Rules for Enduring the Sweenys

Rule #11: Never Admit You're Wrong

“You lied to that poor girl Bella,” Georgie sneered, dragging her to his old pick-up truck. He’d bought it off some guy when he got out of the joint the third time.

“No I didn’t,” Bella replied, wincing as he shoved her into the passenger seat. This time around she wasn’t gonna make the mistake of thinking the boys could somehow miraculously save her. She would have to rely on herself… again. “Where the fuck are you taking me?” she growled. Georgie frowned, climbing inside the truck and starting the engine. He hit her with a loose fist, enjoying the pain that flickered across her face.

“You just keep runnin’ away from me Bella. It’s startin’ to get on my nerves,” he growled. For a second his mood swing surprised her, before she remembered that he’d always had that kind of odd behavior. One second she would be amusing him, and the next second she was pissing him off to the point that he’d get violent.

His eyes were narrowed, focused completely on the road. ‘Probably thinking about the best place to dump my body when I’m dead,’ she surmised. It felt weird to her not to be at all frightened by the prospect of dying. ‘I guess being faced with it more times than most musta made me immune. That would be cool.’ She’d never wanted to be scared when death finally did claim her.

“Those other girls,” Georgie said with a sadistic grin, “were just practice. You gonna be real fun to kill.” He licked his grotesquely chapped lips. “The first one, she was a whore; I thought it was you for a sec, but she was too young. A real excitin’ little girl. Not sorry to see her go. Little slut was prob’ly diseased anyway.” Bella stared out the window, trying to ignore his vile words. “You stop ignorin’ me you little bitch!” He slapped her again with the back of his hand. He grinned when she didn’t make a sound. “You always could take a hit.” He chuckled nostalgically.

Bella remained silent until they pulled up to Georgie’s rundown trailer. She almost forgot that he had no idea she’d been there before. She had to refrain from trying to spot the lookout point that she and Owen had found the previous morning. She kept her eyes averted to the ground nearly jumping when her phone vibrated once, signaling she’d gotten a text. ‘Fuck, I can’t believe I forgot I have my goddamn phone!’ she thought, reaching into her pocket and turning it on silent. It would be best if Georgie had no idea that she had it.

‘Maybe Bryce can use those magical computer skills of his to track the fucking piece a shit,’ she hoped, feeling stupid for even thinking it. ‘Get it through your fucking head! They’re not comin’! Just like nobody came the last time. You’re on your own.’ She felt Georgie’s clammy hands grip the back of her neck.

“Come along now Jelly Belly.” He pushed her forward, digging his black finger nails into her skin, drawing drops of crimson blood. Bella moved her numb legs toward the trailer that symbolized imminent doom. Don’t be fooled though, Rosabelle Harken never gave up. She never quit.

When she was inside his messy trailer, he shoved her onto a wooden chair in the center. He grinned at her, but it faltered. The other girls – the first ones – hadn’t been so easily subdued. They kicked and screamed and fought, trying in vain not to be taken to the dreaded second location. He’d been prepared for her to fight, it’s why he started killing girls who looked like her, so he could practice. ‘I guess I over-estimated her,’ he laughed to himself.

“You’re not really makin’ this fun for me Jelly,” he grumbled. She lifted her eyes to his.

“Fuck you,” she spat venomously. Oh, she knew Georgie better than he thought she did. The second he touched her, all those memories from that time came flooding back. The entire Middle School era that she had so successfully blocked out was no longer a part of that void she’d created.