Beautiful Death (Bella Morté Trilogy Book 1) (2 page)

Alice shook her head. “We had that last week. I think we should get pizza.”

“We had that two nights ago.”

Rolling her eyes, Dani groaned. “We’re gettin’ burgers, cause it’s quick an’ easy. Now, if you’re goin’ with me then let’s go. I wanna get back early enough to at least enjoy a beer before bed.”

It didn’t take long before they were in the truck headed to town. One was adamant that she didn’t want anything but Fish and Chips and the other wanted Pizza. Each one had their own reasons. Grudgingly, Dani drove to three different places. She noticed more people fighting everywhere they went. It was the strangest thing.

“See, this is what I had to deal with today. Everyone was fightin’.”

Alice watched two people going at it, punching each other steadily as if it was a pay per view boxing match. “I wonder why?”

“I don’t know. I think we should go home an’ watch the fireworks.”

“Why?”

“Because if people are fightin’ like that around us while we’re enjoyin’ the fireworks… how much fun are we really gonna have?”

“Please. Let’s just go an’ check it out first. I
really
wanna go.”

Grace shook her head. “You sound like a twelve-year old girl. Ya just need to look up an’ you’ll see everything just fine.”

“No. I wanna--”

“Fine Ma.” Dani groaned. “Just stop arguin’ about it.”

In Maryland, it was illegal to sell fireworks. Not a problem if you knew where to look. There were street signs on every corner, telling people it was the Fourth of July. Firework displays were in plain sight, but hidden from all but the trained eye or frequent customer.

The town scheduled the fireworks display in the school parking lot on Main Street. It lived up to its name. A two-lane road of fast food restaurants competing with each other nightly. It was where the local post office, doctor’s office, hardware store, insurance company, car wash, bowling alley - as well as a few others - were located as well. From sales to specials, to dancing girls on roller skates, to kids dancing on the corner, they all tried the gimmick that worked. The grocery stores, discount stores, and convenient stores battled for competition as well but from different corners of the street.

Traffic was bad and there was a backup. This generally didn’t happen until
after
the fireworks when everyone was in a race to be the first one out of the parking lot and back home. There were cars pulled over on the side of the road. Others stopped in the middle of the road had doors open as if someone exited in a hurry. A few had even driven on the sidewalk, hitting other cars or the streetlights. Those empty and abandoned were still running, and they all had one thing in common: no owners in sight.

Dani drove around them, carefully weaving in and out, slowing down just enough for a peek. She didn’t see anything. There were too many abandoned vehicles and just like most people who couldn’t turn away from an accident - she had to know what was going on. Did this have anything to do with all the fighting?

As they passed another abandoned car, Alice turned, looking out the window. “What’s goin’ on?”

Dani shook her head, slowing down to pass another on the side of the road. “I dunno. It’s like this eerie car cemetery. I don’t like it. First, people are fightin’ everywhere, an’ now the cars are abandoned?”

“That’s all we need is a damn accident up ahead.”

“People wouldn’t just leave their cars.” Leaning out the window, she peered out for a better look. “I can’t see shit. These cheap ass streetlights couldn’t attract a light-starved moth.”

Alice groaned. “I’m not gonna get to see the damn fireworks.”

Grace shrugged. “What is wrong with you? If we’re not there on time then look up.”

“It’s not the same as bein’ in a seat watchin’ ‘em.”

“Yeah, there’s always the sprinkled ash to look forward to.”

Alice scoffed. “We don’t always get ashes on us.”

“True. Last year the kid tripped an’ shot it off into the crowd. I don’t think I’ve ever hit the ground so fast.”

“Oh you’re just-”

Dani shushed them. “We’re not gonna miss ‘em, but I need to find out what’s goin’ on.” She pulled over to the side, after noticing her best friend’s car in the middle of this.

Alice looked around. “What’re you doin’?”

