Headless (3 page)

     Tyler squealed out in pain, as the headless figure severed the axe down into Tyler's abdomen. The young man's grip gave way, and he hung there by the blade of the axe. The headless figure pulled at the weapon, Tyler's body thudded against the bottom of the bridge, as the blade separated from him, and he screamed as he fell, already dying, into the darkness below.

     A splash echoed up into the bridge, as the headless figure stood there a moment, leaning over the hole. It turned towards the other side of the bridge, where the car was parked, seemingly thinking, before turning back in the direction it had come from. The headless figure patted its leg as it reached the entrance of the bridge, and off in the distance, from the same grave, the same mouth of hell this monster had dug itself from, the dirt exploded, as a black stallion with eyes glowing red, burst from the earth.

CHAPTER IV

     October 31
st
, Halloween.

     The classroom wasn't incredibly large. Perhaps enough to fit fifty students. Rows of seats were raised higher, and higher, as they regressed from the dry erase board. Many of the students were still half asleep, hungover, or simply disinterested, as the old man Doctor Pettigrew, droned on at the front of the class, pacing back and forth. A dark brown tweed jacket, thick glasses, green pants, and a bad comb over, the Professor was beyond the point of giving any fucks about his appearance.

     “And with today being Halloween, I thought this would be a fun topic of discussion. Fear. It is the key to horror in literature. It's the key to horror, in general. But it was always designed to evoke a certain response. In fact, early horror was not incredibly popular. My theory is that we as humans have an instinctual 'fight or flight' response. Up until civilization really started to form, it was the basis of our survival. But as the World developed, threats were pushed back. So something ultimately came up missing as we developed. This is what horror filled,” Pettigrew carried on.

     “But originally, horror was seen as silly, but this is because people were used to fight or flight. They were used to war, and their lives being at risk on a consistent, if not constant basis. Now can any of you tell me the two different types of horror that it's broadly separated into?”

     “Internal, and external,” Katerina spoke from the back of the room.

     A cute brunette, with her hair tied back in a ponytail, and relaxed fitting shirt and jeans on. She was rhythmically, but absent-mindedly tapping her pen on the desk, as she answered.

     “Internal is the darkness in yourself. The parts of us that aren't socially acceptable to show in public. External is the enemy at the border. People that don't look like you, or believe like you do. They're the monsters in the dark,” she added.

     “Exactly right – Katrina?” He nodded, impressed.

     “Katerina, and thank you,” She grinned, letting him know his error was acceptable.

     “What about the reality of horror, though? Most of you know the names. Bundy; Dahmer; Gacy. These were real men, real monsters and what they did were very real deplorable acts. But what about Dracula? The Wolf-Man? These characters we consider fantastical, where did the idea for them come from? Is there some truth in the legend? Many people would argue that it's possible,” Pettigrew carried on, as his students fought to stay conscious.

     Katerina's phone vibrates in her pocket. She looked around to see a couple of her classmates glaring at her. She raises her eyebrows, and they turn away, as she pulls the phone out, reading the message on the screen.

    
Meet me at the dorm, XoXJ.

    
Katerina types back,
Have to go to the store, first. Be there after.

    
Before she's even able to set her phone down, it buzzes again. People cough loudly, in return.
Fuck that! EMERGENCY! XoXJ.

     Katerina speeds along the sidewalk on her moped, a satchel hanging from her shoulder, and the wind whipping at her hair. She strategically veered around pedestrians, who barely acknowledged her as they walked along on their phones, or talking with one another. A young man came running out of a dorm's main entrance for a jog, as she drove by. She rocked to the side out of his path as he slid to a stop, and she fought to keep balance, avoiding a wipe out.

     “Watch where you're going, bitch!” He screamed after her.

     “Go find shorter shorts, fucker!” She yelled back, throwing up a middle finger over her shoulder.

     She glanced over her shoulder to see the thin man look down at his track shorts, before he shakes his head, jogging off in the other direction. Katerina laughs to herself as she faces back in the proper direction.

     “Kat!” A man yells as she drives past, speaking with a thin Middle-eastern accent.

     She brakes, recognizing the voice, coming to a stop. She turns to find Amir closing his car door, watching her. He's a handsome young man, with shoulder length hair, and a short beard. He's got a plain white dress shirt on and black slacks, a fairly clean look for the average college student. Amir walks towards her, lifting his full backpack over his shoulder.

     “What's going on?” She asks, putting the kick stand down.

     “Not much, just getting back from work. Where are you off to?” He inquires, leaning on the handle of her moped.

     “I just need to meet Jackie at the dorm, she said it's an Emergency,” Katerina sighs.

     “Shit, is she alright?” He lets go of the handle, raising his hand, sorry that he stopped her now.

     “No idea, I'm sure she's overreacting about something, but I need to get going,” she lifts the moped upright, and puts the kickstand up.

     Amir grinned. There were few people he had enjoyed spending time with as much as Katerina, since coming to the States. He had met her roommate a couple times, and while Jackie wasn't much like Kat, she wasn't terrible, either.

