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Just like none of that helped them, it wouldn’t help him now. And I think he knew that. That was why he tried to pretend to be tough until the very end.
But I had plans for Lenny, and they didn’t include his death. Not right away. I didn’t toy with him like I did the others. I had no time for that. His death was already going to take the longest, so I needed to get to it.
“I hope this is the most painful experience you ever have.”
Lenny cut his eyes toward me. “We should have killed you when we had the chance.”
“Yeah, you should have.”
I made the first cut. There was something about the way a scalpel glides through skin. It’s a little tough at first like trying to zip up an old jacket. There’s a little resistance but then it disappears and its smooth sailing. That’s how it felt to skin a man.
I peeled the skin from his arm first. Thin little strips of flesh littered the ground around my feet. His eyes watered but he didn’t scream. Instead, he took deep breaths and tried to steady himself. But I knew it wouldn’t last long.
My hands were slippery with blood and flecks of flesh, but I didn’t stop. I removed the skin from his arms and his chest and stomach.
Tears streamed down his cheeks as his breaths became shallow.
“Well, Lenny, that’s enough for right now.” I let out a deep breath. “I’ll peel your legs tomorrow and then get someone to turn you over so I can get your back.”
“Kill me,” he whispered, the words shaky.
“I will. Eventually.”
I opened the door and closed it behind me. Only then did he scream.
“Do I want to see what’s in there?” asked Nate.
I shook my head. “He’s not dead. Not yet. I’ll have to come back tomorrow.”
“Alright. Let me know when.”
The next night, I finished what I started. Lenny was so quiet when I walked in the room, I had to check to make sure he was still breathing.
“Good!” I said, smiling as if that was the best news I’d heard all day. “You’re still alive, Lenny! Shall we begin? It’s time to finish what we started.”
He said nothing, but the fear in his eyes spoke volumes. He looked up at the ceiling, tears welling up in his eyes, knowing what was coming. I started with his right leg, and then his left. I called for Nate, who brought two big guys into the room to flip him over. I peeled every inch of skin from his body. Tried my best to do it as slowly and steadily as possible so he wouldn’t go into shock.
His breathing was shallow, and it looked like it hurt him to do so. A smile tugged at my lips. Good. I wanted him to suffer. I wanted this to be the most painful thing he had ever experienced. He was silent. Perfectly still except for the slight rise and fall of his chest.
I dropped the scalpel on the floor and wiped my hands, slick with blood, on my black jeans before I opened the door. I made my way to the front to tell Nate the next steps.
“Addie.”
I stopped. Eli was walking toward me.
“What are you doing here?”
He wrapped his arms around me.
“I’m all bloody.”
“Little Red,” he whispered. “Your dad died an hour ago.”
I heard the scream that erupted from my throat and yet I didn’t…I thought it was coming from Lenny in the room. But it sounded too close. Too—I slumped against Eli and our bodies crumpled to the ground. He held me tightly and rocked me back and forth while whispering that I was going to be okay.
But that was a lie. My mother was gone and now my father. I should have stayed with him. I should have been there to take care of him. To say goodbye. He died alone. He died without me. Instead, I was here, taking out my revenge.
“He wasn’t alone, Little Red,” Eli whispered. “Joe and Martha were there.”
