him and started reading, oblivious to Victor’s screams that had just started from the floor below.
Chapter Eight
Joe could not believe he had just struck a monkey in the face. It had jumped up and clawed itself onto Victor’s neck, was just about to draw blood when Joe wound up and threw a heavy right hand. The blow stung his fist and sent it numb, but hurt the monkey more. The primate lay unconscious now on the floor, twitching and staring up at the ceiling like a punch-drunk boxer.
The other three monkeys were already taking its place though and Victor kicked out at them as he struggled to hold the door closed. "Get these bloody things away from me!”
Bill came up behind Joe, pushing the table in front of him. “You help Victor and I’ll get this up against the door.”
Victor continued to kick out at the monkeys in front of him. They hissed and swiped back at him with their blood-stained claws. Joe swung his leg at them, but they moved just in time and Joe found himself kicking his foot through thin air. He lost balance, swinging his arms to steady himself.
One monkey seized on the opportunity and leapt at his arm as though it were a tree branch, clinging on with sharp-nailed hands and feet whilst at the same time wrapping its wiry tail around his bicep. Joe shook like crazy, but the animal stayed put, dug in even harder with its nails. Joe thought he might pass out from the pain, and only just managed to step aside as Bill came up fast with the table behind him, sliding it along the corridor.
“ Out the way!” Bill rammed the table against the door, Victor having to hop up over it. Once on the other side Victor helped Bill push the table tighter against the door. The two of them slammed it hard against the wood and, finally, it closed shut.
Joe screamed out for them to help him. “This thing is gonna rip my goddamn arm off!”
Victor stomped towards Joe, covered in his own blood, with a look of pissed-off determination on his face. He deftly dodged the other two monkeys blocking his path and made straight for the third. The one wrapped around Joe’s arm.
Victor snarled, “Bloody oversized rats,” and suddenly pulled a nasty-looking knife from somewhere on his person as if he were performing a magic trick. “Time to get busy, Martha,” he said to the knife, then, without a moment’s thought, he casually slit the monkey’s throat. It fell limply from Joe’s arm, hit the floor silently, and quivered as blood streamed from its body.
Joe stumbled away, clutching his arm. Weeping gashes covered his flesh, but none seemed too deep to deal with. He looked around the corridor and immediately spotted the other two monkeys. “Quick, we have to get the others.”
Victor shoved Joe back, holding his knife out in front of him. “You two get back upstairs. Me and Martha can handle it from here.”
Joe went to argue, but Bill put a hand on his chest and eased him away. “Let’s get your arm looked at. I don’t have the stomach for this.”
If Joe was honest, he didn’t either, and he avoided looking back as he made his way up the staircase. The wet stabbing sounds and animalistic shrieking was enough to turn his stomach inside out.
Once upstairs, Joe couldn’t stop shaking. Neither he nor Bill talked about what was happening downstairs – or how calmly Victor had brandished a knife – Did he call it Martha? How very psychopath-ish.
I should be thankful of the guy, really, Joe thought. He’s doing a job no one else would want to do. Probably saved my arm too. Still like to know where he got that knife from though. Has he been carrying it the whole time?
Joe had a bad feeling, but it wasn’t worth worrying about for now. He re-entered the seminar room and sat with Grace. Danny, Bill, and Mason were there also. Randall and Shirley sat away from the group – Randall with his head buried in a book. Shirley gazing out of the window. Joe placed his hand on top of Grace’s. “Thanks for
Chapter Eight
Joe could not believe he had just struck a monkey in the face. It had jumped up and clawed itself onto Victor’s neck, was just about to draw blood when Joe wound up and threw a heavy right hand. The blow stung his fist and sent it numb, but hurt the monkey more. The primate lay unconscious now on the floor, twitching and staring up at the ceiling like a punch-drunk boxer.
The other three monkeys were already taking its place though and Victor kicked out at them as he struggled to hold the door closed. "Get these bloody things away from me!”
Bill came up behind Joe, pushing the table in front of him. “You help Victor and I’ll get this up against the door.”
Victor continued to kick out at the monkeys in front of him. They hissed and swiped back at him with their blood-stained claws. Joe swung his leg at them, but they moved just in time and Joe found himself kicking his foot through thin air. He lost balance, swinging his arms to steady himself.
One monkey seized on the opportunity and leapt at his arm as though it were a tree branch, clinging on with sharp-nailed hands and feet whilst at the same time wrapping its wiry tail around his bicep. Joe shook like crazy, but the animal stayed put, dug in even harder with its nails. Joe thought he might pass out from the pain, and only just managed to step aside as Bill came up fast with the table behind him, sliding it along the corridor.
“ Out the way!” Bill rammed the table against the door, Victor having to hop up over it. Once on the other side Victor helped Bill push the table tighter against the door. The two of them slammed it hard against the wood and, finally, it closed shut.
Joe screamed out for them to help him. “This thing is gonna rip my goddamn arm off!”
Victor stomped towards Joe, covered in his own blood, with a look of pissed-off determination on his face. He deftly dodged the other two monkeys blocking his path and made straight for the third. The one wrapped around Joe’s arm.
Victor snarled, “Bloody oversized rats,” and suddenly pulled a nasty-looking knife from somewhere on his person as if he were performing a magic trick. “Time to get busy, Martha,” he said to the knife, then, without a moment’s thought, he casually slit the monkey’s throat. It fell limply from Joe’s arm, hit the floor silently, and quivered as blood streamed from its body.
Joe stumbled away, clutching his arm. Weeping gashes covered his flesh, but none seemed too deep to deal with. He looked around the corridor and immediately spotted the other two monkeys. “Quick, we have to get the others.”
Victor shoved Joe back, holding his knife out in front of him. “You two get back upstairs. Me and Martha can handle it from here.”
Joe went to argue, but Bill put a hand on his chest and eased him away. “Let’s get your arm looked at. I don’t have the stomach for this.”
If Joe was honest, he didn’t either, and he avoided looking back as he made his way up the staircase. The wet stabbing sounds and animalistic shrieking was enough to turn his stomach inside out.
Once upstairs, Joe couldn’t stop shaking. Neither he nor Bill talked about what was happening downstairs – or how calmly Victor had brandished a knife – Did he call it Martha? How very psychopath-ish.
I should be thankful of the guy, really, Joe thought. He’s doing a job no one else would want to do. Probably saved my arm too. Still like to know where he got that knife from though. Has he been carrying it the whole time?
Joe had a bad feeling, but it wasn’t worth worrying about for now. He re-entered the seminar room and sat with Grace. Danny, Bill, and Mason were there also. Randall and Shirley sat away from the group – Randall with his head buried in a book. Shirley gazing out of the window. Joe placed his hand on top of Grace’s. “Thanks for
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