Descent

Just Another Bad Day

!! TW !!: the first section of this chapter contains gore and disturbing imagery. Read at your own risk !!

The gutting hook sliced effortlessly through the thin skin, gliding from the ankles and down to the torso with ease.

He grunted slightly as the hook got caught on a thicker piece of skin, yanking the hook aggressively before the skin gave way to the pressure and quickly split apart for the man. He continued to glide the sharp tool until it reached the throat, splitting the line he had just created to now cut along the shoulders.

The suspended corpse hung loosely by its feet, a multitude of corporeal liquids trickling down its form in a sickly river of bodily fluids, dribbling to the floor in slow and steady drips as he continued to move the hook along its surface. He gently peeled the skin away from the body, pulling off each layer with precision to reveal the colorful and tender pinks and reds that lie beneath to the cool air.

Once the skin was fully removed along with any other unnecessary outward body parts, he dug the gutting hook back in for a second time, creating a small tear along the back end before ripping it down forcefully. Blood began to spill out of the now split open stomach, pouring out at his feet as the smell of copper filled his already flared nostrils. He pulled the hook further, now pulling it through the lower stomach as organs and ribs began to peak out from the open wound.

He placed the gutting hook down before grabbing the knife, curling his fingers around the handle in a tight fist before pushing his hand into the cold flesh, slowly but surely sinking his arm deeper and deeper into the corpse. He felt around for where the esophagus began before slicing it, pulling the elongated gullet out before squeezing it as a soft hiss of air escaped the fleshy tube. He then plopped it down on the table, moving on to the next part.

With that out of the way, he began to tug at the other organs and pulling them out one by one, taking the body's last remnants of life as the familiar sound of squelching filled his ears each time he grabbed something. He'd occasionally have to re-grab the knife in order to cut through any thick sinew, slicing it with ease before getting back to work on scooping out the organs again.

"Hey, Freddy. Stop what you're doing for a sec." A voice called out to him, ripping him from his concentration.

Fred perked up at the sound of his manager's voice, his arms elbow deep in the pig he was currently clearing out. He immediately pulled out his hands, letting the blood slide down his arms and drip off from the tops of his gloved fingers to the floor beneath.

"I need to take a piss. Watch for customers, will ya?" David's drawled in his thick New York accent, not even giving Fred time to respond before turning and heading towards the bathroom.

Fred scrunched his nose slightly, a wave of anxiety washing over him at the thought of having to tend to the counter. David usually kept him in the back and away from the customers due to his lack of social skills. It had become apparent that the man was much better at gutting animals than he was at interacting with humans.

He took a deep breath, telling himself that David would be out of the bathroom in a jiffy and that he had nothing to worry about. It was still fairly early in the day; the shop had only been open for about an hour. Who comes to pick up meat at ten in the morning?

Fred turned back to the pig before him, letting out a huff before jamming his hands back into the body as he continued to clean it.

A minute later, Fred was interrupted by the sound of a bell ringing, signaling that someone had walked into the shop. He froze, the soft chime ringing in his ears as he stood completely still, an even bigger wave of anxiety stunting his brain. He forced himself to move, remembering he had a job to do. Without thinking, he pulled his hands out of the pig and immediately bolted to the counter, his eyes falling on whoever had just walked in with wide and almost anxious eyes.