Only the Strongest Survive (40 page)

With his
mouth open he had observed the burning mass and nearly forgot to
breathe from the pleasure he was feeling. She was dying in gruesome
pain and it aroused him. But why was she not screaming? He expected
to hear her last horrifying screams. She should be screaming for
his ecstasy to be complete.
You damn bitch, scream, scream!
he kept repeating. He stood there with his legs wide apart,
feeling like a god deciding the punishment for this greedy female
being. The thought of having done anything wrong didn’t enter his
head and he didn’t regret his actions. But what she had done was a
dreadful sin. In times past, people were punished with death for
much less.
Scream,
scream!
He so much wanted to hear at
least one last scream.
Please,
please.
That was all he wanted.
And then it can all go to
hell.

But instead
of a scream, he
had heard: “This means
that you’re afraid of me.”

Afraid … me, afraid? What is she
getting at, the stupid bitch? I’m not afraid of
anyone.
His arousal was diminishing. What
she said got on his nerves. “Scream, scream and die!” he said, his
hands clenched.

She
had said again: “Yes, you’re afraid of
me.”

How dare she
!
He was livid and wanted to walk into that
burning shed and pull her out. If he had her in his hands at that
moment, he would have strangled her. “Damn bitch!”

He took a few
steps forward, but a wave of heat hitting his forehead warned him
that his presence was unfeasible. He thought,
I’ll open the door and let her save herself if
she can.
His arousal was growing again.
He was the one deciding about her death and it had the same effect
on him as watching a gladiator fight in ancient Rome.
If she’s smart and strong enough,
she’ll live. If not, she’ll roast in that fire and die in
torture.
These thoughts again made him
forget to breathe.

After a few seconds she did come out and he
was slightly disappointed, but at the same time looked forward to
the new games he would come up in which she would die sooner or
later.

As Emely lay
on that grass, damp from the dew, he was comparing his experiences
and arousal of a few months ago when John and he put Emely in that
coffin and she resisted them with all her strength before they
managed to lower her into that hole. He had to admit to himself
that he had been more aroused then than today.
Maybe it’s because it’s no longer the first time.
Who knows? But today’s experience was somewhat deeper.
This was the second time, but he was not
embarrassed about what he was experiencing and unashamed of his
thoughts. In fact, he was proud and satisfied.
This is how the highest and mightiest feel. Why
would I be ashamed of my actions? Death is as natural as birth. If
people kill animals, why not other people?

That first
time he had been totally aroused, but he had also experienced
moments of terror over what he had done. If John had not been such
a calm and obedient assistant,
Ronald
would have called the whole thing off. He was scared. After all, it
was something he had never done before. But at the same time he was
unable to resist. Her struggling and screaming while she was tied
to the tree and while they were pushing her into the coffin had
brought him a sense of ecstasy he had never before experienced. He
could not stop, even if he had wanted to. Deep inside he knew it
was wrong, but he couldn’t help himself. It was unforgettable and
unique.
No, no. I won’t be
ashamed of something perfectly normal.
He
was sure that others would also feel like that if only they had a
chance to kill someone.
But of
course, it’s not killing without a reason, God forbid. She was
stealing and taking money that belonged to others. She didn’t care
about the havoc she was causing. She didn’t care that people were
committing suicide because she took everything they had. The greedy
bitch.

*

While
thinking about all this,
Ronald was
squeezing her throat tighter and tighter. He wanted to squeeze so
hard that she would scream and try and resist him. If he had the
strength, he would have broken her neck.

But she was
barely moving. She felt pain, alright, but she didn’t scream,
didn’t resist. Her strength was gone and she didn’t care what he
did with her, only that he leave her alone at last. She wanted to
die. Her lungs were still stinging from the hot smoke she had
inhaled only minutes earlier. Her head was hurting so much that
everything was going dark. Like an injured animal, she awaited,
perfectly still, for that final blow.

Ronald was
looking down at her, enjoying her suffering
, and thought how lucky he was that he didn’t leave her in
the fire. He turned to the shed. The fire seemed to be breathing
like a crazed monster, emitting crackling noises. It danced around,
asserting its power. The bright yellows and reds mingled and sparks
flew all over. The strong light hurt his eyes and he raised his
dirty hand to protect them. He likened it to the delaying of an
orgasm, thinking that if you reached the climax immediately, the
pleasure was soon over. Only those who could delay it, could keep
the ecstasy going. He was glad to have another chance.

He imagined her screaming and banging in the
grave while he threw soil onto the coffin and again he felt a surge
of energy and he trembled with pleasure.

Emely could
feel the pain in her head diminishing and her breathing was getting
easier as well. She was still coughing and suffocating, but at the
same time she realized that she was still alive.
No, I’m not giving up. As soon as
there’s an opportunity, I’ll strike. I won’t let him kill me. Not
after all that I’ve been through.
Her
immense hatred toward him surged. She could have shot him or hit
him with an ax without any hesitation.
If only I could get another chance. This time I’d stun
him and then keep hitting him until my strength is gone and I’m
sure that his evil heart has stopped forever.

As if sensing
her intentions, he
grabbed her by the
hair and lifted her up. Tears came into her eyes, angry tears, and
she made a fist, but just as she was about to hit him he twisted
her arm behind her back so that she screamed in pain.

“No silly business!” he warned her. “We’ll go
to the car, where I’ll tie you. Don’t try to resist because I’ll
break your neck if you do.”

