Archive for July, 2022

Father Death (7)

Posted: July 25, 2022 in Father Death, Scream
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
2

Previously on… Father Death (6)

2

“Where have you been?” Hank Loomis asked as Billy pressed the front door closed behind him.

“Stu’s.”

“Not Sidney’s?” Hank appeared in the hallway, and Billy bristled at the sight of him.

“Not today.”

“How is Sidney?”

Billy flinched at Sidney’s name in his father’s mouth. His hand clamped on the doorknob to diffuse the rage tingling down his arm.

“Fine,” Billy said.

“Sidney’s a good girl,” Hank continued. “You need to take care of her.”

Billy heard the slur on the tips of his father’s words before Hank’s steps faltered. He knew where this night would go. He could see his father’s short glass pooled with the dark brown liquid on the kitchen counter even though it was out of view. He did not want to hear where his father’s words would eventually wander because he would never say what Billy wanted to hear. He would never admit anything.

Billy grunted in acknowledgment, unable to conjure words, unable to think of any that would not inspire his father to keep talking. He flitted his eyes at his father and hurried to the stairs to disappear into his room.

By the time Billy cleared the threshold, his heartbeat battered his head. He slammed the door behind him harder than he intended. Turning on the small television on his dresser, he clicked until he found a horror movie. The haunting melody of The Exorcist soundtrack filled his bedroom and poured over his mind.

His head throbbed with ideas, with plans. There were so many variables, so many potential witnesses swirling through scenarios in his mind. There was no script. After Casey and Steve, it would be largely improvision. As long as it led to Sidney. It only seemed appropriate to tie up that end, to see that same look on Maureen’s daughter’s face as she died.

The future taking shape in his brain tempered the anger ever-writhing in his chest. He didn’t think about his mother’s absence or his father’s fault. He didn’t think about how he could not convince Sidney to fuck him. He didn’t think about how he could not get anything in his life the way he wanted. He focused on Casey and Steve and all the things they would do to them.

Steve would be easy enough to take after football practice. He would be in the typical circle jerk in the locker room. Billy and Stu would only need to call him close enough to the car in the parking lot. Then the fun could begin.

As he thought of the game, he smiled. Sprawling across his mattress, he reached under his bed and snagged the notebook. He wiggled the pencil from the spiral and flipped to the active sheet. He placed the eraser between his teeth to watch Regan projectile vomit across the screen then added more questions to his list.

Name the killer in Halloween?
Name the killer in Friday the 13th?

With each word, Billy was in that future, holding the phone then the knife, carving a different life than where he currently breathed. It was so close he could nearly nudge it with the tip of his pencil.

“Stuart Macher!” Gloria Macher shouted from the kitchen.

“Yeah, Ma?” Stu called, draped across the couch.

“Look at this kitchen! Get in here!”

Stu exhaled a weighty breath and rolled his eyes to the ceiling before dragging himself from the cushions and to his mother. Gloria moved around the kitchen island, picking up dishes and dropping them in disdain.

“How many people did you have over? How are there this many dishes everywhere?” Gloria continued raving.

“Just Billy.”

“The entire house is like this, Stuart!”

“You have been gone for two weeks, Ma,” Stu whined.

“And we leave again tomorrow.” Gloria planted her hands on her hips.

“And this trash hasn’t been taken out,” Nathan Macher said, entering the kitchen from the garage.

“You guys expect me to handle everything while you’re gone?” Stu protested.

“You’re nearly an adult, Stuart,” Nathan said. “You need to be able to take care of yourself.”

Stu exhaled slow and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’ve been busy,” he groaned.

“Busy with what?” Nathan asked. “Your grades would indicate not school.”

Stu’s face collapsed. The words evacuated his mouth as he felt his parents’ eyes burning into him. He shifted uncomfortably until their stares grew bored and wandered.

“Where are you guys headed now?” Stu asked, massaging over his face.

“Mexico,” Gloria shrugged. “You know I love Puerto Vallarta this time of year.”

Stu offered a pained smile and nodded.

