Sick Twisted Smile

A short story based on that first CZ AU I wrote.



Rudy didn’t bother raising his head up when he listened to the door shut. He let out a soft grunt. Looks like his parents had decided to leave him again. Typical. They always go out and they never say where they are going, or if they were even leaving. If he hadn’t heard them now, then he wouldn’t have known they were gone unless he happened to look for them.

Not that he bothered looking for them. He didn’t care about them all that much. They were more of a nuisance to him. The few times when his parents bothered to notice him, he often wished they’d go away. In fact, he liked it better this way. Alone, where he could think and do things that he wanted. The only thing his parents were good for was food and other basic necessities. While he wasn’t above stealing, it was much easier letting his parents do the work.

He turned his attention to the chalkboard. Right about now, his ‘friend’ Snap would be waiting for him. It was the weekend after all. He didn’t need to worry about school and those stupid kids during this time. This was the perfect chance to head into ChalkZone. There was always something fun to do there. That world had endless possibilities. The thought of it made his fingertips tingle.

He had thought of allowing Vinnie or Terry ‘accidentally’ come into ChalkZone. That would be quite the spectacle. He only declined because he didn’t want them exposing this world to anyone. He wanted to keep this world as big of a secret as possible. He didn’t mind Penny coming here, but outside of that, he preferred this place to be a secret. He considered this place his. His own playground. His own set of toys. His own place where he could vent his anger and hatred on an unsuspecting zoner. Without it, he risked exposing his behavior to someone else.

He knew that Snap and Penny, his ‘friends’ as they call themselves, could most certainly tell on him if they found out. They would try to lock him away in the loony bin or something. That was something he couldn’t afford. After all, where else was he going to release his energy?

Thankfully, it was relatively easy to get away from them. All he had to do was come up with some kind of convincing lie. Something that would get those two off his back.

He wouldn’t be long of course. He would come right back before they get too suspicious. He just had to make sure he timed everything perfectly. He just needed to find a zoner that was isolated from the others, drag them somewhere, toy with them and take care of them, and come back. Oh and hide the body of course so no one will know he did it. He didn’t want to get caught, now did he? Of course, the idea of doing this in a dangerous location was kind of a turn on for him. The rush and the adrenaline... He could just feel it now.

He shook the thought away as he refocused his attention on getting into ChalkZone. Penny and Snap would be expecting him. He did have thoughts of doing something about them so he could do this unhindered, but the rest of ChalkZone would get suspicious. They would be hounding him for information and ask how he felt about their ‘absense’. That would make it even harder for him to have fun. And besides, he didn’t mind them too much. They weren’t half bad. At least they were better than his stupid parents.

He raised up the magic chalk and pressed it against the board. He slowly moved it in a circle, the white chalk dust forming the portal that allowed him into that world he discovered two years ago. He gave a smile as he saw the familiar green landscape, the sky as blue as ever, the Day Zone sun shining down on him. He took a moment to enjoy it. This was his world, his discovery. He felt blessed to have found this place first. He didn’t want to think of what might have happened if someone like, say, Reggie found this place first. As if that stupid bully didn’t need another reason to come after him....

He shook his head, getting rid of those thoughts, and he crawled in through the portal. He let out a grunt as he fell the couple of feet, and picked himself up. He quickly brushed himself off, getting the dirt off of his body. He placed his hands on his hips, his mouth stretching in a friendly smile, and he looked left and right. So far, he didn’t see anyone. But it wouldn’t be long before he would hear his voice and....

“Bucko!”

Yep, right on time.

Rudy turned his head to Snap. The small, blue zoner came rushing towards him, his usual wide grin on his face. Rudy did his best to keep his smile how it was. He needn’t allow this zoner to find out he was intending on going somewhere.

“Hey Snap!” Rudy called out to him.

Snap soon reached him. His arms were stretched outward, his eyes twinkling. “You’re just in time! There’s another polar bowling tournament going on!” He motioned with his hand. “Come on, you have to see it!”

Rudy was tempted to say no. He wasn’t interested in any of these stupid games these zoners play. Much of the time, he just didn’t understand the point of them. But he couldn’t bring himself to say no, and he found himself following Snap close behind.

They ran across the grassy field, around the few treets that stood in their way, and they soon reached a mountainous region of ChalkZone. Snowy Hills. Not exactly the most thrilling of names. He remembered this area from when he had first taken Penny into ChalkZone. He didn’t remember why he had, but it no longer really mattered anyway. He continued to follow Snap as he led him up one of the hills.

When they got to the top, he could see the game that Snap was talking about. He recognized it immediately as the same type of polar bowling that Penny had seen. He remembered that she had complained about it because it ‘hit the poor little penguins’. Rudy scoffed at the thought. As Snap said, the penguins loved it anyway. Besides, they were just penguins. Who gives a crap what happened to them? He’ll never understand people like that.

He and Snap stopped near the edge of the playing field. They weren’t allowed to get any closer. Rules of the game and all that. Snap gestured for him to side down, which he did without question. Rudy folded up his arms against his chest and he watched this game.

It was the same old, same old. It was amusing at first, when the polar bear tossed the ball over and knocked the penguins left and right. Especially in his earlier time here. But now it had gotten quite boring. He no longer felt satisfied with it. If he made a few...changes..then it might be good again. But he knew he couldn’t do that. Not without getting himself into huge trouble. As much as it frustrated him, he had to remain put here and simply watch.

He wasn’t sure how long the game had gone on. They never have any sort of set time. He didn’t bother looking down at the watch he drew for himself anymore. His eyes continuously followed the ball, the penguins, and back again. He could feel his heart start to hurt as the hypnotic effect of the movement started to get to him. He immediately averted his eyes, shutting them and shaking his head.

“Hey, are you okay?” Asked Snap.

Rudy looked down at him and gave a smile. “Yeah I’m fine.”

Snap frowned in concern. “Are you sure, Bucko?” He pointed his rounded hand at him. “You look a little winded.”

Rudy realized that he could use this to his advantage. Faking a yawn, he said, “Yeah, I didn’t get much sleep last night.” He wiped his mouth as he felt a little drool trickling down the corner of his lip. “I’m sorry to cut this short. But I think I should head back now.”

“What?” Snap raised his hands up. “Why? You just got here!” He moved towards Rudy and grabbed onto his hand and tugged on him. “Maybe you could participate in the bowling? That should wake you right up!”

Rudy pondered this for a few moments. The idea was a little intriguing. Things might feel different if he were the one tossing the bowling balls, instead of just merely watching. He believed that he might get a new sensation other than shere boredom if he rolled the balls. But...no. He decided against it. He didn’t really want to waste more time here. He was bored of the polar bowling and he sought excitement. He wasn’t going to find it here.

