportunity to ask her something he’d been meaning to ask for a few weeks now.
“Emily, can I ask you something?” he said in a nervous tone and before she could answer he asked, “do you like me?” He had finally built up enough courage to ask even if it had taken weeks of constant will. She looked at him with endearing eyes and replied, “Yea I like you Joe but not in the way I think you mean. Maybe one day but right now I’m not looking for a boyfriend.”
He felt the sting of rejection crawl up his spine. At that moment he wished he could jump out of the moving Ferris wheel and just disappear.
“Yea,” she replied.
“Don’t tell Mr. Ruiz then,” and he handed her a box of raisinets. She gave him that big smile that he liked so much by now.
A sharp coldness on his cheek refocused him on the road. He didn’t notice his eyes were tearing up until one streaked down his cheek. The road seemed to last forever. He had a 2 hour drive in front of him still. His mind was a mess but focusing on those few sweet memories helped him concentrate. The road had been a long depressing straight line but he knew he was coming up to a stretch of twist and turns with the road winding up the mountain side. He always got nervous driving through the mountains. He found comfort in the memories he had with her even though it brought with it so much pain. He wouldn’t forget her. He loved her. He knew that much. Even if she rejected him.
They were at the carnival with friends and the two of them went on the Ferris wheel alone. He saw this as the perfect opportunity to ask her something he’d been meaning to ask for a few weeks now.
“Emily, can I ask you something?” he said in a nervous tone and before she could answer he asked, “do you like me?” He had finally built up enough courage to ask even if it had taken weeks of constant will. She looked at him with endearing eyes and replied, “Yea I like you Joe but not in the way I think you mean. Maybe one day but right now I’m not looking for a boyfriend.”
He felt the sting of rejection crawl up his spine. At that moment he wished he could jump out of the moving Ferris wheel and just disappear.
“Why not?” he asked.
“I dunno,” she said looking down fumbling with her nails. “I guess I'm just not ready to make that kind of commitment to anyone...you know.”
He understood. He had to. He didn’t blame her for not wanting to. He took a risk and came out on the short side of it. If anything he came out of that rejection with more of a protective heart for her.
The blinding flash of an oncoming car took him out of his trance-like state of thoughts and memories. He had loved her, he knew that much but she had lied to him. She did commit to a boyfriend and his name was Todd. He was the reason why she was gone now, why she was dead. But he would make sure he would do what needed to be done. He would make Todd pay. He didn’t like thinking about fucking Todd, it just filled him with anger and hatred. He preferred to think about her beautiful face but it was painful. He missed her so much. He reached into the back for a beer and accidentally brushed against a hand. He jerked away forgetting it was there and grabbed the beer. He cracked it open and took a swig. After taking a gulp of lukewarm beer he looked into the backseat to a passed out man he had tied and gagged.
“I dunno,” she said looking down fumbling with her nails. “I guess I'm just not ready to make that kind of commitment to anyone...you know.”
He understood. He had to. He didn’t blame her for not wanting to. He took a risk and came out on the short side of it. If anything he came out of that rejection with more of a protective heart for her.
The blinding flash of an oncoming car took him out of his trance-like state of thoughts and memories. He had loved her, he knew that much but she had lied to him. She did commit to a boyfriend and his name was Todd. He was the reason why she was gone now, why she was dead. But he would make sure he would do what needed to be done. He would make Todd pay. He didn’t like thinking about fucking Todd, it just filled him with anger and hatred. He preferred to think about her beautiful face but it was painful. He missed her so much. He reached into the back for a beer and accidentally brushed against a hand. He jerked away forgetting it was there and grabbed the beer. He cracked it open and took a swig. After taking a gulp of lukewarm beer he looked into the backseat to a passed out man he had tied and gagged.
“We’re almost there Todd,” he said. The anticipation building under his skin. He was full of purpose and will. There was a part of him that didn’t want to do this but there was something else in his head pushing him. His devotion for her made him unwilling to abandon his endeavor. This was going to happen.