“Just make sure to handle all of this while we’re gone,” Nathan commanded.

“Yes, Dad,” Stu said and shuffled out of the kitchen.

Stu left the television mumbling and the light on in the room and plodded up the stairs to retreat into his room. Leaving the light off, he navigated the scattered clothes and shoes littered over the floor. He flipped on his small television and found the same thing he had been watching downstairs, yet he just looked through the flashing images.

Most nights, he didn’t want Billy to leave or needed Tatum to linger. He never wanted to be left in the massive house full of vacant rooms. Yet now, the house felt too full. He felt crowded as he hid from his parents’ narrowed eyes. Sprawled out on his bed, he wondered what his father’s insides looked like, how loud his mother would scream before the knife bit her neck.

It was in his power. He could feel it. No one would even know they were missing for weeks.

If Billy said so.

Stu closed his eyes and thought about Casey and Steven. All the gruesome steps in Billy’s plan walked him into his dreams.

Continued on… Father Death (8)

Christina Bergling

https://linktr.ee/chrstnabergling

Like my writing? Check out my books!

  • Followers – You never know who is on the other side of the screen. Followers is a mystery and thriller that blends women’s fiction with horror.
  • The Rest Will Come – Online dating would drive anyone to murder, especially Emma.
  • Savages – Two survivors search the ruins for the last strain of humanity. Until the discovery of a baby changes everything.
  • The Waning – Locked in a cage, Beatrix must survive to escape or be broken completely.
  • Screechers – Mutant monsters and humans collide in the apocalyptic fallout of a burned world. Co-authored with Kevin J. Kennedy.
  • Horror Anthologies

Father Death (6)

Posted: July 18, 2022 in Father Death, Scream
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
2

Previously on… Father Death (5)

1996

1

Billy slumped on Stu’s couch as he massaged his chin, feeling the sharp edge of the stubble forcing its way through his flesh. His eyes lost focus on the television screen, yet he stared beyond it, stared into the past. The night with Maureen grew fainter with each passing day. Its sedative effect on his rage waned, and the itching, uncomfortable pressure in his chest returned. Stu chattered beside him, provoking the irritation into Billy’s clenched jaw.

“Ah! As if!” Alicia Silverstone screeched from the screen.

A geyser of anger shot into Billy’s head. He slapped his hands to his knees and shot to his feet to avoid screaming.

“How do you watch this shit?” he growled.

Stu looked up with his sandwich hovering in front of his face. The lettuce quivered in his breath as his mouth turned down in surprise.

“Because Alicia is hot,” Stu said plainly. The smile crept up his cheeks.

Billy winced. “She looks like Tatum.”

Stu shifted his eyes to the screen and tipped his head then shrugged. “Yeah, I guess she does. No wonder I like it.” He released a cartoonish laugh.

Billy bristled. “The entire movie is full of nothing but human fodder.”

“This whole town is human fodder,” Stu dismissed before chomping into his sandwich, sending mayonnaise squeezing from the sides.

Billy dropped back to the cushion. He laced his fingers behind his head and allowed his eyes to wander to the ceiling. His stare narrowed as he breathed slow. Stu chewed and watched the rise and fall of Billy’s chest.

“What’s up, Billy?” Stu finally said.

“It’s time.” Billy sliced his eyes to Stu.

“Time for what?” Stu’s mouth drooped in a tight arch.

“We pulled it off with Maureen.” Billy sat up as he spoke. Her name in his mouth brought her fearful eyes into his mind and calmed him. “Cotton is getting the gas chamber. But that was just the prequel. That was just setting the stage for the real story.”

Stu watched Billy’s face, the way the words changed him. Billy’s tone deepened; his voice slickened. Stu glimpsed something mesmerizing behind his eyes. Stu wanted to say whatever would capture that glint and call it back to Billy’s surface.

“They’ll never see it coming.” Stu gleamed, searching Billy’s eyes. “We’ll show them, just like you said, Billy.”

The twinkle did return to Billy’s eye as a rare smile spread across his lips. As convincing as Billy’s many liar’s grins were, Stu could recognize the genuine expression on Billy’s face, the expression Stu always strove to conjure in his friend.