He shook his head. “No thanks. Maybe next time?”

“Well I’m not sure...” Snap looked up at him, biting his lip. “These guy don’t come here as often as they used to.” He motioned his hands towards the bowling bears. “Ever since that day someone went missing from here, they reduced the times they’d show up. If you walk away now, that means you won’t see them again until five months from now.”

“Yes, I know.” Rudy nodded his head.

“So...are you sure you want to leave..?” Snap inquired.

Rudy answered that in a heartbeat. “Yeah, I do.” He gave the blue zoner a smile. “But don’t worry though. I’ll be back later. And then we can do all kinds of exploriarating! Doesn’t that sound like fun?”

“Well I guess, but...”

“It’s best that he gets a good rest. It’s hard to function properly if you don’t get enough sleep.”

Rudy and Snap jolted at the sound of this voice. They whipped their heads over and they could see Penny walking towards them. Her appearance was rather sudden and out of nowhere. Just how long had she been walking towards them without saying a word?

It was times like these when Rudy regretted giving Penny her own supply of chalk. True there were times that this came in handy. But at the moment, all he could do was think of how stupid he was to let her have some. Now she could get into ChalkZone without him knowing about it. He had been lucky that she hadn’t thought to use the magic chalk to try to find him whenever he disappeared. He couldn’t take them back either; she’d question why and he wouldn’t be able to think of a reason that would be suitable for her. She was pretty smart. She might see right through any lie he tried to give her.

“I’m sorry if I startled you two.” Penny said apologetically. “I didn’t mean to.”

“What brings you into ChalkZone today?” Snap asked.

“I got finished with my homework and I decided to come into ChalkZone afterwards. I got free time.” Penny looked over at Rudy. “If you’re tired, Rudy, you can go ahead and leave. Snap and I can think of something to do. It’s not a big deal.” She glanced down at Snap. She gave him a broad smile. “Won’t we, Snap?”

Snap immediately smiled at her and gave a nod of his head. “Yeah, we will.” He looked back at Rudy. “We understand if you need some more rest, Bucko. Go on!” He motioned his hand towards the direction of his portal. “Run along home and get some sleep before your parents get home and try to drag you to another parade or something!”

Rudy couldn’t stop the brief chuckle from coming out of his mouth. In spite of how he felt about these two, the threat he knew they posed, sometimes they did genuinely make him laugh. Snap was a comedy genius at times. That was part of what made him more tolerable than most others. It gave him a reason to have some liking towards him. He was one of the few he didn’t wish to punch in the face.

Rudy stretched his arms outward, letting out a long, loud yawn. His lips curled up as his jaws closed. He swallowed and brought his head forward. He stretched his back in one direction until he could feel it snap. He took a moment to appreciate that feeling before he turned around in the direction of his home. There was plenty of areas to disappear to before he got there. This would work out just fine.

“Goodbye, Penny.” Rudy said, waving to the two. “Goodbye, Snap.”

“See ya, Rudy!” Penny and Snap called out in unison.

Rudy smiled at them before he turned his back to them. The smile he had was quickly replaced with a light frown. As he began to move down the slope, he allowed his mind to wander, many thoughts rushing through his head. He was calculating, like he did almost every day he was here. He was asking himself the same thing over and over again.

Where should he go?

Ah, he believed he already figured something out. He remembered seeing a new shop in ChalkZone City, located near the outskirts of it. There were plenty of unused alleyways there where there were hardly, if any, zoners. That could be a perfect place to strike. And even better, it would allow him to try a little challenge that wasn’t too dangerous. He could feel the rush of energy move through him already.

With this newfound energy making him feel stronger, Rudy quickened his pace.

sss

Snap had recognized that expression Penny had given him. The girl didn’t need too much intelligence to figure that out. She could see the look in his eyes. That brief flash of excitement. Yet he remained put; he was smart enough to know that he shouldn’t just rush into this.

This had happened before. Almost in sequence, almost in a particular pattern. Rudy thought that she and Snap didn’t know. But despite his attempts, they did figure it out. He was not all that hard to read...especially for someone like herself. A master at getting others to do and think and say things without realizing it. She knew all the tricks of the trade, ands he could tell that Rudy was lying through his teeth about being tired. A few motions were all it took to give him away.

But she wasn’t really angry with him. Why should she be? She had gotten used to this part of him. In fact, if Rudy didn’t behave like this, she’d think something was wrong with him. She had come to accept him like this, as did Snap. Sooner or later, they would tell Rudy the truth. But for now, they were fine with pretending not to know.

She gave Snap that particular expression she had developed to communicate with him. The look that was subtle enough for Rudy not to notice, but distinctive enough for Snap to pick up on it. Each time he saw it, she could see him start to swell in excitement. He understood right away what they were going to be doing next.

They were going to be following Rudy.

It was really quite fascinating. Penny couldn’t help but feel intrigued by this whole thing. She couldn’t help but feel impressed with how Rudy managed to keep up the charade for long periods of time. Not that it was impossible. She and Snap could manage it just fine as well. But Rudy was the one taking the most risks. Did he worry about what might happen if others found him doing this stuff? Perhaps, but he does it anyway. His level of courage astounded her.

Penny took a moment to look all around her. She wanted to make sure that no one else was looking at them. Just as she suspected, the few zoners around here were too focused on the game to really pay attention to them. They were simply too relaxed around them. Not that she really worried if they did watch. A few simple words and she could quell them into looking away. All it really took was a simple understanding and personable skills.

She glanced down at Snap. That same smile from before returned. As she opened her mouth to speak, she took special care not to say any trigger words. If any of the zoners were watching, she could not allow them to get wise to what they were doing. And she knew Snap understood this well as he struggled to keep his body as still as possible.

“So...shall we go?” Penny asked, giving the zoner a smile. “I think if we leave now, we’ll get there in time for the first showing.”

A careful set of words. Chosen to make any zoner who overheard think she was talking about some sort of play or movie. Indeed, any zoner that looked at her, only two this time, they were blinking in curiosity, but did not bother them. She suspected they were going to ask someone else about this play. They would find something surely. There was always something going on in ChalkZone.

She could see Snap doing his best to keep himself calm. He didn’t want to do anything that would give him away. She could see a slight trembling in his body, his face lighting up in excitement. He looked up at her, that grin of his spreading across his face further.

Snap nodded his head and said, “Yeah. Let’s get going! I don’t want to miss any of it!”

