CHAPTER 1: Kill Feast
1992 Kill Feast is written in red drooling letters while gently rippling in the wind. Cheer and laughter fill the crisp autumn air in the quaint town of Merderton, New Jersey. The town’s heavily prideful Halloween festival ‘Kill Feast’ is in order. This is an event that the town of Merderton’s been famous for and draws horror lovers in from states away; for such a docile and suburban town this is substantial. Their value of Halloween is akin to Salem and their synergy with witch culture.
Clove Firello, a classically beautiful young mother walks with her son Michael; in his hand is an action figure, a wrestler, and in the other is his mother’s hand. He inquisitively looks around the festival: food booths, games, all actors and workers dressed up as murderous clowns and masks, even some dress from horror’s past: Michael Meyers, Freddie Krueger, Jason, anything and everything relevant in horror culture in the 90’s. Many of Steven King’s creations also flood the festival-decorated streets of the town: Carrie, The Shining; a woman even wanders dressed as Carrie covered in pig’s blood and is rather frightful. The rides at the park are even relevant to these ingrained horror pictures like the Nightmare on Elm Street Funhouse.
“Mommy, I want to go in there,†Michael eagerly says to his mother while looking to the direction of the fun house.
“Aren’t you scared?†she puzzledly asks.
He quickly nods no.
She leans and looks to him with compassionate eyes. “Let’s find your friends first.â€
Thump – a frighteningly tall man wearing a torn and tethered trench coat stands over her. He has long black hair, so long that it’s tied around his face in a knot, as if it’s his chosen mask, and it is; not only does this original hair-entwined mask induce a perpetuated angst incited by the shallow pockets carrying this man’s beady eyes, but the feeling exuding from his aura, it’s hauntingly pulsating. The tall man breathes heavily; he stares down the young boy. Michael looks back up to him scared. Goosebumps rise upon the young boy’s arm.
“Excuse me,†Clove clumsily says while she picks up her purse from the ground while gathering stray items that have rolled out. She picks up her things from the ground. Dried blood stains the military style boots of this tall man. Clove briefly looks to them, she then looks back up to her son as he, in a trance, gazes up to this being.
“Hold on, baby…†Michael stares at the tall but he pays no mind to the boy and now stares straight-ahead to the funhouse, and then slowly peering around the area, observing. He steps forward and walks through the animated crowd. From the cuffs of his sleeves an ambient light reflects from something metal and barely sticking out. The young boy leaves his mother’s side and begins to follow this man through the crowd. After quickly disappearing, his mother looks up to where her son was standing while in the midst of gathering her scattered things and notices he’s no longer there.
“Michael…†she nervously looks around and quickly leaves her lipstick, eyeliner and a Scooby Doo sippy cup on the ground. She anxiously walks through the crowd as she calls his name “Michael!†She then screams “Michael, where are you?!â€
Michael, not too far head from his mother, but blocked by the flow of the crowd, follows the irksome walk of this mysterious tall man to the entrance of the funhouse. The trench coat man walks up the metal-grated steps of the exit. Michael drops his action figure on the ground; quickly it’s crushed by people walking by, a group of drunken college kids stumble on through. Clove frantically searches amidst the crowd but cannot see her son.
In the distance, a mayoral booth stands in the middle of the festival. A young man is being sworn in as mayor by his governor father. This elite family is the Hawthorne’s. Hawthorne Jr. smiles as his father Hawthorne Sr. takes pride in his son’s accomplishment. Even Hawthorn Sr.’s father (Hawthorne Jr.’s great-grandfather) is there as well, seated in his wheelchair; he’s decrepit but nevertheless still breathing and dressed elegantly wearing a pastel blue suit and a white hat with a yellow feather in it. A young girl around the age of 11-years old runs up onto the stage. She anxiously tugs on the bottom of her father’s (Hawthorne Sr.’s) suit with tears in her eyes. Her dapper brother is ignorant to her due to all of the publicity he’s receiving as the newly sworn in young mayor.
Her father then looks down to her and behind his loving demeanor sternly says, “What, Sadie?†She innocently looks up to him with tear-filled eyes – he then turns his head away and gets back into the groove of political fame.
This group of drunken college kids stands at the entrance taunting the thin worker dressed up as Freddie Krueger. “Come on, dude,†Chip says (the obvious alpha of the group); his name is engraved on his varsity jacket. Chip and his posse throw popcorn at the attendant.
“I have to go pee,†Chip’s ditzy girlfriend dressed as Raggedy Anne says in a buzzed and frightened manner. She anxiously walks off from the group while “pee-dancing†and the attendant lets the vexatious group of 10 or so college-enthralled partiers into the funhouse. Chip’s girlfriend pushes through the crowd, attempting to walk to the sea of dark green porta potties in the distance.
