Malevolent: 2

191 4 5
                                    

The sick feeling that knotted in my guts seemed ever present and only worsened at what seemed like an insult to the victims who had passed. It was both procedure and Tex's desire to find what had taken a shine too. Closing my eyes as I fumbled about in the rucksacks, I grimaced and fought grudgingly against the need to vomit. Their meal was something I wanted to purge from both thought and body but already having known me well enough came with hurdles. The main one being that once they were done spilling the vile concoction down my throat they sealed my mouth with tape which circled around to the back of my head and unfortunately not my nose in the process. It made me tremble in both fury and bitterness, their cruelty knew no bounds and through the pain and revulsion, I tried to remain concentrated on the task at hand ignoring the discomfort to the best of my ability. Something which for sure was no easy feat.
"Anything yet?" Tex's voice questioned rummaging about in the trunk of the vehicle as I shook my head and continued tossing the piles of clothes on the back seats around me. It was disrespectful and naturally they didn't see it this way, another day and a new wardrobe and as much as I hated myself for taking part it was the lesser of evils. "Sweetheart?" Rolling my eyes impatiently I winced to raise a hand and gave the thumbs down. It was all you would expect: clothing, toothpaste, sanitary items but not the makeup that had intrigued him and I was quite grateful for it. I was done being a doll to be painted how he wished or worse when he wore it and felt the disgusting need to share by physical contact. Seeing my gesture this time, Tex gave a disheartened sigh and the first cause to feel some kind of happiness in being part of it. "What kind of long trip was she planning on going on?" It was clear that the family was going somewhere for a long enough stay to have several days worth of outfits and even toilet roll. Camping seemed the best bet and in all honestly I could say that I wouldn't have a desire to be wearing a lot if any makeup under the sweltering Texas heat. As it was, we had just been passing through. "Just pack up what there is."
Inhaling through my nose, I lifted my hand once again to point my thumb upwards this time before he could pester me further. Shoving bundles of clothing back into the rucksacks, I shifted backwards and lowered the soles of my boots to the floor heavily before stepping out of the small wagon. Grimacing behind the tape as I straightened up and felt something solid behind me, I turned on my heel and thrust the duffle bag at the blonde who just grinned as he stumbled back. "You know you wouldn't have your panties in such a bunch if you behaved." Raising an eyebrow at his amused tone, he grinned, "but nothing about you is easy, right?" Swallowing the bile taste in my mouth with difficulty as he winked, I resisted the urge to do anything that would warrant more punishment or pain. Another few tally-like marks from his belt was more than enough for one day. Folding my arms, I awaited the next instruction apprehensively. It would be nothing good or in any way comforting. Just going to bed and being left alone would be the most ideal but it was never that straightforward. Less so when he was picking up on signs that did not exist. He was a firm believer of the saying 'treat them mean, keep them keen.' "Let's see if Tink needs anything." Flinching at the impact against my buttocks, I gritted my teeth but took the first steps back towards the kitchen where Mama and Heather were still sitting at the well used table and laughing. The woman who was hooked was now silent, her face as white as a sheet and blood trickling from the corners of her mouth and where her ears once were. It was no secret that despite not having the full mobility to do such heinous acts they were still carried out. The flesh had been carved by Tinker who set the body parts down on a plate before taking to cleaning his hook with a dish rag.
"You look disappointed boy, not see what you were looking for?" Despite the act of malice that had just taken place, he seemed genuinely concerned by his brother's dejected facial expressions.
"Not this time but should see what they got stashed away, might be something useful. Looks like this nice lot were going on a fishing trip."
"Any material is workable with the right mindframe." The older of the two said simply leaning back on the counter and drumming the fingers of his one hand thoughtfully. "You think you can see to Grandpa, I've got a job for our little lady here. Can make yourself useful and maybe earn a little trust." I couldn't help but eye him suspiciously as he kept his brown eyes on me, "you know how to syphon gas?"
"You don't even want to get me started on her sucking skills." Tex snickered wickedly as Mama pressed against her voice box to chime in louder than before. The disgust rippled through me along with anger as I did my best to ignore the amusement at my expense. Tinker didn't join in and awaited an answer patiently before I finally nodded. If it got me away from the worst of them and feeding a decaying and festering corpse blood, I was willing.
"Oh, looks like we know who wore the pants in that relationship." Mama sniggered. Heather giggled at the joke. "Explains why he cried so much, he wore the skirt."
"Not too sure about that" Tex disagreed, beaming at me as rage shook my body. Dumping the bags onto the kitchen table, Heather immediately kneeled on her seat and started rummaging like it was Santa's sack of presents. Tex placed his hands on his hips, fingers in the loopholes of his jeans and looked quite gleeful.
"Oh?" Mama pressed curiously, her eyes glinting under the light of the bulb as she kept her focus on me rather than her sons trying to stick the knife in for her own amusement. "what about him made him a man?" It was repulsive how much enjoyment they got from tormenting but now the elderly woman was out for the count, her husband gone and her children now shared between Alfredo and Junior like some kind of bounty, they needed to get their kicks from somewhere. It wasn't enough that they had drained Joel and ultimately been the cause of his demise but to mock him also...I clenched my fists and tried to keep it contained. They wouldn't care, they were poking about on a sore subject that haunted me daily and looking for a reaction so they had an excuse to cause pain. 
"I saw what he had to offer, he wasn't all woman." Giving a low whistle to emphasise his point, Mama bowed over in her wheelchair, Tink now joining in with the melody in deep small bursts of laughter. "What he had packing makes up for the rest by a damn country mile."
"Easy to see what got your attention then missy." My cheeks burned against the tape at Tinker's mocking statement and more so when his hook clapped against my shoulder the cold metal being almost soothing against my heating temperature as I saw red.  "Didn't seem like he had a whole lot else going for him."
"Ain't that the truth." Tex replied with a casual shrug, his head tilting to grin at me knowing he was getting under my skin. "So was either that or his money but something tells me that our little Honey had her own bank account."
"Bank of daddy I'm guessing." Lifting my head I tried to block it out, to be ignorant to the amusement that surrounded me so loudly. Against the tape I struggled to contain my breathing as it caught and captured. My thoughts went to Joel, to the kind person he was to the considerate person he had always been. Always loyal, always well meaning and passionate but even behind my eyelids all I saw was him laying in the bath, the colour of paper, scarlet bottles surrounding him, draining him...
"Wasn't a fighter, wasn't much of a talker and sure as hell wasn't the best looking so all about what he had in his drawers." Tink listed idly, "must have been impressive."
"Until Alfredo cut it off." I flinched, the ripple running up my spine and for a moment my legs buckled before the hook that was on my shoulders pulled me back by the waist and against the counter. "Used it to clog up some whore that was screaming away so guess in a way, he was cheating on you." Pointing a painted nail at me and trying his best to look sympathetic I kept my trembling palms against the marble counter. The thought of just how much they would defile the dead struck a nerve and an image that I could not erase and unable to hold it back I felt the hot beads of tears trickling down my face.
"I bet you'd have some pretty mean things to say about that sister so for now, let's keep that on." Gesturing at the duct tape, Tink gave a small nudge and indicated towards the door. Without question I marched out being sure to shove past Tex who seemed smug of what he had caused. "You can cry about it in the truck."
"You know what to plug her up with if she won't shut up."

Malevolent (Tex Sawyer)Where stories live. Discover now