Population Control

Matthew

"You can shoot." I hummed, handing her back the arrow.

She smiled, but it didn't look natural, "Thanks." Really, she wanted to say something like 'no shit, Sherlock', or 'Thanks, Captain Obvious,' but she was Camille, so she didn't.

Walking over to us, Dylan's hands were drenched in rabbit remains. "You know where I can wipe this?" From out of nowhere, Camille produced a cloth.

"Where did you get that?" I asked.

Whilst handing Dylan the cloth, she spoke, "Took it from the house: I thought that if we were going hunting, and we have never been before, it could come in handy." Without her we would be dead by now. When he was done with it, Dylan offered it back. "Keep it." She grinned. Looking at it in confusion, Dylan just stood there, and I took pity on him. After handing it to me, I threw it on the floor.

We were walking back the way we came to the heel of our shoes. Really, if I walked backward my shoes would fit in the indents perfectly. "So..." I started off, "you and Jason..."

She glared at Dylan, "I didn't tell him!" He defended.

"He didn't need to."

Scowling, Camille looked ahead, and I think her footsteps were heavier, "There is nothing to tell."

Leaning back, me and Dylan made eye contact. It was the most blatant of lies. "What about you and Sami, then, hm?" She shot back – smiling, like she'd figured out a deep secret.

"He's straight."

"And I'm a bowl of cereal." Commented Dylan in a flat tone, rolling his eyes.

"Seriously! I think I'd know if he was straight or not. We sleep in the same bed!" I don't tell them about the nightmares he has. Sometimes he gasps awake sweating, other times he's shaking. Somehow, he never shouts. I don't tell them that I hold him through it and whisper everything's going to be OK. Or that he mumbles about wanting to find his parents, or his parents finding him. I've never been to a funeral, let alone tell someone people they care more about in the entire world have left them.

"And it's sickening seeing you two all cuddly and loveable." Dylan mimed gagging.

"If he is gay," Camille gave me a look, "if. He needs to, like, tell me first."

"You think Sami is going to tell you he likes you first?"

I sighed, "I can-"

"So, you admit you like Sami." Observed Camille. Blushing bright berries, I stumbled my steps and almost fell face-first into the soaked ground.

"Hey, Barney, wait up!" I called, jogging the few paces to walk beside him and ignoring Dylan's snort.

Inside the safe and secure compound, Jason was entering the house with a bag full of stuff, and I met Sami's eyes in the window. He brightened when we made eye-contact and so did I. Briskly, he shot up and walked to the door, and I think he told Jason we were back. Rushing over, he opened the gate and it squealed as he used his strength to swing it open. "What is that?" He asked me, looking behind at the two dead rabbits in the wheelbarrow.

"Dinner." I didn't have the heart to tell him they were rabbits.

His hands shaking, he grabbed my wrist pulling me along to catch up with Dylan and Camille. When we did, he didn't let go.

"You went out hunting, didn't you?" Sami asked, and I nodded, "I could never hurt an animal." That's what makes us so different, that's a reason I like you. "I need to talk to you guys... after dinner?" He looked up at me even though he was addressing everyone.

All of us exchanged a look. We were all going, but we were all asking each other if we knew anything. By our confused looks, none of us had any idea. "Yeah, sure. What about?" I asked.

His eyes darted to the back of Barney's head then back to us, "Later."

A bit later, Jason came up to me when we were all in the living room, pulling me away from my comfortable position on the sofa next to Sami with my arm resting on the back of it. "You know why Sami wants to talk to us?" He leant closer, like he was telling me a secret.

Shaking my head I said, "No idea mate. Could be something to do with the radio."

In the room, I starfished on the bed and draped my hands behind my head. "What's up, then?" I looked at him in concern but he avoided my eyes.

"Just..." he started pacing, and we all patiently waited, "I don't- trust it. Here."

"Sami," Jason began, "Not everyone is like the people who raided your house." He was soft with it, tentative, but I don't know how much good his tone did.

Defensive, Sami turned toward him, "I'm not saying they are! But there's something in that basement they do not want us to see." His voice raised and tone sharpened. It was the harshest I've ever heard him.

Like approaching a hurt, wild animal, I edged closer to the boy, "Are you sure?"

But before he could answer, Camille interrupted, "We'll check, then. Tonight. If there is," She glanced at Sami, "then there is, but Sami, I don't think they're nefarious people."

That was how we found ourselves, in the darkest point of the night, dressed in our normal clothes, and myself trying to not jingle the house keys left on the kitchen counter I stole after dinner. After today, hopefully, Sami's nerves will be settled and we can go on as normal, stay a few more days and be off. This has been nice, staying here, but what do I have left in England?

Stalking down the stairs, we went one by one, me having to go first and Camille behind me (next time we should send Dylan).

Slyly, we all snuck down to the entrance in single file, and I lingered outside the door. "What are you doing?" Asked Camille as I stared at the entrance. There wasn't any need to be afraid, right? I mean, they said it was private stuff. It could be a sex dungeon for all I know.

"Nothing, nothing." I dismissed, trying to clear my head.

"Well open the door then. You're the oldest, you go first." She whispered, "We don't know if they'll wake up."

I took a deep breath, "Right, okay then. Here I go..." It took me several tries to get the keys in the locks and to find which key belonged to which lock. But with them finally open, my quivering hands pushed the door which made no sound, but the silence was so overwhelming it was like it foreshadowed something horrendous happening.

There were another set of stairs, and if horror and paranormal movies have taught me anything, is that down those stairs is something to fear. But this was to settle Sami, so I took the first step then sighed when I didn't immediately fall through. Looking back, everyone was following.

Hitting the last step, I smothered the wall for a light switch and caught my hand on smooth plastic, flicking it on. It took a while, but when the light came on, I could not believe it. It was already slightly light, so I barely noticed a difference in the lighting, but it sharpened everything for me.

Again, this is something I do not want to describe, but it's something I'll remember in vivid detail.

Above a metal table was an uncovered light bulb attached to the switch that was illuminating a bird cage. But there was something inside that cage: it was a head. An alive head, with no body, no hands, no heart, but a brain. Then, on another table was pliers, wrenches, an array of knives, and some surgical equipment. Then, hanging on the unpainted, no wallpaper walls, were more cages with more heads all groaning and excited to see human people.

"What the fuck..." I gasped, taking the room in when I didn't want to. However, Camille thwacked my arm pointing to the end of the room, where there was a cage. I don't know how long, but it was there, and it was full of bodies without heads and some still standing with heads clinging to the cage, trying to get to... Leo. He taunted them. Stepping closer to the cage. Stepping away.

"Come on! It's not that hard!" He taunted the Rabids in the cage. We needed to leave. These people were psychotic.