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How in the hell is that possible? Serial killers usually have one victimology, and while he had no style or preferences when it came to victims, his main agenda was killing them. He never raped anyone.
Is there a limit to his cruelty?
“We’ve had so many little girls over the years here, haven’t we, Grayson?”
“Yes. You enjoyed them all.” He sounds bored answering that, indicating he gets no high from reminiscing about their past, which points to one thing. He wasn’t the one hurting the girls. How many girls did they kidnap? “None of them were perfect, though. Not like Gloria.”
“Yes. She was our princess.” John goes to a nearby table, grabbing a picture from it and throwing it on the floor as I see a beautiful girl smiling into the camera while she plays on the swing. “The minute my eyes landed on her, I knew she was the one. Grayson told me so in a second.”
“We picked them up on the playground. An endless number to choose from.” I can’t stop from gagging at this information and just imagining their activities. Two predators ready to pounce on children hiding their true self underneath the mask of perfect citizens.
“You’re sick,” I whisper, barely stopping myself from barfing on the floor while I find the strength to shift a bit once again, moving closer toward the object. “Sick.”
“Yet my sickness is what brought you into this world.” Our gazes clash. “You were created in this barn.” He swirls a finger in the air. “I still remember how she cried when she found out about the pregnancy. The devastation on her face rivaled our joy.” What in the hell is he talking about? I’d seen all the pictures from my childhood, and Mom seemed happy in all of them.
Grayson must read the confusion on my face because he elaborates, and his words serve akin to a metallic whip hitting me hard, “Gloria was your biological mother, Isla.” For a second, I stop even breathing, refusing to process this information because it’s sad, and…and it takes away one more parent from me because my mother was a liar too.
My whole childhood was just an illusion of their creation, an illusion that drove me to avenge them when, in truth, none of them deserved it.
None sans the girl on the picture.
I’m listening to their explanation as if in a trance, their voices coming from far away as I stare into the distance, breathing heavily.
I’m a product of rape and, worse…I grew up loving my mother’s rapist and called him Dad.
“She was the epitome of perfection. I enjoyed her till she was fifteen.” He winces. “The minute she started growing up, though, I hated her. My interest decreased. Gloria was special, but it was inevitable.”
“Is this how you killed her? She gave birth to me, and you decided you no longer needed her?” I hear myself asking, hating to engage in any conversation with them, but at the same time needing to know something about this girl whose life got ruined.
“No. It was our agreement with Grayson.” He pats Grayson on the back again. “I get her childhood, and he gets her adulthood. You see, Grayson loves a struggle, but he prefers grown women.” In other words, he prefers to rape women. Fucking sick bastards. “That’s why there was never a competition between us.”
“John had a perfect plan. He’ll keep the baby as his because Suzanne wanted a child desperately, and we’d keep Gloria, getting her pregnant again. A new child to sample.” He laughs. “Our own little fabric of pretty little girls.” My God, how delusional and monstrous do you have to be to come up with something so hideous? “However, the little bitch had different plans. She ran away when I let down my guard, but luckily”—he motions with his head—“John was around these parts and caught her. Sadly, Suzanne was with him. So the only thing he could do was convince her to take one of the babies and raise it as their own.”
Everything inside me freezes. “One of the babies?”
“Yes. Gloria was pregnant with fraternal twins. I allowed her to keep the boy because we have no use for boys. I hoped the baby would die, but that little fucker was a tough cookie.” Oh my God. I have a twin brother out there? “Gloria managed to escape us and ran away to another state, but at this point we didn’t give a shit. Because you were our definition of perfect.”
Grayson nods. “We knew you’d grow up looking just like her, so why would we chase Gloria? It wasn’t as interesting anymore. Better to raise a girl who loves us as her own and then give her a different kind of attention.” These men deserve only death. “Suzanne couldn’t let it go and had to meet Gloria by accident.” His cold laughter echoes through the space. “She signed that girl’s warrant.”
“We tracked her down and had to kill her. She begged us to spare the boy, but oh well. We didn’t need a witness-slash-evidence of our crimes.”
All this turns me numb. I think I’ve reached my capacity to experience any emotions in the moment for how devastating this is.
“What do you want from me?” I repeat, stalling for time and shifting once again, coming closer to the glass while concentrating only on survival. Otherwise, all this will break me.
“I have to pay a debt to Grayson.” He kicks my feet, and a hiss escapes me. “He never got to fuck Gloria, and you’re the spitting image of her. So he’ll fuck you, and you’ll be his little toy.” A man who watched me grow up? A man who supposedly protected me? They are not even human at this point! “And once you both have a child, I’ll enjoy it. I can wait. After Gloria, it was so hard to find anyone suitable, so I sustained my cravings with mass murders. They gave me almost the same pleasure.” Oh, so that’s why he started killing people. “That’s why we kept you alive. Like I said, you haven’t served your purpose.”
These men are demonic and insane if they think I will comply with their plans. “So, get up.” I have barely enough time to react before he drags me up, standing straight, and the sadistic grin is back on his face. “Now, darling. We don’t have time to waste.” He cups my cheek, and I jerk away, only to bite back a painful groan when he delivers another slap, not appreciating my behavior. “Now you go in the field and run. Just like your mother used to.” I want to punch him for how eager he sounds while assessing my surroundings once again. “We’ll give you a head start.” He looks at Grayson. “How many minutes do you think we should give her?”
“Maybe five minutes. We gave Gloria ten, but she was just ten, so her tiny feet needed more work.” My poor, poor mother who deserved better than the nightmare this life has granted her. However, I don’t allow myself to think about it much. Right now, nothing matters but my survival.
Because my survival ensures their downfall.
“Five minutes it is.” He pushes me toward the door as I stumble, my hands still tied together. “Now there are some rules, Isla. You have to follow them.” I resist laughing in his face because fuck him and his rules. “The field leads to a forest, and there will be traps along the way. They might hurt you or not, but remember, you’re our prey, and half the fun is in the chase. The minute we catch you, it’s game over.” Our eyes meet again, and I wonder why someone like him is still alive. Couldn’t nature help out, and I don’t know, strike him with lightning? “And don’t hope, Isla. No one will find us here. It’s our secret place. Even Gloria’s powerful family couldn’t do it.” Powerful family? “Come on, Isla. Make Daddy proud.”
“Go to hell,” I tell him as Grayson picks up a gun and removes the safety, the click alerting all my instincts as John pushes me again until we finally get outside. Thunder booms in the air, the dark clouds covering the bright blue sky and threatening to pour rain. Mother Nature creates an even grimmer atmosphere.
“The time starts clicking in three, two, one, and go!” he exclaims giddily.