     “Call me later, let me know what you're doing? See if there's a party or anything going on?” He nods, stepping out of the way.

     “Will do bud!” She waves, driving off.

     Amir watches her. She was a gorgeous young woman, and it became harder every time he saw her to take his eyes away. He shook his head, clearing the thoughts away, and made his way into the dorm.

     Katerina pushes the door to her dorm room open, and steps in dropping the bag. She checks the schedule board put up on the wall, before strolling further into the living room area. She finds Jackie huddled over a bong, taking a long drag. A lovely young woman, with multi-colored hair, a beanie, and baggy clothes. She wears far too many rings, and rocks a few facial piercings.

     “What up, bitch?” Jackie asks, exhaling a billow of smoke.

     “Nothing, what was the big emergency?” Katerina wonders, climbing over the back of the couch, and plopping down next to her friend.

     “Emergency? I don't know what you're talking about,” Jackie takes another bong hit.

     “You sent me a fucking text in class saying there was an emergency,” Katerina answers, holding up her phone and showing her friend the texts.

     “I... don’t remember this. Are you sure that's the right Jackie? Am I Jackie?” The highly stoned girl inquires, staring into nothing.

     “Damn it, I sped all the way back here. What did you need?” Katerina's frustration showing.

     “Um,” Jackie starts, “Oh yeah! Caleb and the gang are going upstate for a party tonight, they invited us to go. Want to go? Please say we can go,” Jackie implores.

     “I really, really don't want too,” Katerina retorts.

     “Why not!?” Jackie whines.

     “Because he hangs out with Danny, and Danny's always trying to have sex with me, and it's disgusting,” Katerina says matter-of-factly.

     “So? Fuck him. He's not a bad looking dude,” Jackie puts out there.

     She extends the bong to Katerina, who waves it off.

     “I'd rather fuck a horse,” Katerina groans.

     “That can be arranged, too. Dougie is driving us. Liza said it's like knee length. Get on it, if it'll fit,” Jackie laughs, as she falls back on the couch, staring at her friend through red eyes.

     “I think I'm going to invite Amir,” Katerina admits.

     “The nerdy Muslim dick? You're going with the nerdy Muslim dick?” Jackie raises an eyebrow.

     “When did you become such a racist?” Katerina looks at her friend in shock.

     “I don't have a problem with the dude, just doesn't strike me as your type,” Jackie notes to her friend.

     “I didn't say I was going to have sex with him. Just get to know the guy,” Kat adds.

     “What's the point of keeping a guy around if you're not going to have sex with him. Wait, is Amir rich?” Jackie sits upright, suddenly curious.

     “I don't know,” Kat admits.

     Jackie slumps back.

     “Yeah, what's the point of keeping him around, then?” Jackie reiterates.

     “Because I like talking to him, he's smart, and interested in some of the same stuff I am,” Kat acknowledges.

     Jackie feigns a yawn, as she gets to her feet walking to the TV and turning her game system on and climbing back over the coffee table to the couch, sitting cross-legged on it. She sits there, zoned out towards the combat game in front of her.

     “Anyone else going?” Kat asks.

     “Sam and her girlfriend. I forget her name, Tammy? Tonya? Tarisha? Fuck if I know,” Jackie's eyes don't leave the TV screen.

     “I still can't believe Sam is a lesbian, she fucked half the football team at Lincoln,” Kat shakes her head, reaching for the bong.

     She takes a shoe box from under the coffee table and opens it, taking a bag of weed out, and tearing some up.

     “Yeah, me either. Confusing times, I suppose,” Jackie shrugs.

     “True story,” Katerina nods, packing the bong and taking a drag off it. “Anyone else going?” She continued.

     “Not that I know of,” Jackie shook her head.

     “How the hell are we going to fit all these people in someone's car?” Katerina asks, exhaling the smoke.

     “Dougie is borrowing his brother's work van. Got two seats, and the rest can ride in the back, at least that's what Caleb said,” Jackie responds.

     She gets a shocked look on her face, before pausing the game and throwing the controller towards the T.V.

     “Fuck this game!” she hisses.

     “What time are we leaving, then?” Kat asks, before chuckling at her friend's anger towards the game.

     “I don't know, like five I think? Let me get a hit,” Jackie nods towards the bong, and takes it as her friend passes it over.

     “Cool, I'm going to go call Amir then pass out for a bit, before I take a shower,” Katerina notes, getting to her feet and heading off towards her room.

     “Night, night,” Jackie waves, before taking a long drag off the bong.

CHAPTER V

     Amir pushes the door open, entering his dorm room. He locks the door behind him, and stretches, yawning.

     “Yo, that you, man?” A male voice yells from another room.

     “Yeah,” Amir answers.

     He takes note of the pigsty that is the dorm room he shares with his best friend, Harold. Clothes, paperwork, empty beer cans, and drug paraphernalia litter the living area. There was a dent smashed in where someone's head most likely hit the wall near the fifteen-dollar card table they used as a dining room set.

