Part 3

11/1/24

            “Hi there, Doll. Time to come out and play!” Vince's gravelly voice ruined by years of tobacco called out to her. She shivered and pulled the blanket up tighter around herself. Something seemed off with them. Ben was nervously glancing at Travis and Vince. Vince seemed gruffer and hairier than the last time she remembered. He always looked like he was 2 weeks overdue for a shower, but this was different. His demeanor changed, he seemed bigger, stronger. 

            Vince walked over to the beat-up sofa against the wall and sat down, arm draped over the back, legs kicked up on the coffee table. His boots left a trail of dirt from the door. 

            “Ya know, the world sure has changed since the last time I saw ya, Doll. We got magic now.” He sneered at her with greed evident in his eyes. She noticed his teeth looked sharper than before. “Now I'm curious. Have you got anything new you need to tell us?”

            April has heard of magic before, it was what the fairy godmother used for Cinderella in one of her books. She loved imagining she was Cinderella, escaping like she did from her evil stepsisters. She always hoped her Prince Charming would come and save her. April had a gut feeling, whatever Vince was talking about, was not going to have a happy ending. 

            “No, I don't think so. I know the power went out early this morning,” she squeaked out. She watched them warily but was too scared to leave the safety of her bed. Travis was leaning against the counter she uses to prepare food, flicking his lighter. Ben seemed like he was cowering in the shadows by the door.

            ‘That makes sense. It's connected to the house. The whole world lost power. Anything that uses electricity just won't work, like one of those EMP things. Heard my neighbor talking about it before he died.” Vince laughed at this like the concept of death was comedic. Travis chuckled as well. “The man just would not give up his gun. Really it was his fault I was forced to get… physical.” His pause for emphasis only added more fear for April. 

           “He shoulda just listened to you! That old man had it coming.” April could see the joy in Travis's eyes clear across the room. He worshiped anything Vince did, a true secondhand man. He never particularly liked touching her, but he thrived when he was inflicting pain. Vince glared at Travis but continued.

            “I ripped his throat out with my very own teeth. Seems like overnight, they grew just a bit longer. My senses are changing as well. I can smell you all the way from over here, Doll, and boy, do you smell delicious. After this little chat, I think we need to play.” The greed came back to his eyes as he slowly looked over her.

            For the first time April noticed the blood that was splattered on Vince's shirt. She pushed back against the wall, scared that if he did that to someone just to get a gun, what would he do to her. Her heart raced even faster. 

            “Seems like I am becoming kinda like a wolf. Dunno what did it but it sure is making me bloodthirsty. Travis over there, you know how he likes fire.” He glanced at April's scarred foot sticking out from under the blanket. “He can control it now. It'll make things much easier when it's his turn to play.” Travis took that moment to walk a little closer to April, sitting backwards in one of her kitchen table chairs.  He still had the lighter, but the flame was no longer attached. It was on the tip of his index finger, moving and growing longer like a snake. Until it was woven around all his fingers. Then it would make its way back through the air to the lighter in his other hand. It was mesmerizing watching the flame have a life of its own and it seems to climb back into the lighter. When it was gone, he would flick the lighter and do it again.

            “So, Doll. Do you have anything new you need to tell us?” Vince was no longer sitting relaxed on the couch. He was leaning forward like he might pounce on her at any moment. So many times, in April's long, horrible life, she had been so scared that she might die at his hands.  At that moment she felt like Vince would snap and kill her on the spot.

She doesn't have magic, she couldn't. Her life has been an absolute shit show since the beginning and she already knows she is going to die in some brutal way at the hands of these monsters. Luck has never been on her side. There's no way it would start now. 

          “No, I promise!” She could hardly get the words out. 

          “See now, I just don't believe you, Doll.  I know some people weren't as lucky as us.” He glanced around at the others, smirking “But I don't want to be caught off guard.” He stood up and took a step toward April. 

          “No, I swear. I don't know what you’re talking about. I haven't changed!” She jumped up and tried to get in the back corner behind her bed. There was nowhere else in the small room she could go, and she was acutely aware she couldn't hide. All she knew is that if he was bad before all this then she can't even imagine what he will do now. This man only cared about getting what he wanted, and he would do anything to do so. Breaking bones or inflicting torture meant nothing.            

          “Well let's see if we can test that.” He lunged 9 feet in a split second. He was by the table and the next he stood right in front of her in one blink of an eye. “My pretty little Doll. You'd let me know all your secrets, right?  You know I can get them out of you one way or another. I've always been good at opening you up. Now I've got all these new tricks up my sleeve. I’m dying to test them out on you.” April could've sworn she heard a low growl coming from deep in his chest. Looking into his dark eyes, she could clearly see the carnal greed, stirring deep within, his obsession with having her.