cannibal
7/22/09

-- it sputtered and choked lying on the cold hard ground, the solidified spit in its throat smothering it, suffocating it while the drool, dribbled down the side of its mouth, hung like icicle fangs in the first frost of winter. ghastly eyes so dark and dank even the stars refused to shine in them rolled into the back of its head as the body convulsed once once twice five times three times

hurts make it stop make it stop it hurts it hurts it

then jerked violently to the left, its forehead thudding on a gnarled tree root. the eyes went weak and almost lifeless as the frigid wind tousled thin colorless strands of hair clinging half-heartedly to its scalp.

a moment later, a minute later, an hour later it stirred, its almost rotting fingertips moving in indiscriminate and jarring motions. the eyes twitched quickly left and right as slowly, feebly a hand came to rest by the head, pushing down with an uncertain pressure into the sticks and stones and sheet of ice in order to lift the head from the ground.

its heavy so heavy so heavy so

time passed with moments and minutes merging uncomfortably into one another, until it was sitting on the cold cold ground with thin diluted blood rushing to its head, its heavy so heavy so heavy, and black blurring the edges of its frail and strained vision. and then the sickness, first an awkward knot in the stomach and then a taste in the mouth so bitter and revolting – spit it out spit it out spit it OUT – the eyes were sent in spasms as the world around it spun.

a noise in the distance like bushes’ branches scraping and then a crash, a thud, a, a something – leaves rustling, crumpling with weight and the sound of stones skittering across the frost-bitten ground. a moment later, a yelp.

its eyes stared straight ahead, impassive and listless, as the something fell fell fell towards the ground trailed by a thin bloody line.

a, a bi- bir- bird its a bird what’s a bird doing here why is it here a bird a bird a bird

it put its fingers to its throat, its hoarse and dry throat. “bi—“ the vibrations were weak and wavering but it could feel them it could feel them it could feel them underneath the paper-thin skin bird bird bird bird bird “bi— brr— brrrrrrrrr— “ the sound carried for an instant then fell flat, a fleeting memory.

it moved then, its actions with hasty purpose but performed only slowly and jarringly. onto all fours, fingers and toes clawing the ground, right hand out, good, support the weight... now drag the leg forward, pause, left hand, support, other leg, pause.

and then it reached the creature, a skinny thing, with tanned feathers and a black mask around its eyes and beak and a yellow-tipped tail. there was a deep gash in its underbelly where a sharp, pointed stone was stuck.

bird bird bird its hand twitched then shot forward, stroking the thing, caressing it caringly. it was smooth to touch and its eyes softened as its fingers almost lovingly removed the rock from the wound. cedar waxwing it thought, coherent thoughts flooding its mind for the first time in days, months, weeks, years. cedar waxwing, bombycilla cedrorum, eats fruits and insects, saw one out in the woods once with mom and dad — and then the pain, the pain, so poignant and piercing

my head my head it hurts it hurts it hurts make it stop stop stop that nothing else mattered except to make it stop make it stop make it stop stop stop

“” the voice was raspy, but it couldnt make out the words. “huh, are you listening to me?” its eyes snapped upwards, searching for the source of the sound. “i said put it down, huh”

and then a body was on top of it, grabbing at the bird it hugged so defensively to its chest it gave me memories but the pain, the searing pain in its head hurt so bad bad bad – but then the bird was gone, and the body, with one knee on the ground, held the bird and wrung its neck with a satisfying snap.

“food is scarce to come by, huh” it gave a nervous gulp. “cant have you eating the only food ive seen in days, huh” and it stuck its brown teeth into bombycilla cedrorum’s underbelly, ripping the meat off the bones, blood dribbling down the chin. smack smack smack went the lips.

it paused, watching with horror in its eyes, then launched itself at this new body, this new body with raw meat stuck between its terrible rotted teeth, kicking and tearing at it with its dull fingernails. but, but this new body was stronger or better fed, and wrestled it to the ground, hands pressing its shoulders down and legs around its thighs.

“kid, im hungry, so hungry” devil-eyes stared into its own, devil eyes wide with abandon and delirium. “its been so long. so long since, since It happened” a dribble of drool slipped from the devil’s chin, sliding slowly to fall and pool on its frightened face. “the people, the people are gone. all gone. there’s no one left, no one no one no one, no people, no food, nothin, all gone gone gone” a breathless pause, a tension that could slice through skin. “but you —“

the devil lowered its face, sniffing wildly at its skin, running a weathered hand roughly across its cheekbones. “you —“ their lips roughly met, and the devil’s hand groped downwards. a grunt, then, breathlessly: “youre real” the devil brought its lips down again almost desperately, its whole maggoty body pressing hard against the other’s. the demon forced its foul tongue into the other’s mouth

stop stop who are you stop i dont know you i dont know who you are stop stop stop

while fiendish hands entwined in thin, limp strands of hair.

a minute of silence, then a low groan. another soundless, breathless minute while hands wandered, groping and fumbling and –

“fuck, kid, the hell did you –“

then there was blood, blood drip drip dripping from the devil’s chin like raindrops, stinging its eyes as it lay beneath the beast. breathing heavily, it brought a knobby knee up hard against the devil’s groin. the devil doubled over, spewing spit and phlegm and blood. grabbing the beast by the scruff of its torn tattered shirt, it bashed the brute’s head into the ground –

smack smack smack smack

and with each slap of its hand the thing’s face became more bruised and bloody.

why did you what did you do to me it hurts it huts it hurts, the pain returned in its head, so sharp, so acute, it hurts it hurts stop stop stop

smack smack smack smack

how long was it there, moments or minutes or hours, it didnt matter as long as the satisfying smack of bone against flesh still cut crisply through the chill winter air.

“bir, brrr, brrrrrr – “ it couldn’t speak, the sounds shriveled up, but the words were coming, they were coming, “bir, bir birrrrrr!”

“huh, whats that kid?” the beast croaked, peering out through black and blue and bloated eyes. “you want your birdie, huh. well it made a fantastic meal, the best ive had in months” – a smirk with swollen lips – “there might be some left between my teeth if you want a bite, huh“ and then it cackled, a harsh and grating sound that rattled its bones.

a howl, then, a feral noise full of rage and torment. screeching, fingertips clawed forward at the devil’s flesh, tearing through skin and ripping through meat, mauling the cadaver even after its last foul breath had passed.

and then, and then the hunger hit, a dull ache, yes but one it felt all over its ill and diseased body, throbbing throbbing throbbing even in its brittle bones. it lifted its head

its heavy so heavy so heavy so heavy

and searched with its eyes, finally picking out a devil’s severed hand with almost casual indifference. fingers like matchsticks traced the lines of the palm and then it brought the hand up to its face, its nose, its lips,

a tongue delicately wiped the blood from the frangible skin that loosely covered the carpals, the metacarpals and the phalanges.

and then a dribble of blood rolled down its chin as teeth bit into the decaying flesh.