As Red as Blood

2/2

The three-hour car ride consisted of chain smoking and loud music. I had to admit, my grandmother living up in the mountains away from civilization gave me the prettiest views. Pulling up on the dirt road, I drove up to the small dark cabin that had a small garden out front that was grey and full of death. I stopped giving a damn about taking care of the house for my grandmother years ago.

"Here we go," I sighed to myself, finishing my cigarette, "Another weekend of hell."

Sliding out of my pick up truck, I mentally prepared myself for the constant bitching my grandmother was going to do, complaining about my hair, my piercing, and constantly reminding me of how much of a worthless bitch I was.

As I was about to unload the back of the truck with my grandmother's meals and supplies, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that the front door was broken down. I stood for a brief moment, staring at the door with an eerie feeling, wondering if maybe she finally went senile, wandered off and I would be lucky enough to never have to see her again. Taking a big sigh, I quickly told myself I shouldn't get my hopes up so quick and cautiously approached the cabin. The most horrific, rotten smell filled my nose as I reached the door, gagging and pulling my black shirt over my nose as I heard a low growl and thumping from inside.

What the hell is going on? I thought to myself, taking a deep breath through my mouth and rushing through the front door.

I immediately dropped my shirt from my nose and stared in awe at what was before me, the only lighting in the cabin being the sun leaking through a small window. The cabin was trashed, tables and chairs had been turned over, broken nic-nacs were scattered across the floor and everything was out of place. My grandmother's frail body was in a sticky pool of dark scarlet blood, her body torn in half and her rotting intestines hung out of the bottom of the top half of her body with a butcher knife in her limp right hand. There was nothing but a jagged bloody stub where her left arm should have been, her foggy grey eyes were glassed over and stared off into nothing.

I began to approach the body and noticed slashes and jagged bite marks all over her. I immediately turned my attention to the crunching and growling coming over from the corner of the room, my eyes widening in fear as I witnessed the beast just a few feet away from me.

Nawing on my grandmother's left arm, it's frizzy black fur coated in blood, was a large creature with the head and body of a dog and legs and arms of a human. I stared in disbelief and fear, slowly backing away, only to slip in the blood and fall down straight on my back.

The beast whipped it's head around, it's beady orange eyes piercing through me and I froze in fear as it rose up from it's feeding. Blood dripping from its mouth, snarling and showing it's stained fangs to me.

"Oh," It began to approach me, "What a sexy little thing you are."

It can talk?! I thought to myself, a wave of panic rushing through me and I scurried up from the floor. My legs felt weak, and I stumbled and fell again to my knees. Splinters from the worn wooden floor stabbed through my skin, causing me to wince in pain and turned my head to look back.

"Come on sweetheart," The beast roughly chuckled, lightly wagging it's bushy tail, "We are going to have a good time."

"Fuck off," I spat at it, picking myself back up again only to be knocked down on my stomach by the beast. The sharp claws from its fingertips sunk into my back and it used the other hand to violently pull my head back with my hair, pulling a pained wail from my throat, which only made the beast cackle, swiftly flipping me over, the end of its snout was inches from my face.

"What's the matter? Don't like it rough?"

Struggling under its grip, I frantically began to look around, noticing a large glass shard by my side, I grabbed it and cut my own hand wide open as I stabbed the clawed hand. Howling in shock at the pain, the weight of the beast lightened and I broke free from it. Quickly taking a few paces back, I cocked my head and smiled, "What's the matter sweetheart? Don't like it rough?"

"You little bitch," It snarled in anger, "I normally like playing with my food, but I'm just going to rip you to shreds."

Lunging at me, I quickly rolled past it, grabbing the butcher knife from my grandmother's hand, no longer afraid and filled with survival instincts and rage.

"I don't know what you are," I stated as I stared into its orange eyes with confidence, "You killed my grandmother and I thank you for that, but I'm not going down."

Tilting its head in confusion from my statement, I ran at the beast with full force and slashed at its arm. Howling in pain again, it roughly smacked me away, staggering back, I saw the butcher knife stuck in its arm.

shit!

The beast picked me up by the neck with its oversized hand and slammed me into the wall, old photos crashed down to the floor. Tightening its grip around my throat, its claws lightly pierced my skin and I struggled, gasping for air. Choking, I wildly began swinging my fists into the beasts arm and snout. The beast's eyes seemed to gleam watching me struggle as it slowly licked my face.

"Disgusting...p-p-piece...of shit," I choked out, using all my strength to pull the butcher knife out of the beasts arm and forcing it down the top center of its skull. Blood splattered across my face and I fell to the floor as the beast fell back.

Quickly grabbing another glass shard, I forced it into the beast's throat, standing up with confidence and licking the blood off my lips as I stood over the beast that was now wheezing for air.

"You are right," I brushed my matted hair out of my eyes, "We are going to have a great fucking time."

Grunting as I pulled the butcher knife out of it's skull, blood gushed out. Seeing the portion of the beasts brain matter gave me a thrill I never felt before and the vile, rotten smell of death now didn't phase me but somehow felt comforting.

Sitting on top of the dying beast, I raised my arms up with the butcher knife and wildly began slashing at its neck. Blood oozed around us and continued to splatter on me as I lost control. I managed to behead the beast completely, its head slowly rolling a few inches away. Getting off of the lifeless body, I used the last bit of strength to roll it over and swiftly chopped off its bushy tail and shoved it in my back pocket... a souvenir to always remember this day.

"Hello?" I heard a deep voice call out, "Hello? Are you alright in there?"

Ignoring the call, I admired my work with a smile as a tall, buff man entered through the doorway, dressed in a dark camo outfit with a gun swung over his shoulder and he quickly froze in place.

"Oh my fucking god," He clasped his hand over his nose and mouth, staggering out of the cabin. Shrugging, I followed him outside, rolling my eyes as I saw him shaking and vomiting.

"What the hell happened?" he asked, collecting himself and looking over at me.

I carelessly shrugged.

"What the fuck was that thing in there?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," I replied looking back at the cabin.

"Are you...alright?" He asked, looking over my oozing wounds.

"Hurts like a bitch, but yeah... never better actually."

Giving me a wary look, he stepped back.

"I'm calling the police," he pulled out his cell phone, "Not sure what the hell I'm going to tell them..."

Walking over to my pick up truck, I fished out my cigarettes, placing the filter end in my mouth, I sparked the end of it and took some quick puffs to fully light it. Overhearing the hunter frantically calling for help, I slid down the side of my truck to sit down.

Taking my first drag, it finally hit me my grandmother was dead. The pain from the beatings and verbal abuse quickly washed over me as I recalled everything that happened to me in her care. Being starved, the cigarette burns on my skin, the name calling and the senseless beatings, it was all over now... I was officially free from her.

Taking another long drag of my cigarette, I smiled in relief to myself.

"Oh my, Grandma, what a beautiful corpse you make."