Skinned to the bone
By: Alex S. Gill
"Stop the machine," John said with urgency.
"The switch is stuck. It's not moving," I said.
I ran over to the door, but it wouldn't budge. Then the lights went out.
"What happened?"
"It's just a power surge. Give it a minute," I said.
After a few minutes the light came back on. But there was one thing missing. Through a glass window you can see a white room with a black chair. The chair had a bowl like thing on it with wires in it. It was connected to a hinge on the back of the chair. Someone was supposed to be in that chair getting his brain a good buzz. But nobody was in it; an air duct was open also.
"John come look at this" I said.
"What is it, Perry?" Then, he gasped at the empty chair and the open air duct. "Where is he? After that type of shock he shouldn't be moving," John whimpered.
"I don't know, but we need to find him."
"Andrew, Andrew, ANDREW!" I woke with a daze trying to figure where I was. Then, I realized the whole class was staring at me. I tried to act intelligent and wipe the drool from my face. My teacher, Mrs. Fulcher, was glaring at me.
"Andrew, if you would be so kind to not sleep in my class and answer the question," she said.
"Well what's the question," I asked knowing that it wouldn't matter. I would get it wrong either way.
"What was Christopher Columbus looking for when he accidentally found America?"
I was sitting there dumbfounded trying to remember, but I couldn't think. The whole class stared at me again. Without anyone looking, I flipped though the history book until people started looking down, so I took a guess out of what I read. "Finding a shorter route to Asia for better trade."
Mrs. Fulcher stares at me in disbelief like I just won a Grammy. "That's correct Andrew, but the next time you fall asleep in my class it's detention."
When the bell rang and the kids poured out of the class I was in the very front. When I got out into the hallway I figured people would be talking about my nap. Instead I heard about several kids' disappearance. It was strange because the only excitement in this town is when a parade or a new store opens. So kids disappearing is pretty big compared to a short blackout last night. When I got home I didn't know what to expect. But what I saw was something that made me wonder if this is really my family every day. My dad is drunk, my mom is yelling at someone on a phone and my little brother is putting breath mints in his nose and ear. No one usually bothers me when I come in after school, so I was surprised for my mother to tell me to come over here.
"Andrew because of some kids disappearing your father and I going to lower how long you stay out. This will only be temporary until those disappearances's either stop or they find the kids." She looks at my father for him to say something but he's rambling on how china can build a wall and it's a great wonder. I can't believe this, something actually happens in this godforsaken town and I have to sit out of it. If I learned anything about my parents is that you don't argue so they don't get suspicious.
"Awe man, well thank you for looking out for me mom," I said with a forced smile.
"Ok then well your inside at 7:00 now," she said then went back to her phone.
When I got to my room I turned the TV on and was channel surfing until I go to a news broadcast about the kids. "We haven't found any clue to who is behind the disappearance to Alex, Justin, and Samantha. The only thing we have found is just an old cell phone but there weren't any finger prints. We will keep you posted." I turned the TV off and lay down. The next day at school even the teachers couldn't help but talk about it. For some reason my friend zack wasn't at lunch. So instead I sat next to my friend Michael.
"Hey did you hear what happened today," he whispered.
"The kidnappings or something else."
"They found one of the bodies but they didn't find it in complete pieces," he whispered.
"What do you mean not in complete pieces," I said with a whimper.
"Well his arm was over there and his legs were over there and his head was in a tree. That's not the scary part though; he was skinned to the bone."
I just sat there, who would kidnap three kids and then disembody them and skin them. That's serial crazy if you ask me. Though out the whole day I couldn't sit still thinking that it could happen to anybody including me. The week went by with no word from the killer and zack wasn't at school for the whole week either. When I got home on Friday surprisingly my dad wasn't drunk and my mom wasn't yelling. My mom was on the phone talking though. I went to my room and started my homework when my mom came in and sat on the bed.
"Michael called and he wants to know if you want to sleep over at his house," she whispered. I could tell that she heard about the condition they found the kid in. I could also tell that she didn't want me to go.
"Alright mom ill think about it, thanks for telling me."
