Formidable // Sally Face (2)

F o u r t e e n

Violet's mouth went dry as a harsh wave of realization came over her. That day in the cafeteria...that wasn't PTSD. She was right. For once, being right was the worst possible thing she ever could have done in her life.

"Whatcha looking at, little dude?" Larry asked, coming up beside her. He squinted down at the ring, reading the engraving on the inside of the band. "Oh, fuck..."

She didn't even hear him, nor did notice Sal and Ash come toward her to see what was going on. The memory of the cafeteria played over and over in her head. The sickening smell of that bologna with the smallest hint of sweetness overwhelmed her senses, even though it wasn't there. She knew it then and she certainly knew it now. 

Suddenly, Sal grabbed her face, forcing her to look up from the ring. His voice sounded as though he was underwater. She could hardly understand him, but gathered enough to know that he was telling her to go back to Todd's apartment.

Ash gently put an arm around her shoulders and tried to guide her toward the door. Without warning, Violet was somehow able to snap herself out of it. She stuffed the ring into her pocket and shook Ash's arm off of her.

"I'm not going back," she stated, sending everyone a meaningful glare. "I can't."

"Are you s—?" Ash started.

"Yes, I'm sure."

No one made any further attempts to convince her otherwise. She had the right to be here, even if they all believed it was the worst possible thing she could be doing. Then again, the same was likely true for them as well.

"We need to see what's in that freezer," Sal instructed. "We'll leave immediately after that."

Everyone hesitantly approached the freezer, wincing as Sal prepared to open it. There was no way of knowing what horrors awaited in there, but he had a pretty good guess. He gave Violet a look as if to tell her that she didn't have to stick around to see this, to which she responded with another determined glare. He took in a breath and sighed before finally lifting the door open.

Larry immediately threw up at sight of the contents of the freezer. The others were rather tempted to do the same, but were able to hold themselves together. These people had been butchered. Skin, intestines, eyeballs, and other vital organs had been brutally removed from people's bodies and put into this freezer. 

"We're in way over our heads..." Ash choked out, slapping a hand over her mouth to keep herself from vomiting. "We need to get help."

Larry let out another wretch.

"There are no bones," Sal observed.

"What?"

"There aren't any bones in here," he repeated. "It's all just...meat."

"Probably what the incinerator is for," Violet commented.

Unable to take the gore for another second, Larry reached up and slammed the freezer shut, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Ash is right, we need to get help!"

"From who? The police?" Violet demanded, crossing her arms over her chest. "Fat chance, Larry. We're on our own."

"Every time something happens here, it's covered up," Sal added. "Who knows what else this place has hidden?"

"Then what can we do?" Ash inquired.

"I don't know..."

> > >

After a bit more discussion, the group headed back into the living room to leave. Ash paused in front of the painting of the farm on Packerton's wall and scoffed.