Crossing Bedlam (26 page)

The Elder approaches his oldest son and places a sliver of freshly carved flesh in the young man’s mouth. He does the same to the teenage girl, who enjoys the snack so much that she is gently gyrating her hips. Both of the cannibals lick their lips and take positions to flank Lloyd, their hands on the back of his chair. Grabbing steak knives off the table, the pair are about to slit the serial killer’s throat when their father claps his hands. He gestures for them to move away while getting a closer look at their future meal.

“This one is special, so the usual ritual will not be enough,” the Elder whispers, taking the girl’s hands. He places them on the stomach of her brother and smiles proudly at his two oldest offspring. “You did an excellent job, First Daughter. Your reward will be given to you by the First Son. Use whichever room you want and we will call you for the family meal. I promise that you will get the first bite of this one.”

“Reward?” Lloyd asks while the excited girl takes her brother by the hand. She practically drags him up the stairs, which causes the restrained killer to shudder. “Oh, you cannot be serious. Cannibalism and incest? This has to be some kind of post-apocalyptic bingo win. Cassidy isn’t going to believe any of this when I escape and kill the fuck out of you. That last part doesn’t sound right for some reason.”

“Your friend will be here soon enough,” the gray-haired man replies, pulling a small chair closer. His wife gives him a mug of coffee and blood, which he sips a few times before continuing to talk. “We worship the Wendigo, who is the true cannibal god. There are others that worship false idols like the Dahmer and Cronus clans. One day, there will be a great war and the winners will feast upon the fallen. That will be my family because we are plentiful, fertile, and have the wind on our side.”

Lloyd’s eyes fall on his machete, which is sticking out of the bucket of organs. “Could have done without the fertile part. You guys must have been doing nothing more than hunting and fucking for more than the last decade. So, am I special because you want to add my seed to your gene puddle? Because I’ll have to decline. My heart belongs to another and I think my right of attorney is held by a psychopath. Really should have read the paperwork instead of staring at the pseudo-wife’s chest. Let’s change the topic because this is really not the best time for me to think about that kind of stuff.”

“Is your name Lloyd Tenay?”

“Are you a few generations away from being born with working tails?”

“Our line is as pure as the driven snow.”

“So that’s what you named your daughter.”

The Elder leaps to his feet and grabs Lloyd by the shirt to hurl him against the wall, the chair cracking from the impact. He fails to notice the damage due to his rage, which is calmed by the sight of his youngest children. Not wanting them to be scared before the family meal, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a handful of candy. The kids rush to claim the red disks, which are dried slivers of human heart in a case of solidified sugar. With each one receiving a kiss from their father, they go back to helping their mother with the soups.

“Far to the north is a vicious clan who worships Lloyd Tenay,” the Elder explains before finishing his coffee. He chuckles when he puts the cup on the dining room table and his second oldest son swiftly puts a coaster underneath. “Highly elusive and known to not eat all that they kill. We caught one a year ago and saw an interesting mark that she claimed was the symbol of her god. A fish-shaped scar on her stomach, which you share. Since you are obviously not one of them, I’m wondering if we captured a totem. If so then eating you would grant us dominance over your followers. That may be what is needed to start the war.”

“I’m placing money on your horrible breath kicking the cannibal apocalypse off. Do you kiss your wife, mother, sister, and cousin, all of which I assume are the same person, with that mouth?” Lloyd asks, hoping to anger the cannibal again. The plan fails, so he goes back to gently flexing his wrists and loosening his bonds. “I sense there’s a little misunderstanding here, so I’m going to be honest. My name is Lloyd Tenay, which means I’m a lot more famous than I ever dreamed. Or is it infamous? Doesn’t matter because the point is that I never ate anyone. Might have gotten some blood in my mouth during a stabbing, but that would have been an accident. So those people are worshipping-”

“The Fake One!” the man shouts, startling his family. They move away from the prisoner and grab whatever blade is nearby, the children settling for forks. “A prophecy tells of a clan that worships a non-cannibal. When the truth is revealed to them, they will attack us all and leave a path of bodies in their wake. None of the fallen will be eaten, which will destroy all of the bloodlines. It is one of the omens that war is coming.”