“That’s Becky’s car that she damn near loves more ‘an her kids. She wouldn’t just leave it abandoned in the middle of the street, even if her life depended on it.” Reaching behind her, she grabbed the baseball bat kept in the truck for emergencies. “I’m gonna check this shit out.”

Grace looked out her window. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“Yeah, somethin’ ain’t right. Just too many abandoned cars. This ain’t a neighborhood to leave a car unlocked, with keys in it, an’ they’re all still here. Hell, the chop shop would have a field day on this road alone.”

Alice gripped Dani by the arm. “Yeah, but it’s not a neighborhood where
you
should be out after dark either.”

She smirked, gently prying off the death grip. “Ma. I’m an adult with an enormous bat. I don’t think anyone’s gonna start any shit with me unless they wanna lose a couple teeth in the process.”

“Just be careful.” She pointed to the abandoned vehicles littering the road. “All of
them
could’ve gotten out for a
quick
look too.”

Nodding, she gripped the door handle, before turning to look to the two of them. “Stay in the truck an’ keep quiet. Keep the doors shut an’ the windows up.”

Alice swallowed hard. “Ya make it sound like you’re never comin’ back.”

“I’ll be back, but you two stay locked in here until I do.” She held up the bat. “Remember, I’m the one with the big ass bat.”

Opening the door, she stepped out. The squeak in the silence was deafening. Cringing, she looked around, making sure it didn’t call unwanted attention her way. That reminded her; she really needed to get some WD-40. Closing the door, she pointed for her mother to lock it then quickly darted over to the first empty car.

“Becky? You out here?” Her whisper cut through the silence. “Becky!”

It was obvious someone was living in the car. It was dirty. Clothing strewed over the backseat, food wrappers, empty cigarette boxes, empty beer containers and garbage scattered all over the floor. For her to be so in love with this car, she didn’t clean it, or it wasn’t hers. What she saw on the front seat made her swallow hard. Taking a step back, she instantly looked around.

Blood covered the front like a jagged seat cover as if someone bled out, horribly, probably painfully. It was on the seat, the window, the roof, the floor, the steering wheel, and the rearview mirror. It was during her inspection when she noticed something on the other side that looked like a foot.

Rushing over, she wondered if someone was hurt and needed help. Even though she was a mechanic, it shouldn’t be
that
much harder to fix a human body, not that she could. That was before she saw her lying on the ground. Dropping the bat, the sound echoed. Quickly rushing towards her, she stopped short after two steps. It was apparent, she was beyond help: deader than dead could get. There wasn’t any mistaking death’s shroud, covering her eyes like the final curtain during a play. However, that wasn’t what stopped Dani in her tracks, staring at her best friend in disbelief. It was
how
she died.

Her body was propped up against the front driver’s tire with a gigantic hole ripped out of her stomach. Her intestines littered the ground, eyes wide open staring down. Someone - or something - ripped her arm out of the socket leaving strings of meat hung in its place. Her leg, still attached, was broken and bent in a grotesque, painful looking position. It was a brutal attack.

She felt a scream well up in her throat. It was like the beginning of a cold: thick with chest congestion that lodged there and froze. Putting her hand over her mouth, she calmed that urge. She had to think. Run, her mind told her. She wasn't worried anymore about what happened as she was about getting out of there before she found what did that kind of damage. However, she had to get her family to safety first, but where was safe?

Back home.

Tired of waiting, Alice rolled down the window. Leaning out, she glanced around. “Dani, what’s goin’ on?”

Not sure, she motioned for her mother to be quiet. “Sh. Stop talkin’!”

“Well, what is it? What do ya see? Ya look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”

She was too loud. Turning, Dani looked around for any sign of movement.
What
could do that? It took a lot to literally bust through someone’s stomach. Hell, she didn’t think it was possible, but after looking at Becky,
something
could and it was still out there.

She looked around, cautiously, spying under the cars as she backed towards the truck. “Ma, stop drawin’ attention to us.”

Alice arched a brow. “Why?”