“I know where we’re going in the last reel, the splatter showdown, the final body count.” Stu spoke to avoid staring at Billy too long. “Who are our opening scene deaths?”

Alicia Silverstone squealed from the television. Billy’s levity dissolved, replaced by his familiar scowl. He squinted at the screen.

“What about an annoying blonde?” Billy growled.

Stu slumped over on his hand, his mouth hanging open as he regarded Alicia. “Maybe I have a thing for blondes. Casey was a blonde too.”

Billy’s face elongated thoughtfully. “Casey Becker.”

“Yeah, I can’t even watch A Nightmare on Elm Street without thinking about her perky little tits.”

“She dumped you for that prick, Steve.”

Stu went rigid and pointed at Billy. “Don’t tell Tatum that. As far as she is concerned, I dumped Casey for her.”

A cruel grin slithered across Billy’s cheeks. “Tatum will never find out if we kill them both.”

Stu stuck his tongue out with a delighted laugh. “Oh! Oh!” Stu shouted, his eyes going wild. “I forgot to show you.”

Billy leaned away as Stu shot to his feet and darted from the room. He wrinkled his nose at Clueless again as he waited for Stu’s return. Stu came stomping back in, his long feet slapping the hardwood. He thrust a plastic package at Billy.

“Check it out, man,” Stu said, his words riding his excitement.

Billy regarded the bag, tipping it in his grip. The masked figure loomed ghastly in the picture, suggesting the costume contained within. The long white face seemed to stare back into him.

“Father Death,” Billy read from the packaging.

“I saw it down at K-Mart. Just had to pick it up.”

“Full body coverage, gloves….”

“I wouldn’t want to run into the mask in a dark alley.”

“It’s no human skin, but it is definitely more effective than a hockey mask and more menacing than the stretched-out Myers face. This looks like it could be the face of death.”

“It looks like a scream,” Stu cackled.

“We’ll pick up a few. From a couple different stores.”

The conversation fell momentarily quiet. Billy set Father Death beside him on the couch. Stu shifted uncomfortable on the couch, looking between Billy and the television.

“So, man, I know you kind of let me pick Maureen…”

Billy snatched the chuckle before it climbed his throat. He kept his face slack. Sure, I did. “Yeah?”

“Um.” Stu wrung his long fingers together. “What does that mean for Sidney, man?”

Billy licked his lips calmly and turned to Stu. “They all go, Stu. They all die. And Sidney… Sidney is at the center.”

“Won’t that draw a lot of attention to you?”

“It would. If I wasn’t also a victim.” A sinister leer consumed Billy’s face. “And if you weren’t also a victim. But if we are just lucky survivors, they won’t suspect us.”

“Genius, man. So, who is our killer?”

Billy’s grin managed to spread farther. “Sidney’s father.”

“What?” Stu released a squealing laugh and nearly launched from the couch cushion.

“Poetic, isn’t it?” Billy leaned forward on his knees.

“I mean, you did say Sid was the center, but that makes her the epicenter.”

“The way I figure, Sid’s father snaps. Maureen’s anniversary sets him off.”

“So, he goes on a rampage, killing everyone.” Stu’s eyes twinkled as he nodded.

“Including Sidney.”

“Oh! Oh!” Stu bounced on his cushion. “You know how he should end it? You know how he should end it?”

“How?” Billy tilted his head slow.

“After he kills Sid, he should shoot himself.” Stu raised his eyebrows, awaiting his reaction.

“Perfect ending.”

Stu’s face exploded in a grin. “It’s genius, man. Genius.” Stu stroked his chin. “How do we get left for dead? How do we pass for survivors?”

The vicious grin surfaced on Billy’s cheeks again. “We’re going to have to bleed a little.”

Stu furrowed his brow. “Like fake blood?”

“Fake blood wouldn’t convince even our moron cops. We’re going to have to actually get stabbed.”

Stu grimaced and recoiled from Billy a degree.