He finally arrived at the turnoff. It was an old dirt road that continued into the woods of the mountain. The road was only wide enough to fit one car. At the end of it lay an old wooden cabin. He pulled up and turned the car off leaving the lights shining on the front door. He got out of the car and opened the rear door and began dragging Todd into the cabin. He pulled him by the ankles banging his body on the steps as he walked up to the front door. Todd began to wake up. He had a bloody welt on the back of his head from where Joe had hit him. Joe took off the gag. Groggy and hazy he began mumbling, “yerrr, heyyy, wwwhattss gooing on, hey! Help! What is this! What’s happening?!”
“You’re facing your reckoning Todd.”
“What are you talking about? Who are you?” he asked looking up at Joe. “Is that you Joe? Let me go, what are you doing?”
“It’s too late Todd, nothing can stop this.”
“Stop what?! What’s happening?” he began to writhe around like a worm with his bindings, fighting for any ounce of freedom but he was tied too securely.
Joe opened the front door to the cabin and dragged Todd across the floor into the middle of an empty living room. “This is my uncle’s old cabin. No one comes up here anymore, so it’ll be just us two and the creatures of the woods."
Todd’s face began to curl in fear as the gravity of the horrific situation began to set in. This was real and Joe had a terrifying determined will permeating from his eyes. It sent desperate chills of fear throughout Todd’s body.
“Why am I here Joe?”
“Because of Emily!!” he shouted as he opened a closet door and pulled out an old axe and a cleaver. He began inspecting the cleaver with surgeon like care. “My uncle, back when he still used this place, used to hunt for all his food. You know, like how the pioneers did. And you needed big burly knives like this one to chop up some of those thicker pieces of meat. He left a few knives behind. Good thing, huh," he said smiling. "But there were times when he was chopping up meat that he would tell me stories of these creatures that lived here in the woods. Ancient type of creatures that have lived here longer than humans. He said they existed somewhere on the veil of this dimension and the next one. So we can't always see them. But something about these woods, this place, this area, there's a doorway where they come and go. He told me that he would talk to them. Not in any kind of language but kind of like in thoughts and images," he said as he walked to the window looking out as if looking for something. "He told me to never talk to them if I ever encountered them. But I did talk to them Todd. And they showed me things. These creatures are mystical. Other worldly. Beyond right and wrong. They know things and we have to listen. That's why we are here, right now Todd. Do you understand."
“Joe, I don’t know what you’re planning to do but put the knife away, okay buddy, put it away.”
“And my uncle,” he said completely ignoring Todd, “also taught me how to cut up our game. How to give those big swings to split the meat in one swipe,” he continued as he acted out the downward motion with the cleaver. "I would watch as he cut the meat. That's when he would tell me these stories Todd. Of these creatures. He told me once that he caught my Aunt Barbara cheating on him. Can you believe that Todd? I thought she was a good woman," he said as he wiped sweat from his brow still looking out the window. "He said he found out because he saw her phone messages. And so devastated, he came out here to the cabin. And that's when he saw them. The creatures. They talked to him. Showed him things. Showed him what he needed to do. He didn't tell her for what reason, he just brought her out here..."
He finally arrived at the turnoff. It was an old dirt road that continued into the woods of the mountain. The road was only wide enough to fit one car. At the end of it lay an old wooden cabin. He pulled up and turned the car off leaving the lights shining on the front door. He got out of the car and opened the rear door and began dragging Todd into the cabin. He pulled him by the ankles banging his body on the steps as he walked up to the front door. Todd began to wake up. He had a bloody welt on the back of his head from where Joe had hit him. Joe took off the gag. Groggy and hazy he began mumbling, “yerrr, heyyy, wwwhattss gooing on, hey! Help! What is this! What’s happening?!”
“You’re facing your reckoning Todd.”
