The Call

The Gifts

Meadow glared at Holden and Becky with the gun still pointing at both.

"First off, I can't have either of you leaving this little family reunion. That would be a shame."

Meadow nodded toward Frank then, back at them.

"Be a dear and tie them both, together." Meadow said.

Frank pulled rope from this black duffle bag next to them on the floor.

Holden shivered.

It was bad enough his dead daughter was standing barking orders, but now he had to be even closer to the women he hated.

Frank walked over to them both and yanked them side by side.

Holden's body tensed up ready to attack, but he thought twice. Even though he was mad at Becky, he couldn't bear the thought of her getting shot because he tried something stupid.

Frank wrapped both their wrists together tight.

Becky flinched and yelled "Ow!" as the rope slit into her skin.

Holden glared at Frank for cutting into both of them.

He felt so helpless and useless looking into Becky's terrified eyes.

"Harley...you don't have to do this." Holden pleaded as Frank wrapped the rope one last time around them.

"It's Meadow now!" Frank yelled.

Meadow snorted, "Like you didn't have to murder your own daughter or cover it up right?" Meadow said with hatred in her voice.

"It was....it was an accident sweetie." Becky whispered looking down at the floor.

Meadows head snapped in her direction.

"It was an accident?!!!" Meadow moved quickly over to Becky and Holden.

She put the gun right against Becky's temple.

"Oh my god!" Becky pleaded, tears rolling from her face.

"Harl...I mean MEADOW!!! You want me!!! NOT HER!!! Please put the gun down!!!" Holden yelled.

Meadow smiled eerily and slowly slide the gun down Becky's face and then put her face in between theirs.

"Well....I must confess....I had a little accident myself." she whispered in their ears and slowly backed away from them.

The look on her face became innocent, almost child-like, reminded him of the younger Harley when she lied to him about breaking Becky's favorite vase.

He knew his daughter was still in there, somewhere, she just had to be.

"Bring them out!" she yelled.

A few moments later, they saw Frank dragging two identical suitcases that looked like the one Holden buried Harley in.

Both of them were trailing dark crimson red liquid behind.

Becky's body tensed and she grabbed hold of Holden's hand through the rope.

The closer he got to them the sicker they felt.

Frank put one in front of Becky and one in front of Holden.

The stench that came from them was almost unbearable.

Becky gasped and her hands squeezed tighter around Holdens.

There was a women's pale hand hanging from outside the half zipped lid.

Holden recognized the hand right away from the butterfly tattoo in between the thumb and finger and the black nail polish.

Blood dripped from one fingertip.

Holden shook his head and stepped back "No, No this can't be happening."

"Go on, open your gifts! Seeing how Harley can't and it is her birthday today." Meadow said grinning ear to ear.

"No. This is not right. I don't want to." Becky cried her whole body threatening to collapse.

Meadow flicked her tongue to the roof of her mouth making a clicking noise.

Frank nodded as if that was some kind of communication between the two of them.

He knelt down and unzipped both suitcases at once.

The bloodied hand fell to the floor. It was severed off at the wrist, a broken bone protruded out of the skin.

"Ooopsie! Frankie can be a little messy sometimes!"

Frank lifted both lids revealing what was inside.

Becky screamed and collapsed to floor.

A burning sensation ran up Holden's arm as the rope cut through his skin forcing his knees to buckle.

He felt his lunch and whiskey worming its way back up his esophagus burning his throat.

Vanessa's body lay in a pool of blood and pieces in front of his eyes.

How could he have let this happen? Vanessa was innocent, she did not deserve this.

He slowly turned and looked over at Becky.

Her face was pale and black eyeliner smeared around her eyes and trailed down both cheeks.

Tears were flooding from her eyes, drool was sliding from her mouth as she screamed the word no  over and over.

Her body rocked back and forth and her throat made this gargling noise threatening puke.

Holden tried to sooth Becky through the rope.

"THIS IS YOUR FAULT!!!!!! JOEL DIDNT DESERVE THIS!! I FUCKING HATE YOU!!!" she cried trying to put Joel's severed body back together.

Holden could feel Joel's blood on his hand as Becky picked up pieces of him trying to put him back together.

Holden's heart sank to the floor.

He looked back up at Meadow who was still smiling down at him.