“Don’t worry,” Billy said. “We’ll stick to the side, avoid any vital organs, and we won’t go too deep. It will look like a good attempted murder.”

Stu swallowed hard and nodded.

“But to convince the other victims we’re not the killers, we’re going to fake it too,” Billy continued.

Stu lifted his head. “You’ve thought of everything, Billy.”

Billy’s lips turned up, and he planted his hands on his knees. “Did you get those things I told you to?”

“Yeah, man. I got everything on the list. What’s it all for?”

“Fake blood.”

Billy stood from the couch and moved toward the kitchen without waiting for Stu. Stu followed, taking one last glimpse over his shoulder at Alicia Silverstone before leaving her babbling to the empty couches. Billy rounded the kitchen island and placed his hands on the counter in wait. Stu hurried to the closet and retrieved the grocery bag.

“This all makes way more sense now, man. It seemed like a very random list,” Stu laughed.

But Stu had gotten the items as instructed, without question. He had followed orders, just as Billy needed him to.

Stu presented the bag to Billy, raising his eyebrows and awaiting approval. Billy offered a fixed stare. His hands remained stuck to the counter. Stu animated and unloaded the ingredients.

“Corn syrup.” Stu placed the bottle on the counter in front of Billy. “Corn starch. Red, yellow, and blue food coloring.”

Billy surveyed the ingredients before finally letting an approving smirk hint on his lips. “Everything you need to make pig’s blood. Or, in this case, our blood.” The smirk branched into a malicious grin. “Chocolate syrup would have been easier, but we couldn’t risk that someone would smell it. Plus, that shit is so sticky.”

Billy placed his hands on the corn syrup and turned his eyes to Stu. Stu stared back at him for a moment before startling.

“Oh.” Stu dove into a cabinet and retrieved a large, yellow plastic bowl. Then he snatched a couple spoons from a drawer.

“You get the water balloons and the funnel?”

“Shit. Yeah, man. They’re in the other bag.” Stu whirled around and returned to the closet.

Billy poured the corn syrup into the bowl then began sprinkling in the corn starch. He stirred briskly to mix the two together. Stu leaned in close to watch over his shoulder. Billy dripped red food coloring in the first. The splatters spread in the liquid, drawing bizarre patterns. He blended them in until the mixture turned red.

“Too red,” Billy mumbled.

“Yeah, don’t want it looking Giallo.”

Billy traded the red for the yellow and green, squeezing in a couple drops of each. He tilted his head as he stirred it all together as the red mixture deepened in the bowl.

“Getting closer.” Billy dipped his finger in and sucked it clean. He pursed his lips and bobbed his head. “Not terrible. Chocolate would have tasted better. In Friday the 13th, they used photo developer, but that shit is so poisonous.”

“And not just at the general store,” Stu laughed.

“Right.” Billy loosed a couple more drips and stirred before nodding at his efforts. Billy dipped another finger and smeared it along Stu’s face then nodded firmer. “Balloons.”

“Okay.” Stu tore open the plastic bag and fished out a red balloon. “So, remind me. Is this my blood or your blood?”

“Ideally, mine. I want you to kill me in front of Sidney. Break her heart before I put a knife in it.” Billy stared straight into Stu until Stu’s eyes wavered away. “But we’ll fill a few balloons and see how things play out. People can be… unpredictable.”

Stu stuffed the funnel into the balloon, and Billy poured the blood in until it blossomed. Once the bulb of fake blood trembled, Billy slipped it from the funnel and tied it off. He squeezed the balloon, feeling the blood resist the pressure. Then Billy cradled the balloon in front of him.

“So, I come at you like this.” Stu pantomimed a knife, stabbing it into the blood balloon.

“The balloon bursts. Blood everywhere.”

“Sidney or anyone else will be too scared to scrutinize.”

“I fall dead, and you go kill them. Then I reemerge for the final act.”

“They’ll never see it coming!” Stu lifted the balloon from Billy’s grasp and lifted it in front of his face.

“That’s because it’s never been done before.”

