The Black Farm Read online

  Peter had given me a bandage from his pack that I wrapped around my bloody ribs. Thankfully the skin had barely broken, despite the nasty bruising. I pressed my hand against the wrap, exhaling through my teeth. It sure made walking painful.

  As we marched through the miles of silent woods, I found myself thinking about what I had done. More specifically, about the voice that had spoken to me from the back of my mind. That cold, violent voice. After the blood had dried, it retreated back to wherever it had come from, leaving me stunned at the ease in which I had murdered the Suicidals.

  You’re surviving; you did what you had to, I thought. Aren’t you tired of being a victim? Not just of others, but of the restraints put on you by moral decency? This place is different. The rules are different. There are no repercussions for what you did.

  Murder without accountability. The thought was terrifying…and disturbingly wonderful. I was in a place where the strongest sat on the throne. I was in a world where brute force was the only police. If I didn’t like something, I had the freedom to eliminate it.

  And that’s exactly what I had done.

  I realized I was smiling.

  Whatever you are, feel free to come back, I urged, sending the thought deep into my recesses of my mind.

  I never left, Nick.

  I adjusted the ax on my shoulder and hurried after Peter, now a couple dozen paces in front of us and urging speed. We were close to exiting the forest.

  And then we’d reach The Barn. I realized I didn’t know what to expect once we got there, what was expected of me. The thought of being in the same room as The Pig sent worms of unease squirming in my stomach. The Pig: the creator of all this suffering and violence, the head of this infectious, rotting corpse of a place. The mouth that breathed hideous life into the Pig Born and set them free to torment us, the Suicidals.

  And you’re going to pledge your allegiance to it.

  I shook my head. No, I was doing whatever I had to in order to save Jess. Convince the Hooves of the Pig that I was one of them, gain access to the basement, and pray I could get her out of there…if that’s indeed where she was.

  What if she isn’t?

  I shook the thought off like clinging beads of poison. Why would Trent and Kevin lie? I had to believe them. I didn’t really have a choice. I wondered if they were making progress on the raft. Did they really think the Black Farm ended beyond the ocean? And what if it did? Would they be able to make it past the Keepers?

  They told you to return and join them once you find Jess.

  I stepped over a log and thought hard about that. I was so focused on rescuing her that I hadn’t given much thought on what I would do after. Were Trent and Kevin right? Was that the way out? Sail the black ocean to the ends of the horizon? What would we see?

  It’s not a bad option. It’s not like you have another plan.

  In truth, I didn’t. We could run, hide away in the forest and hope the Pig Born left us alone. I snorted. Fat chance of that happening. It seemed like no matter what, they would find us, hungry to torment our existence. How long would we last in the forest? Hours? Days? We would eventually be caught and either be dragged away or murdered.

  You can’t die again once you find her.

  The thought almost made me stop in my tracks. If I died I’d be reborn from the clouds somewhere else, possibly miles from her. And in that time, what if she was taken? I couldn’t lose her again. I had to stay alive.

  I tightened my grip around the ax.

  Everything from this point on is an obstacle. Do what you have to. You’ve already been judged.

  One of the old men behind me tripped and cursed, picking himself up from the foliage, and brushed off his dirty robes. Peter stopped and turned around. He sighed and came to us, putting a hand on my shoulder.

  “We’re almost through. Anthony, pull yourself together. You represent The Hooves of the Pig now.”

  “Sorry,” Anthony mumbled, adjusting the cloth.

  Peter shook his head. “Just keep your heads held high and mouths closed. When we get there, leave the talking to me unless instructed otherwise. And don’t go into hysterics, we’ll be surrounded by Pig Born. They know who we are, they see the robes you wear. They’re not going to hurt you unless you give them a reason to. So stay smart.”

  We all nodded. Satisfied, Peter turned and we continued. It wasn’t long before we broke the tree line, stepping out of the dense gloom into the rain. I pulled my hood up and forced myself to remain calm.

  The Barn stood before us, an industrial behemoth. The smoke stacks rising from the roof carved the sky and vomited heavy lungfuls of thick black haze. Panels of steel patched the immense walls, stained with dirt and rust. Extending towards the heavens were the two monstrous creatures, the hairless snake-like worms that squirmed and slithered along the length of the ventilation towers.

  As we crunched through the dead grass toward The Barn, I watched in disgusted fascination as one of the creatures lowered its bald, elongated human head and began to gag out a new Pig Born. The new life rolled from the jaws in a mess of slime and mucus. It crawled to its feet and let out a roar of elation.