"Well ok, let me know if you want to go," and with that she left my room. I wasn't able to concentrate on my homework so I thought about the sleep over. That night while I was packing my bag a news report came on about the killings. "We have found the two men who says its their fault about the killings. Scientist's John and Perry said that a failed military experiment is responsible for the deaths of Alex and Justin gill. They also said that the subject was a young kid. They have lost the records for the kid though". I turned the T.V. off and thought for a minute. Michael was doing something that night of the black out but I don't think he was in that experiment. At least I don't know he was rambling last week about something but I couldn't remember. Zack! It must have been him who else could it have been. He was gone the night of the blackout to but he wasn't at school for the whole week. I need to call Michael. I run to the phone in the kitchen and dial his number.
"Michael i think zack might be the real killer" i said.
"No way it cant be him, i mean it has to be someone else right" Michael said
"Michael im only guessing though but he hast been out of school for the whole week" I said.
"Hmm we'll talk about it when you come over" Michael said.
"Alright" I said.
I finished packing my bag and my mom gave me a ride. When i got to his house somthing wasnt right. Michaels parents were exterminaters and had a lot of propane cans in the garage. The keep the propane becasue they like starting barbeques and they always want more than anough. His parents were also rock & roll lovers and theres always music blasting from there house. Their house looked strangely quite and only one light was on. Michaels house was white and has three bedrooms and seven windows. Their house was one of a few houses that still had attics. The wierd thing was that the only light was coming from the attic. I got out of the car and my mom drove away. I knocked on the door and no one answerd so i stepped inside. As i was walking in the living room i heard a quite thud from up stairs. Something wasnt right, i havent seen his parents, i havent seen Michael, and someone put that creepy halloween music on. I walked upstairs and the thuds started to get louder. I started to worry. I pulled down the pull out door and headed to the attic. I now saw was bright crimson red. As i looked up i saw a body hanging upside down and skinned to the bone. I had to close my eyes for what i saw was to gruesome. Theres somethings in this world that are best left unseen and these were one of those times. I heard more thumping and i looked over in the corner. A young girl was tied up and was hanging up side down. A part of the rope on her left hand was use and was using it to pound the wall. i figured it was samantha. Then i realized that Zack wasnt the killer after all. I walked over to samantha and untied her.
"Are you ok who did this to you," i said.
"I dont know his name but he lives in this house," she said.
It dawned on me that it was Michael. All the kidnappings and deaths never happened during school. Thats why he wanted me to sleep over. I grab samanthas arm and ran down to the living room. But when we reached the living room all of the furniture blocked the door and michael was standing next to them. His eyes were milky white and there was blood all over him. He has a rusty axe with him. i ran to the garage without thinking taking sam with me. When we got there michaels parents were upside also with the same condition with the kid upstairs. i looked behind me and michael was in the door way with his head cocked to his side. He ran after me ready to swing but i ducked at the last second. While this was going on i saw samantha running back into the house. when i stood up again i saw michael struggling to break free of his axe. His axe struck a propane tank and was stuck in it. I ran to the doorway. When i was back into the house samantha handed me a lamp. I went back into the door way of the garage and aimed for his head. But my throw was short and landed a couple in front of him. Michael gave a cold blooded laugh. At that moment his axe breaks free nad starts walking towards us knowing we had know where to go. Then all of a sudden a wall of fire erupted. I used this time to grab samanthaand run back to the living room. Then a explosion sounded from the garage and the house caught on fire. I had no idea what to do so i ran to Michaels room with sam behind me. Michaels room had a bunk bed on the left side and a dresser on the right side. I small T.V. was on the dresser and a window was on right in front of us. I closed the door and started to panic. Smoke was starting to come out of the side cracks in the door and the wall felt really hot. Samantha picked up the small T.V. and threw at the window. I went threw and made a big hole. Sam jumped in first then i followed. When i looked up fire engines, police cars, and a ambulance were already outside. Then I passed out. When i woke up i told the cops everything. They said that the chemical in the light bulb made a chain reaction with the propane gas. All i knew was that the killer was dead and that me and samantha were alive. I lived my life with only minimum trauma. But every night i remember that i saved a life and ended another.