The Butcher House

Chapter Two

The realization hit her like a ton of bricks, the tears she was holding back finally slipping past the rim of her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She took a quick glance back at the room, something she didn't see before coming into view. 

There was a body hanging upside down, their hands hanging lifelessly as drops of blood fell from the finger tips, the hooks in their feet slowly turning just enough for Jennifer to see the torso ripped completely open, giving her a complete view of the bones and muscle tissue. 

Luckily, the man with her pushed her into another room before she could get more of a look at the body. 

It reminded her of a zoo, all the animals standing in their small cages. Though, she was met with the greens, browns, and blues of nineteen pairs of eyes. 

Her green eyes would soon add to make twenty. 

Nineteen sickly and pale faces stared back at her as she look at each one as she was lead by them, her head moving from left to right in awe and disbelief. Some people were leaning against the metal bars of the cages, fighting to keep themselves upright and not fall onto the floor. She could see why, the smell of urine and feces making her gag once again. 

There was no bathrooms, the people in the cages just relieved themselves where they pleased. Jennifer was stopped in front of an empty cage, the man that lead her into the room stepping ahead of her to unlock the cage. 

His hand was still wrapped around her arm, Jennifer starting to struggle once she realized that he was going to put her in the cage. She yanked harshly, her shoulder protesting to the movement as she felt the all too familiar throbbing pain of a pulled muscle. 

"No!" she screamed, her cries echoing faintly in the room, "get your hands off me!"

"Get in there," the man growled, pulling her towards himself before he shoved her into the cage. Jennifer caught herself before she fell onto the floor, her shaking hands wrapping around the metal bar. She pulled herself against it, resting her cheek against it as she sobbed. 

She heard the cage lock, the sound of footfalls echoing loudly in her head. Tears leaked from her eyes, her arms shaking as she tried to get a hold of herself. But, the image of the body kept replaying in her head. 

In slow motion, she watched it play out for a few seconds over and over again in her head as she cried. That was her fate, she knew it. Saying the that thought to herself only made her cry harder. She felt her knees shake, wanting to drop to the floor but she knew better than that. 

"Hey, new girl," came a call from the cage next to her. Jennifer turned her head, her clouded vision making out a young boy about her age pressing himself against the bars as his hand reached out and pointed at her face. 

"Your nose."

With a shaking hand, Jennifer ran a hand across her nostrils, bloody snot staining her fingers. She sniffled, nodding her head at the boy as he watched her carefully. 

"You are in the last cage," he said, trying to make his voice as soothing as possible, "if it makes you feel any better, you will be the last one they take."

Jennifer's eyes locked onto his, a few tears falling from her eyes as she shook her head. "That doesn't make me feel any better."

"Well, I would tell you that everything will be alright," he pushed himself off the bars, "though, that would be a lie."

Jennifer turned her head away from him, her shoulders shaking as her feet started to throb. She wanted to lie down, to sleep and maybe wake up from this nightmare. She scooted her arms up higher on the bars and pulled herself up farther, trying to get into a remotely comfortable position.