“I’ll tell ya when I get back there.” She rushed around the car, back in the direction of the truck. “We have to get the fuck outta here.”

“Dani, what’s wrong? You act like--” someone dragging her through the window by her hair, silenced her words. “Dani, help!”

A man appeared quietly from out of thin air like a Ninja sneaking around. Alice screamed; kicking and punching, as he dragged her away from the truck like some cave dweller claiming his woman.

Hearing the yell, Dani rushed over. Grabbing her bat off the ground in mid-stride, she raced towards the man. She didn’t have time to be worried about herself. She had one thought in her head; save her mother. “G-ma, stay in the fuckin’ truck!”

The man looked at Dani as he picked up the struggling woman with one hand. Keeping his eyes on her, he had his way with Alice; clamping his teeth down on her fleshy throat before ripping out a chunk, chewing the stringy meat. Blood dripped down his chin, further dying his blue shirt red. Crimson gushed from the wound, but he threw her away as if she was nothing more than a ragdoll. Then he turned to Dani. Growling, he rushed at her.

Alice bounced, rolling away before writhing and trembling. Bleeding from the deep gash, she looked in horror as her blood spilled like a leaking garden hose. Shock settled in, wrapping her in a quiet cocoon of sweet comfort, telling her everything was going to be fine: pacifying her into its comforting sense of tenderness. The great liar.

From out of nowhere they came. Grabbing Alice, hoisting her in the air, like a winner’s trophy at a sporting event. They tugged at her clothes, her hair, and her limbs. Ripping her out of shock’s glorious embrace from the excruciating pain of broken limbs. Screaming at the top of her lungs only made it worse. It was like a dinner bell calling more crazed people to the site. Soon, her shrieks stopped. In time, so did her blood.

Grace watched Alice bouncing away and stumbled to get the truck door open to go and help. As Dani asked, they locked the doors when she left, and in her panic, it took a few minutes to remember how to open it again. The doctor told her she had dementia, which was the start of Alzheimer’s. She argued that the doctor didn’t know what he was talking about until times like this.

Dani wanted to scream, cry or wake up from this terrifying nightmare, but she couldn’t do any of it. The man raced at her with all intentions of ripping her to shreds. Well, she wasn’t going to let that happen. As he grabbed at her, she hit him with the bat. It was like hitting a concrete piñata, repeatedly. She struck his hands, his shoulder, and even hit him in the stomach. The only thing she managed to do was move him around in a circle. He should’ve dropped many times over.

She felt drained. It was tiring swinging the bat. He might even win this battle. She wasn’t sure where the burst of energy came from, but it was there when needed. Screaming in anger, she put every ounce of rage she felt into that swing, hitting him upside the head. Finally, he hit the ground, missing a few teeth with a loud, echoing snap.

Once he was down, she raced off in the direction of her mother’s last scream. “Ma!” It was too late. There wasn’t anything left but a pool of blood. Even the mob was nowhere in sight. One minute they were there tearing her mother apart, the next they just disappeared. That was worrisome.

“NO! ALICE!” Scrambling out of the vehicle, Grace ran towards Dani. “Where is she? Do you see her?”

Turning, Dani opened her mouth to scream, growing white as a sheet with a wide-eyed, terrified expression. Raising the bat high, she rushed towards her. “G-ma! Behind you! Quick, run towards me!” She found the mob. They returned, running at a full speed right at them.

When standing on a building, or a cliff, or even a bridge high off the ground, the first thing people say,
don't look down.
This is useless information because it causes people to do just that. It was the same for not looking behind you. Though she didn’t tell her
not to look
, it was in her expression: fear. Her granddaughter was the strongest, bravest woman she knew. She would stand up to a horde of angry people with little fear in her eyes, break up two grown men fighting in the street, and wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. However, what she saw on her face made her quickly turn to see. She wouldn’t be surprised to see the mighty T-Rex snatch her up in his hungry jaws. In that second, she realized it was too late to run. Hell, it was too late to do anything.