View for meat

Chapter 1

The butcher raised his knife. The chicken lay on the wooden slab, conscious, eyes swivelling with fear.

Its kicking feat were tied cruelly with ropes. Its head was twisted uncomfortably so that the neck was pressed flat against the slab. The chicken was squawking with agony. The butcher brought his knife down.

The neck snapped in two. The head rolled onto the floor, into a pool of blood. Several people screamed in terror.

Palmer and Dorothy clutched each other's arms, not wanting to believe what had happened before their eyes. Slowly, the butcher sliced of the wings, legs. Dorothy flinched at each thud of the knife hitting the wooden surface.

The knife was brought down one more time to make a big slit, revealing the inside of the chicken. The body was shook numerous times, until the intestines and liver and kidneys fell out.

This time, the whole body of people shrieked, horrified. Blood poured onto the floor, like a red river flowing into the Red Sea. The ground was soaked with blood.

Then a cow was butchered, the same way, except that the neck snapped halfway after the knife was brought down once. The cow mooed for the pain, a low, blood-chilling sound which made the insides of Palmer turn to stone. Cursing, the butcher chopped again and again, the dull thuds of the knife hitting the slab echoing in the air.

Palmer was paralysed with shock. He felt Dorothy's hand squeeze his.

"What about our daughter?" Dorothy whispered, automatically covering her bump protectively. Palmer tensed up. What about her?