Chapter 37 Felix was the last to arrive at the library. As he stepped into Dale’s Room, he knew immediately that something was wrong. Lucas was sitting in his usual chair at the table with his laptop open in front of him. Harper, Caitlin, and Allison were huddled behind Lucas and bent over so that they could see his monitor. There was something about their expressions that gave Felix pause; it was a mixture of horror and revulsion. Caitlin looked pale and was holding her stomach like she was having severe cramps. “What’s going on?” Felix asked as he walked around the table to see what they were looking at. Only Lucas glanced up from the computer, the others apparently mesmerized by what they were viewing. “It’s a…another…they said it’s two more people. They were out hiking and were killed…um…butchered out in Ardsley Forest. Another hiker came across the bodies, and the sick fucking dude uploaded a video on the net. It’s like a minute long, and it’s horrible—worst thing I’ve ever seen.” “I think I’m gonna be sick,” Caitlin moaned, walking over to the sofa, where she sat down cradling herself. Felix looked at the computer, but the images on the monitor didn’t seem to be of anything discernible. “What is that?” he asked. “What am I looking at? I don’t understand what…” “Go back to the beginning,” Harper said, choking back tears. Felix noticed for the first time that both Harper and Allison were crying. “Okay.” Lucas clicked on an arrow underneath the video window. The images on the monitor bounced around, the amateur-quality video obviously taken by someone using a cell phone. Two objects lying close together on the ground suddenly came into view. They appeared to be about ten yards removed from the person taking the video. Even at that distance it was obvious that the two objects were human—they wore jeans and brown hiking boots. The area where they were lying was covered with thick underbrush, tree refuse, and moss-covered rocks. Beyond the bodies in the distance could be seen clusters of enormous old-growth trees. Just like what Felix saw when he was in the woods with Bill. The video was slightly dark, as if it was taken in a densely shaded area, or perhaps at dusk. As the person taking the video moved closer to the bodies, their features gradually came into view. It became apparent that something unnatural had happened to them. At first it appeared that they were both wearing red masks and matching red jackets. But as their faces and torsos grew larger on the monitor, Felix realized what he was actually looking at. He fought the urge to throw up. “Holy shit!” Felix exclaimed. “Is that what I think it is?” “Yeah,” Lucas answered. “Something tore out their throats. And the one there, the one on the left, he or she, I’m not sure, is missing everything from the nose down. Something ate most of her face off.” Felix stared at the monitor. Both people were lying on their backs with their arms and legs jutting out from their bodies at physiologically impossible angles. What was left of their faces was completely covered in dark red blood. Their throats were shredded. All that remained of their throats were thin strips of bloody flesh. “There’s so much blood,” Lucas said in a hushed tone. “I’ve never seen so much blood.” The images of their mutilated and barely recognizable features played out on the monitor for several more seconds and then stopped as the video came to an end. “That’s it,” Harper said, wiping the tears from her face. “I can’t watch that again.” Felix pulled his eyes away from the monitor and sat in the chair next to Lucas. “How’d you get this?” “My brother called. My mom’s got him all freaked out because of all the murders out here. He gets alerts whenever anything’s posted on the net about Nick Blair or the Mormon Mephistopheles. Once he saw the video he called.” “Who took the video?” “It’s just rumors now, but they’re saying it was just another hiker. He uploaded the video and then took it to the police. It’ll be shut down soon. You watch.” “It should be,” Caitlin called over from the sofa. “It’s disgusting!” “He turned himself in?” Felix asked, perplexed. “They think he did it?” “Haven’t heard anything about that,” Lucas answered, “but what idiot would kill two people, take a video of it, and then turn all the evidence over to the cops? Besides, how could a person do that?” “Yeah, it’s impossible,” Felix said. “Nick Blair couldn’t have done that. It looks like an animal got to them. Like a bear, maybe.” “Then that’s the seventh person who’s been killed by a bear since last summer,” Allison said. “Seems pretty unlikely, doesn’t it?” “Yeah, I guess,” Felix conceded. His cell phone began to ring. He pulled it from his pocket. Everyone in the room instantly froze, staring at him as he held the phone to his ear and said, “Hey, Bill.” The conversation lasted less than thirty seconds. Felix didn’t say anything else. He put the phone back in his pocket and looked at his friends. They all seemed to sense that something was about to happen. They stared back at him. There was complete silence in the room. “It’s tonight, isn’t it?” Allison said softly, breaking the calm. “Yeah.” “Holy shit!” Lucas exclaimed, the color seeming to drain from his face. “We’re going into that forest tonight?” He pointed at his monitor, which just moments ago had showed the images of two people mutilated beyond recognition. Caitlin exhaled loudly and got up from the sofa. “What’d Bill say?” Harper asked. Felix shook his head. “He just said it’s tonight and to go to his house ASAP. I’m going over there now. I’ll call you when we’re done.” “Do you need a ride?” Caitlin asked, brushing strands of hair from her face. “No, I’ll walk. It’s not very far. Oh! Hey, Caitlin, do you mind if we use your SUV tonight?” Caitlin looked surprised. “No. But I thought Bill was going to rent a car.” “That was the plan. But I haven’t actually told him yet that all of you are going with me. When I tell him that, I’ll let him know we’re taking your car. He’ll like being even further disconnected from the whole thing. It’ll protect his access to the info he gets at A.E.I.” “Good for him,” Allison said disapprovingly. “No shit,” Felix replied. “We’re going into that fucking forest while he stays home drinking tea. Anyway, I better get going. I’ll call you.” He walked out of the room. Caitlin, Allison, Harper, and Lucas looked at each other in silence. It was a long while before anything was said. |
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