     As he made his way towards his room, it was clear that he was much cleaner than whomever he shared the space with. His room was neat, clean, and well-kept. After closing the door, and changing clothes into a shirt and shorts, he sat down at the computer to catch up on his social media perusing. Then came a knock at the door.

     “Bro, why didn't you come say 'sup,” Harold asked, pushing the door open.

     Harold was a rail thin pale guy, with loose hanging clothing, a scraggly goatee, and shaggy hair that hung down past his eyes. The stains on his clothes showed that he was either still wearing clothes from the gym this morning, or he simply wasn't a very clean person. He seemed blissfully unaware of this, though, as he strolled to the bed, flopping down on it.

     “Last time I walked in your room you were jerking it to grandma porn,” Amir noted.

     “Hey, I know for a fact you have different tastes, too!”

     “Oh yeah, like what?” Amir turns from his computer, to look at his friend.

     “Um, she-males?”

     “That was yours.”

     “Oh yeah. Little people?”

     “Also yours,” Amir notes, looking back to his computer.

     “Grandmas?”

     “We just talked about that. Yours too.”

     Harold laughs, shrugging and sitting up. He jumps to his feet and walks to Amir, looking over his shoulder.

     “Who are you talking too?” The disheveled Harold inquires.

     “No one, researching a paper I've got to write,” Amir waves his friend back, feeling him in his personal space.

     “What are we up to tonight?”

     “I'm working on this paper.”

     “Fuck that, it's Halloween. It's College. There are going to be hundreds, nay thousands of hot women out there scantily clad. Sexy devils; sexy cats; sexy bunnies. Know what the common denominator is? Sexy. I'm shocked you're not excited about this,” Harold continues.

     “I'm shocked you know a five-syllable word like denominator,” Amir concedes.

     “I was watching the Learning Channel earlier.”

     “Far better than going to class, right?”

     “That's what I said, too!” Harold agrees, smacking Amir on the shoulder. “Dude, what are we doing tonight?”

     And on cue, Amir's phone rings. He takes it from his pocket, and answers it.

     “Yeah? Hey! Yeah, I can talk...”

     “Who is it? Hey. Who is it? Do I know them? Hey!” Harold whispers, waving his hands and trying to get Amir's attention.

     “Let me go outside, hang on,” Amir answers into the phone, holding a finger up to Harold.

     “Dude! Who is it? Tell them I said hey!”

     Amir makes his way into the building hallway. He presses a button on the phone, and holds it up to his mouth, putting the other end on speaker phone.

     “What's up?”

     “Hey, I wanted to find out if you were doing anything tonight?” Katerina asks, lying on her bed.

     “No, not really,” Amir lies. “Why?”

     “A few friends are heading upstate for a party tonight, I thought I'd see if you wanted to come with us?”

     “Uh, sure. Sounds like fun. Any chance I can bring a friend?” Amir inquired.

     “Like – a date?” Katerina asks, suddenly finding herself nervous about his response.

     “No, no! My roommate. He wants to do something tonight, and I'd feel bad leaving him sitting around here.”

     “Oh yeah, totally. We should have the room for one more, we're taking a van up. You want to meet us here about five o’clock?” Katerina relaxes.

     “I'm sure we can do that,” Amir grins, nodding to a few students as they walk by.

     “Awesome. Well, I'll see you then.”

     “Yep. Take it easy.”

     Amir hangs up, and heads back in the dorm. He finds Harold perusing his laptop when he gets back to his room.

     “What the hell are you doing?”

     Harold jumps, and turns towards him. “Uh, helping with your research?”

     The video loads and a woman begins moaning. Harold clears his throat, and closes the laptop, turning back to his friend and flashing a smile. Amir shakes his head.

     “So who was on the phone?”

     “Kat, she invited me to a Halloween party?”

     “Are you going?!”

     “Of course,” Amir nods.

     Harold's head lowers in disappointment. He nods, getting up from the desk and strolls past his friend. Amir waits for him to get to the bedroom door, before he starts laughing. Harold turns back to him, going from sad to angry.

     “What's so funny?”

     “Do you think I'd go and not invite you?” Amir inquires.

     “But you said --”

     “I know what I said. We're going to her dorm about five, so get ready to go, okay?”

     Harold runs to Amir, hugging him tightly.

     “Yeah! Can't wait! Thanks, buddy,” Harold shouts. “Wait, are there going to be other women going?”

     “I assume so, yeah.”

     “Yeah!” Harold cheers, hugging his friend again.

     “Take a shower!” Amir yells after him.

     “I just took one Wednesday!” Harold screams back.

     “It's Saturday!” Amir shakes his head.

     Amir walks to his computer and sits down opening his laptop back up. The woman in the porn on his computer screams out in ecstasy, the volume turned all the way up, and he closes the computer, shaking his head. He gets up and walks away.