Closed Mouth Grins

The‭ ‬scene‭ ‬was‭ ‬not‭ ‬a‭ ‬pretty‭ ‬one,‭ ‬not‭ ‬in‭ ‬the‭ ‬least.‭ ‬When‭ ‬we‭ ‬arrived,‭ ‬there‭ ‬was‭ ‬the‭ ‬very‭ ‬strong‭ ‬stench‭ ‬of‭ ‬fresh‭ ‬blood.‭ ‬I‭ ‬swallowed‭ ‬the‭ ‬lump‭ ‬in‭ ‬my‭ ‬throat‭ ‬as‭ ‬we‭ ‬got‭ ‬closer‭ ‬to‭ ‬the‭ ‬van.‭ ‬We‭ ‬switched‭ ‬on‭ ‬our‭ ‬flashlights,‭ ‬then‭ ‬being‭ ‬greeted‭ ‬by‭ ‬bits‭ ‬of‭ ‬skin,‭ ‬multiple‭ ‬patches‭ ‬of‭ ‬fur,‭ ‬and,‭ ‬as‭ ‬the‭ ‬smell‭ ‬had‭ ‬made‭ ‬clear,‭ ‬lots‭ ‬of‭ ‬blood,‭ ‬trickling‭ ‬from‭ ‬the‭ ‬inside‭ ‬of‭ ‬the‭ ‬mangled‭ ‬vehicle.‭ ‬I‭ ‬followed‭ ‬Rob,‭ ‬unsure‭ ‬whether‭ ‬or‭ ‬not‭ ‬this‭ ‬was‭ ‬a‭ ‬good‭ ‬idea.‭ ‬More‭ ‬and‭ ‬more‭ ‬I‭ ‬felt‭ ‬like‭ ‬backing‭ ‬out,‭ ‬but‭ ‬it‭ ‬was‭ ‬too‭ ‬late.‭ ‬We‭ ‬were‭ ‬already‭ ‬trying‭ ‬to‭ ‬pull‭ ‬out‭ ‬a‭ ‬mangled‭ ‬body‭ ‬through‭ ‬the‭ ‬shattered‭ ‬windshield‭ ‬of‭ ‬the‭ ‬van.‭ ‬We‭ ‬had‭ ‬grabbed‭ ‬a‭ ‬familiar‭ ‬white‭ ‬paw,‭ ‬and‭ ‬it‭ ‬made‭ ‬my‭ ‬heart‭ ‬sink‭ ‬as‭ ‬I‭ ‬realized‭ ‬this‭ ‬body‭ ‬was‭ ‬of‭ ‬Beach‭ ‬Bear.‭ ‬I‭ ‬wanted‭ ‬to‭ ‬cry,‭ ‬I‭ ‬wanted‭ ‬to‭ ‬wail‭ ‬and‭ ‬scream,‭ ‬but‭ ‬I‭ ‬knew‭ ‬I‭ ‬couldn‭'‬t,‭ ‬because‭ ‬I‭ ‬knew‭ ‬we‭ ‬couldn‭'‬t‭ ‬make‭ ‬too‭ ‬much‭ ‬noise.‭ ‬We‭ ‬were‭ ‬driving‭ ‬down‭ ‬the‭ ‬road‭ ‬after‭ ‬the‭ ‬show‭ ‬when‭ ‬we‭ ‬saw‭ ‬them‭ ‬crash.‭ ‬Prior‭ ‬to‭ ‬it,‭ ‬we‭ ‬had‭ ‬made‭ ‬a‭ ‬bet‭ ‬before‭ ‬we‭ ‬all‭ ‬left‭; ‬the‭ ‬first‭ ‬car‭ ‬that‭ ‬arrived‭ ‬to‭ ‬the‭ ‬hotel‭ ‬would‭ ‬get‭ ‬free‭ ‬dinner,‭ ‬courtesy‭ ‬of‭ ‬the‭ ‬loser.‭ ‬Seeing‭ ‬as‭ ‬this‭ ‬was‭ ‬a‭ ‬stressful‭ ‬night,‭ ‬a‭ ‬group‭ ‬of‭ ‬tired‭ ‬band‭ ‬members‭ ‬definitely‭ ‬wanted‭ ‬to‭ ‬relax‭ ‬with‭ ‬a‭ ‬free‭ ‬of‭ ‬charge‭ ‬hot‭ ‬dinner.‭ ‬The‭ ‬minute‭ ‬we‭ ‬saw‭ ‬them‭ ‬crash,‭ ‬Rob‭ ‬grabbed‭ ‬me‭ ‬by‭ ‬the‭ ‬collar‭ ‬and‭ ‬told‭ ‬me,

‭ "‬Don‭'‬t‭ ‬say‭ ‬anything‭ ‬to‭ ‬anybody.‭ ‬Not‭ ‬a‭ ‬word.‭ ‬This‭ ‬is‭ ‬our‭ ‬problem,‭ ‬Richard.‭ ‬Come‭ ‬with‭ ‬me.‭"

