Family Comes First

Chapter 25: Please Don't Leave

I was overcome with so many thoughts at once that my body went numb. I imagined that my jaw must be hanging open by the concern that was all over Jimmy's face. The only thing I could feel was the bile rising in the back of my throat.

I balled up my fists and I felt the cold meat between my fingers. I had forgotten that it was in my hand. Who was it? Erica, Brittany or Scott? Or maybe it was the other couple?

I dropped the meat on the ground and I got out of the chair. I could not be anywhere near that piece of chopped up carcass lying on the floor. The fact that the plate on the table was full of it made me even more disgusted.

I am the one that cooked that. I have been eating that. It was not like I had eaten it once. That was dinner every night for the past couple of months. My stomach was twisting itself into a knot.

"Julie," Jimmy said softly as he got out of the chair.

I shook my head and the tears started to fall out of my eyes. He looked so hurt, but I did not care. The family was a bunch of monsters, but they are the ones that are supposed to love me. He stepped toward me and I backed up.

"No," I choked out.

"Julie, please," he started to plead.

"No!"

Jimmy stopped walking. He must be shocked by me yelling at him. I jumped when I backed up into the kitchen counter.

"Stay away from me," I sobbed.

"Juliet, you know that we love you," he said.

His voice was more stern and it sounded like he was about to lecture me. He hands out in front of him. He looked like he was trying to approach a wild animal and not scare it off.

"You're all sick," I continued to sob. "How could you do that?"

"Remember all of our other traditions that you have gotten used to," he said. "This is going to be the same thing. I know it's new and scary now, but you're going to get used to it in no time. You've already settled in so well and you have eaten so much of it."

I reached behind myself, but I did not take my eyes off of Jimmy. My hand ran along the counter until I felt the wooden block. My fingers curled around one of the handles and I pulled out one of the knives from the wooden block. I held it out in front of me. The blade shook as I couldn't control my hands to stay steady.

"I want to go home," I said.

Jimmy's eyes grew big as he watched me pull out the knife. I have never threatened him before. I have tried to fight against him before, but my attempts were usually futile. Now that I had a weapon I could pose a serious threat.

"You are home," he said, "and you know that. You are part of this family. You are one of us."

"I am not one of you." I was crying even harder. "I could never do that."

"But you have, Julie," he said. "Think about how much you have been eating. It hasn't bothered you before so don't let it bother you now."

Nausea was overtaking my stomach. I had always wondered what the meat was, but I rarely ever questioned it. I trusted Jimmy. I did not think that he would do this to me.

I started to gag and I ran up the stairs as fast as I could. I could not hear Jimmy following me, but I did not chance it. I ran into the bedroom and then into the bathroom. I slammed the door behind me and I locked it. I covered my mouth until I got down in front of the toilet and began vomiting.

My stomach needed to be cleansed. I had to get every last bit of meat that was in my stomach out. Jimmy was knocking on the door as I continued to be sick. When I was done, I collapsed down on the floor and curled up on my side.