Bigger fish

Let me tell you about my last victim…

A simple guy, I saw him walking around in the mall one day. Had a beautiful
daughter and wife with him, the wife giggled as he whispered a joke to her. His
daughter was a beauty as she smiled and ran between a small group of adults,
sheltered in adoring love. The mall was crowded that day, I walked between the
group of them and bumped into him as I walked by and almost fell on his daughter.

A quick hand grabbed me, pulling me back. Well actually yanking. Rude.

"Sorry", he said with eyes that said anything but that, behind a smile that could fool
a saint.

"S'nothing", I replied.

Now, I can't seem to get those eyes out of my mind, cold, heartless with a cheery
fire, as if they invited argument, thrived on it. Eyes that seem to enjoy doling out
unspeakable blunt things.

Thinking back I wish I could take it back, I would! Oh I know we all say that when
we are finally caught, but this one I really would. IF YOU WOULD JUST GIVE ME A
CHANCE, PLEASE.

Sorry.

Its just I am alone, in this place, and no one to talk to but you, and I am sorry now, please forgive me. Emotions pull at me and they must be answered. Do you understand? Do you see? I couldn’t help myself I had to destroy this adoring cove of love. Life is not to be admired or loved or cared for, it is insubstantial. People must understand this. I tried to teach them this… he did not want to learn my teaching.

I’ve done this many times over my dark and illustrious career, I am good at it. I know you have to stay back, not like in the movies where you follow someone up close in a car. You can find many good books on this in your local library if you want to or even better the internet. Such a wealth of knowledge that is, you can find literally anything you want there. Even someone like me can learn something new every day, if I put my mind to it.

Anyhow I followed them out of the mall, they had a nice small family car, they waved goodbye to their friends and headed home, to a modest neighborhood. They seemed a nice young family.

I hated them and the foolishness they represented. Hope, love, there is none. I try to let people understand this. It's a gift you understand?

They pulled up to their house, removed the packages from the car, the wife quickly running into the house. Probably needing a quick bathroom break after all those damn mountain dews she drank one after another as I watched them in the mall in the restaurant. Why would she wear such a revealing summer dress? Doesn't she know there are people who pay attention to such things?

A lot of people cannot see things, I do. I notice. Or I did before now.

I read the street address on the mailbox, the Small's, what an appropriate name. A small insignificant family who couldn't see! I would show them how to see. I would show them the real world.

I had pulled over quite a bit back from the house, waiting. Till they all went in, then I walked over, wrote down the address while noting the immaculate care given to the yard, the small wooden playhouse in the back, with a small yellow slide. Such frivolous things we teach our children to enjoy don't we?

I drove off as they walked back out for an evening stroll, infuriated, that they could not see how pitiful their world was, how contrived. How fake.

I would show them.

A week later I called.

"Hello!" a bright cheery female voice greeted me.

"I am watching you"

"Excuse me?" the bright cheery bitch's voice falters slightly.

"You heard me. I am watching all of you now; I want you and your family to
see the crap of a life you are living. I am here to help you"

A slight intake of breath.

"Who the fuck is this?" This is not a bright cheery voice, this is a voice I can relate
with. A deep rumbling voice, a voice of false bravado.

"Someone who cares"

"Listen you fuck, you have no idea who you are talking to"

"But Richard I DO know who I am talking to."

Silence.

"I will get back with you, Rich. Soon."

This continued for a few days, I watched them. Of course you ask yourself, how could I know their number, their name. Gosh, gee golly, well hello! Welcome to the age of information, you can gather anything you want. Anything. Why just from their street address and name, I looked them up in a phone book, ran their credit from a website, looked them up from another investigative website for 30 bucks and got all the information these fools give out daily without thinking when they swipe their grocery savings card at the local market. People are idiots, no better than cattle.
I had something special planned for them the next night. I called again, by now it was assumed I was some nut. I ignored their hang ups, their threats, these were almost friends you know? I wanted their attention.

I dialed the number.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

Slight pause

Another ring.

I almost thought I got an answering machine, I hate those damn things, they make things so impersonal.