“We’ll meet in you inside, babe,†Chips says as his gang of degenerates follows behind him. One of the drunken girls playfully strokes the mask of the worker.
Clove continuously calls for her son in the distance with fearful intent. A friendly-faced man shooting basketball with some of his friends notices. He attentively makes his way to her. “Hey, what’s wrong?â€
Clove anxiously replies, “My son, I lost him… I looked down for a second and then he was gone!â€
“It’s okay. We’re going to find him.†He calmingly says, “Don’t you worry.†The friendly man gently holds her shoulders attempting to calm her manic state.
Raggedy Anne eagerly approaches the line of porta potties. She pulls on the first door and it’s locked. She then continues to pull on the others; all of them are locked as well. “What the hell?†she says to herself as she continues her pee-dance, rocking back and forth.
Inside the haunted house Michael nervously follows the tall man through a row of neon glowing lights. The tall man disappears around a bend. THUMP! Michael walks into Chip and his gaggle of sloshed friends. “Oh shit – a little fucking kid,†he stupidly chuckles while he and his group proceed on through the flickering funhouse.
“I’m scared,†one the girls says in a long, drawn-out vocally-fried voice. Another girl in the pretty college sorority bends down to Michael and gets extremely close to his face, uncomfortably close, then kissing her fingers and caressing his young lips thus leaving a bright purple smudge upon his face. He wipes it off while entranced by the encounter.
Clove and the friendly guy walk outside near the funhouse. “Where did you see him last?†he says as they walk through a wild crowd.
“Over there,†Clove points nearby the funhouse.
“Does he get scared easily?†friendly guy inquisitively says.
Clove quickly retorts, “No,†while shaking her head with tears in her eyes.
Pee-brained girl keeps trying to open the door and then finally she decides to walk away upon sighting a sheltering tree. As she takes her first step – the door creaks open. She stops and curiously turns around, and then quickly runs to it.
Michael slowly walks through a 3D room. The floors shake and move back and forth. Decapitated plastic limbs drop from the ceiling. He sees the silhouettes of the drunken frat and sorority soiree – a shrill SCREAM from one of the women is heard!
Clove and the friendly man stand outside the funhouse; he looks to it and then CRUNCH – he steps upon Michael’s action figure; it’s broken in half, the head being severed is most noticeable. Clove bends down to pick it up, then quickly running into the funhouse.
The porta pottie door is opened as the young girl stands paralyzed, staring. She drops her purse to the ground near the pool of blood at her feet as it oozes from the plastic floors of the portable bathroom. Her heart beats heavy. Urine drools down her bare legs and into the puddle of blood beneath her. 5 decapitated bodies lay messily stacked upon one and other. One specific body stands out; a little girl’s decapitated torso holds tightly a blood-covered teddy bear dressed up as a nurse, this contrasts her floral, innocent purple princess dress. The head of the little girl rolls out to the feet of the pee-relieved college girl.
Hyperventilation sets in; she lets out a belting scream!
Back inside the funhouse Michael stands near the bend in which he saw the irksomely tall man go; 666 is written in bloody letters upon the walls along with the words Devil’s Den. He hears the haunting sounds of slashing, stabbing, screaming… he keeps slowly approaching.
In another part of the funhouse his mother and the nice guy anxiously wander. They walk through the mirror-filled hall. The screams echo throughout; little do they know it’s not a part of the show.
Chip gets thrown upon the butcher’s table in the staged set of the funhouse, “Help! Help me!†Lights flicker in the room with a seizure-inducing strobe effect. The tall man leers over Chip as he holds the sharp sickle high above his head, his blade catching the light, glimmering with blood and a metallic hue. Bodies of the butchered college kids fill the ground; the mysterious menacing murderer steps on the intestines of one of the college kids as he wrestles Chip, holding him against the table. Bile and blood ooze from the organs and cake upon the bottom of his treaded boots. Chip turns around and WHACK! He cracks him in the chin with a hard right… but nothing phases this tall beast, even his hair remains resiliently masked over face; the blade-wielding man uppercuts Chip with the sickle, impaling him through his jaw and the curvature of the blade comes out of his forehead. Chip coughs up blood as the last amount of life barely glistens in his eyes. The monstrous man drops Chip’s lifeless body to the ground – THUD… the tall killer breathes heavily and maniacally. Anger resides in him so deep that you can hear it in every breath. His breath begins to change as he feels Michael’s presence – he stares from afar midst the flickering lights gazing to a murderous scene; a scene no human being should ever experience nevertheless a child.
The drunken-pee-drenched college girl runs through the streets of the fair and screams, “The bodies! Oh my god! Help!!!†she can barely make out any words as she stumbles and falls in an immense panic. Police in the distance notice and quickly make their way over to her.