Penny let out a soft, low chuckle at this. She motioned with her hand, prompting him to follow close behind her. “Then let’s get going.”

The two of them began to walk towards where Rudy had run off to. They didn’t need to move too fast to keep up with him. She could see him in the distance. He wasn’t even running; he knew better than to do that. Doing so would drag unwanted attention in his direction. And just like him, she and Snap did not run. They merely walked, making sure to go at the right speed to avoid looking strange.

She offhandedly wondered what zoner Rudy was going to target this time. There were so many zoners to choose from. Humanoid, young, old, tall, short, animal, among others. She had seen Rudy go after all sorts of them. And what he would do was sporadic. Never a single pattern. That made him much more interesting to watch. It would become a bit boring if Rudy did nothing but, say, target only small children zoners and bashed their heads in or something.

Snap got a little more excited for stuff like this. Oh sure he acted friendly to most zoners. But he was really good about hiding his true nature. In truth, Snap liked watching others get hurt. He would not show it in front of others, but the sight of it got him excited. That was the true reason he loved polar bowling. He enjoyed watching the penguins getting injured, being tossed about like that. And with Rudy, he would get even more excited as it meant a bit more than just knocking them down with a bowling pin. Rudy was a little more unpredictable like that, something she and Snap both enjoyed.

As they moved into ChalkZone City and walked down the sidewalks, they turned their heads left and right, making themselves appear as though they had no interest in where Rudy was going, or even knew he was there. They followed him by way of his footsteps, which they came to recognize from a distance. Occassionally they’d use their periphial vision as well.

As usual, no zoner really asked what they were doing. Most zoners typically went on with their daily routine. It was usually only when they needed help that they would bother them. Well that and a few other reasons. But today, the zoners had no such reason to speak to them. They could see that they were busy and they did the polite thing by keeping their distance and doing their own thing. A part of Penny was glad for that. When Snap was in this exciteable stage, he might be prone to do something pretty stupid. Oh he’ll deny it, but she knew him well enough to know that he could slip up. Emotions were funny like that.

They walked for a while, staying close together. They kept Rudy in their sights most of the time. The boy was clearly in hunting mode. Even from this distance, they could see the way he was moving his head left and right. As they moved in deeper, they realized he was heading into mostly unpopulated territory. That made sense, for what he was about to do.

After a while, they lost sight of him. But they did not fret. They simply continued down the path they had last seen him in. They did not bother picking up the pace or running. They didn’t need to. They both knew that, in time, Rudy would reveal their location to them. He wouldn’t know it of course, and he would go about as if he really was alone. This was one of the reasons he was so fascinating to watch.

As if on cue, they could hear a small sound. A grunt. It was too faint to draw attention, and it wasn’t distress-filled either. She and Snap knew this grunt anywhere. They knew that it meant that Rudy was nearby. They quickened their pace a little as they headed towards one of the alleyways. They caught a glimpse of a shadow moving along, and they both knew they had arrived at the right location.

When they got closer, they took position on a ledge, climbing up and moving along the awning-like structures that went around the buildings. They kept moving until they could see Rudy down below. Wanting to get even closer, Penny drew some rope and weight bearers and they moved down slowly, careful not to make any noise. They kept their eyes on Rudy, watching as he dragged what appeared to be a bound, struggling zoner into the back of this alleyway. Penny and Snap looked at each other and smirked. It didn’t matter to them how Rudy succeeded in doing this. They both knew the end result would be the same. That zoner was not going anywhere.

They soon took position on a new, somewhat closer ledge. Penny rested on her stomach while Snap sat up straight, his feet dangling over the edge. The shades of the building kept them obscured from easy sight. They kept their eyes glued to the scene playing out below, Penny out of curiosity and Snap out of excitement.

sss

No... No... It couldn’t end this way. Not like this... He had survived attacks by Skrawl, survived some of the most vicious weather to have struck the land, and even survived the Sandman’s attack. So for him to go through something like...like this, it was unfathomable. This boy, he had saved ChalkZone. He had helped zoners. Why...why was he doing this...?

He didn’t bother trying to speak. His mouth was tied shut and a cloth pressed over it to gave him. The stick figure zoner, shaded purple and wearing a baker’s outfit, could only stare up at Rudy in horror and confusion as the boy dragged him deeper in these alleyways. This realization frightened him. Just what was Rudy going to do with him that it required absolute privacy and secrecy like this? The look in the boy’s eyes did little to comfort him.

He could hardly remember how he had gotten here. He was certain he had passed out for a short time. A knock on the head and...well maybe not pass out. But he was certain he was disoriented. And Rudy took advantage of that. Now his arms were bound painfully behind his back, the ropes so tight they nearly cut off his circulation. It was this sensation that made him first realize something was wrong. Rudy would never deliberately hurt a zoner and yet he had purposefully tied the ropes tightly. There was no way this could have been a slip up.

His heart pounded against his chest, his head throbbing with many thoughts. He tried to ignore the pain in his wrists and ankles from the tight rope. He tried to ignore how he had been affectively gagged, making him feel even more helpless, unable to do much except mumble. Even that, he was afraid to do, for fear that Rudy would do something to hurt him. He had no idea what to expect of the boy now. What did Rudy have planned for him?

“I can see you are confused. That is understandable.” Rudy said. The zoner was horrified when he heard how chilling it sounded. This wasn’t the Rudy he knew. “Not many...well actually, no one knows of these..activities...”

Activities? What was the boy talking about? The only things he saw him do was protect ChalkZone, aid zoners that needed it, and explore with his friends. What else could he be doing while in ChalkZone?

“Say, did you know that one fellow? Oh what was his name...” Rudy rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He suddenly pointed a finger into the air. “Ah yes!” He glanced back down at him. “I believe his name was Leniir.” The zoner’s eyes widened at this. “Ah so you did know him! Was he a friend of yours?”

The zoner nodded his head. Although it would be useless, he still attempted to answer verbally. “Yes.”

“Did you ever wonder what happened to him...?” Rudy tilted his head to the side at this. “Did you think that he simply decided to move away?”

The zoner gasped at this, his heart clenching tightly. He could feel a wash of cold blood move through his veins as he looked into Rudy’s eyes and swiftly understood where he was going with this. He shook his head in denial, not wanting to believe it. No...no... Rudy wouldn’t have done something like this... He wouldn’t have killed a zoner, he...

But Rudy’s smile grew twisted, shattering any hope he had of misunderstanding Rudy’s intentions here. He cringed away from the boy, unable to tear his eyes away from him. He shuddered as he felt Rudy place a hand underneath his chin and lift it up, forcing him to look at the boy.