“Then let me go and I’ll never come to Wyoming again.”

“No. You must be destroyed before your people find you.”

“I don’t have people.”

“Without you, the Wendigoes can take the Tenay clan’s place.”

“This just took a strange turn that I’d rather not be a part of.”

“Bring me the grater, Second Son,” the Elder requests while his family relaxes. All of them are excited that they can prevent one of the prophesized omens and start the war on their own terms. “We must desecrate his face and scars in case one of his followers is lurking in our territory. I want you to get your siblings, Third Son. Tell them to finish quickly because I wish for them to be a part of this. Assure your sister that she is not at fault and can claim a greater reward later. Do whatever you must to relieve her guilt since she brought us this one. Once done with her, sound the alarm to bring all of our kin here. Some may still be on the hunt, but this is an important moment. I will-”

Lloyd freezes with one of his raw wrists free of the tape and the other nearly out of the loosened binding. “That guy in the comics and movies makes sneaking away look so easy. Guess I should have worn black instead of orange and dark brown. Think you guys could turn back around until I finish here? Come on, folks. Be friendly and help me build the proper level of suspense for the audience. Fine. We’ll do this the fun way.”

The Elder charges only to have the chair shatter over his face and knock him against the carving table. While running for the door, Lloyd grabs a steak knife to saw the remaining duct tape off his other wrist. Not caring if he hits anyone, he flings the weapon over his shoulder as he leaps outside and scrambles into the forest. The cannibals are rushing to get organized, the two upstairs rushing down in states of partial dress to find out what is happening. Dizzy from the blow to the head, the Elder stumbles to a switch on the wall and hits it to send a screeching alarm over a loudspeaker.

“We will not rest until we catch that False Idol,” he announces while handing out weapons to his children. He grins at the sound of footsteps on the stoop, his keen ears picking out at least five different sets. “This is our territory and the night is still fresh. Take your blades and some of my Second Brother for strength. Do not feed on our enemy. For he is unclean and will weaken the Wendigo spirit.”

“Almost forgot something!” Lloyd announces, surprising everyone as he appears at the open back door. He reclaims his machete and lops off the head of the Elder’s startled wife before disappearing back into the shadows. “The game is on, motherfuckers! May the best monster win!”

*****

The cannibal prowls through the trees at the edge of town and quietly swears that he saw his prey dart behind a tree. Being that this is the first time he has hunted something so dangerous, the man is very cautious and sweat trickles down his brow. The Wendigoes make it a point to avoid the local predators and people with weapons, which is why they work in twos and threes. If a wolf or bear appears to claim their prize then they are more than happy to give it up and hunt another day. The difference now is that Lloyd has no interest in food or taking anything other than the lives of his enemies. He refuses to eat what he kills, which is bizarre and unnatural to the hairy cannibal. The idea of killing solely for pleasure makes the man sick to his stomach and trapped within his own thoughts. So he is caught by surprise when a hand clamps around his mouth and a machete is jammed through his ribs. A violent wiggling of the weapon carves up his lungs and heart with an excruciating amount of pain.

“Another one gone,” Lloyd whispers in an oddly musical voice. The serial killer revels in the hunt and takes the sickle from his fallen prey, the extra weapon feeling awkward after using straight blades for most of his life. “The score is four to zero with me being ahead. Obviously because you guys only need one point to win. Didn’t realize there’d be so many of you single helix freaks around here. Wish I brought more toys because I’m getting bored of the machete. Guess beggars can’t be choosers. Thanks for this talk, buddy. Enjoy the family reunion in the afterlife or wherever you people think you’re going.”

