Why me?

Part 13

"There's just this one little thing you need to do", the man said, his thin lips spreading in a wide grin, showing his crooked, mostly broken teeth. Alice closed her eyes for a few seconds, breathed in deeply. She could feel a tear slowly coming down her cheek and she quickly wiped it.

The naked woman was standing right next to her, her neck in the most unusual position as it was bent on the left as much as the threads connecting her head and neck allowed to. Yes, indeed. Her  head was connected to her body with a thread and a couple of needles sticking out.

"W-what?", Alice asked.

"Well... You see... I just need you to kill all of the people in this village who are related to us, or as I like to call it, connected to us by blood. Understand? Just that one small thing".

Alice's mouth opened a bit and her eyes widened. "I'm not a killer!", she exclaimed.

"Oh. So that's how we're going to play. You can either be a killer, or... You can stay an orphan and let me adopt you. Don't you think we'll have plenty of fun? Look at my daughter, right there next to you. See her head? I did that. I reckon it will be fun to do it to you too".

Alice's whole body was shivering and she didn't know what to do... "I... I can't kill people", she finally said.

Suddenly, as if out of nowhere,  fog appeared all around them and filled the living room so Alice couldn't see anything and out of that fog stumbled and stuttered two exhausted bodies.

"Baby... Please help us", it was her father's voice. She could make out his jawline, his beard but she could vividly see the scars on his body and the blood dripping down them.

"He is torturing us, he is ruining our lives. We need you, honey", now it was her mother. Alice's tears fell down on the ground as the figure of her mother approached her and gave her a warm hug that Alice missed so much.

"We believe in you, darling".

"But we're not the only victims, Alice. He is keeping your friend Mindy that died in a car accident, my mother, my father, almost everyone we knew and loved. You need to help us", her father's voice was soothing and calm.

"But I can't kill, daddy!"

"Please, honey, do it for us. Do it for all the people who are trapped, just imagine... Their spirits will be free to return to their bodies and everything will be alright again. You'll come back home. We will celebrate Christmas together, singing beautiful songs, decorating the tree... Don't you miss us?"

"I do, but..."

"Alice, HELP ME!", her mother screamed as a man approached her from the back and cut her head off with a chainsaw. Alice fell to the ground screaming, feeling her body weak, noodle-like. "NO!", she was yelling and soon enough, the fog disappeared.

"So what do you say? Will you do it?", the man asked her.

"You stupid fool. I hate you", she mumbled looking at his as if she were going to kill him in a matter of a second.

"How sweet. I reckon you're not brave enough and that you'll let your family and friends suffer forever. Just because you're selfish. Stupid. Prosaic. Just a regular little girl that doesn't give a damn about anyone but herself".

"NO! I'M NOT LIKE THAT!"

"Well then do it".

Alice took in a deep breath. "Fine. I will".