Continued on… Father Death (7)

Christina Bergling

https://linktr.ee/chrstnabergling

Like my writing? Check out my books!

  • Followers – You never know who is on the other side of the screen. Followers is a mystery and thriller that blends women’s fiction with horror.
  • The Rest Will Come – Online dating would drive anyone to murder, especially Emma.
  • Savages – Two survivors search the ruins for the last strain of humanity. Until the discovery of a baby changes everything.
  • The Waning – Locked in a cage, Beatrix must survive to escape or be broken completely.
  • Screechers – Mutant monsters and humans collide in the apocalyptic fallout of a burned world. Co-authored with Kevin J. Kennedy.
  • Horror Anthologies

Father Death (5)

Posted: July 11, 2022 in Father Death, Scream
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
2

Previously on… Father Death (4)

4

Terror transformed Maureen’s features. When she opened her mouth in a scream, Billy noticed how much Sidney did look like her mother, that same wide mouth of straight, white teeth. He would make Sidney scream for different reasons.

Billy ignored Maureen’s flow of exclamations and demands. He fixated on her delicious fear and stomped toward her, hearing Stu shuffle in behind him. The perpetual and uncomfortable rage that seethed in him dissipated throughout and settled in his muscles to orchestrate his movements.

Maureen, clad in a satin robe, scrambled around the bed. In desperation, she chucked pillows and a lamp in the direction of her attackers. Billy pursued her as Stu climbed on the bed, casting a malicious grin as he bounced like a child. Tears streamed down Maureen’s cheeks.

“Billy, why?” Maureen asked, her voice quivering in her cries.

Billy invaded her space and cornered her against the wall. He pressed his body against hers to feel her tremble.

“Shhhhhh,” Billy breathed.

He lifted the knife and used the blade to move the hair out of Maureen’s face. Maureen only reddened and cried harder.

“What about Sidney?” Maureen protested.

Billy snatched Maureen around the throat and threw them both toward the bed. Stu leaped out of the way before Billy fell on top of Maureen on the mattress. They flopped together, Maureen grunting in pain. Billy shifted to pin her down with his weight and raised the knife. He waited with the blade suspended until she could see it. He looked for its gleaming reflection in her eye and the knowing fear in her face before he plunged it into her belly, low. Not at low as he wanted but close enough.

It felt natural to stab into her, to take what he wanted. The primal sound that sputtered from her lips resonated somewhere deep within Billy. It spurned him to rip the knife from her flesh and thrust it into her again. And again, splattering blood all over Cotton Weary’s coat.

Somewhere in the flurry, Billy remembered himself. He caught his arm before the knife could penetrate Maureen again and raised his blood-stained face to Stu. He felt the smile on his own cheeks. Maureen moaned and writhed beneath him, but he pushed back off of her.

Stu looked between Billy and Maureen’s bloody body. Then he lingered in Billy’s stare before diving forward. Maureen moved to claw along the bed. She took fistfuls of the bedspread in her hands and attempted to drag herself along the mattress. Stu snatched her shoulder and flipped her back over. He looked over his shoulder, searched for Billy’s approval before bringing his own knife into Maureen.

His first puncture was tentative, but when Billy smiled, he gained vigor. By the fifth, Maureen released the bedspread. Billy clapped a hand on Stu’s shoulder and leaned against him.

“Go grab the bag,” Billy said.

Stu nodded and offered Billy his knife. Billy took it and watched Stu leave the room. Once Stu was out of sight, Billy turned his eyes down to Maureen.

Maureen’s chest lifted and fell weakly. Billy found her eyes burrowing into him. He mounted the bed to straddle her and leaned down slow. He put his lips against her ear and heard her breathing hesitate.

“This is for my mom, you whore,” he said.

Billy sat up and sank the knife into Maureen’s throat. Her eyes went wide as the blood poured from her neck and covered the bed. Stu returned as Billy yanked the blade from her body.

“10:37, man,” Stu said, shifting his weight from side to side and clutching the bag. “Sid could be here any minute.”

Billy reached into the bag and retrieved the garbage bag. He placed both knives in the bag then slipped them into the duffle.