  Another monster to hunt us, I thought grimly.

  Drawing closer, I looked to my right at the long concrete building I had first been contained in. The place I had been given my choice. Stay or feed The Pig. How many were in there right now being forced to make that same choice?

  As we passed the faceless construction, I watched as a woman stumbled from the exit, her eyes wide and shaken. She looked like she was in her forties, a terrified expression creasing her worn face. Peter ignored her, leading us closer to The Barn.

  Still walking, I turned my head and watched the woman sprint for the woods. A roar cracked the sky and I spun my head to see the newly created Pig Born charge her. The woman shrieked in terror, begging for help and scrambling for the tree line. She wasn’t going to make it.

  I suddenly had an itch to help her. I knew what she was going through right now…what she was about to be exposed to. Torment. Suffering. Death. Endless helplessness.

  Not your problem, Nick. She made her choice, just like you.

  “Dumb bitch,” I muttered, turning my back to her screams as the Pig Born fell on her. The words immediately soured on my tongue and I winced at my own coldness.

  Your humanity only holds you back from getting what you want. You had to learn that the hard way. No one saved you from Muck. No one rescued you as he slowly stripped all decency from your mind and body. Why should you save her from whatever choices led her here? Let her bleed. Jess is the only thing you can afford to care about. Destroy everything else.

  The woman’s screams soon escalated to quivering agony, but I let the rain wash it away. Why bother to be a good person here? Why hold on to morals and compassion? What good would that do me in this place? What good had it done while I was alive?

  If you had shown more compassion to what Jess was going through after your son’s death, maybe you wouldn’t be here. Maybe if you cared as much for others as you did yourself, you’d still be alive.

  I clenched my teeth.

  “Jesus, make up your fucking mind,” I muttered.

  Ahead of me, Peter turned and cocked an eyebrow. I shook his inquiry away, adjusting my hood to shadow my face more.

  We marched to the gates of The Barn, twin doors of immense size. Peter led our sorry party to the side where a smaller entrance awaited us, hidden by a swath of rust and grime. He pushed the door open and immediately I was hit by a blast of heat. I felt the two old men gasp behind me and I didn’t blame them. It was sweltering and I slowly lowered my hood, looking around as Peter led us inside.

  We were in a small antechamber filled with Pig Born who turned to stare at us with hungry eyes. The floors were coated with a layer of filth that stunk like the worst kind of decay, and the area was lit by low-hanging bulbs that swayed on naked strings a dozen feet overhead. Another pair of doors blocked our passage and P
eter shuffled toward them. I huddled close to the other two in our party and heard my knuckles crack around my ax handle. The Pig Born leered at us, a gross ensemble of gurgling noise. Bloated tongues ran over broken teeth and mucus ran freely down contorted faces.

  “They’re going to kill us,” one of the old men hissed fearfully.

  “Shut up,” I instructed, fear coiling in my gut. “Don’t look at them, don’t acknowledge them. Remember what Peter said. We wear the robes; they won’t harm us.” The words felt like a lie and I scraped them from my tongue.

  “There’s so many,” the other hooded man whispered. “Oh god, this was a mistake.”

  I turned and shot him a hard look. “Just stay cool. If you go into hysterics, I don’t think even Peter can save us.”

  As if summoned, Peter was suddenly before us, the Pig Born parting to idle in the corners of the room. I felt like I could breathe slightly easier.

  “Ok, we’re next,” Peter said, face flushed. “Just be still and stay calm until we’re allowed entrance.”

  “What’s behind those doors?” I asked already knowing the answer.

  Peter’s eyes turned cold. “The Pig.”

  The two older men shared a look of pure fear. Peter rested a reassuring hand on their shoulders and leaned in, muttering words of strength to his soon-to-be Brothers. I stepped out of their circle and leaned against the wall, calming myself.

  Suddenly I felt someone tap my shoulder. I turned and found myself staring at Danny.

  “I really am getting sick of seeing your face,” he said, extending a hand.

  I looked down at it, “What, you suddenly want to be pals?”

  He rolled his eyes, “The ax, jackass, give me your ax. No one goes to see The Pig armed. Not even me. Hand it over.”

  I gripped it protectively.

  He sighed, “You’ll get it back when you’re done, fucker.”

  Reluctantly, I surrendered it to him. He turned and collected the rest of our parties weapons, hiding a sneer at their obvious fear. When he had taken everything, he went and dumped them in a box by the door. I made sure to note the location.

  “Going to bend the knee today?” Danny asked, walking back to me. Peter and the other two were still huddled away from me in what I could only assume was prayer.