She knew he
meant it. He was much stronger than her and mad at her for having
beaten him a few times.
If
only I could have another chance.
She
nodded and kept looking down, but still watching him with a corner
of her eye. He stank of sweat and was wheezing as he led her to the
car.

Only when he
had tied her up and pushed her into the back of the vehicle did he
straighten up and take a deep breath. He searched the surroundings,
making sure everything was in order. The highest branches were
swaying in the wind; the sky was turning light blue.
The morning was near. His eyes stopped on John,
who was lying motionless on the ground. Ronald took another deep
breath and was overcome by sadness, thinking that his brother was
never too smart, and feeling sorry about him. His feelings turned
to pride when he saw himself as John’s savior. Ronald paused and
enjoyed the sensation of the breeze cooling his hot forehead. As if
intoxicated, he looked around him. When the wind changed direction
and brought smoke to his nostrils, it irritated his nasal passages
and he quickly came to and realized that he was about to commit a
heinous crime. The corners of his mouth trembled for a moment and
then widened into a broad smile.

“Life is wonderful,” he said out loud.

H
e went to search for the gun. He
knew only roughly where she had thrown it and it took him nearly
ten minutes to find it. Now he was calm and in a good mood, feeling
that he had never been better.

He gave Emely
a stern look, wanting to hit her with something, but nothing
suitable came to mind. He wanted her to scream a bit. Trying to
remember the spot where they had first buried her, he again felt
that energy in his body. At one point he sensed that something was
moving on his left.

“
Oh my
God.” It was John, dragging himself to the car.
“Oops, little brother got up from the dead.”

Emely could not believe her ears. She lifted
her aching body up in the hope that everything he said was
true.

Ronald swiftly directed the gun at his
brother.

“No!” Emely shouted.

“I’m not gonna kill him, stop shouting, you
bitch.”

John could barely walk. He wanted to help
Emely, but the pain was too strong.

“Get in!” Ronald ordered him, noticing the
restraints in John’s right pocket. “In the front.”

John obeyed. It seemed pointless to resist
now that his brother had a gun aimed at him.

Ronald took the restraint and told John to
fasten his left hand to the steering wheel. Then he opened the back
door and untied Emely’s legs so that she was able to move to the
front and sit next to John. He himself went in the back.

“Drive!”

“But he’s wounded, he can’t drive,” Emely
said.

“Shut up, I didn’t ask you anything. It’s
time to fix the damage. We’re going to the old place. John, get the
engine going and drive off. You know where we buried her the first
time.”

Whimpering,
t
he frightened dog watched them
leave.

*

They drove
slowly through the tall trees, along dirt roads, not talking. Emely
kept crying and looking at John. She was comforted by the fact that
he was with her, but at the same time it would be difficult for him
to help her
since his wound was so bad
that she wondered how he could be alive. Besides, his left hand was
fastened to the steering wheel.

John drove,
looking up ahead, suffering without a sound. The physical pain was
not the worst; the thought of having allowed Ronald to come there
was much worse. He looked at Emely, put his hand briefly on her
leg, nodding to her encouragingly.

“No touching,” Ronald said sharply.

John thought
that he had made a big mistake, not killing Ronald when he had
visited the last time.

Emely was
trembling with fear. The thought of seeing that place again
terrified her. She kept looking at John, relying on his help. He
drove with his eyes on the road. At that moment she wanted so much
to hug him, whatever happened afterward. Ronald would kill them
both anyway. At least this way they would leave this world hand in
hand and stay together forever. All their earthly troubles would be
over and they would go to a place where they would be safe from any
threats, where love ruled, and where there was no
hatred.

Soon, fear
drove these calming thoughts away. She looked around. They were in
a dense pine forest, where hardly any light got through. Only a few
broad-leaved trees had survived with the pines.

In our world, too, bad people rule. Perhaps
it’s better if I’m gone. I’ll be alright.

The tension
in her was growing. When they had first brought her there, her eyes
were covered and she hadn
’t seen anything
but the final destination.

She imagined the coffin again, made from
ordinary planks of wood and she felt a sharp pain in her stomach.
And then the shovels with which they dug the hole. She could barely
breathe again as she looked out the window, observing the road
leading to her grave.

Now it’ll be John’s as well.

They started
climbing. She remembered that back then they had also spent some
time driving uphill. She had the shivers
.
The first time now seemed so close, as if it had happened a week
ago. Although she had not seen anything and her arms and legs were
tied, she could remember that hill very well. If her memory was not
deceiving her, they would spend at least ten minutes climbing and
then they would descend again.

Yes, she was
right. Soon the sky appeared ahead—earlier they couldn’t see it.
The treetops were now getting lower and lower. It was clear that
the dirt road led across a small hill and then continued into the
woods. Here she was surprised to see that broad-leaved trees
prevailed, as if this was the only place where they managed to keep
their territory. She looked at John again, but he didn’t return the
look, just stared ahead and drove.

The road was
very rough. As they drove uphill John at one moment turned the
wheel so awkwardly that he nearly drove into the ditch on the
left.

“
No silly
business,” Ronald said
, waving the gun at
them. “If we fall into a ditch, I’ll shoot the both of
you.”

He took a
deep breath
. His body was tingling all
over. What he was feeling now could not compare to what he had
experienced before. Two lives depended on him. He kept thinking of
how he would get rid of them. These thoughts filled him both with
fear and with sensations of intoxication, as if on drugs. The
thought of being able to kill two people at once made his blood
rush through his veins with such force that he felt as if it would
boil. It was too wonderful for words. When he was finally done with
them, he would have the best orgasm ever and he could barely
wait.