The Cannibal Bride *WattyAwards2024

17)The Monsters Den

"Control" by Halsey

***
The next morning as Alyssa slowly opened her eyes to find daylight streaming through the windows, the night before slowly came back to her in bits and pieces. She remembered everything. Going to Ian's family, offering a trade, and she even remembered finding Cassi. It was after sickly finding out that Tyler Matthews' body parts were currently gathered in a freezer that Alyssa couldn't remember anything else. After that, she remembered waking up momentarily after, and the memory of the butchered teenager came back to haunt her.

There was screaming after that. A sick, terrifying wail of a scream that echoed throughout the large farmhouse, and it was only after a slim needle struck into her neck did Alyssa realize she was the one issuing the terrified screams.

Tyler was dead. Worse, he was being kept in storage as one would freeze regular grocery store meat.
Alyssa lay still, her eyes wide with alarm as Ian entered the room with a tray of food. The setting was unfamiliar, far more luxurious than the apartment she had been in just the day before, or the farmhouse of Delores and Mason. A large, flat-screen TV adorned one wall opposite a magnificent king-sized four-poster bed. A collection of CDs lined one side, while old vinyl records and a tall bookshelf filled with books occupied the rest of the room.

Her attention snapped back to her predicament when she realized one of her hands was handcuffed to the bedpost above her head. She jingled the metal cuff, feeling its weight and restriction, wincing at the realization of being restrained upon waking.

"That was necessary to ensure you didn't try anything when you awoke," Ian explained calmly as he placed the tray down. "I recommend you eat something. You didn't have anything yesterday, and it's not good for your health to go without proper nutrition."

Alyssa stared at him incredulously, unable to comprehend his nonchalance. His family had Cassi locked in a basement, her boyfriend's dismembered body in their freezer, and a man undergoing organ harvesting somewhere. Yet here Ian was, worried about her nutrition. The absurdity of the situation would have been comical if it weren't so disturbingly twisted.

"I don't like when you're quiet," Ian declared, wrinkling his nose. "My vocal Alyssa is a lot easier to read."

My. It was that one word that made Alyssa's head swivel so fast to look at him she thought she could get whiplash. Her eyes narrowed as her mouth fell open. She didn't like how he felt she was a possession. Silence overtook the two of them, with Ian watching her with a blank expression.

"Why didn't you let them kill me?" Alyssa finally said, her eyes searching Ian's for an answer. Her voice was barely above a whisper, but she didn't dare speak louder for fear she would start screaming. This entire situation made her want to start screaming as loud as she could out of fear. She wanted to scream until she had no more voice left. That most likely wouldn't help her situation. She was locked in God knows where currently trapped by a family of cannibals. Screaming would most likely only anger them. Alyssa's ribs ached uncomfortably this morning, a silent reminder of the harsh kicks Tom Stern delivered to her last night. Alyssa received kicks, and yet, that was nothing compared to Cassi being locked in a dingy cage in a basement for the last few weeks.

"I figured it was in your best interest of taking a little nap after you saw Tyler," explained Ian. "I carried the unconscious you to here."

Alyssa didn't bother asking where here was. That explained why she did not remember anything else of the night before. Ian was right beside her so he was able to inject her with something to knock her out after she had awoken from her fainting spell.

Alyssa only now remembered she couldn't stop screaming. There was so much shock of finding out the fate of Tyler Matthews she couldn't help the screams that had been issued from her. To make matters worse, Delores found heavy humor in her terrified screams. She found Alyssa's fear humorous.
"Luke's brother...You all killed him," Alyssa whispered, her eyes growing misty. Luke wanted to find his brother just as bad as she wanted to find Cassi. How the hell was he supposed to live knowing not only was his brother dead, but his body was currently in someone's freezer for a meal?