It‭ ‬took‭ ‬at‭ ‬least‭ ‬20‭ ‬minutes‭ ‬to‭ ‬pull‭ ‬Beach‭'‬s‭ ‬heavy‭ ‬body‭ ‬out‭ ‬and‭ ‬put‭ ‬him‭ ‬in‭ ‬the‭ ‬back‭ ‬of‭ ‬our‭ ‬van.‭ ‬Making‭ ‬sure‭ ‬nobody‭ ‬was‭ ‬watching‭ ‬us‭ ‬or‭ ‬passing‭ ‬by‭ ‬in‭ ‬their‭ ‬cars,‭ ‬I‭ ‬turned‭ ‬on‭ ‬my‭ ‬flashlight‭ ‬and‭ ‬shone‭ ‬it‭ ‬on‭ ‬the‭ ‬corpse.‭ ‬I‭ ‬winced‭ ‬looking‭ ‬at‭ ‬it,‭ ‬and‭ ‬even‭ ‬Rob‭ ‬couldn‭'‬t‭ ‬look‭ ‬for‭ ‬too‭ ‬long.‭ ‬Beach‭'‬s‭ ‬face‭ ‬looked‭ ‬like‭ ‬it‭ ‬was‭ ‬rammed‭ ‬into‭ ‬the‭ ‬dashboard,‭ ‬as‭ ‬his‭ ‬muzzle‭ ‬was‭ ‬crushed‭ ‬and‭ ‬pushed‭ ‬to‭ ‬the‭ ‬side‭ ‬of‭ ‬his‭ ‬face,‭ ‬and‭ ‬the‭ ‬glass‭ ‬and‭ ‬metal‭ ‬practically‭ ‬scalped‭ ‬him,‭ ‬ripping‭ ‬up‭ ‬what‭ ‬were‭ ‬once‭ ‬his‭ ‬ears‭ ‬into‭ ‬little‭ ‬stumps.‭ ‬It‭ ‬was‭ ‬gruesome,‭ ‬and‭ ‬all‭ ‬it‭ ‬did‭ ‬was‭ ‬give‭ ‬us‭ ‬an‭ ‬idea‭ ‬of‭ ‬what‭ ‬else‭ ‬we‭ ‬were‭ ‬going‭ ‬to‭ ‬see‭ ‬that‭ ‬night.‭ ‬Every‭ ‬body‭ ‬we‭ ‬pulled‭ ‬out‭ ‬was‭ ‬in‭ ‬a‭ ‬horrible‭ ‬state,‭ ‬but‭ ‬by‭ ‬far‭ ‬the‭ ‬most‭ ‬disturbing‭ ‬find‭ ‬was‭ ‬that‭ ‬of‭ ‬Mitzi,‭ ‬the‭ ‬last‭ ‬member‭ ‬left‭ ‬in‭ ‬the‭ ‬vehicle.‭ ‬As‭ ‬we‭ ‬tugged‭ ‬her‭ ‬carcass‭ ‬out,‭ ‬I‭ ‬took‭ ‬a‭ ‬good,‭ ‬long‭ ‬look‭ ‬at‭ ‬her‭ ‬face.‭ ‬Mitzi‭ ‬Mozzarella,‭ ‬a‭ ‬beautiful,‭ ‬beautiful‭ ‬girl.‭ ‬Extremely‭ ‬talented‭ ‬for‭ ‬her‭ ‬young‭ ‬age,‭ ‬15.‭ ‬Her‭ ‬life‭ ‬ripped‭ ‬away‭ ‬so‭ ‬soon.‭ ‬Usually‭ ‬so‭ ‬peppy‭ ‬and‭ ‬cheerful‭ ‬looking,‭ ‬the‭ ‬seconds‭ ‬before‭ ‬her‭ ‬end‭ ‬rendered‭ ‬her‭ ‬clammy,‭ ‬her‭ ‬makeup‭ ‬smeared,‭ ‬and‭ ‬the‭ ‬corners‭ ‬of‭ ‬her‭ ‬mouth‭ ‬slightly‭ ‬ripped‭ ‬from‭ ‬what‭ ‬can‭ ‬be‭ ‬assumed‭ ‬was‭ ‬an‭ ‬injury‭ ‬caused‭ ‬by‭ ‬broken‭ ‬glass.‭ ‬Something‭ ‬inside‭ ‬me‭ ‬snapped‭ ‬after‭ ‬looking‭ ‬at‭ ‬her‭ ‬for‭ ‬so‭ ‬long.‭ ‬My‭ ‬eyes‭ ‬became‭ ‬watery‭ ‬and‭ ‬blurry,‭ ‬and‭ ‬my‭ ‬nose‭ ‬started‭ ‬to‭ ‬drip.‭ ‬Robert‭ ‬saw‭ ‬me‭ ‬crying,‭ ‬but‭ ‬said‭ ‬nothing,‭ ‬he‭ ‬knowing‭ ‬that‭ ‬a‭ ‬sight‭ ‬like‭ ‬that‭ ‬would‭ ‬render‭ ‬even‭ ‬the‭ ‬toughest‭ ‬man‭ ‬to‭ ‬tears.B