A SCREAMS contest entry. Chapter 3 of "My Neighbors The Strangers. |
Jake had become wary of his new neighbors, Dave and Darla; The voluptuous Darla and her ghoulish love for all things gory; Dave the gifted butcher, running a slaughter house in their 2 car garage. Jake had made it a point to try to avoid them for the last few of days. Three days ago he had found Dave in their newly converted garage doing his damnedest to creep him out by butchering monkey carcasses. That discovery was after Jake had witnessed the near nude, gore covered Darla prancing and dancing through their open patio doors off of the master bedroom. The blood and gore had spoiled the view for Jake. But, that was also why Jake spent so much time peering out his bathroom window recently. His bathroom window gave him an unobstructed view into their bedroom unless they had the curtains pulled closed. They never had the curtains pulled. He had caught more than a glimpse or two of a scantily clad Darla from time to time. So often that Jake had to wonder if she was an exhibitionist doing it on purpose. Jake had the sudden urge to go check on his neighbors. He hadn't seen much of Dave lately. As a matter of fact he hadn't heard any butchering going on. Not that a butcher makes a bunch of noise but there is the occasional buzz of the meat saw and the “Whack”, “Whack” sound of a cleaver hitting the butcher block. Besides, he knew Darla was around because he had spotted her slinking out of their bedroom about an hour ago. Just as Jake had gotten to the garage, oddly he heard his name called eerily, “Jake. Jake, I’m over here.” Jake rounded the back right corner of the garage and immediately caught sight of the back yard pool. He could tell that the new neighbors had spent a lot of time on the pool maintenance. The last time Jake had seen the pool it was a gangrene color with scum and mold. The current color was a vibrant blue. As he traversed the backside of the house he heard another call, “Jake, Jake, I’m over here.” He had been in this backyard many times before. He knew there was a hot tub installed in a nook in the house structure just ahead. He stopped in his tracks as he entered the alcove. Whatever they had done for the pool they had done the opposite for the hot tub. It looked as if Dave had dumped all his cast offs from his butchering into it. In the giant bubbling, gurgling tub of blood he could make out slabs of trimmed fat mixed in with animal organs and intestines. Frolicking in the middle of this primordial stew was none other than Darla. “Darla, what the hell are you doing in that crap?” he questioned as her head bobbed in and out of the gore. “Oh, just taking my weekly blood bath Jakey Poo” she replied. Can you be a sweetie and flip that hourglass over for me over on the patio table” she asked? Jake stumbled towards the table to do as she asked. As he flipped the hourglass over he couldn’t help but notice the bloody footprints on the patio bricks running back and forth from the tub to the table and the coagulated blood on one of the wooden rungs of the hour glass. All the while he kept a keen eye towards the hot tub. He felt certain this day could not end well if he didn't keep his wits about him. “Uh, Darla, how did you know I was coming?” “I sensed your approach” she replied. He pondered that for a moment then said, "I don’t mean to be nosy but why the hell would you be bathing in that stuff? It cannot be healthy” “Oh Jake let’s not play. You are nothing if not nosy. You don’t think that I haven’t seen you gawking in my bedroom window. Why I bet you’re damn near camped out in that bathroom of yours”, she smiled solicitously. “If you must know my baths are what keep me young.” More flustered than embarrassed, Jake said nothing for a moment. As he stood there watching he became aware that Darla really did mean “bath” because as she bobbed and rolled front to back he could recognize a bare ass and unfettered breasts when he saw them. “This would be a whole lot more tantalizing if the tub were filled with Jell-O instead of goo” he thought. Darla filled the void, “I take these baths once a week for three turns of the hourglass. It’s all I need to maintain my vitality.” Finally he uttered, “I can’t even imagine the germs and nastiness that you must be cooking up in that soup. I refuse to see how you can get any benefit.” No sooner than the words left his mouth Darla stood and stepped up the sauna tub stairs. ”I’m your proof Jake. I won’t tell you my true age but I will tell you that I am older than seventy. Does this look like a body of a great grandmother?” As Jake viewed the full frontal offering, even with rivulets of blood coursing down her skin, he would not have guessed her any older than early thirties. She looked a whole lot better now that she wasn't submerged in that gunk. Just as he started thinking about approaching her he paused getting jittery. He quickly glanced over both shoulders looking to see if her crazy butcher husband might be lurking about. He didn’t know Dave well enough to know if he was the jealous type but Jake was sure he didn’t want to be on the wrong end of Dave’s butcher knife. “What’s the matter Jake? Getting a little nervous on Dave’s account? Haven’t you figured us out yet? Dave is my stooge. We have a good arrangement, he provides me with my baths and in return I allow him the grace of my presence and the opportunity to exist for a while longer.” Despite Jakes excitement over the free show he immediately registered the unveiled threat to her husband she had issued. Jake started planning his exit. Well Darla, I’m going to have to get going. I have a couple of chores I need to attend to” he said. “Besides Darla, this situation has gotten a bit out of control with you standing naked here in front of me. I’ll have to politely decline whatever you might be offering.” “I don’t believe you. I can see the hunger in your eyes. I also detect a bit of fear. You’re not used to strong women, are you Jake? You prefer your women timid and controllable, don’t you? You won’t be dominating anyone here. I've seen your type of hunger and your sort of man before. I've destroyed more than a few of those men to feed my own hunger Jake. If and when I decide to have you Jake, I will take you, body and soul. |