10. Zack
Zack
I watch as Chloe runs from me. Again. This time I don’t follow.
She was pushing her luck anyway so it’s for the best that she’s gone.
Once she’s out of sight, I slam the door shut, and scream. It feels good to get that rage out of my system.
I start the car back up, and brace my hands on the wheel. My foot rests on the accelerator, ready to go, but my focus remains on where she disappeared into the trees. Is she waiting for me to chase her? Does she want a repeat of last time?
Of course she doesn’t. I’m delusional thinking she wanted it.
“She’s gone. Just drive already.”
I don’t move.
“Drive!” I slap myself in the face and shake myself back to life. I almost stall the car as I slam my foot down and fumble the gearshift.
The further away I get, the harder it is to breathe.
My chest pangs with sharp stabbing pains.
My body breaks out in a sweat. Am I having a heart attack?
I laugh and look down at the pills. Maybe she was right, and I should lay off them.
Wouldn’t want to die before I can finish what I started.
It’s a shame she’s not going to be able to witness the rest of the night. I bet she would have enjoyed it.
My smile collapses as my sister’s video tape starts up in my mind.
Those men are barely a drop in the ocean of men who enjoy hurting women.
I suppose I’m one of them now. I’ve never done that before.
Forced myself on someone. To be honest, I’ve never killed before either.
I’m no better than them, but at least I’ll make up for it by doing the right thing in the end.
As I drive, I imagine what will happen to Chloe next. If anyone were to find her in the state she’s in, who knows what they’d do to her. They could be worse than me.
“It doesn’t matter!”
I can hear her screams in my head. See the tears she’d shed as some faceless man makes her bleed for him.
Those tears are mine.
I swerve the car around, and ignoring the speed limit, I drive back the way I came.
The exact part of the road where she left me is burned into my brain. Pulling up there, I’m out of the car in seconds, leaving the engine running and my door wide open as I rush through the woods.
All I can do is run aimlessly. It feels like I’m getting nowhere. I have no idea how to find her.
I don’t risk shouting her name in case I scare her off.
When I’m about to give up, I see a faint glow in the distance. Is it her? Is my angel back?
Keeping to the shadows, I move closer. My whole body feels heavier when I see it’s not her. Just a small fire at a campsite .
It’s clearly occupied from the cups and beer cans left discarded next to the few seats by the dimming fire. The campers must be asleep in the two tents set up either side of it. Could Chloe be hiding here?
I’m about to search for her when the tent to my right unzips. As the occupant crawls out, I duck behind a tree.
A blond-haired man wearing only a pair of shorts yawns as he staggers over to the other tent and kicks it. “Bodhi, wake up I need to piss!”
There’s a loud groan from inside. “Go by yourself or get Melissa to go with you!”
“She’s asleep.”
“So was I.”
“Come on, I’m gonna piss my pants, and I need you to make sure I don’t fall in the water. I can barely stand up straight.”
Another loud groan is followed by the zip of the tent opening, and the other man pokes his head out.
I don’t stay to hear any more. The water he mentioned must be the river that leads to the next town. What are the chances Chloe found it? She’s a smart girl. She’d know to follow it to safety rather than risk exposure to the elements in the woods.
I find a small track littered with fresh boot prints near the outskirts of the camp. This must be the route the campers have been using. I’ll have to be quick before they head this way.
After following it for a few minutes, I hear flowing water. Then, as soon as I break through the undergrowth, I see Chloe. She’s standing by the water, staring intensely across at the other side. There doesn’t seem to be anything over there. What’s grabbed her attention like that?
If I was a more level-headed person, I’d silently grab her and knock her out to kidnap her. But doing things the boring and easy way has never been my style.
From here, I can hear her talking to herself. No, not to herself. To her god. She’s begging for a sign.
Isn’t this just perfect timing?
Stepping into view, I paint a smile onto my face and spread my arms out wide. “Here I am, darlin’! Your God has returned!”
She spins on her heel, her breath catching in her throat when she sees me.
“You found me…how?”
Bringing my arms back down, I shrug and slowly meander toward her. “Let’s chalk it up to divine intervention. Seems the big man doesn’t want us two to part.”
She looks around. For an out? For help?
“What did I say about keeping your eyes on me?” She looks back at me. “That’s better. Now, I’ve not heard two very important words yet.”
I raise my brows and wait for her to reply. She takes a step back, her foot slips on the bank, and she almost falls into the water.