"Hello." That deep voice again.

"Hi! Its me your old friend, to tell you I have plans for you guys"

Silence.

"Nothing to say, no threats"

Silence still.

I was about to launch into my triade of things I was going to do when that voice
came back up.

"Hi Nathan" That deep voice, now seemed to be purring, quietly, you could hear a smile on the phone.

Now you see, that's my real name. Nathan Woods, a name I haven't used in years. Ages in fact.

Have you ever walked in the woods by yourself, thinking quietly and then suddenly looked up and noticed a black widow in the middle of the path, right in front of your nose, dangling, the web already in your face cause you couldn't stop walking.

How your stomach lurches? The sudden pain in the middle of your abdomen, the rush of adrenaline as your frantically try to pull it off your face before you are bitten.

I stood up, I had done this game many times in many cities, I knew when the time
to go was up, and this was it. You didn't get to the point in the game I was at without some skill, and the knowledge of when to run.

"I guess my little joke bothered you, sir" As I grabbed by jacket, and keys. Swallowing a lump of fear in my throat. After all these were not the first people I had
taught, nor the first city I taught in.

"Don't worry about it" again quiet, almost apologetic. Deep.

Thinking frantically, I could almost hear sirens in the distance. Stupid police in their
cars, coming to my home.

"We don't need to involve the authorities for this do we, I mean I was just playing around, I just like to mess with people sometimes" I walk out of my small room in a
dank old house in a poor section of town. The boards creak as I walk to the door. No
need to stay here, the name for the house was false, I had no home phone, just pay
as you go cellular service! The premium choice for all serious criminals.

"Oh we wouldn't think of that, not at all" The voice sounded quite serious now.

We? Him and his wife?

A loud snapping thud comes from my front door.

Two shapes rush in, tackle me. ME! I am the hunter. I forgot my gun in my rush, as they say, forgetfulness is a unpardonable sin.

Another figure steps in, I hear his voice again.

"No we wouldn't want to involve anyone else, we would like to keep this between
you and us."

I struggle briefly, the larger of the two who tackled me, pulls out some clear plastic
tape and wraps it around my head. Covers my mouth, pulling some hair out as he
does.

Richard crouches down beside me, smiles and looks at me with those cold, deep
brown eyes, though now that I look back it seems they might have been black. Dark
black pits.

Richard explains to me that, the people I bought my false ID from were associates of his in some way. He explains in detail that while it was kind of interesting being badgered by some idiot from out of town who didn't know who he was that novelty just lasted for a moment.

"You see", Richard explained, "I am the local boss of the family you contacted to get
your ID's changed before, we thought you were a simple drug courier, and we like to
help our own you know. But now we know who you really are. You fuck."

A short time later, I was gagged and bound, then thrown into a truck.

Later they removed my eyes with glowing red ice picks so hot that the insides boiled
as my eyes popped.

My hair was pulled out by a wrench I guess, it was a cold metal object I know that.

My nose pulled apart and peeled back.

My ears were yanked off and, as they were slowly tugged off Richard asked me if I thought I was forgiven.

He has kept me down here for ages it seems, I don't know if it’s been a week, a day, a month, or a year. It feels forever.

My tongue was pulled out till it ripped apart. This was a pain beyond spoken word.

This was almost religious in its shear agony.

He took my tongue because he said I didn't need it to scream. You know? He is right.

I tried to apologize while he explained in a slow fashion as he pulled by nails off my fingers and toes, that some things are unforgivable.

I made a mistake ok? I threatened his wife. You know you can still hear without your
ears? He told me in long horrifying detail about that.

He explained that my real crime had been threatening his daughter. Just thinking about his daughter is a crime for me.

I am impressed by how much he cares about her. He must care for her a lot because every time he mentioned her, he spread my hands over a wooden board and crushed
them with a hammer, each part.

This is really wonderful you understand, it has taught me a lot about life and the universe. Because it seems Richard is a teacher too. He hasn’t told me that he is yet.

But I understand what he has to offer.

Yes, no matter what your size, there is always a bigger fish out there.

Please tell him I understand, I do… I really do.