“What are you talking about? Who are you?” he asked looking up at Joe. “Is that you Joe? Let me go, what are you doing?”
“It’s too late Todd, nothing can stop this.”
“Stop what?! What’s happening?” he began to writhe around like a worm with his bindings, fighting for any ounce of freedom but he was tied too securely.
Joe opened the front door to the cabin and dragged Todd across the floor into the middle of an empty living room. “This is my uncle’s old cabin. No one comes up here anymore, so it’ll be just us two and the creatures of the woods."
Todd’s face began to curl in fear as the gravity of the horrific situation began to set in. This was real and Joe had a terrifying determined will permeating from his eyes. It sent desperate chills of fear throughout Todd’s body.
“Why am I here Joe?”
“Because of Emily!!” he shouted as he opened a closet door and pulled out an old axe and a cleaver. He began inspecting the cleaver with surgeon like care. “My uncle, back when he still used this place, used to hunt for all his food. You know, like how the pioneers did. And you needed big burly knives like this one to chop up some of those thicker pieces of meat. He left a few knives behind. Good thing, huh," he said smiling. "But there were times when he was chopping up meat that he would tell me stories of these creatures that lived here in the woods. Ancient type of creatures that have lived here longer than humans. He said they existed somewhere on the veil of this dimension and the next one. So we can't always see them. But something about these woods, this place, this area, there's a doorway where they come and go. He told me that he would talk to them. Not in any kind of language but kind of like in thoughts and images," he said as he walked to the window looking out as if looking for something. "He told me to never talk to them if I ever encountered them. But I did talk to them Todd. And they showed me things. These creatures are mystical. Other worldly. Beyond right and wrong. They know things and we have to listen. That's why we are here, right now Todd. Do you understand."
“Joe, I don’t know what you’re planning to do but put the knife away, okay buddy, put it away.”
“And my uncle,” he said completely ignoring Todd, “also taught me how to cut up our game. How to give those big swings to split the meat in one swipe,” he continued as he acted out the downward motion with the cleaver. "I would watch as he cut the meat. That's when he would tell me these stories Todd. Of these creatures. He told me once that he caught my Aunt Barbara cheating on him. Can you believe that Todd? I thought she was a good woman," he said as he wiped sweat from his brow still looking out the window. "He said he found out because he saw her phone messages. And so devastated, he came out here to the cabin. And that's when he saw them. The creatures. They talked to him. Showed him things. Showed him what he needed to do. He didn't tell her for what reason, he just brought her out here..."
“Joe goddamnit! Listen to me! You don’t have to do this.”
“Yes I do!” he growled, “you’re the reason Emily is dead. You! No one else. You Todd! YOU!!”
“What the fuck Joe?!!” Todd said looking up at him in utter confusion, “Emily’s not dead Joe! She’s alive! What are you talking about?!!”
“She’s dead and you’re gonna pay Todd.”
“She’s not DEAD Joe!” he said in horrific desperation.
“Shut up Todd!”
“Joe, listen to me. Emily is alive. She just went away for the weekend but she’ll be back. I promise you she’s still alive.”
“Aren’t you curious to why she hasn’t called you or texted or anything Todd? No probably not because you aren't thoughtful like that. You don't care about her,” Joe said as he walked across the room.
“Probably forgot to or her phone is dead, bad reception or any number of other reasons Joe.”
“I wondered Todd,” he said as he picked up the axe, “I wondered why she stopped talking to me. I was her best friend and maybe even one day I could have been her boyfriend but then I found out why she stopped. It was because of you Todd. You took her away from me and I was cast aside. And now you’re gonna pay. She died because of you. She didn't have to. I didn’t want to do it but when I became nothing in her life I had nothing left to lose. She was my everything. The creatures showed me what I needed to do. They showed me things. Convinced me of things. I knew then what I had to do,” he said laying the axe onto his shoulder.
