The only good boy is a dead boy
A long time ago, or not so long ago, depending on your point of view a young boy named Rufus was hunting crabs with his friend...
’Hello Mr Crabface....Look at him, he looks so sad...’ Howard was holding the crab up to his own face as the crab feebly struggled in the grasp of his pudgy, close-bitten-finger nailed fingers. The morning sun glinted off its back as its claws snapped defensively.
The little swamp where they came to play was teeming with life this morning after the strange rainstorm the previous night. The air alive with a myriad of small movement sounds, flutters, tweets, gurgles, rustles.
’Hey...he looks angry...’ Rufus cautioned. Howard had this vacant smile on his face. It wasn’t a child’s innocent wonder, more like someone relishing a small measure of power.
One of the crab’s claws caught him on the nose, pinching deep, bringing an instant flow of blood.
’AaaaHH! Get it off! Get It off! ’ Howard yelped, his hand releasing the crab, who clung to his nose. He slapped at it weakly and hopped on one foot.
Rufus laughed.
Howard was flailing and yelling. He overbalanced and collided with Rufus, and they both went down in the mud. Howard’s knee landed between Rufus’s groin. Sharp pain lanced up and he gasped, forgetting the wet, dirty earth under him.
Howard was leaning heavily on top of him, runny egg breath spewing out, snotty blood dripping down on Rufus’s face. Howard pushed himself up. The crab took the opportunity to release his nose and clattered onto Rufus’s chest. Howard didn’t hesitate, bringing a fist down onto it with a crackling squelch which halted its progress forever. He smashed it again and again, rubbing the mess into Rufus’s shirt.
’Haha..Got you fucker!...mess with the best, die like the rest! ’ Howard crowed victoriously.
He gained his feet, seemingly oblivious to the injury he’d inflicted on Rufus.
Rufus’s breath was slow in returning. He lay heavily in the cold, wet mud, one black eye from the squashed crab on his chest staring at him. He swiped it’s stark accusation away.
’You kneed me in the balls dickface! ’ Rufus told Howard when his breath returned.
’Oh sorry..excuse me but I was being attacked! Look at my nose!..Anyway, it doesn’t count. I didn’t mean to..’
Rufus was outraged.
’Doesn’t count as what? ’
’It ...wasn’t on purpose..it was..an accident..so...It doesn’t count and you can’t get me back for it..’
’Talk shit..It fucking hurt! ’
The boys continued walking their path in sullen silence.
Neither would break it before the other, so they had a stalemate. Until they came to a trail of blood intersecting their path. There was a hill ahead that rose up towards the old Warden house. The trail lead down from there and seemed to cut right into their path, leading straight to the clubhouse they had adopted. It was like a wooden, garden shed, long abandoned, still smelled like fertilizer, but they relished it’s secret nature.
The blood trail stained the grass right up to the door.
The boys had stopped walking simultaneously, stunned.
’Shit a brick and fuck a duck..’ Howard whispered solemnly.
The scene had a raw, primal savagery that stole their breath and widened their eyes. That was real blood. Lots of it. Someone, or some thing was in their clubhouse. The door was half open.
A harrowing wail burst out from the clubhouse, making them jump, followed by a scuffling noise and a metallic clank.
The boys stood rigid, their every fiber telling them to flee, yet they stayed.
’...Boys...Hm? ’ A deep, gravelly voice spoke from within.
’Yess. ’ The voice answered itself. “You’re quite right to be wary..Good boys..I imagine I left somewhat of a mess out there..’
The boys stayed silent, statues of pure fright.
The voice was almost calming, though. Coaxing. Hypnotic.
’Come on boys..Don’t be afraid...My name is Mr Wolf..and I seem to find myself in need of some assistance...How about it?...What a piece of luck this is..You boys believe in luck? I do. Never led me astray. Not once.’
They had involuntarily been creeping closer as Mr Wolf spoke, drawn by the calm, mature cadence.
’Now...this is going to look quite gruesome but you boys can handle it! You’re not a couple of weak kneed girls are you?..No! You’re brave young men! ’
Rufus was feeling very strange, foggy and docile..his mid section was warm and he felt like he was being pulled by it, closer and closer..Unable or unwilling to stop, he watched himself and Howard edge nearer.
It looked like a man.
