DESPERATE

25

As the sun dipped below the horizon, Randall closed all the curtains in the house and whispered to the Andera family to remain still. He had no energy left to haul the three lifeless bodies to the basement, so he covered them with some sheets. He peered through the living room window, searching for any sign of life on the street. It was deserted. No curious neighbors peeked out of their windows.

Gail's bladder was throbbing with intense discomfort, making her whimper and press her legs together. She was on the verge of losing control and wetting herself. "Please, let me use the bathroom," she pleaded.

Randall gave her an irritated look. "No, we're running out of time. It doesn't matter if you pee your pants. It's too dark for anyone to notice."

"Let her go, Randall! You're disgusting!" Dionah shouted, her eyes blazing with anger. "She needs to use the bathroom, you heartless jerk."

Randall sneered, holding the duct tape in his hand. "Don't play dumb with me. I know you're all trying to escape. Well, tough luck. She can hold it in or wet herself. I couldn't care less."

Jordan cringed as he felt the dampness on his clothes. He moved away from his little sister and whined, "Gross! Now I'm soaked in pee."

Gail sobbed, feeling humiliated and guilty. "I'm so sorry, Jordan. It's Randall's fault. He's so mean. He wouldn't let me go to the bathroom."

"Randall, look at me." Jillian locked eyes with the little man and spoke gently. "You're a good person, Randall. I know you are. You never meant to kill anyone. You're not a murderer. You just suffer from some psychological problems. We can offer you the help you need. Please, don't do this. We love you. You're family."

"Bullshit!" the little man snapped, tightening his fists and glowering at her. "You're lying; you don't give a damn about me. You never accepted me as part-of-your-family. I'm not freaking crazy! You all rejected me. That's why I despise all of you. Take one last look at your home, for you will never see it again."

Randall wrapped duct tape around the Andera family's eyes and mouths, silencing their screams and blinding their sight. He bound their hands and feet with ropes, forcing them to shuffle in the dark. They felt like condemned prisoners as he pushed them out of their home through the backdoor.

The moon and the stars were the only sources of light in the dark and silent night. They cast faint shadows on the empty streets, where Randall forced his four captives to walk. He gripped his gun firmly and made the Andera family move blindly, their eyes taped shut. They had no clue where he was taking them. They only heard his harsh voice ordering them to move. Kenzo's shack was close by.

All of a sudden, a loud bark shattered the silence. Then another, and another, until the night was filled with furious barks. Dogs. Stray dogs. They came from all sides, circling them like wolves. Randall froze in fear, unable to react. He was no stranger to hungry dogs, but these were something else. Their ribs showed through their matted fur, their eyes glinted with desperation, and their teeth snapping. They looked ready to kill.

"What's going on?" A muffled voice asked him. Randall said nothing. He was still trying to figure out how to escape the situation.

Randall held his gun firmly, but he knew it was no use. He was surrounded by a horde of starving, stray dogs. They snarled and snapped at him and his captives. Their fangs glinted, their eyes burned, their barks threatened. If he fired, he would only signal the nearby cops to his whereabouts. He would be arrested for kidnapping and murder. He had to find a way out, before the dogs lunged. The pack of hungry stray dogs closed in, sniffing the air. Randall's captives quivered in terror, their sobs muffled by the duct tape. Was this his cruel scheme: to abandon them as prey to be devoured alive?