“You should have heard his whimpering. It was really quite the show. He was gagged the whole time, though, but I’m certain he was calling out for you.” Rudy’s smile broadened as he saw the zoner shed a few tears. “Oh don’t worry. I will make sure you can say something else to him. I’m sure you’ve been wanting to speak to him for a long time, am I right, Kenith?”

Kenith didn’t bother replying. He just shut his eyes, allowing the hot tears to pool down from his face. Oh Leniir... How could he have been so stupid? He should have realized something was wrong. He should have known better than to think that he would leave without saying goodbye. If he had realized something sooner, he could have realized the truth and...

“I see you are eager.” Kenith stared up at Rudy, his eyes wide and misty. “Don’t worry. We will get started very soon. I just need to do something first.”

Kenith watched as Rudy pulled out a needle. The sight of the device, filled with that strange, odd-colored fluid, made him feel nauseous as the wave of horror burned through his chest. He started to struggle on the ground, but there was no way he was getting anywhere. Not tied up like this. Rudy grabbed him and pulled him close, preventing any attempts to get further.

Rudy showed him the needle, chuckling softly as the frightened zoner stared at it, focusing on the sharp tip. It didn’t take Kenith long to realize where that needle was going. He jerked himself from side to side, hoping that this would make it difficult for Rudy to inject it. But soon Rudy placed a leg over his body and pressed himself against him, using his weight to hold him down. This made it impossible for Kenith to struggle too much.

“I want to have a little fun. I’d love to hear your pleas, but I can’t let you be too loud. This needle will allow me to..quiet you down a little. It’ll also negate the need for the ropes, so don’t worry. They will come off.” Rudy explained as he lowered the needle.

Kenith shook his head, mumbling over and over again, “No!”

The needle made contact. His eyes bulged as he felt the painful prick in his neck. The needle stayed in for a few seconds and then was pulled away. The drug was fast acting. It took only seconds for him to start feeling off. His vision blurred slightly and he found his head relaxing to the side a little. He blinked slowly a few times as he looked up at Rudy, a few tears running down his face, his eyes shining with the question of ‘why?’.

It was only after the drug took effect that Rudy removed the cloth. He wasn’t so gentle about it either. He pushed the knife roughly against his cheek and pulled upwards. The zoner let out a small yep of pain as he was knicked along his cheek. Rudy grabbed the cloth and tore it away. He repeated the same process, only this time with the ropes, allowing the zoner to open his jaw again.

Kenith opened his jaws and moved them around, stretching out the muscles. He continued to stare at Rudy pleadingly the whole time. He tried to speak something, anything. But at the moment, he was too stunned to think of anything.

Rudy simply smiled at this as he raised up the magic chalk and began to draw. Even in his drugged state, the zoner was able to feel a pang of fear as he saw Rudy raise a knife up. Rudy gripped him tightly and raised the knife over him. Rudy leaned down and whispered into his ear.

“Let’s get started...”

That was the last thing Kenith heard before the knife came down and his world erupted in pain.

sss

Snap smiled as he watched Rudy begin to have his fun with the zoner. From this distance, he couldn’t really hear Rudy speak the name. But what did it matter? It wasn’t really all that important to remember the name of toys. The zoner was going to die soon anyway. Why bother remembering its name?

Okay so the zoner was male. Not that it mattered to Snap. He refused to acknowledge any of the toys by their gender. Not unless the situation called for it. It made it so much easier for him separating the things meant to be played with and the ones that he could call friends. He had very few of these. He didn’t need a lot really. He had enough, including Penny and Rudy. What could be better than being friends with creators?

It was often difficult for him to go through day to day life in ChalkZone when these two weren’t around. He did his best to keep his true thoughts a secret. He tolerated the other zoners. He had no choice. He was the Great Creator’s creation and the one with the biggest tie to him. If any of the other zoners wanted to transfer a message to Rudy and they couldn’t do it themselves, they’d seek him out. Or perhaps the zoners would be merely curious and excited to meet him and ask about Rudy.

How annoying... He wished they’d leave him alone. Many of these zoners only spoke to him due to his connection to Rudy. If they knew the truth about any of them, they wouldn’t be so eager to bother him. The only thing keeping him from saying a word was because he did not want to disrupt Rudy’s fun.

This, what was happening right now to that zoner, it was what made it all worth it. He always looked forward to these sessions. He loved to see what else Rudy would do with these zoners, how many more ways he could toy with them. There would be times where Rudy would even target a zoner he didn’t particularly like. Watching them get what they deserve was so satisfying.

Oh he was certain that many would frown upon him for liking this sort of thing. They would wonder if he ever pondered what it would be like on the losing end. Well that was the point. He wasn’t on the losing end. This wasn’t happening to him. And so long as it wasn’t happening to him, it didn’t really matter too much, now did it? Besides, he had more of a reason to exist. Unlike those toys, he served a true purpose.

He had always looked down upon most of the zoners. They never quite lived up to his standard. Then again, none of them ever will. He was Rudy’s greatest creation and that would never change. Oh true, Rudy could draw a brilliant thing with that magic chalk of his. But it would never match up to his qualities. He was many steps above all of the others. This was a fact that, one day, sooner or later, everyone was going to acknowledge. And those who refused to do so...

Well, he was certain that Rudy would be able to set them straight. He smiled as he looked down at Rudy, who was continuing to hurt the zoner. Yes, Rudy would know what to do. Rudy knew that he was the best zoner around. His looks, design, everything, they were far superior to any of these other stupid zoners. If anyone dares to question that, Rudy would set them in their place. It made Snap wish that such a situation would make itself known. He would love to see how Rudy would take care of those zoners.

He stared up at Penny. She had her eyes glued to the event going on down in the alleyway. She wasn’t smiling too much. Her face was filled with curiosity. It was no different to how it always was. Penny always seemed more interested in watching Rudy’s actions than actively enjoying it. At least on the same level as he was. She seemed more curious than anything. Snap wasn’t sure if he could fully understand why she was curious, but he was still glad that she was. Without her ability of noticing things he sometimes missed and choosing words that kept others away, he wouldn’t be able to enjoy moments like this.

He turned his attention back to Rudy. He could see the zoner was trying to crawl away. Rudy must have removed its ropes so it could try to flee. Perhaps as a challenge? Rudy seemed to enjoy the thrills. The zoner’s gag was also removed and it appeared to be trying to make noise, hoping that someone will come and rescue it. It didn’t appear to work; Snap could not see any other zoners coming in to try to help it.