A man in a suit. He sat awkwardly hunched over his knees on the floor, head bowed, dark hair soaked in sweat clinging to his skull, both his left arm and leg snared in a large, bronze trap, like a bear trap, making it impossible for him to straighten. The glistening teeth punctured his wrist and ankle, binding them painfully in a bloody pinch. The blood was quite viscous and dark.
Mr Wolf hissed as he flinched.
’As you boys can see, this is quite a predicament. .’
Mr Wolf looked up at them, a wry smile creasing his face.
’All I can say boys is, Don’t get married..’
His eyes were like whirlpools, Rufus felt like he was magnetically drawn.
’Well...aren’t you going to introduce yourselves?’ Mr Wolf asked them.
The boys started as though they had been dozing and caught themselves before their heads drooped.
’I’m Rufus Dawes, sir.’
’Roofs and doors? ’
’Ssorry? ’
’Never-mind..and you, boy with the red hair? ’
’I’m Howard Fields, sir. ’
’Hmm...and how does it feel? ’
The stared blankly.
Mr Wolf cleared his throat.
’Well, now that we have the pleasantries out of the way..it’s time for the unpleasantries..I’m going to need you boys to open this trap. ’
’Why? ’The question fell from Howard’s mouth, surprising them all.
’And there it is Rufus, avarice. Rearing it’s ugly head. ’
’I don’t know what that word means, but we don’t know you..who are you? Who did this to you? How do we know we won’t get in trouble helping you? ’
’All fair questions. I have one of my own. Do you have any IDEA how PAINFUL this is?...Take a good look boys.. ’
Rufus looked. The blood was caking. The bloody skin around where the teeth punctured Mr Wolf’s wrist quivered as though in revulsion.
’As to your questions...I am Mr Wolf, as I said..and the person responsible for my current predicament is my dear wife... The details are none of your business...what could you comprehend of the twisted knife of love anyhow?..and lastly we all get in trouble, can’t avoid it..all you can do is make the best of a bad situation. ’
Mr Wolf hissed and gritted his teeth. When he spoke again his voice was more hoarse.
’Speaking of which, now that I’ve answered your questions, how about it? ’
The boys hesitated.
’Shouldn’t we go and get help? I mean..like a doctor or something?’ Rufus asked.
Neither boy relished the idea of trying to pull apart the trap.
’No. No need to get anyone. If you go, you’ll just have to answer a whole lot of questions from curious adults who really should mind their own business anyway. Do you boys feel like wasting your day on explanations?..Or would you rather just open the trap and be on your way? I’ll take care of the rest...’
Put that way, Rufus felt more inclined to do the latter. Howard seemed to agree. Neither boy felt comfortable with the possibility of having to be interrogated when they could just do one thing and walk away.
’Good. Now fetch me two sticks, one fat one and one long one.’
Rufus returned with a piece of wood about the width of Mr Wolf’s thigh. Howard had found an old rake in the shed, the plastic teeth were all broken and faded.
’Give me the fat one Rufus.’
’That’s what she said.’ Rufus sniggered nervously, handing him the stick.
’Ha..Well done.’ Mr Wolf smiled despite his obvious pain.
They stepped forward together, placing their fingers gingerly on the trap. The metal was warm. Mr Wolf lay on his back to get elevation, the trapped limbs dangling above him.
’Okay..Rufus stand there at my feet..take the bottom of the jaw, Howard you stand here at my head, take the top. You’ll pull in opposite directions...take a deep breath boys..’
Rufus closed his eyes, took a breath, gripping the bottom jaw and pulled.
The trap was really tight...then suddenly very loose. It slid out of his grasp.
Rufus’s eyes shot open. Two huge, bronze scarab beetles buzzed around and out the door. He flinched involuntarily.
Mr Wolf sat smiling on the floor, rolling his wrist experimentally.
’That’s much better boys! Thank you! ’
Mr Wolf shifted around, stretching, bending his knee, eventually sitting cross-legged, not appearing to be in any pain.
’Now...I’m going to have to eat one of you...so..who’s it going to be?’
’Sorry?’ Howard asked.
’Don’t be sorry boy, it won’t help, trust me. We are all slaves to our nature. It is in my nature to kill and eat the weak and the young..Now, you boys helped me out of a bad situation, so I’m inclined to be...open-minded. As a general rule my view is.. the only good boy is a dead boy...The only use for a boy child is food...Of course she didn’t agree..I still can’t believe she chose him over me....Things change boys, things change....you’ll find out when you get older..well, one of you will.’
Mr Wolf’s head became that of a wolf.....
