The Butcher House

Chapter One

Jennifer pressed her cheek against the dirty window of the bus as it rolled down the uneven road, trees passing by the windows as she watched. A field trip, something a student would usually be excited about, but it seemed rather pointless. You could do so many different trips for a science feild trip, but a trip to a farm? 

She would have rather read more of that confusing Shakespeare play in English, which she was missing at the moment, than go on this little trip. It wasn't even a full day, only until lunch. Jennifer wasn't sure if she should be relieved about that, spending a day wondering around a farm and listening to her teacher put a scientific spin on things didn't seem like something she wanted to do all day. 

She looked up as a farm rolled into view, her head lifting from the window to look at the new sight. It was large, the fields neatly kept in long rows. To think that if they had so much land that they would have a few animals walking around in the fields, a cow or two munching on the grass, or a few horses walking around in the morning sun. 

Yet, it was oddly bare. 

Jennifer sat up fully once the bus rolled to a stop a few minutes later, a rather old looking house coming into view. Two people stood outside the house, an older looking man that seemed to be old enough to be Jennifer's father, and a young woman standing beside him, a bright and beaming smile crossing her face. 

Yet...it seemed too fake. Jennifer frowned, standing once the members of her small class started to climb out of the bus, her stomach dropping to her feet as she stood. She hated farms, ever since that one experience with her cousins and their bull. It was horrifying enough to confine her to city life for the rest of her existence. She climbed down the steps of the bus, landing onto the hard ground. 

Her classmates started to walk up towards the farm, the teacher leading them like a small army of sleepy and less than enthusiastic soldiers. Jennifer folded her hands behind her back, walking up towards the farm, walking a bit farther behind the group. She knew about how farms worked, thinking that once the tour started she would wonder off until she saw her class walking back towards the bus. It would save her the lecture and she could take a look around on her own. 

Not that she really wanted to. 

She waited until the woman took her class towards the back of the house, Jennifer watching as the man stepped into the house before she took off towards the field. Sticking her hands in her pockets, she thought of her friends sitting in their classes at the moment, probably bored out of their skulls. She decided that it could have been worse, really. 

She looked down at her feet as she walked, kicking a bit of dirt up with each step. Her already worn down runners starting to get a more ratty appearance to them the farther she walked. She paused when a smell hit her nose, making her gag slightly. 

It was foul, something completely disgusting hanging in the air as she walked father towards the field. Slowly, a metal building came into view. It was far off from the rest of the farm, Jennifer placing a hand on her uneasy stomach. The smell was bad enough on the outside, how much more worse could it be inside. 

The building looked hot, the sun shining down on the metal and reflecting brightly off of it. Jennifer studied the building for a few moments, about to turn away and head to another part of the farm when she saw the door open. 

Her heart beat harshly in her chest, not wanting to get caught she pushed herself up against a hay stack and watched curiously as someone was struggling to get whatever animal out of the metal building. 

Though, it wasn't an animal at all. 

Jennifer's eyes widened as she saw the man pull a person out from the barn, yanking him harshly out of the building and into the field. The man that stepped out of the building looked frail and skinny, barely able to keep himself up.