He felt his heart race a little at the sight of blood. Nice red blood... The sight of it made him feel even more excited. He couldn’t help but stretch his smile further. The zoner had already lost quite a bit of its blood. Snap was amazed at how much it was able to handle. Perhaps this toy was going to last a little longer in this game than many of the others.

Rudy was going to town with this particular toy. He was prolonging the pain deliberately, he could tell. He was brandishing the knife, letting the zoner get some good looks at it, and then he’d stab. Not in any vital areas; he would strike at its legs and arms mostly. Blood continuously pooled into the ground below, staining the ground a bright red. Easily seen from where he was. Snap knew it wasn’t over yet. He knew that Rudy still had more time to play. By the end of this, he predicted there’d be twice as much blood as there was now. Something that was hardly believable and yet still excited him.

Snap resisted the urge to cheer Rudy on. He tried his best not to yell and tell him to bash the zoner’s head in. He tried not to throw out suggestions; he wanted to see what Rudy himself could do. True, he always came up with the best ideas. No other ideas other than his own held much importance to him most of the time. Rudy’s were an exception. Rudy and Penny were the only ones whose ideas he genuinely respected. Everyone else, they had no idea what they were talking about. He only pretended to like them so that he didn’t have to waste time explaining the obvious to those lowlife vermin.

Snap noticed that Rudy had put the knife away and was now using his foot to kick the zoner in its stomach. Despite the distance, he could practically hear each wham. Snap’s eyes twinkled at this, his grin broadening. He could almost hear the zoner wheezing, trying to hold its stomach, roll away, anything to protect itself from getting hurt. It was amusing watching the pathetic little toy squirm around on the ground like that.

Admittingly, a lot of the things Rudy was doing was rather gruesome. Intense and violent. One might say...cruel...

But that only applied if that happened to him, or anyone he deemed worthy of his presence. It wouldn’t be such a happy thing then. But this zoner was nothing. No one. Just another little toy that Rudy found. It didn’t matter if a toy was hurt like this. It wasn’t like the thing could think too much for itself anyway. So why bother being upset?

Then he saw Rudy raise up a break. Snap realized he was going to pound it against the zoner’s skull and break it open. Snap leaned in closely, smiling almost wildly as Rudy prepared to strike down. His heart swelled up in excitement, his body trembling with the energy that was rushing through him. If he had a tail, he would be wagging it right now. He continued to watch intently as the brick was raised up and, in a split second, Rudy collided it with the zoner’s skull.

Unable to resist himself, Snap found himself jumping up and stretching his arms out at his sides. “Yes!”

He immediately covered his mouth as he realized he had said that too loud. He could see Penny giving him a soft glare as he stared at her with wide-eyes. He looked back at the alleyway and saw that Rudy had been put on edge. He believed he was followed and he was now drawing a weapon.

“Way to go, Snap.” Penny hissed at him. “He knows we are here.”

Snap didn’t feel too guilty at this, though. He simply folded his arms and remarked, “Well he was going to find out sooner or later anyway.”

“Yeah but not like this! I...” Penny stopped. She knew better than to try to argue with him. “Okay, fine. Let’s just go down there and show our faces to him. You’re right, Snap. He was going to learn at some point.” She got herself up and brushed herself off. “Let’s go to him before he does anything crazy.”

Snap nodded in agreement. He got up and followed Penny. He wasn’t sure how well Rudy was going to take this. He had a feeling that he might be quite upset. But at the same time, Snap was certain that Rudy might come to understand. Letting someone know of his activities might be a release for him, right?

Well, there was only one way to find out.

sss

Rudy watched in shock as he saw Penny and Snap coming towards him. His body stiffened up, unable to move as they continued to walk in his direction, their eyes slightly narrowed, their faces firm. Many thoughts ran through his head, and he found himself asking multiple questions.

How long were they there?

How long had they been watching?

How much had they seen?

He clenched his teeth. He didn’t want to have to do anything to them if he could avoid it. They were a source of entertainment for him sometimes. Well entertainment that wasn’t meant to be played with, like say this zoner down on the ground. He would do something to them if he had to, though. If they dare threaten him in any way, he was not going to treat the many differently than these other zoners.

A part of him did hold onto the hope that perhaps they didn’t see anything. Maybe they were just annoyed that he didn’t go to where he had said he would. Their expressions could pass for annoyance, he believed. If that’s the case, then he would just need to figure out a good lie to tell them. He knew them well enough to know what would work and what wouldn’t. It shouldn’t be too hard for him to figure something out.

But what if they did see something? What if they came here to scold him? What if they were going to try to turn him in so that someone could ‘help’ him? The thought disgusted him. There was nothing wrong with him. He didn’t need to be ‘fixed’. And if these two dare try to pull that on him...

Well, he had a plan for that.

For now, he kept himself positioned in front of the zoner. Kenith was too weak to call out and even though he could move, it wasn’t like he could slam a fist into the ground or anything. He was completely helpless. Even his groans and whimpers were weak and had little effort put into them. He knew that it was very likely Penny and Snap couldn’t hear him.

“Hey guys...!” Rudy said, forcing his mouth into a smile. He lifted up his hand and waved to them. “What brings you here?”

There was no answer. Penny and Snap simply stopped in the alleyway, standing not too far from him. Their expressions didn’t change too much. They just watched him in silence. It was as if they were expecting him to say something. He could feel himself begin to panic and he struggled to find something to say.

“I know I’m supposed to be sleeping, but I..I decided to take a stroll here.” He moved his arms to one side. “Nothing too strange. I...” He trailed his voice off. He wanted to slap himself. What kind of stupid idea was that?

“Rudy.” Snap spoke as he motioned his hand forward. “We know about the zoner.” Rudy’s eyes widened at this. “You don’t have to hide that fact from us.” Penny nodded in agreement.

Rudy took in a few quick breaths. They knew? They found out what he was doing? What were they going to do to him now? Those looks in their eyes... They were mostly unreadable, as if they were trying to purposely hide their true intentions from him. This did little to reassure him and he found his mind frantically trying to think of an excuse for why the zoner was in this condition.

“Oh him...?” Rudy said as he took a step to the side, allowing them to see the badly beaten zoner. “He’s fine.. I found him like this. I checked him, but he’s fine. He just looks bad.” Rudy said with a smile. He hoped that this would be convincing enough. “If you want to, we could...”

Penny cut him off. “Look Rudy, I’m only going to say this once..”

Rudy clenched his teeth, feeling his blood slightly heat up. He hoped that Penny didn’t say anything that she was going to regret. He really, really didn’t want to do anything to her if he could help it. He kept quiet and waited for Penny to finish.