“Change and get to the car,” Billy ordered. “Cotton went to Steiner’s Tavern after last time. Meet me at the bottom of the hill, and we’ll plant the coat.”

Stu nodded, fingers still wriggling. Then he was gone.

Billy stood over Maureen one last time. She lay splayed on her back, her hands bloodied and haphazard above her head. The vacancy in her eyes soothed something in him, calmed that writhing anger. He reached down and tore her robe open, suggestively positioned her legs, set the scene. Then he breathed in the moment, the smell of her death, before hurrying down the stairs.

He lingered by the front window, waiting for Sidney. His chest clenched when Tatum’s red Beetle finally rolled into view. The thrill at the plan coming together, at all the pieces falling into his planned places. He could hear the girls’ muffled voices as Sidney got out of the car and said goodbye. She stood under the garish light and swept her hair behind her ear.

Billy would always see how much she looked like her mother now.

Sidney approached the door, carefree and smiling. Billy imprinted that Sidney on his mind, snapped it into his memory with the full knowledge that he was about to shatter her, destroy this version of Sidney in an irreparable way.

Then he would be there to comfort her, fuck her back to normal when she was ready. They could mourn the loss of their mothers together.

The front doorknob turned, and Billy hurried across the house. He scooted through the sliding glass door and waited with the door suspended.

“Mom,” Sidney called, discarding her keys and light coat. “Mom, I’m home.”

Billy shut the door loud enough for Sidney to hear and walked in deliberate steps away from the house. He shoved his hands in Cotton’s pockets and tilted his head down, displaying a familiar haircut. He made sure to say in the light, walk slow and in view.

As he slipped into the shadows, he could feel Sidney see him. He did not even need to look back. He knew he had done it.

Continued on… Father Death (6)

Christina Bergling

https://linktr.ee/chrstnabergling

Like my writing? Check out my books!

  • Followers – You never know who is on the other side of the screen. Followers is a mystery and thriller that blends women’s fiction with horror.
  • The Rest Will Come – Online dating would drive anyone to murder, especially Emma.
  • Savages – Two survivors search the ruins for the last strain of humanity. Until the discovery of a baby changes everything.
  • The Waning – Locked in a cage, Beatrix must survive to escape or be broken completely.
  • Screechers – Mutant monsters and humans collide in the apocalyptic fallout of a burned world. Co-authored with Kevin J. Kennedy.
  • Horror Anthologies

Father Death (4)

Posted: July 4, 2022 in Father Death, Scream
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
4
3

Previously on… Father Death (3)

Stu drummed his spindly fingers on Billy’s dash, leaning forward until the streetlights cut grave shadows in his features. He moved forward then back in his seat over and over as his finger twitching increased. Billy slouched against his door with one arm slung over the steering wheel, glaring at Stu and chewing on the edge of his lip.

“Stu,” Billy called.

Stu continued to drum and rock with his eyes locked out in the night. He added a bounce to his movements.

“Stu!” Billy whipped his arm to slap Stu in the shoulder.

“Ow! What? What?” Stu rubbed the impact and gave Billy a wounded look.

“Calm down,” Billy commanded.

“I am calm, man. I’m just excited.” Stu’s eyes gleamed, and he wriggled his fingers under his chin. “Tonight’s the night. We’re finally going to do it, make our own scary movie.”

“Let’s go over everything again.”

“I got it.”

“Let’s go over everything again,” Billy said slower.

“Fine.”

Stu rolled his eyes, and Billy slapped at him again.

“Fine!” Stu whined, raising his hand. “Cotton Weary is in there right now fucking Sidney’s mom.”

“Right. I saw him leaving when I dropped Sid off the other night, and his car is down the street. Sid is at Tatum’s until 11.”

“When he leaves, we go in and kill Maureen.”

“Then I leave wearing the coat we lifted from Cotton’s car.”

“Because you look scarily the same as Cotton from the back,” Stu finished. “Nice haircut, man.”

Billy’s eyes narrowed, and Stu threw up his arms defensively.

