Cannibal

Randy had me sit on the couch as he said goodbye to everyone. I didn't move a muscle until he returned. I jumped when the door closed, and grew very tense as there was a very long, drawn out silence.

"What's your actual name?" he asked, still remaining behind me. My eyes closed as my fears were closing in.

"I am Katie."

"I know for a fact Katie killed herself after Lucy was butchered." I heard his footsteps approach and he stood behind me. I knew he was glaring at me. I felt the heat of his eyes. I tried to remain composed, but I was shaking and terrified, almost to the point of tears. "I buried her body so they couldn't take it. She really loved her sister and Lucy promised her that she would never leave, but of course, it had to happen. They only had each other." His hands went on my shoulders, holding me still as if I had the courage to sprint away from him. I was frozen. "An emotional bond, something your people aren't capable of."

"My... my people?"

"The upper class. The rich, snobby bastards who think they are better than everyone else." He gave my shoulders a painful squeeze and let go walking around the couch and standing in front of me. I kept my gaze on his shoes, chewing my bottom lip as my hands played with the edge of my ruined dress. "But you're not better than me. You're not better than anyone."

"I never thought I was," I said so quietly, so weakly. I was surprised it came out of my mouth.

"So what's your excuse for being here in this part of town? Your parents didn't get you the car you wanted? They wouldn't let you fuck a guy from the middle class? You just thought you are so different and clever and brave to come and deal with us?"

"No. They sent me here."

"Who?"

"The church."

"Why would they do that?" he asked himself, but I decided I should answer for him. I don't want him to think I'm a bad person. He already has the wrong impression of me.

"Because I'm a heretic."

"You don't believe in God?" He kneeled in front of me, making me look in his eyes.

"No. I went against God's command and refuse to eat meat. It makes me sick."

"Oh, so you just didn't want to eat the meat because you want to be skinny and tall and beautiful like their damn, rich, snobby..."

"No. No that's not it," I snapped, tears falling from my eyes. I felt so weak, and dirty. I felt like I was going to pass out any moment, but my head hurt too much to allow me to rest. "It makes me sick because it's human. It's actual human meat and they think it's right but it's not right and I don't understand why they... think it's okay to eat the meat. I know they say it's because God had chosen them to be the ones to do so but it doesn't make any sense. How can you do that? They... they were throwing them in there alive!" He stared at me, emotionless as I was sobbing, shaking. "I... I saw the butcher house and they were... they were throwing them in the incinerator and the meat grinder and they weren't dead. They screamed and there was blood everywhere, and I swear I saw the devil in their eyes!"

"In the people's eyes?"

"The workers' eyes! They all enjoyed it!" I was trying to control my tears, but it was very difficult. After some time of me calming down, he patted my leg in a comforting way, but tightened almost painful.

"No one leaves the butcher house once they get through those gates. So, if you saw all this, how did you get out? Or did they let you out?" Randy was still very suspicious.

"The manager pulled me aside and he tried to rape me." I sniffed, and tried to wipe away the tears before I continued. "But I stabbed him with a letter opener. Oh god, I killed him. Shit, I killed someone."

"Then what?"

"I... I went out the window that was on the side and snuck out through a hole in the fence in the back. There weren't any guards there, and I ran as fast as I could away, and they're looking for me. I know they are. They saw him and they knew he dragged me back there, and now they're going to tell my father and he is going to try to keep it quiet which I imagine would be very easy..."

"Who's your father?" I looked at him then, and he looked hard and unrelenting. He looked like he was trying to dig secrets and experiences and words out of me when I was freely giving them to him.

"The mayor." His eyes widened and he stood up and stepped back a whole bunch until he ran his back into the wall.

"You're the mayor's daughter?" I nodded. "Why... What?" He just stared at me as I nodded and continued to do so, grinding thoughts in his head until he pointed at me and harshly spat at me to stay. I didn't dare to move an inch when he got back with rope. My eyes widened. "I thought I would just send you back to the butcher house or perhaps sell your body to get some cash for myself, but now that I know you're the mayor's daughter, it makes everything so much more different." He grabbed my arm and hauled me up, taking me through the house to a basement downstairs that was lacking a lot of furniture. It held some boxes, but other than that, it was a place only dust and spiders lived.

He let go of me and I stumbled as he pushed me to a corner.

"Please stop that! I'm not... I'm not going to stop you," I said, making him pause.

"Is this part of the plan?! Do you guys really think you can fool us?!" I shrank back from the volume in his voice and the menace in his eyes. "Do you take me for an idiot?! Well, honey, I have news for you. You are going to rot in here and when you die, I will send your body to the butcher. They're going to cut you into little pieces and feed you to your sick, bastard friends up the hill, and they won't ever know!"

I was stunned too much to do anything but let him roughly tie the rope around me to the point that it dug sharply into me. When he was done, I couldn't move from off the wall, staring at the cement corner.

"You disgust me," he had to snarl before he went back up the stairs and slammed the door. I could hear the lock click shut.

After crying some more and feeling probably the worst I have ever felt in my life, exhaustion took over and made me black out. At least I will die more peacefully.