Hide 'n Seek

Francis, or Fra as he preferred, grinned fiendishly towards the girl. Her cheeks lightly blushed but she took his outstretched hand. Eva never had a boy pursuit her before. Her mama always told her be weary of boys, especially the sweet ones. Boys "son como una enfermedad", she always said. Boys were like diseases. Eva tried her best to make her mama proud but this boy was different. He was Fra, the town's heart throb with the sweetest grin and brightest eyes. Only speaking to him once Eva was already infatuated with the boy. She made him wait a whole month to give herself a good name.

Who Fra was on the outside was much different from whom he was on the inside. He was five years to Eva's junior but he knew how to work the young girls in the town. Especially the virgins. They followed the quickest and listened the most to him. Oh how Fra loved the girls in the town. They always gave him what he wanted.

Eva followed Fra and he lead her away from the town. The warmth of his hand intwined with hers made butterflies in her stomach. They were a few feet from the marker where the town ended; before them was the vast forest that surrounded their small town. Eva stopped in her tracks. Fra tried to pull her but she stood her ground. There was stories of how dangerous the forest was. Wendigos lived inside and they always craved virgin flesh, or so the stories say.

"Where are we going, Fra?" Eva asked, her voice steadily shaking. Fra took her other hand and squeezed lightly. Eva's chin was lifted and her eyes met Fra's sweet, chocolate eyes.

Fra pressed his lips on her forehead. It made Eva want to swoon. "We are going to play a game, love," he whispered into her ear. Eva cocked her head to the side and burrowed her eyebrows.

"What kind of game?" Eva smiled, oblivious to Fra's true thoughts.

Fra leaned in closer. "A game of Hide 'n Seek. It will be fun. I have a perfect spot, love."

His breath on her cheek caused Eva to shutter. "Aren't we too old for such games?" she asked him.

Fra pulled her forward and started to run. "We are never to old for games my love!" he shouted in the wind. Eva had to really stretch out her legs to run at the same pace as Fra. She kept a tight grip on his arm so she couldn't lose him. There was excitement in her belly and the fears of the forest died away.

They reached the forest but Fra didn't stop. He continued in but made zig zags around the trees. Eva tried to look behind her but she couldn't see there they entered anymore. She bit her lip but allowed Fra to pull her along. What seemed like random, Fra stopped, announcing they were in his secret part of the woods. Eva didn't even notice the hidden box in the bush.

Eva searched the area but couldn't find anything that helped her pin point where she was. Her hand let go of Fra's and she clutched herself. Fra, very skilled in reading others, came to her and put his hand on the back of her head. Eva lightly gasped at the fact he pressed himself on her. If her mama saw such a thing he would be shamed from their house. Fra didn't do anything else but stare into her rich colored eyes.

"You didn't ask about the prize, love."

Fra did his trademark smile towards her. Eva melted into the tree behind her. The fire in her lower abdomen spiked but her mind kept saying no. Eva ignored the pleas and reached up and placed her hand on Fra's cheek. He nudged his head towards it and kept the smile.

"What would I get if I win?" Eva whispered. She didn't know what she should do. Her older sister always told her to play along with the boys.

Fra leaned in and lightly nibbled her ear lobe. The fire in Eva got stronger and she gasped. Her other arm shot out and she held on to him. Fra stopped with her lobe but he started to nibble her neck. "You get me," he said then abruptly stopped. Eva tensed up but with more kisses along the nape of her neck she was like melted butter. "You didn't ask what I get."

Eva gulped loudly, "what do you get if you win?"

"You." Fra licked his lips and his face returned for her to see it. Eva's eyes went wide and her heart pounded. It beat so loud she wondered if he could hear it. Trying to keep her cool Eva just smiled in return. Exactly what he wanted. Fra pushed himself away from the tree. He ran his fingers in his curly hair and pretended to scout the area.

"I'll start the game. I'll count to fifty and you have to hide. You may hide anywhere you want, love."

Eva's eyes flickered around her. She didn't want to go into the forest alone. Before she could speak up Fra planted his lips on hers. He knew how to win over all the girls. Eva tried to deepen the kiss, it was her first after all and she wanted to remember it well but Fra moved away. He knew she couldn't go far. After losing a girl before he made a trail so that any normal girl would follow it so he could find them quicker. Knowing Eva she would stick to the trail faithfully.

When Fra went to the tree to count Eva started to panic. The forest was dark with only spots of sunshine. She noticed a small clearing, almost like a trail. Eva knew it couldn't be a trail but she took it as a sign and ran. She wanted Fra to win the game because she didn't know what she would do if she won. Eva was so inexperienced, he might laugh at her.

The trail ended right next to a large bush. Eva took it as a stoke of luck and hid as best as she could. She didn't want to make it obvious she wanted him to win. Her heart continued to pound and Eva caught herself becoming excited over the thought of Fra. Her friends would be so envious of her kissing Fra. Eva tried not to squeal, even though she was more nervous than happy. Fra's counting echoed in the forest and in her ears.

Fra wasn't stupid, he was genius actually. He knew which girls he wanted and how to obtain each one. Eva was the hardest, took him a solid month to go anywhere with her alone. However Eva would be easy to find. She loved the color blue and her dress that day was even blue. The color against browns and blacks would be easy to spot. Even from the tree he could spot the little speckles of blue. Fra continued to count as he opened the hidden box.