Clove and the friendly man bolt through the funhouse as fast as they can, entering the 3D room now with real blood splattered upon the walls.
The tall man drags the body that’s still impaled upon his sickle. He moves towards Michael; the innocent young boy watches on towards the dragging body with paralyzing fear in his big brown dough eyes. Tall man pulls the weapon from the head of the Chip. Tears stream down Michael’s face as he’s crippled with fear. The tall man nears him and wipes the boy’s tears with his bloody and dirty fingernails. Their shadow casts upon the wall and makes silhouettes for Clove and the friendly man to follow from their adjacent path. They bolt down the funhouse trail to her son’s petite shadow and the monstrous man’s – SWIPE! The shadow shows young Michael’s head getting cut straight-off. THUD – his head rolls on the ground and stops at his mother’s feet. The lights flicker upon his frightened eyes now frozen in time; Clove looks to her son’s severed head in utter shock. The friendly guy now slowly approaches her and looks on in awe. The shadow of the tall man appears – friendly guy notices. The tall man reveals himself and approaches Clove; her new friend grabs a gun from his boot and opens fire – BANG! – BANG! He sends the murderer backwards, stunting him temporarily with the gunfire. He runs over to Clove; she’s beyond frantic. She touches her son’s cheek; it’s still warm and despite the blood pooling from the base of his neck, a pulsating cheek still faintly exists. The friendly guy watches on with horrified compassion. He sees movement from the tall man and sternly says, “We have to go!â€
Clove pleadingly replies, “I can’t – I can’t,†while shivering in shock. Tall man rises up from his back as the flickering strobe lights continue.
“We need to leave now,†he begs of her. He begins trying to pull her away. He sees the tall man getting up and aims his gun, firing – nothing. Click. Click. It’s empty. “Fuck,†he nervously utters. He knows what he must do; he grabs Clove and pulls her off as she kicks and screams. Young Michael’s head lights up amidst the flickering strobes. The tall man’s blood-covered boot turns the corner.
Outside of the funhouse the frantic drunk girl explains to the police officers what she saw at the porta potties; one of the officers runs off to look. Officer Gray, the head officer yells to the streets, “I need everyone to evacuate the premises now!†None of the festival attendees pay him any mind. He turns to a Rookie officer, “Get in the vehicle and drive through the street announcing that there is a killer on the loose.â€
The rookie nervously looks around, “That’ll cause a riot,†he replies.
“They think it’s a fucking joke – can you think of a better way?!†The rookie stares to him briefly pondering and then runs off. Officer Gray turns to other officers, “Get her a blanket.†The soiled college girl shivers as she gazes to the perpetual abyss within her mind. She’s seen too much, fortunate men of war don’t even see the carnage that she has now witnessed and has not signed up for. Human beings aren’t meant to experience this, human beings aren’t meant to kill and murder one and other; this ego of mankind has created an inept hole in the hearts of many, it has skewed the perception and has created monsters – this monster has imprinted his demons upon this young Raggedy Anne-dressed college girl. This monster has imprinted his pain upon a formerly untarnished soul; as this young girl shakes from the scarred memories projected within the frantic irises of her eyes, she’ll forever remember this day – for this is the effect of war – this is what begins when mankind decides to create beasts. More screams are heard from the funhouse and nosy people walk by and gaze upon the tortured young girl as she’s blanketed by the officers.
The friendly man drags Clove behind him through the maze of mirrors in the funhouse. They run through mirror after mirror. He looks for an exit sign. The tall man eerily reflects upon several of the mirrors as he walks, thumping; the sound of his heavy blood-stained boots. The friendly man sees the exit sign thus flocking to it while dragging Clove behind him. They burst through the exit doors and run outside through the crowd of people. “Help!†the friendly guy screams. People are still lined up outside of the fun house – he screams to the worker, “Don’t let them fucking go in there! There’s a killer!†The group in line laughs at him thinking it’s a joke.
The rookie drives the police car through the streets and announces on the loud speaker: There is a murderer on the loose! This is not part of the show or event! Your life is in danger. Leave now!
Most of the people begin to get frantic; families with their young children are the first to run off. The friendly guy gently pulls Clove to the officers in which he begins speaking to. All is tunnel vision for Clove, she can barely stand, her knees are shaking, she’s discombobulated yet filled with unknown rage that is dormant due to the surreal event she had just witnessed – shock beyond shock. All is seemingly a dream to her, the lights are glistening blurs and the crowd’s voice echoes as they’re just scattered pigments of energy. She’s gasps for air and her body now voluntarily notices that she was asphyxiating herself. It’s unbelievable that even despite the tragic event she had witnessed her body’s innate nature to survive kicks in – or something beyond it… possibly a somber vengeance. She walks off in a trance; she sees a female cop directing the crowds of costumed people to exit from the fair. Clove locks eyes with the gun in her holster as she approaches. Bumping into pedestrians, Clove doesn’t take her eyes off of that gun as she makes her way towards it. She quickly grabs it and places it to her head, pulling the trigger – she gets tackled by the officer! BANG! A bullet fires off. Her protector (the friendly guy) and the other officers hear it and immediately turn their attention to it. Crowds flee from the loud gunshots and they try to make their way to Clove. She angrily screams from the ground, “Get the fuck off of me! He killed my son!†she shrieks and repeatedly cries. “He killed my son!â€
“You need to calm down,†the female officer says while wrestling her.
