Author's Note:
Disclaimer: I don't own the Hills Have Eyes (2006 remake) or the lyrics to the song 'Devil's Rejects' by Rob Zombie.
It was nearly mid-afternoon, and neither Lizard nor Jupiter had come to tell her it was all clear. Big Mama felt her muscles twitching, a nervous sweat breaking out over her body. She had never known the Testing Village to be this quiet, devoid of what little activity usually occurred.
About two hours ago, there had been a muffled explosion from over the hills. Venus and Mercury had taken no notice of it, but it had unnerved Big Mama so much that she almost contemplated radioing Jupiter. But she had heard that man on the radio – they may be listening to their conversation. After the explosion came several gunshots; a few ones in succession and then one final shot.
The rest of the hours had been sat in silence.
Big Mama's first sign that something was definitely wrong came when she looked out the front window – and saw Cyst lying motionless in front of Big Brain's house, deathly still with an axe through his head. Big Mama bellowed, a wordless yell of disbelief and anger that sent the twins running towards her, eyes wide and scared. She calmed them down with shaking hands, sent them back to their room with the stern order to stay put and ventured out to Big Brain's house.
It was hard to see big, childish Pluto on the floor, an axe in his head and the American flag through his throat. Big Mama was sure that if Big Brain weren't dead in the next room, blood blooming from the wound in his throat, he would have found the whole thing morbidly funny. She could hardly believe that this was the work of that meek, spectacled man that had come into her house to take his baby back.
There was a whine in the air, like the perpetual buzz of the flies that everyone learned to live with. At first Big Mama thought that's what it was – until the buzzing formed words and became a high, wavering cry of, "Mama! Mama!" from the nearby cliffs.
Big Mama was a big woman, but she could still move fast when needed. She kicked off her clumsy brown clogs as she went, ignoring the stabs of pain in her feet from the rocks on the ground.
When she reached the bottom of the cliff, she could tell that Lizard had been dead for a while – most of his blood had pooled out underneath him from various wounds in his body and his limbs were stiff. Ruby was on top of her cousin, arms wrapped around his waist. She was moving in small jerks, painful dying spasms that wracked her frail frame. Big Mama's heart was in her throat as she watched her daughter tilt her head to stare at her with big, pleading eyes.
Big Mama didn't hesitate once as she stooped to pick up the shotgun near Lizard's clenched fist. Tears were rolling down her face as she aimed, loaded the gun and blew her daughter's brains out – a mercy killing.
The sound of the shot echoed in the stillness of the desert; nobody came running. Nothing stirred.
For the first time in more than ten years, Big Mama broke down and cried, heaving ugly sobs and choking on a combination of saliva and mucus. She threw the gun to the side, snivelling pathetically, wiped her face, composed herself, and turned back towards her house. She did not look down at the sight of her eldest daughter's face turned towards her, eyes glassy and staring at absolutely nothing.
"Where Ruby?" asked Venus softly, blinking bright blue eyes up at her mother. Big Mama had nothing to say and reached down to pat her daughter softly on the head. Mercury clutched at her apron, his brow furrowed. Big Mama took a deep breath.
"Ruby's not here."
"Where Papa?" Venus insisted, and Big Mama had to stop and press a palm tightly against her eyes. She had tried Big Brain's walkie-talkie, but neither Goggle nor Papa Jupiter were answering.
"Don't know, baby. Not here."
Big Mama left her only two living children standing in the kitchen. She went into her bedroom. She rearranged her perfume bottles. She sat down in front of the television and picked at a hole in the armchair. She could hear Mercury and Venus in the next room, the clacking of Lincoln Logs sharp in the otherwise silent house. Big Mama had never felt so entirely alone in her life. Her world had suddenly expanded over the course of a few minutes, and the desert had never seemed to large. She flicked the walkie-talkie on and waited.
Hours later, the walkie-talkie crackled insistently and Big Mama leapt for it, knocking her wig off the table, and held it close to her face. "Hello? Jupiter? Goggle?"
She willed it to be Jupiter, willed him to tell her everything was okay and then walk out of those mines like he always did, his arms open and the words, "Hello Angel Skull" on his lips.
Instead there was a harsh intake of breath from the other side and then a voice like gravel hissed, "Mama? I saw what happen."
Big Mama let out her breath painfully. It was Jupiter's brother, Hades, who lived further up in the hills and the mines with his clan, an assortment of ragtag mutants like Letch and Chameleon.
"Hello, Hades. Is Jupiter okay?"
Hades was silent for a minute, before rasping, "Jupe dead, Mama. You okay?"
"Venus and Mercury and me are here," Big Mama choked. Hades didn't ask about Ruby because he didn't need to.
"You stay put, Mama. We come get you."
Big Mama placed the walkie-talkie down and looked out the window at the setting sun. She could still see Cyst's body lying there from her spot in her chair, but she knew she would never have the heart to collect her family's bodies. Big Mama was never coming back to this place again.
As she gathered what little stuff they had, Venus watched her carefully, hands placed possessively over the knapsack that held her Lincoln Logs. "Where we going Mama? Are we going to see Uncle Hades?"
Big Mama managed a tight smile. For a minute she saw Ruby's off-kilter face reflected in her younger daughter's. "Yes. We'll go see Uncle Hades."
"Uncle Hades here!" Mercury yelled, charging towards the front door as a heavy knock echoed around the house. The grey-skinned boy was swept into a brief, gruff hug by the older mutant. Behind him were Hansel and Stabber, the former gazing at her with sorrowful eyes.
"Ready to go?" asked Hades as he took Big Mama's things from her. Big Mama looked around her – in the distance she could see Ruby's and Lizard's still bodies, forever locked in a death embrace. Big Mama would never know what occurred in the final moments of their lives (she didn't want to know).
Hades followed her gaze and his hard face softened. He nudged her gently with his elbow. Big Mama turned back to him. "Ready," she affirmed.
Hold your breath,
Your world is running down,
Live for the family,
Die with the family,
All is the family…