A blanket; a large thick one too. He grabbed a small rag too and waited until the counting was done to walk. "Come out, come out, where you are, love," he sang into the forest. There was another trail he followed. Where that trail ended is where Eva was hiding. Another genius plan of Fra's. It made things easier. He called out once more and could hear the animals of the forest respond. There was one more response that wasn't so human or animal-like, but he ignored it. "I'm coming for you my love!" he sang again.

When the trail ended he could see the back of her head as she faced her own trail. She was quite a beautiful one, he really wanted her. But she wasn't his to keep. Even though he had slight feelings for the poor girl. Fra quietly set the blankets down. He had managed to keep quiet enough and he didn't want to ruin the surprise. Instead of laying out the blanket he unfolded it and took what was hidden inside. It was rope; yards of the stuff. With one hand holding the rope and the other outreaching to her he waited. There was no way she would be willing so he had to restrain her. When the moment appeared Fra leaped.

He cupped her mouth with one hand and managed to grab only one hand. "Found you," he whispered. Immediately Eva thrashed around; her free hand scratched three long marks down his arm. Fra cursed loudly and grabbed her other hand. It wasn't as easy as he thought it would be. Eva was so meek he never knew she would fight. She struggled so much he couldn't get the rope around her hands.

"If you scream I will kill you. Do you understand Eva?" Fra's tone changed and Eva couldn't recognize his voice anymore. Fearing the worst she nodded her head. Fra let go of her mouth and spun her around to tie up her hands. He did it very tight and she could already feel bruises forming. Eva was too scared to notice he was tying her hands in front of her. He made the knots very neat and wrapped carefully. He didn't want her to get loose after all. Tears ran down Eva's face as she immediately regretted letting him lure her to the forest. He was too good to be true.

Fra made a knot and stood up. He jerked the rope and Eva came flying up. He didn't even try to stop her, instead he took the end and started to wrap the rope on a tall branch. It caused her arms to go straight up in the air. He pulled a little more and she was barely touching the ground. Satisfied he continued to wrap the rope around the branch. Eva watched him, her tears became sobs but his face didn't even change.

"Please Fra; let me go," she pleaded. Fra finished and he harshly took her jaw in his hand. Eva noticed his face wasn't sweet looking anymore. Instinctively she clinched her legs together. Fra noticed and a grin appeared on his face. It glimmered a hint of the smile she knew, but it was still different.

"Why would I want to do that?" Fra asked mockingly.

Eva sobbed louder. "Please. Please don't rape me, Fra." Her voice trembled as she spoke. Fra paused and stared at her carefully. "Please don't." She begged again.

Little did Eva know that was never his intentions. He understood why she would believe that. He was a monster, but not an evil monster. "I won't touch you like that, I will promise that," Fra told her. He didn't add more, he would never do something like that. He didn't need to take sex, he could get it whenever he wanted anyway.

A little wave of relief came over Eva. That was soon shot down when the blanket was placed under her. Eva struggled but Fra didn't bother with her. He then took the rag, which was a violent red, and tied it to her hands. It was a offering; an beacon so They would know Eva was their's.

Fra planted another rough kiss on Eva's lips. He stuck his tongue inside her and made Eva taste him. Eva tried to scream but it was no use. "I'm going to miss that," he whispered to himself. Eva spit and she shouted an insult. Fra didn't look at her and just pushed her forward out of his way. When Eva realized she was going to be left in the forest alone she started to plead.

"Don't leave me, Fra. Please!" Eva screamed for him but Fra just walked away. A sly smile came across his face when he knew They would be attracted to her screams. He was yards away when her noise became louder and more hurried. "Fra! Please They are going to get me!" Eva continued her pleas until they just became screams of terror. Those screams of terror became screams of pain; then screams of agony.

Fra could faintly hear tears of flesh which meant his job was done. In the next few weeks he would have fun and not have to worry about anything. Then he would have to start another job. He planned going to another town this time to keep suspicions down. It was already very dangerous to pick a girl from his town. Eva was so beautiful and one of the only true virgins in the town that would satisfy Them which is why he chose her. He also chose her because she stood out to him. Fra was very tempted of keeping Eva for himself but he knew he couldn't do anything like that. The feeling for Eva would wash away in a day or two. They always did; instead he planned his next adventure. So Fra went back into town like nothing happened. The town couldn't even hear the screams, or know the fate of one of their daughters.



Francis Fee was wrong. Fra was the first one the town searched for when Eva didn't come home for supper. He had followed her so much and seen around her so much her mama knew he had to know something. The town's officials knocked on his door that very night. He was in bed with a beautiful plump woman who screamed when the door was kicked in. When asked how he got the scratches down his arm all Fra could say was, "tree branches". Eva's mama knew better. She knew her baby girl wouldn't just go missing.

"You did something to her!" Eva's mama shouted, her finger jabbing Fra in his bare chest. Eva's older sister came forward in the house and glared at Fra. She held the truth and the end of Fra.

Fra didn't look either of them in the eyes. He already knew he was caught. He knew everything was over. A memory had popped in his head about earlier that day, he remembered seeing Eva's sister watching them. He thought nothing of it, until now. When Eva's sister told the truth he was set in hand cuffs immediately.

The officer shoved Fra to the wall, his eyes sorrowful. "Where is Eva?" he demanded.

Fra looked up at him and gave his signature smile. "Dead," he replied. Eva's mother fainted and her older sister fell on the floor in sobs. The town knew, they just knew. The forest held creatures, creatures that would love Eva. Just a few minutes in the forest would kill her. Hours it was certain death.

The officer wiped his eyes. "Why would you do that?"

"The man with no head told me to," Fra simply replied.