“Stop being a coward and finish the job.”

Rudy’s eyes widened in shock at this. Glancing down, he could see that Kenith, even in his state, was also shocked by this. Well more than that. His final hope for a rescue had faded away. But not in the way that either of them had expected. Rudy kept staring at Penny, replaying the words over and over in his head. Had he heard right? Did she really say that?

He looked down at Snap next. The small blue zoner had folded his arms up and he was nodding his head in agreement to Penny’s statement. He stared down at the injured zoner and back up at him. That look...it wasn’t of annoyance, but instead expectation. They were waiting for him to do something more to the zoner. This realization struck him from the left field.

“You....” Rudy started to say as he tried to make sense of this. “You don’t mind if...?”

Penny sighed and shook her head. “We knew what you were up to the whole time, Rudy.” She held up her hand in gesture. “Snap and I usually follow you whenever you decide to have some ‘playtime’ as you call it. We were often watching.”

“We were going to tell you sooner, but we just couldn’t figure out how to say it.” Snap said. “Plus, you know how annoying some of these zoners can be. Constantly asking you for help and all.”

“So... are you going to keep standing there, mouth agape, or are you going to finish that thing off?” Penny stared over at the zoner, her eyes narrowing slightly. “I think it’s time you deliver the final blow. Not like you will get much more enjoyment out of that zoner anyway.”

Rudy stared at the two, his mind spinning. He couldn’t believe it. Despite hearing it for himself, it was still a little hard to digest. He thought he had known these two well. He thought that he was able to see just how nice and naive they were. He thought that they would have hated him for what he was doing and called the police or something. He was often good about reading minds and understanding intent.

But today, he was proven wrong. These two had shown him that he had been wrong about them the whole time. He could see the looks in their eyes. They weren’t lying about this. He saw the way they were looking at the zoner. No shred of concern. Even Penny’s urging of him to kill Kenith was not out of sympathy; but out of efficiency. And when they looked at him, they didn’t seem angry at all. Never once did they raise their voice to scold him. If anything, their only annoyance was him not hurting Kenith more.

For a moment, all he could do was stand there and stare at them. Only a few seconds passed, but it felt so much longer. It was difficult for him to fully digest this. A part of him couldn’t help but be angry. How long had these two fooled him? How long had they made him believe that they were in the dark? He felt his teeth grind together as his mind began to full process this information.

Yet...he could not bring himself to yell at them. There was this...very strange sensation he was feeling. He couldn’t tell what it was at first. Slowly, he was able to identify it.

Relief.

He was feeling relieved.

He didn’t have to do anything to them, he realized in the end. He didn’t have to make them keep quiet. If they knew the whole time what he was doing, and they never once told on him, then there was little reason to believe that would change just because they confronted him today. Not only that, but they seemed like they actually supported these actions. Snap was clearly waiting for him to continue, and Penny seemed eager as well.

For the first time, he began to view these two not just as pieces of entertainment, not just people he hung out with, but as those he could consider as....almost...kind of.... friends.

Friends... Such a weird thing for him to say. But it was true. There was no way he could keep denying it. These two, they were the closest he had to what he would consider as friends. They liked to hang out with him. They liked going on adventures with him. They knew of his torturous hobbies and not only did they not mind it, but they were in full support of it. And with that, came a sense of relief. Knowing that he no longer had to hide this from him, and knowing that he had company that could join him, help him.

He never once thought he would genuinely start to care about someone else. He didn’t think someone like him was capable of this. But that was how he was starting to feel about Penny and Snap. They were the first who truly understood him, and he had a feeling they were the only ones who would ever think to support him. He knew it would be best if he kept them around. There was no way he was going to throw away this relationship.

With a small smile spreading across his face, Rudy found himself walking towards them. He reached out and he touched them on the shoulder. They stood there, holding still, watching him. There were no hugs. Just stares. Penny and Snap looked at the hand on them, and, slowly, they placed their own on him. They gave him a small smile. No words needed to be spoken for them to understand the message being conveyed here.

They were, now, truly one.

He took a step back and he then stared down at the zoner. He had thought about just ending it right here and now. Even doing nothing could work; Kenith had lost a lot of blood to warrant a slow death. But no, this time, he wanted to do things a little differently. He wanted to do something that would further establish Penny and Snap as his allies...and as his friends. And he knew exactly how to do that.

“Join me.” Rudy said as he looked at them. He watched as Penny’s eyes glinted with interest and Snap’s twisted smile spread across his face. “We can kill this zoner.” He paused for a moment, and then used the word he never thought he would. “Together.”

There was no further prompting needed. Nothing else to say to convince them. Penny and Snap immediately followed him to the fallen zoner. They knelt down on the ground, each taking position at his sides. Kenith whimpered softly as he looked around. His eyes flashed in horror as he realized that the end was about to come for him. He didn’t bother trying to plead, as if he realized there was no chance of escape.

“So...what is the plan?” Snap asked as he rubbed his hands together. “Are we going to beat it to death?”

As tempting as that was, Rudy shook his head. “No, I want to try something...different.”

“Oh? And what might that be?” Inquired Penny.

“I will show you.”

Rudy took out his magic chalk. He ushered them to back up a little so he would have room. He immediately began to draw in the air, the lines rapidly filling the once empty spaces. He did curves and arches and whatever else he needed to do. He was soon finished and he watched as the grey color rapidly filled in the spaces, the item he created materializing in place, exactly how he had drawn it.

He had successfully secured Kenith to the ground. Bands of metal pressed against his arms and legs and his body, holding him down firmly. The zoner attempted to struggle, but there was little room left for him to move. All he succeeded in doing is hitting his wrists against the metal, causing him to give a weak yelp. He smiled at this. There was no way the zoner was going anywhere. Every part of him was held down.

Well, everything except one: his head.

Rudy turned over to Penny and Snap. “Grab onto his head. We’re going to rip it off.”

Kenith’s eyes widened at this and he tried to shake his head. He spoke weakly, “N-No...please... Let me go...” He didn’t get a chance to continue. Snap suddenly pulled his mouth open, grabbed onto his tongue and, using that strength he had given Snap before during his creation, he ripped the zoner’s tongue out with surprising ease. Blood splattered on the ground and on Snap, who didn’t seem to care.

“Shut up!” Snap snarled at the shaking and crying zoner, whose mouth was now pooling with blood from his torn tongue.

