Just Like Animals

№ 2

When Ricky began to wake, it was much later in the day and was already starting to get dark outside.  Chris was no where to be found, so Ricky turned on a few lights in the house and went to the kitchen to get himself a glass of water, making himself at home.  He assumed Chris had gone to pick up food or run errands, so when there was a loud crash in the back yard, he was rather frightened.

With as much courage as Ricky could muster, he crept down the hallway and into the laundry room, peaking out the window.  From where he was, he could see that the trash can had been tipped over, most likely the work of racoons.

Ricky flicked on the outdoor light and unlocked the door, going outside. The trash was still bagged up and in the bin, he just needed to stand it up again. It took a fair bit of muscling, but eventually the can was upright and he was able to go back inside.

As Ricky held the door knob, he noticed a strange reflection in the glass, there being scattered light shining through the trees.  When he turned to look at the source, it appeared as if the light was coming from somewhere in the woods that wasn't even accessible. 

He stood for a moment, debating whether he should wait for Chris to come home and tell him about it or if he should explore the anomaly himself.  The muffled sound of metal clanking gave Ricky the itch of needing to know what was out there. 

Taking in a deep breath of frigid air and stepping into the snow covered lawn, he began to look for a trail that cut through the brush.  He found a small path that was barely better than trudging in through all the undergrowth.  He pushed branches out of his way as he walked, wrapping his arms around himself as the chill started to set in.

As Ricky walked further into the woods, the thicket closed in behind him, obscuring the way he came and causing him to loose sight of Chris' house.  He hoped that wherever he was going would have another way back, but the further he tramped in, it became less of a possibility.

It was only when Ricky got closer to the light source that he recognized what it was: an old brick garage that was engulfed in vines and moss.  The big roll down doors were in such poor shape Ricky was sure they didn't work properly, if at all. The windows had been covered in newspaper and cardboard, blocking some light and all visibility into the building. The only opening was a dented metal door with a broken handle that squeaked every time a gust of wind slammed it open before falling back into a semi closed state.

Ricky crept closer to the door, trying to peak inside.  He couldn't see much, the door being whipped open every so often and startling him.  He caught a glimpse of a person inside, smiling when he recognized them.  Without a second thought, Ricky pushed the door open and stepped onto the cement floor.

"Hey, Chris." He said, announcing his presence.  Chris flinched, whipping his head over his shoulder and staring at Ricky with wide eyes.

The wind blew through a break in the ceiling where a vine was growing, causing a plastic sheet to flutter and the door to slam, Ricky checking his surroundings in a panic.  Behind the plastic sheet, he could see the vague outline of a person, ankles hoisted high in the air by a metal chain, arms limp and dragging on the floor below.

"Stay right there." Chris commanded, able to almost see the line connecting Ricky's eyes to the body.  He slowly set down his bone saw and began to tug off his rubber gloves, his hand catching before jerking out suddenly. 

Ricky turned his attention to Chris, watching as he set the gloves down on the table next to where a severed foot lay.  The only thing keeping him from vomiting was his fight-or-flight response telling him he needed to get out of there as fast as he possibly could.

He waited until Chris reached behind himself to untie his rubber apron, turning and lunging for the door he had entered through.  His foot managed to find a small patch of ice and before anything could register, he was face down on the floor, some sort of liquid soaking into his clothes and hair as he lay there.

There was a throbbing pain in Ricky's head, but the instinct to run was still there. As he started to pick himself up, he felt a heavy shoe on his back, pushing him back down.

"I said stay right there." Chris huffed, enunciating every word.  Ricky didn't dare move, head pounding as he tried to think of a way out of the situation.

"Please don't kill me." Ricky stammered, fear starting to set in as he realized there was no possible escape since he couldn't possibly overpower Chris, and even if he could, he didn't know his way out of the forest that surrounded them.

Chris scoffed, briefly removing his foot from Rickys back and replacing it with his knee. "I'm not going to kill you, I just have to figure out what to do with you now." He hissed in Ricky's ear, wrapping his hands around Ricky's neck and starting to squeeze.

Panic consumed Ricky, his eyes watering and his breathing becoming unsteady as the hands tightened, eventually cutting off the blood supply to his brain and causing him to pass out.

Chris stood up and brushed himself off, examining the situation a bit more and taking a step back before he started to get to work, cleaning up the mess he so carelessly created.

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