“I make sure to get all our stuff out of there,” Stu continued.

“Then we get the coat back into Cotton’s car.”

“And burn our clothes,” Stu finished.

Billy nodded, and Stu smiled at the approval. At hearing the plan laid out again, Billy’s nerves twitched. His heart hitched with impatience. He pressed back against the door and stroked his chin as he stared at the front of Sidney’s house.

“Oh! Oh! There he is!” Stu hissed, shooting a lanky digit toward the windshield.

Cotton’s figure emerged at the end of Stu’s fingertip. Just as Billy had previously witnessed, he bounced cavalier across the yard and jogged toward his waiting car.

“Ten o’clock,” Billy scoffed. “Even faster this time.”

“Give us a whole hour,” Stu exclaimed, patting his hands together.

The moment swelled around them. Billy and Stu each slipped on their gloves. Billy took a slow, measured breath and reached for the door handle. He lowered his head when he looked over at Stu and signaled him to exit the car. Stu’s eyes could not be wider or brighter in excitement. Billy flipped his hood up then reached into the backseat to grab his bag. He clutched the bag tight to his side. He hugged the shadows on the street as they approached the side of the house and moved around the back. Stu bounced beside him.

“Stop skipping, you jackass!” Billy hissed.

Stu dropped heavy on the street beside Billy and tucked himself into his hoodie. He slunk behind Billy to trace his shadow.

Billy moved along the decking behind the house and hoisted himself over the railing. Stu did the same, and the two crept along the boards to the house. They approached the lighted windows with slow and cautious steps. Billy glanced back at Stu as he reached out for the handle of the sliding glass door. Stu gaped a dumb and anticipant look and waited.

The door slid along its track silently. Stu’s stupor broke into glee, and Billy raised a warning hand to temper him. They each side stepped into the house, and Stu closed the door behind them.

They were in. They were past witnesses outside. They were alone with Maureen Prescott.

The rage and the hatred vibrated through Billy, embodied him. Maureen’s gentle voice hummed from above them, carefree spilling from someone who thought they were home alone. The treacherous sound of her infused him with purpose. He could finally make her pay. The possibility nearly made him quiver as much as Stu beside him.

“Are you sure about this Billy?” Stu whispered.

Billy lost his focus and whirled to Stu, glaring through him. The color had drained from Stu’s face to pool in his neck, and a thin layer of sweat appeared along his forehead.

“Are you not?” Billy hissed.

“No, I’m sure. I just wanted to make sure you were sure because you’re just standing there.”

Billy thrust his hand into the bag, still staring at Stu, and extracted the knives. He grabbed one blade and stabbed the handle at Stu. He burned his eyes into Stu until Stu took the weapon from his hand. Billy gripped his own knife tightly and moved toward the stairs.

Stu’s panting irritated Billy as Billy climbed the stairs. Or it was his own heart hammering in his ears. He wanted to be alone, just him and Maureen, in this moment, but he needed Stu here for the plan. The execution was critical. The details were crucial. Despite how unmitigated the rage was writhing beneath his surface, he tamed it below the purpose.

Maureen’s voice grew louder as they approached her bedroom door, mumbling a song off-key. Billy hesitated at the last step and met Stu’s eyes. Stu’s chin drooped as he nibbled at his lip, yet his eyes shone. His head twitched in a nod. Billy unleashed a sinister smirk and pressed his palm into the door.

Continued on… Father Death (5)

Christina Bergling

https://linktr.ee/chrstnabergling

Like my writing? Check out my books!

  • Followers – You never know who is on the other side of the screen. Followers is a mystery and thriller that blends women’s fiction with horror.
  • The Rest Will Come – Online dating would drive anyone to murder, especially Emma.
  • Savages – Two survivors search the ruins for the last strain of humanity. Until the discovery of a baby changes everything.
  • The Waning – Locked in a cage, Beatrix must survive to escape or be broken completely.
  • Screechers – Mutant monsters and humans collide in the apocalyptic fallout of a burned world. Co-authored with Kevin J. Kennedy.
  • Horror Anthologies