Rudy ignored Kenith’s whimpering as he grabbed onto his head, gripping it tightly so his fingers won’t slip. With a nod of encouragement, Penny and Snap grabbed on as well. Rudy knew that such a task would have been really hard with just him. But with the help of these two, this should prove to be a slow, but plausible, death for the zoner.

“On the count of three...” Rudy said softly. “One...two....three!”

All three of them began to pull at the head. They held on tightly, gripping the zoner’s hair and skin and ears, whatever they could, and pulling as hard as they could. The metal cuffs kept his body on the ground, allowing them to continue yanking back without worry of his body flying in their direction.

Despite the extra strength, this task was still difficult. Rudy could tell this zoner’s head was screwed on really tightly. The bones, ligaments, and muscles just weren’t giving in. But he wasn’t about to give up just yet. He took in a deep breath, tightened his grip, and yanked back even harder. He looked left and right and saw the clenched teeth and narrowed eyes of Penny and Snap. He could tell they, too, were using as much of their strength as they could. This zoner’s head might be stubborn, but it wasn’t that stubborn.

Then, over time, something began to happen. Rudy could feel something start to pop in the zoner’s neck. He could hear Kenith begin to gasp loudly in pain, his breathing getting shaky. A good sign. The neck was starting to relent. Rudy and his friends continued to pull on the head, even looping their arms around the neck to provide further support. They pulled harder and harder until...

...until they heard a loud snap and they knew the neck had been broken. The suddenness of this caused the zoner’s body to stiffen and twitch. But they weren’t done yet. The skin and muscle were still attached. The neck was loose now, but not yet fully broken. The rest, however, came easy. With more hard pulls, they were able to successfully tear the neck open, fully severing the zoner’s head from his body.

Rudy stared at the head that he now cradled in his head. Kenith’s eyes had already faded, and he was no longer moving. His body, still on the ground, was going through its death throes. Blood rapidly pooled from the gaping hole where the neck used to be, soon slowing down as coagulation began to take place. Blood caked the corner of his mouth due to his earlier attacks, as well as Snap ripping out his tongue.

This was a monumental moment. This was not like his other kills. This was the first time that he had killed not alone, but with friends. Well those he could consider as friends. Those who supported what he was doing and could help him have even more fun. He couldn’t help but smile as he stared down at Kenith’s head. This was the beginning of a new age for him. He took a moment to smile at Penny and Snap before taking a step towards them, allowing them to put their hands on the head as well.

Then, as one, they held it up together, a sign that they were now a team.

sss

Bobby Sue couldn’t believe it. Rudy Tabootie, that lying, cheating boy that she had a crush on a few months ago, had actually come over and declared his love to her. And in front of her family, too. There was some disgruntlement, which was to be expected, but Rudy easily won them over with a beautiful diamond horse he drew for her. It wasn’t with her now, but she couldn’t wait until she got a chance to ride on it.

It was still a bit sudden. She thought that he had given his heart away to those other zoners. Like the blue one. What was his name? Snap? Yeah him. And if the Doofi were to be believed, didn’t Rudy also have a thing for his female friend, Penny?

Well what did it matter anyway? She couldn’t bring herself to hate him. She was created to love him. Even though she was quite angry at him before, her creation trait often overrid her anger. She couldn’t help but still feel attracted to him. She knew he was only ten, but in her mind, she didn’t care. Perhaps it was because zoners don’t care about ages so much. Everyone lives forever. Doesn’t matter if they have the body of a child or an old person Ages just meant so little.

A part of her wondered if that was the reason Rudy ran off before. Perhaps he was unnerved by the whole age thing. A part of her felt a little guilty about that. Perhaps she should have taken it a little more slowly with him, let him know it was all right in zoner years. Well, at least now she had the chance to make it up to him.

“It’s right over here, Bobby Sue!” Rudy said as he walked along side her. His hand was looped around her in an almost loving manner. “I set up a huge party for us! You know, in celebration of our love and all...” He leaned in and gave her an almost seductive smile. “I’m sure you’ll love it.”

Bobby Sue giggled. “Yeah, I’m sure I will!”

Bobby Sue didn’t say anything else as Rudy continued to lead her down towards the building. It was a little smaller than she had hoped for. But there was still plenty of room. Rudy had already invited her family to come along. They had arrived earlier, he said. There was certainly enough room in this large red barn to fit in her family. She liked the look of the barn. So nice and old fashioned, just the way she preferred it.

She wondered what kind of games there would be. One couldn’t have a party without games, right? She felt her heart flutter in joy as she imagined the fun they were going to have. She was aware that Rudy would still need to go back to the Real World for food and water. But she didn’t mind. So long as her beloved was able to return to him each and every day, she was happy.

As they got closer, Bobby Sue began to notice something. The barn was quiet. That did seem a little off. Her family, especially her brother, weren’t the quiet type. And Rudy did not mention this was a surprise party. Well actually, he wouldn’t have mentioned the party at all if it were meant to be a surprise. There was the possibility that he had let it slip out, but... No, he would have reacted to it.

She didn’t think too much of it, though. Her family was probably purposely holding themselves back for her. She was the wedding girl after all, and they were going to have a wedding here after the party. Quite unusual, but Rudy stated that their wedding should be special. She had to admit, he was quite clever in that. Who would have thought about putting an after wedding party before the party itself?

If her family wasn’t waiting for them, they might just be tired or enjoying some alcoholic drinks. She wasn’t allowed to drink any of them, but her family could as they were all of age. Some of them did get pretty tired after drinking. They’d pass out.

She couldn’t wait to see the looks on their faces when she comes in. She had a wedding dress design she was going to have Rudy draw for her. She believed it would be rather stunning. Even her father, who was a bit strict about this sort of stuff, would approve of it. It was a nice blend of both worlds, her own spin plus her dad’s traditionalism. Yes, it was quite perfect.

Soon they reached the door of the red barn. It was closed. She noticed there was still no sound, but that hardly bothered her as wave upon wave of excitement shot through her body, her mouth spreading into a wide grin. She couldn’t believe it. After all this time, she was finally going to have a proper wedding. She looked over at her husband to be. He was smiling at her, those eyes brimming with emotion. He motioned towards her, gesturing her to go in.

“Ladies first.” Rudy said.

Bobby Sue gave a giggle, bringing her hands against herself, the bouquet of flowers still clutched tightly in her hands. Giving her beloved one more big smile, she turned her head and she rushed towards the barn gleefully. Her heart swelled with excitement and she couldn’t help but let out a squee, her voice overflowing with happiness. Her mind flashing all kinds of wonderful images for a few seconds, she soon arrived at the door and she grabbed onto it. She took in a deep breath and, with a single pull, she yanked it open.

