Growl

Bill Maxwell prides himself on his ability to think quickly on his feet, but predicament he found himself in will take his best to maneuver through this one. After all, how often has he found himself tied (naked as the day he was born) to a wooden post, in the middle of the forest? This was something he had never encountered, nor could have imagined, happening to him. For the better part of an hour, (since he regained consciousness), he watched as wolves brought wood to the fire in front of him. One-by-one they came in quiet procession to add to the conflagration. This alarmed him because the flames were growing quite large now. In fact, it was the flames licking his torso that awoke him, and the heat was becoming unbearable. The heat, in turn, was making him very thirsty which probably meant he was in the beginning stages of dehydration. This macabre procession was like something out of a nightmare. If the wolves didn't stop soon the fire would slowly burn him to death.

He was relieved the number of wolves bringing wood started to dwindle and then finally stopped. Perhaps he would see his human captors now he thought. The immediate danger of being burned alive also passed so he finally had time to think about his predicament. He was in Budapest on business. He expected to be here a week but had surprising success with his client so the need to stay evaporated. He was free to fly back to San Francisco at any time.

He noticed the silence of the forest for the first time. The wolves were nowhere in sight, or sound. The only sound he heard came from the crackling of the fire raging in front of him. Then, he started to see people coming from different directions towards the makeshift camp. As they arrived they silently stood around the fire watching him. "Please help me", he pleaded to those nearest, but they remained silent.

***
He was mesmerized by her, while every bone in his body screamed at him to have nothing to do with her, but he was powerless to resist her allure. At first, she was a free spirit. That was all an act and somewhere down in his memory he knew she was a Gypsy. He went to the mini bar in his suite and pulled out two bottles of vodka and downed them unceremoniously. He felt the warmth starting to creep down his body and was actually feeling better about his situation. In a way, she was responsible for her own death, because she really was trying to rob him. He didn’t mean to push her off the steep rock embankment, that was an accident. It was just a “he said, she said”, kind of thing. He picked up his cell phone to check for messages. Might as well earn his living he thought, when there was a knock at his door. Suddenly, that new found confidence to control his situation, took an alarming turn. 

He took a deep breath. It was probably wayward room service, and opened to the sight of four menacing looking men. The one in front had a scar that ran down the side of his temple ending somewhere under his shirt. The air suddenly became oppressive and dangerous at the same time.  He could almost taste it, it was that thick. Quickly and quietly they came in as one and shut the door behind them. Why did he let them in when all he had to do was shut the door? He wouldn't be in this confined area with no avenue of escape. 

They immediately bound and gagged him. The one with the scar told him to keep quiet or they would just hurt him now. He found himself being lifted off the floor and slung over the shoulder of one hell of a giant man. He almost peed himself in the process. He needed to talk about the fact they have the wrong man, but all in all, he knew why they were taking him. It was because of her. How they managed to find him, or her for that matter, scared the hell out of him. Creepier still, they didn’t say a word about her in the trussing process. It was done quietly, business like!

Bill was disappointed to see there were no witnesses to his abduction from his room all the way to the van. The confined space of the van made it a tight fit given the size of his captors. 

“Look, it was just an accident” He blurted out through his gag which made it sound like he was saying “Loop wager dent”. The van came to an eerie stillness as they all looked at him as if to say, “Yes that is why you are here”. He knew then, that they knew. An unspoken truth was just divulged and now he would have to reap that wind. 

Sitting on a makeshift bench across from him, was Scar. Scar looked at Bill, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a knife and leaned forward with it.  He reached behind Bill's ear and cut the gag free, then put the knife away before sitting back as if to have a chat between men. 

“So, you admit to killing our sister! This is good for you, but it will not change your destiny, ... here..., tonight.” He said with a glint of gold catching what little light there was inside the van, off his tooth. 

"It was an accident!” He tried to reassert, like a businessman would do trying to sell his wares.

“The terms are stuck. In just compensation, you will forfeit your life tonight, for hers. The fact you pushed her by accident is not relevant. For you, your suffering will only cease tonight with your last breath. Our law demands your bloodline will suffer until the end of time. That will be sufficient for our justice.” He said without argument.

The van came to a halt in a wooded area somewhere east of the city. When the doors finally opened he was amazed to see a campsite filled around a central bonfire. There had to be at least 15 motor homes and various trailers parked in the large circle with hundreds of people milling about.

He was marched across the enclosure until he came to a stop in front of a non-descript RV. The two biggest brothers pushed him down onto his knees without much effort to await the official family questioning and judgment! As the cabin door opened he noticed that everyone was now standing around awaiting the trial, yet no one spoke and somewhere in the distant night he heard an owl over the roaring of the fire.

Three men stepped forward and stripped the clothing from his body until he was naked as the day he was born. It was obvious now he was in for some painful justice meted out by those directly impacted by the loss of their member. He began to weep uncontrollably at what was about to be. One by one they came to him and smeared red paint over his body in patches of orb-like patterns until he was covered in them head-to-toe. A hush fell once again.

The one with the scar stepped forward and explained the markings. Each one of these represents “a pound of flesh” he stated. 

“You should know that they are not only symbolic but also have value. Those who have a claim to your flesh, for your actions, can barter them in the festival of skin that took place today. You see when we discover one of our own has passed, the family is identified and they get their portion depending on the greater of the loss. They can then sell them, or barter them, to anyone in the clan. This is a complex way to settle financial scores that the loved on leaves behind. Such is our way. These marks are their claim for your crime. It doesn’t take long for the process to break down the bond your skin has to your frame.  Each marking will fall from you until you stand here completely devoid of flesh. You will of course feel every bit of it. Eventually, you will drown in your own vomit. Finally, with each patch of flesh that falls to your feet, one family member will be afflicted with the same fate where ever they may be.” He said authoritatively.

Before he could plead for his wife and daughters, a plate sized piece of skin fell off of his chest causing searing pain. He started to scream uncontrollably. The group around him filled his head with their singing and chanting. One by one the patches fell and eventually Bill succumbed.

***

Brittany sat at her make-up table trying to get ready for her date. Since Dad hadn’t come home last night, as scheduled, she had use of his BMW. It wasn’t out of the ordinary that he didn’t come and go with accuracy. Sometimes business comes up and now she scores with the use of the car another night.  She was applying her lipstick when she noticed a ring-like blemish appear on her forehead. It really began to itch so she reached up to scratch it. When she started to gain some relief from the irritating itch, she felt like her face was on fire. She screamed at the intensity of it causing her to rub furiously at the location to put the fire out. She pulled her hand away from her face and with it came a good portion of skin still attached to her ring, which it snagged on the way out.

She yelled for her mother, who was having issues of her own at the moment.