Lloyd is silent as he slips from tree to tree while slow moving clump of clouds make the moonlight patchy and faint. Finding a large rock, he clambers to the top and hunkers down to look around for his next target. The killer is amused to find the teenage girl and one of her brothers making out on the other side of the boulder. He covers his mouth to muffle the laughter that threatens to reveal his presence to the distracted couple. Lloyd is about to stand and drop on them when he thinks the situation is too perfect. Staying low, he scans the area and spots the telltale glint of light bouncing off a drawn blade.

Licking his lips, the serial killer crawls off the boulder and makes a long circle toward the hiding cannibal. He finds the oldest brother crouched behind some bushes, the young man focused entirely on his siblings. It is unclear if he is using them as bait or plans on attacking out of jealousy. Not wanting to alert the others, Lloyd stabs forward to put his machete through the unsuspecting man’s neck. Before the gurgling body can fall into the open, he grabs the cannibal’s belt and hauls him back. Sure that the others are too involved with whatever their hands and tongues are doing, the killer remains standing while he hacks off the oldest brother’s head.

“I’m going to need a shower after touching all of you,” Lloyd mutters while sneaking back to the boulder. It is hard to climb with his machete and the severed head both in one hand, but the few times he makes a sound go unnoticed. “Cannibals and incest. Just too much in one shot. It should be one or the other, you sick fucks. Whatever. Merry Christmas, kids.”

Lloyd drops the head between the couple, who scream and scramble away from their brother’s wide-eyed face. The girl hurries to find her cleaver and fix her miniscule shirt while the young man rushes up the boulder. There is nobody on top, so the cannibal signals for his sister to stay on the ground while he takes a look around. From the other side of the boulder, a sickle swings out to catch him by the ankle. With his Achilles’ tendon severed, the young man is violently yanked to the ground. The curved weapon is left in his leg as Lloyd plunges the machete into his stomach and spins it like he is trying to start a fire. Hearing the girl coming around the boulder, the killer stops playing with his victim and stomps his heel into the dying cannibal’s throat. Not wanting to take a chance, Lloyd makes a quick slash to nearly behead the young man and turns around to face his next target.

“You monster,” the girl growls, holding the cleaver with both hands. She swings and misses, which leaves her open to the flat side of the machete sliding across her cheek. “Covering me in the blood of my kin won’t scare me. It will only make me stronger.”

“Here I thought you used your mouth for so many other things that you lacked the ability to talk. Looks like that innuendo went over your little head,” Lloyd states, backing away from the clumsy girl. Part of him has no interest in killing someone so young, but the fact that she eats people helps him come to terms with his inevitable actions. “This could have gone smoother for your clan. Just had to let me go and forget we ever met. Now I’m going to be one of your biggest nightmares. Right up there with trying to find meat on a skinny person and having sex with someone who isn’t a blood relation. Have I said how much you people freak me out?”

“You talk too much.”

“And you fuck your family.”

“It is an honor to bring about the next generation of pureblood Wendigoes.”

“Really wish I had a hockey mask or even a burlap sack before doing this.”

The girl rushes with the cleaver held over her head, her inexperience so obvious that it almost hurts Lloyd to put the cannibal down. His machete hacks through one of her arms, which happens so quickly that she is not entirely aware of the wound. She stands still and stares at the cleaver in her other hand and the dangling limb. Forgetting Lloyd, a sudden curiosity comes over her and she takes a bite of her severed flesh. The girl is still chewing on the mouthful when the killer slices her head off and sends it rolling into the bushes.

“That’s it. I’m out!” Lloyd shouts while wiping his machete clean on the dead cannibal’s pants. He reclaims the sickle from the other body, figuring it could not hurt to have the extra weapon. “I have had it with you people. You go back to your house and I’ll go back to my friend. This is just too weird. Going to have nightmares about this for weeks. I haven’t had bad dreams since I was a kid, so congrats on that victory.”

“You have damaged my direct lineage!” the Elder screams, walking out from behind a nearby tree. The man holds his ground and brandishes an axe, his eyes never diverting from the approaching serial killer. “You truly are an omen of destruction. This night will see you-”