The smile on her face immediately dropped. The happiness she had felt was quickly replaced with horror. Her heart clenched tightly as her eyes slowly turned left and right at the scene before her.

Her family was here all right. But not the way she had expected. Their bodies laid all over the ground. Stabbed, suffocated, broken necks, burned, all of these were present on her relative’s massive, multi-headed, multi-limbed body. They were pushed up against a corner, a trail of blood leading up to them. Her big brother had been beheaded and was laying down in a pile of what she guessed was his own throw up, as if he had been poisoned right before. The chicken had been fried up and feathers pulled off.

This sight alone was enough to make her gag, but that wasn’t even getting into her parents. In the middle of the room, underneath the banner that said ‘Congratulations Rudy and Bobby Sue’, her parents laid in a pool of their own blood, their intestines having been ripped out and laid on the ground. To her horror, she saw that someone had moved them, forming a few heart shapes. Mocking heart shapes that taunted her. This, combined with her parents’ wide, unseeing eyes looking in her direction, their mouths hanging open, was enough to make her lose her lunch. She dropped down on her knees and she let it all out.

Her wretching soon transformed into sobbing. Her body shook as tears fell from her cheeks. She forced herself to look up at her murdered family. She looked at their expressions of shock and pain and horror. She sniffled and took in a shaky breath. Who... Who could have done this to her family...?

“Bobby Sue...”

The girl turned around and she could see Rudy standing there, his arms folded behind his back. Without thinking, she rushed over towards him and latched onto him. She cried against his shoulder, seeing his comfort and reassurance.

“O-Oh Rudy.. I-I-It’s horrible!” Bobby Sue cried. “L-Look at what happened to my f-f-family...!”

“Oh don’t worry, Bobby Sue.” Rudy said as he gently patted her on the back. “You will see them again soon enough.”

Bobby Sue’s eyes widened at this. She moved herself a little away from Rudy as she stared into his eyes. She could see that all warmth from them was gone, and his mouth was ticked into a sickened smile. The look of his eyes, filled with so much cruel intent. Bobby felt her heart clench as she took a few steps away, watching as Rudy slowly shut the door.

“R-R-Rudy..?” She whimpered. “Wh-What are you...?”

“Oh Bobby Sue.... You really should learn to think before you go off trusting people so easily.” Rudy took a few steps towards her. She felt her blood run cold at his tone of voice. “You never knew me that long. If you did, you could have easily avoided this.”

Bobby Sue shook her head in denial. No... No, this couldn’t be right. Rudy was a kind, sweet, gentle boy. That’s what her creator had told her through her creation process. Rudy had helped her. Rudy had helped ChalkZone if she remembered right. This... This wasn’t how Rudy woudl really act. This... This had to be some kind of mistake.

Rudy was getting closer to her. She cringed away from him, her legs trembling in fear. She looked left and right. There had to be some way to get out of here. She soon saw a window that wasn’t too far away. Yes, that just might do. She took one last look at Rudy before she made a dash towards the window, her feet carrying her as fast as they could. In a few seconds, she would be able to get the window, climb out, and...

Suddenly a pair of hands grabbed onto her. She let out a grunt as she was pulled back. Her feet slipped out from underneath her. She let out a yelp of pain as one of her legs bent a little awkwardly. She had little time to correct it as she was suddenly yanked roughly to her feet. She let out a few heavy pants and she looked left and right at her captors.

“Penny...? Snap...?” She whispered under her breath. She watched as they both smiled at her. Snap’s was wide and eager, while Penny’s was more relaxed, but still disturbing. She couldn’t believe it. These...these two were in on this...?

She looked back at Rudy, watching as he came towards her. She knew without a doubt that this was Rudy. He did not have the look of a zoner. But at the same time, she found it so hard to believe. This...this was nothing like how she imagined Rudy would be like. Had she really been in love with such a...a..monster..? The very thought of it made her feel nauseous. Unable to handle the waves of emotion tearing through her chest, of the death of her family to the discovery of Rudy’s true colors, she lowered her head and began to cry.

“Now now, no need for tears, Bobby Sue.” Rudy sneered as he reached over and cupped her chin. He forced her to look at him. “We are going to have a lot of fun with you.” He nodded towards his friends. “Aren’t we?” Penny and Snap both gave a smirk.

Bobby Sue struggled to get herself free. “Y-You will pay for this! You monsters! You will pay for what you did to my family!” Her voice was shaky, shrill, and filled with pain. Rapid tears pooled out of her eyes. “You hear me?! I’ll make you all suffer!”

“On the contrary...” Penny said.

“It is you who will be on the receiving end.” Snap finished.

Bobby Sue let out a grunt as the two shoved her into the ground on her stomach. She grunted as she felt Penny and Snap grab onto one of her legs. Her eyes bulged and she let out a scream, or at least she would have if Rudy hadn’t covered her mouth with his hand. Burning hot pain spread through her leg as she felt it break. She let out a loud, mufflfed shrill, her vision blurring and becoming distorted with tears. She lowered her head as her screams faded into whimpers. Rudy soon pulled his hand away, allowing her loud sobs to fill the air.

She looked up at Rudy, staring at him pleadingly. Her mind ran with many thoughts. She couldn’t believe that this was the person that she had loved, the one that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

What a joke...

What a cruel, sick joke...

“Okay, Bobby Sue...”

She looked up as she saw Rudy kneel down in front of her, his mouth ticked into a sadistic grin. He tightly gripped her jaw, pressing his fingers against the skin. She winced at this. She could then feel Penny and Snap hold her arms down, securing her in place for him. Her eyes widened as she saw Rudy lift up a long, serrated knife. Stained with her family’s blood...

“You have such a pretty face, Bobby Sue...” Rudy cooed softly.

She shuddered at this comment. It would have been so comforting and beautiful before, but considering the circumstances, all it did was bring her dread and horror. She didn’t like the way he was looking at her, and that knife... She already had a good idea of what he was going to do with it.

“But it needs some work...” Rudy tilted his head to one side as he reached over towards her face. He gently rubbed his knife-wielding hand against her face, careful to avoid hitting her with the knife. “I should really help you with that.”

Despite the agony in her legs, Bobby Sue was able to find her voice. “N-No thanks.. I-I’m good...”

Rudy tightened his grip, giving off a cold chuckle, intermixed with his friends’. “Oh, but I insist...” He smiled almost gleefully as he brought the knife down towards her face. “Now hold still.. I’m just going to start with your right eye...”

Bobby Sue’s screams of agony filled the barn.