“I’m waiting.”
“I’m sorry, okay? Are you happy now?”
I chuckle and walk the last few steps to her.
“Wrong words, darlin’. I was looking for a thank you.”
“For what?”
“For saving you, of course! There are all sorts of bad men out in the woods tonight.”
Again, she looks across to the other side of the water. When she looks back at me, her eyes are dim.
“Is this where you kill me?” she asks numbly.
“Nope. We’ve still got a lot of fun to be had. Let’s get back to the car so we don’t miss the next big event. ”
I reach for her hand, and she snatches it away.
“I’m not going back with you. Zack, you murdered a man. You used me. Hurt me.”
“You like to point out the fact that I killed him, but not once have you said I shouldn’t have done it. You didn’t shy away from fucking me next to his still warm corpse either. I think the violence turns you on.”
“That’s disgusting.” She tries to inch away from me, but notices how close she is to the water and stops.
“Tell me why, little sinner!”
“There’s nothing to tell! You’re on drugs, you’re seeing shit!”
I press my body to hers so she has no choice but to accept my presence. “Tell me why you don’t shy away from death, and then maybe this obsession I have for you will finally stop!”
Shit.
Am I obsessed or am I just high?
She’s staring at me with those stupidly big anime eyes. Why do I find them so pretty? I’ve never found anyone pretty or cute before.
Chloe’s become the only thing I can think about.
All I want is to touch her, smell her, taste her.
But I also want to ruin her for making me feel this way.
She’s made tonight so much more difficult than it should be.
I knew what I wanted to do. It was all so simple.
I’d drop a few bodies, and then finally I’d find some peace.
Yet here I am clinging onto life. Onto her life.
“What even is your end game? You’ve nowhere to go. You won’t get far without money or a phone. Unless you plan on whoring yourself out to every man you meet?” That thought has my nostrils flaring with rage.
“I’m nobody’s whore!” she sneers with a ferocity that has my cock coming alive and steps forward, making me move back.
“If anyone tries to hurt me again, I’ll kill them!
” She shoves at my chest, and I grin with satisfaction.
“I should have killed you when I had the chance just like I did to—” Her jaw goes slack.
“You killed someone?”
She quickly shakes her head. “No, I didn’t mean that. I-I?—”
My brain’s foggy, but the pieces of her floating around in there are starting to become so much clearer. “That’s why you were so desperate for a ride.”
She swallows.
“I’m right.” I can’t help but feel more than a little smug that I’ve got her. “What a gift you are. The more I unwrap you the better you get.” I pinch her chin lightly and brush my thumb over her lips. She doesn’t move.
“I’m not a monster like you.”
I scoff and roll my eyes. She can see me as the villain if she likes. I don’t have to explain myself to her.
“Maybe you’re not a monster, but you are my little sinner, and you’re coming with me.” Leaning in close, I brush my lips over hers. She lets out a shaky sigh. “I want to see how far I can make you fall.”
A laugh in the near distance has both our heads snapping to the side. It must be those campers. I’m surprised it took them this long to get here.
I watch Chloe closely to see how she’ll react. A few seconds pass, and she doesn’t make a sound.
“You’re not going to scream for help?” I ask, more curious than ever.
“If I do that, you’ll kill them.”
“Most likely. I’m sure they’d love to try and take you from me, have a taste of what I’ve been devouring, and I can’t have that.”
“Not all men are like you or that man at the gas station or…They can’t be.” She goes quiet, and a pitiful shadow casts over her face.
“Really? Not all men? You can’t seriously believe that. Then again, if you are a sheltered little nun, you probably have no idea what the world is truly like.” I stroke my knuckles over her cheek. “Shall we put them to the test? See who’s right?”
“No! There have to be good people in the world otherwise what’s the point?”
I take a few steps back, and she looks more panicked than ever.
“Please don’t kill them, Zack.”
I keep backing away from her.
“Where are you going?” she whisper-shouts, her eyes darting between me and the path where the men’s voices are getting nearer.
“I’m not killing anyone. You are.”
“No!” She rushes toward me and grabs hold of my shirt. My heart goes wild.
“I’ll leave you alone if that’s what you want. You can find out for yourself if they’re part of the not-all-men brigade, or you come with me and do everything I say. You already know exactly what I’m capable of. So, what’ll it be? Better the devil you know or…” I tip my head toward the path.
The words that pour out of her have me more confused than ever. “You! I choose you!”