Three Finger sprinted through the woods back to the rundown shack he shared with his brother, Sawtooth, and his sister, Daisy.
He found them sitting together on a bench on the front porch, obviously planning to further corrupt the family tree into a pole.
Three Finger: "The hushband hash gone away, and Rock-shett is alone."
Sawtooth: "So when are we going to go get her?"
Three Finger: "No need to go get her. She ish planning to go hiking in the woodsh thish morning. She will come to ush!"
Daisy: "Is she pretty?"
Three Finger: "Pretty... and ready to breed, and have babiesh with Three Finger!"
Sawtooth: "How is she going to end up here?"
Three Finger: "We will forcsh her to come thish way. Shawtooth take Dog into woodsh and get behind her. Releash Dog when it hash her shent. Dog chashe Rock-schett through woodsh to Daishy, who will lead her to cabin."
Daisy: "Then you finish her off inside the cabin!"
Three Finger: "Take her bootsh and shocksh, then wait for Priesht."
Sawtooth: "I bet he wants her for himself."
Three Finger: "NO! Rock-shette is MINE!"
Daisy: "I want her clothes!"
Three Finger: "After Priesht hearsh her confesshion, go to her houshe. Lotsh of clothsh there."
Daisy: "All MINE!"
Sawtooth: "So what do I get?"
Three Finger: "After babiesh come, you get to gut her like fish. Eat like king! Letsh move! She might already be in woodsh!"
Three Finger was correct. Roxette was already in the woods, taking in all the beauty that surrounded her.
She found beautiful flowers she would someday use to decorate her dining room table when company came.
She heard birds singing their early season mating songs.
She heard insects buzzing, and the scream of a hawk flying high overhead.
She saw all the beauty of nature, wishing that Jeff was there to see it with her.
Suddenly, everything around her changed.
The birds stopped singing. The circling hawk soared away to hunt on a different ridge.
Even the sound of the insects seemed distant and muted.
She listened intently, wondering what could have caused everything to change so suddenly.
And then she heard it - the low-throated growl and hideous snarl of an animal hidden somewhere in the woods behind her.
In an instant she understood the primal fear of helpless prey when confronted by an apex predator.
She started to walk more swiftly, and softly whispered the only thing she could think to say.
Roxette: "Jeff... my love... I need you!"
Daisy jumped off the rock and took off towards the cabin where she lived with Three Finger and Sawtooth.
Daisy: "Come on! It's just over the next ridge!"
Roxette: "I think he's gaining on us. We're never gonna make it!"
Daisy: "What the hell! Are you some kind of city girl? Move that scrawny ass before Sawtooth catches you and rips it off!"
Roxette: "I can't keep up! You go on! Save yourself!"
Daisy: "It's not far! Don't look back! Just run as fast as you can!"
Roxette looked out the window and was startled when Dog leapt against the side of the house, snarling through the glass as if he would tear her to pieces.
Roxette: "ARGHH! He's right there at the window!"
Daisy: "Relax! Nothing gets in or out of here unless we want them to!"
Roxette: "We?"
Daisy: "My brothers and me!"
Roxette: "Do you have any way to warn your brothers about the wolf on the porch? It could kill them if..."
Daisy: "They're not afraid of "Dog."
Whatever Roxette had felt when being chased through the woods by "Dog" was nothing compared to what she felt now.
Roxette: "I've got to get home! My husband is going to be worried about me..."
Her silken, hose-covered legs began trembling as she heard a voice speak to her from the other side of the cabin.
Voice: "Your hushband left thish morning, Rock-shett! You're all alone!!"
Daisy leapt forward and caught Roxette around the neck with one arm while holding her right wrist tightly with her other hand.
Three Finger help up one of the papers Father Joseph had left with them.
Roxette struggled as hard as she could, but all she succeeded in doing was to cause her jacket to come unbuttoned.
Three Finger; "I don't read too good, sho I'll shkip to the besht partsh."
Roxette: "Ackkk Let me go! You're choking me!"
Daisy: "Not today. pretty girl!"
Three Finger: "The thought of shomeone wanting take my shoesh while I am helplesssh is…pretty…umm…eckshiiiting…”
Roxette: "Where did you get that?"
Three Finger: "Priesht brought it. We're going to take your bootsh! Are you getting eckshiited, Rock-shett?"
Roxette: "ARGHHH! HELPPP!!!!"
Three Finger: "I'll take that ash a yesh! Then you shaid, " I would have to be un... un... consh... consh..."
Daisy: "Unconscious!"
Three Finger: "Un... con...shioush..."
Daisy: "That's it!"
Three Finger: "Unconshioush... or dead for anyone to get my shoesh off!"
Roxette: "You wouldn't! You don't know..."
Daisy tightened her grip around Roxette's neck as Three Finger dropped the paper to the floor and grabbed her boot-covered foot.
Roxette landed on the dirty floor of the cabin with a sickening "thud."
Her sock-covered foot came to rest beside the newspaper article that Father Joseph had left for the inbred family to read.
Three Finger: "What now?"
Daisy: "You took one boot, I'm going to take the other. She's about my size. Her clothes might fit me!"
Three Finger: "You need new Clothsh!"
Daisy: "So let me at her!"
Roxette had left her career behind and moved to a small town somewhere in the Adirondack Mountains.
She had hoped that starting a new career in a new town would take her away from the dangers facing her every day in New York City.
Now she lay on a dirty floor in a remote cabin, surrounded by a family of inbred beings - things more beast than human.
Jeff was on his way to Haiti, and wouldn't be back for a couple of weeks.
Thane, Melissa, Lydia, Melissa Two, and Lydia Two were on their way to visit Roxette, but they wouldn't arrive for several hours.
Even when they did arrive, they would have no idea what had become of their beautiful friend.
Father Joseph walked through the door of the cabin, looked down at the helpless woman lying on the floor, and smiled.
Joseph: "Well done, my children! It's time to hear her confession..."
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I am going on a trip for several days, and won't have access to my computer with DAZ on it. I will have a laptop with me, and can comment on the work of others. I will get back on Friday, March 29th.
Until then - this story is...
- - To Be Continued!! - -