twisted killings

. :TORMENTED: .

~tormented~

Standing in the front hall, I feel sick. I know that I said it couldn't get worse, but again I am dead wrong. No pun intended.

In the middle of a pentagram, a girl lay. It takes me a moment to recognize her. Charlotte. It's hard to even identify her; the only reason I know it is her is the fact I complimented her shirt before getting on the bus. Her once white shirt is blood red, along with skinny jeans. Her hair, which is splayed around her head as a halo, is damp with what I can only assume is blood. The only other oddity on her body is an iron mask. With three holes; two for her still open eyes and one for her mouth. Something must be on the other side because blood comes pooling from all directions. Her eyes are fixated on the chandelier, blood seeping into her eyeballs.

Eighteen other people stand around Charlotte's body; the sight too disturbing to be real. Her best friend, Rose, chokes up and turns away. The rest of us, however, aren't able to look away. "Intriguing, isn't it? Death. To have somebody else's life in your hands? It gives you a sense of power. How long they live. How long they suffer. How they die. Personally, I find it entertaining to hear them scream. Have them plead𑁋 "don't kill me, please. Please, don't kill me"𑁋 nobody has yet to understand. I have no mercy. If you have kids, if you have family, if you have a partner, if there is someone who counts on you; I don't care. If you want it quick and painless, I will have your death be drawn out for hours," Landon cackles, pushing her way to Charlotte. She rests her hand on the iron mask as one does with their child.

Rose gets thrown over the edge as Landon does this. Her face becomes fitting for her name, "You𑁋you are sick! Do you think you can get away with this? Our parents will find us, and they will bring the police. And your psychotic ass will be locked up. Or worse! You will get the death penalty! You𑁋" Rose holds her breath as Landon steps up into her face. Landon manically grins, "Death penalty? That's cute. Rose, we are anywhere the death penalty counts. Here it hasn't been a thing since the 50s. When I do these, I cover my tracks. I know what I am doing, Rose."

"That doesn't mean you won't get caught," Rose exclaims. Her eyes widen as realizes her mistake. Landon's upper lip twitches, letting out a low snarl, "I haven't been caught once in the past decade for doing this. Hell, I wasn't caught when it was my family in your position. And, Rose, just for doubting my prowess: I have a special punishment for you."

Landon's cackle alone gave me shivers down my spine. She lets out a loud whistle and the growls that I heard earlier resume. Coming towards us, fast. "If you value what's left of your life, kiddies, I would step back." We do as she says, not wanting to be the center of what ever was about to happen.

The tension in the air is almost visible. The growls get closer and closer until they are just outside a door. Bang! The door struggles against its hinges. Bang! The wooden door starts to crack. Bang! The door flies out of the wall. I am stood paralyzed staring at three large dogs. When I say large, I mean the size of your aunt's pickup truck. They remind me of something I learned in English. We had been reading mythology and a story got told. The story of hell hounds. That story isn't just a story because in front of me are three honest to god hell hounds.

The tension is gone, fear replacing it. Nobody moves as Landon cackles at the dogs, "Stick her, boys." The three dogs pounce, oblivious to Rose's screams. Blood squirts everywhere. Teeth against bones. The crack-crack-crack of bones splintering. Although the large dogs take up most of the space in the room; obscuring poor Rose from view, I know what her face looks like. Ripped off, bones showing. How do I know this? The simple answer is that her face is flung past my head and hits the wall.

The hounds finish the crunch of Rose's body and before they can draw their attention to the others around the room, Landon snarls at them to rush them out of the door. The sight of Rose's remains makes me feel sick. Again, Landon cackles. Her laughter drives me over the edge, sending me on a vomit spree over the bloody carpet.