“Joe, oh my god! You didn’t…”
“You’re the reason her life ended. If she had never met you she would still be here.”
“Joe please…don’t…Don’t please,” desperately letting out his last plea as he began crying uncontrollable tears in between every word he was saying.
Joe went into the empty kitchen and began dragging a black garbage bag across the floor. “Look Todd,” he said as he opened the bag revealing her face surrounded by her body parts. Her feet crudely chopped at the ankle lay by her cheeks and her hands lay splayed across her forehead unnaturally. Emily’s brown eyes were still open, looking straight ahead at Todd.
“Oh My God! No! Why Joe! Why!!”
“Because I loved her you goddamn fool!” he yelled as he approached Todd with the axe in hand. “See this axe," he said calming himself down. "I did most of the work with this,” he said reopening the front door of the cabin. “The creatures love the smell of bloody flesh. They crave it. They'll be here soon. They've been smelling her all day Todd.”
“Don’t kill me Joe…please don’t,” he said in a mess of drooling words.
“Oh don’t worry Todd,” he replied placing the gag back into Todd’s mouth. “I’m not gonna kill you,” he said as he pulled out a revolver from his back pocket. “I’m letting you live with this,” he said as he put the gun to his own temple, "the creatures are going to finish you for me," and pulled the trigger.
“Yes I do!” he growled, “you’re the reason Emily is dead. You! No one else. You Todd! YOU!!”
“What the fuck Joe?!!” Todd said looking up at him in utter confusion, “Emily’s not dead Joe! She’s alive! What are you talking about?!!”
“She’s dead and you’re gonna pay Todd.”
“She’s not DEAD Joe!” he said in horrific desperation.
“Shut up Todd!”
“Joe, listen to me. Emily is alive. She just went away for the weekend but she’ll be back. I promise you she’s still alive.”
“Aren’t you curious to why she hasn’t called you or texted or anything Todd? No probably not because you aren't thoughtful like that. You don't care about her,” Joe said as he walked across the room.
“Probably forgot to or her phone is dead, bad reception or any number of other reasons Joe.”
“I wondered Todd,” he said as he picked up the axe, “I wondered why she stopped talking to me. I was her best friend and maybe even one day I could have been her boyfriend but then I found out why she stopped. It was because of you Todd. You took her away from me and I was cast aside. And now you’re gonna pay. She died because of you. She didn't have to. I didn’t want to do it but when I became nothing in her life I had nothing left to lose. She was my everything. The creatures showed me what I needed to do. They showed me things. Convinced me of things. I knew then what I had to do,” he said laying the axe onto his shoulder.
“Joe, oh my god! You didn’t…”
“You’re the reason her life ended. If she had never met you she would still be here.”
“Joe please…don’t…Don’t please,” desperately letting out his last plea as he began crying uncontrollable tears in between every word he was saying.
Joe went into the empty kitchen and began dragging a black garbage bag across the floor. “Look Todd,” he said as he opened the bag revealing her face surrounded by her body parts. Her feet crudely chopped at the ankle lay by her cheeks and her hands lay splayed across her forehead unnaturally. Emily’s brown eyes were still open, looking straight ahead at Todd.
“Oh My God! No! Why Joe! Why!!”
“Because I loved her you goddamn fool!” he yelled as he approached Todd with the axe in hand. “See this axe," he said calming himself down. "I did most of the work with this,” he said reopening the front door of the cabin. “The creatures love the smell of bloody flesh. They crave it. They'll be here soon. They've been smelling her all day Todd.”
“Don’t kill me Joe…please don’t,” he said in a mess of drooling words.
“Oh don’t worry Todd,” he replied placing the gag back into Todd’s mouth. “I’m not gonna kill you,” he said as he pulled out a revolver from his back pocket. “I’m letting you live with this,” he said as he put the gun to his own temple, "the creatures are going to finish you for me," and pulled the trigger.
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