Necrocide

Chapter 21

The five Deadmen quietly trekked through the forest, Kyle leading the group. Aaron followed behind him, his shoulders slouched due to fear of seeing Bloodletter again. Harry stayed at the back to watch over Edgar and Jade.

"So why does he want to see me again?" Aaron asked.

"He told me he had a question or two for you," Kyle replied, staying focused on what's in front of him. "And that you had a few for him, too."

"Are you sure he's not just trying to kill me?"

"It depends. He rarely kills Deadmen unless they piss him off or try to harm other Deadmen."

"Didn't I piss him off yesterday when I ran off?"

"That pissed me off, too, Aaron!" Harry chimed in. "I wanted the four of us to hang out."

"We were planning on exploring the Dead Zone, man," Jade added. "But then you dipped."

"Well excuse me for not wanting to die," Aaron replied sarcastically.

Kyle parted a curtain of leaves hanging off a tree, revealing an empty field of dead grass. Bloodletter stood in front of him, facing toward the rest of the open world. Mutilated corpses littered the ground around him in a sea of blood and entrails. He held his mask down by his side, the red X facing them.

"Jade, Harry, keep watch on Edgar and make sure he doesn't see anything that's about to happen," Kyle whispered to the others.

Aaron gulped fearfully. "You sound like I'm about to be executed."

"It's not that. We don't like showing the children the carnage."

"Why the hell does that matter? He's gonna eat it anyway."

"Lemme explain it to you this way. Do you know what steak is?"

"Of course," Aaron replied, slowly raising his eyebrow. "Do you know what steak is?"

"Not exactly. Bloodletter told us about it one time. He says it comes from something called a cow, but just like with humans, it's more humane but very messy if you kill it before you eat it."

"That's enough, Carl," Bloodletter interrupted, not bothering to look back at them. "Thank you for bringing O'Connor to me. You can have some of the entrails as a reward."

"Thanks, sir," Kyle replied, picking up a dismembered hand from the ground. He hid it in the pocket of his hoodie. "And my name is Kyle, by the way."

Kyle turned back and patted Aaron on the shoulder for good luck. He disappeared behind the curtain of leaves with the others, leaving Aaron alone with the most dangerous creature in all of England.

"O'Connor," Bloodletter spoke, still facing away from him. "Tell me. Why do you think there are Abnormal Deadmen?"

Aaron gulped. "Because life isn't fair."

Bloodletter chuckled. "Clever. And believe it or not, you're partially correct. Life isn't fair. That's exactly what all of the Abnormals thought right before they turned. The only difference is that they remember that life isn't fair, even after they've returned."

"Why don't Commoners remember their past?"

"Because they don't care about it. Once they turn, all their brain wants them to do is reclaim their humanity. However, if it wasn't obvious from the constant bloodshed and consumption of flesh, they take their mission too seriously."

"Then why do you kill humans?"

Bloodletter slowly tilted his head to the side, his lifeless left eye aiming at Aaron. "Because I don't need to kill to eat. I kill to fulfill my purpose."