Clove looks up passed the scattering crowd while fighting only to see the tall man venture through the streets. He’s left the funhouse and there’s no fear of being seen. A new purpose fills Clove’s face.
The friendly man sees Clove in the distance and then the leeringly tall man walking through the crowd. “No!†he screams while veraciously shuffling through the mob.
The officer gets the gun out of Clove’s hands. “Who are you after?†she grumbles. People scream in fear of the gunshot. Clove looks to the gun nearby on the ground. The officer looks up to see people now getting slashed by the sickle of the murderer; specifically those not paying attention, too drunk, whatever lack of awareness or stupidity it may be, get harpooned in the back by this killer.
The rookie watches from his car as he sees the man slicing people as he slowly walks; nothing phases this beast of a man, he strides with no fear whatsoever. He seemingly doesn’t even get pleasure in killing, there’s something, an objective but what is it? What could pain this man so much in order for him to murder, to kill all of these innocent people? What provokes this evil?
“Oh my god,†the rookie says in awe with oval eyes.
Clove kicks the officer between her legs and rolls over, grabbing the gun. She quickly rises and aims at the tall man as he drags a young boy from his sickle. The boy screams and cries barely making out any words from the deep fear and pain he’s enduring. Clove briefly second guesses herself due to the possibility of shooting the young boy but opens fire anyway. BANG! BANG! BANG! She hits the beast in the shoulder, the neck, the back – BANG! She misses another time and hits a man attempting to get his family to safety – she doesn’t even notice in her voided rage. She fires until the clip is empty, hitting him in the back and legs; he drops his weapon and the boy attached to it – this is the first sign of genuine distress in this soulless mutant… but he still stands. Clove watches on sickened with the smoking gun. VROOM! The police car zips through with its sirens and WHACK! The car nails the tall villain and sends the man flying into the air; the police car then crashes into a light pole! The pole teeters and falls, shattering onto the ground. Sparks fly everywhere and it then ignites the crumpled hood of the police car; flames engulf the car.
The rookie groggily moves the airbag and climbs out of the car as it burns more and more. He stumbles and holds his ribs; blood drops down from his bare face.
All becomes silent. Clove sees the young boy still breathing; she quickly runs over to console him. She wraps him in her arms. “Hey baby – hey – you’re okay,†Clove gently says with a consoling voice.
“I’m scared,†the impaled boy pleads as tears run down his face; white paint drips, his sheet-wearing torso is covered in blood. He was dressed as a ghost – white face-paint, a white sheet, and black painted eyes.
“There’s nothing afraid of,†Clove says with her motherly love. She wipes the tears from his eyes and unknowingly makes a smudge of blood going down the right side of his fair face, mixing with the black and white paint.
“I’m – I’m – I’m just kid, I don’t want to die – I don’t want to…†the boy barely gets out his last words and finally closes his eyes to rest. Clove stares down to him with tears in her eyes and a definitive look that all is lost. She rises to her feet and walks a few steps. The friendly guy stands
afar and painfully watches. More police and ambulances finally begin making their way into the fair. Clove barely shuffles a few feet and drops to the ground, beginning to hyperventilate. She lets out a murderous scream and cries the last amount of hope from her now truly dead eyes.
Police circle and cover their noses at the stench of corpses within the porta potties. Even the police canines whimper at the smell and sight of the hacked up bodies. Officer Gray fearfully stares while knowing that this will forever taint the small town; blood is on the hands of Merderton and now the name of the town is truly well-suited.
The friendly guy approaches Clove and does the best he can to console her but his voice is just an echo far-far away from wherever she is; in the middle of the finished chaos Clove sits on the hard, cold ground. The streets are littered with fair garbage and scattered bodies. Not only did Clove loose her son but she witnessed the gruesome death of another young boy the very same age as her own son – it’s as if she had relive her son’s death twice; a dual death of innocence. There she sits in the midst of it all: police and ambulances, scattered bodies, crying families, and the opposing Halloween rides and friendly amusements. Clove’s barely alive yet heavily breathing.
Thanks to my father who shared with me concerning this blog, this blog is genuinely awesome.
Thank you! who’s your father?