Red Vengeance

Chapter 3- Questionable Intentions

   "Why do you always do that?"

   I slowly looked up at Devi, who had one eyebrow raised. I was pinching my nose, trying to avoid the scent of Kevin's body burning. Burning flesh was just so sickening to me.

   "Sabi, how can you seriously not like that smell?" Devi said, taking in a whiff of air. "It's the smell of justice... It means another wrong-doer has been eliminated. It makes me feel a sense of satisfaction!"

   I didn't answer him, I had no idea what to say. I knew what he was saying had to be right, but something about it just seemed off. McAllister was laughing at the fire, as if it was doing something hilarious. If Devi wasn't crazy, McAllister surely was. I glanced over at McAllister and just watched him laugh.

   Finally, after the flames had died down, the three of us returned to the city, leaving the ashes and bones of Kevin Foxx deep underground in the middle of nowhere, as we did with most of our victims. Before Devi and I departed from McAllister, we stopped to say some final words.

   "Well, McAllister, I'm glad we trusted you," Devi said, putting a hand on McAllister's shoulder. I just nodded.

   I was glad we found someone trustworthy, but that didn't make the bad feeling in the pit of my stomach go away.

   McAllister smiled; his smile was so creepy. "I hope I can kill with you again."

   "Of course!" Devi chuckled. "We can call each other up whenever we have new victims."

   After that, I spaced out. I was happy that we were getting revenge for people, and that justice was being served. However, I had the strangest feeling in my gut that something was wrong. Not just in my gut, but in my heart as well. What was I doing? Was our interpretation of justice correct?

   When Devi and I were finally alone again, Devi looked at me and must have noticed I was in deep thought.

   "Hey, man... you okay?"

   I snapped out of my trance and looked at my friend. The street lights were shining through the car windows onto his face, making his eyes look dark. He was driving; we had dropped McAllister at his apartment. I smiled at Devi.

   "I feel great."

   Devi seemed satisfied with my answer. "Me too. That guy really deserved what we did to him."

   I just smiled and nodded.

   Hours later, we were back in our own hometown. We went straight home, to the apartment he and I shared. I was too tired to say much the entire way home, so it was pretty much a silent trip. When we got into our apartment, I went straight to bed without saying much to Devi at all.

   ---

   Things were okay for several months. Devi and I would avenge people, no one would find out, and so on. I didn't make any new friends, Devi didn't either. McAllister kept in touch with us, though Devi was usually the one who did the communicating with him. Devi and I only spoke to each other and McAllister; almost like our little group and what we were doing was all we cared about. I knew for a fact it was all Devi and McAllister cared about. But even so, things were different from when they first started out. I felt like our original intentions had faded away, like it didn't matter anymore.

   In the beginning, we only raped and killed those who truly deserved it. As time went on, our standards got broader and broader. It felt like were just killing more and more people, whether they really deserved to die or not. I liked the idea of reaping vengeance on all the wrong-doers, but was it right to rape and kill them? I just didn't know anymore. I used to think we were doing the right thing, but now, Devi and McAllister seemed to be getting too into it. I was now fully convinced they were both insane.

   Or maybe I was insane. Either way, it didn't seem right anymore. However, I continued to go along with it, just waiting for the day that we got caught and thrown in prison, only to be later put on death row.