  I focused back on Danny. “I have no problem pledging my allegiance to The Pig.”

  Danny threw his head back and let out a cackle, “Yeah, right! How long do you think they’ll buy into your bullshit? Huh?”

  I shot a look at Peter to make sure he was out of earshot, then back at Danny. “Oh Jesus, not this again. Why do you have such a problem with me going through with this?”

  “Because there’s just something about you that I fucking loathe, Nick.”

  I crossed my arms, unfazed. “Yeah, we’ve been over this. Well, let me tell you something, Danny, because I’m getting sick of your mouth.”

  Danny stepped closer, almost nose to nose now, “Oh yeah? And what’s that, tough guy?”

  “You’re afraid of something,” I whispered.

  Danny didn’t move. “What do I have to fear? I own this fucking shit hole.”

  My eyes narrowed, “Really? Do you own the Eyes of the World?”

  His reaction was immediate. Danny stepped away from me, his face a blanket of shock.

  He blinked and then quickly tried to mask his surprise, shaking his head and forcing a smile back onto his lips.

  “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  I advanced. “Well, why don’t you enlighten me then. You sure seem to know what I’m talking about, judging by the way you almost tripped over yourself just now.”

  Danny jabbed a finger in my face, growing hostile. “Leave it alone. Do not talk to me or anyone else here about that shit. Do you understand? Fuck, what am I worried about? You don’t even know what you’re saying.”

  I grinned, “I know that it comes from the mountain. I’ve seen the lights. What are they?”

  Before Danny could answer, a scream erupted from the other side of the doors. It sounded male, but it was pitched so high it was hard to tell. I felt my mouth grow dry as the shriek continued, a belting howl of absolute agony.

  The anger melted from Danny’s face and he smiled at me, a cold, slimy twist of the lips, “Oooooh…sounds like someone is feeding The Pig.”

  An icicle of sweat formed along my spine. “What the hell…”

  The screams continued, slightly muffled but in obvious anguish. Peter and the other two had their eyes closed as silent offerings fluttered from their lips. They were clearly shaken and I felt the same terror roll through me as well.

  I had never heard another human being make such awful sounds.

  And it kept going…and going…

  Danny just watched me, that sick smile still staining his face.

  “Pretty unsettling, isn’t it? Trust me, once you’ve heard it a couple times, it loses its impact.”

  I said nothing, trying my best to mentally block out the shrieking. I could tell it was getting to me, worming its way deep inside my mind. It reminded me of the way I had screamed when Muck raped me.

  Mercifully, the screams were suddenly cut short and I shivered with relief. I realized I had been holding my breath and I let it out like air from a balloon.

  Danny placed a hand on my shoulder. “You ok?”

  I shrugged him away, disgusted by his touch. “Let’s just get on with this, yeah?”

  Danny smirked and motioned to the Pig Born in the corners of the room. They all looked at him as one and he waved them to go inside. Grunting, they obeyed, pushing the twin doors open and disappearing beyond them.

  “Clean up duty,” Danny said casually. “Sometimes The Pig makes a mess. And it doesn’t like that.”

  Peter approached us, head bowed and hands folded. “Hello, Danny. Are we almost ready?”

  Danny rolled his eyes. “Everyone is so impatient today. Yes, give them a minute.”

  I curled my hands into fists and then released them, the repetition forcing my nervous energy into action. I had no idea what I was walking into, what this ceremony of allegiance entailed. I just wanted to get it over with and get back to the Temple where Jess hopefully awaited rescue. A very small part of me itched to retrieve my ax and see how many of these bastards I could lay waste to until I was cut down. I shook the lingering thought from my mind and reminded myself that I had a plan to stick to. Still, I hated the waiting. Possible scenarios and horrors ran through my mind unchecked and I concentrated on shutting them out and squeezing my fists.

  Danny took notice and snorted, “Jesus, relax.”

  “First time meeting a godly entity,” I said, trying to ignore him. I could hear something massive shifting its weight behind the doors, thunder striking concrete that sent shock waves through my legs.

  The two old men were lost in prayer, great beads of sweat rolling down their faces in nervous terror. A muffled squeal echoed beyond the walls, something animalistic and undeniably not human.

  “Doesn’t sound too happy,” Danny mused, “must not have enjoyed their taste.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked against my better judgment.

  “I think The Pig just sent some poor bastard to Hell,” Danny grinned, teeth shining.

  I exhaled slowly and squeezed my fingers into fists, focusing on the slight pain my nails caused as they dug into my skin.

  “Who’s in there with The Pig?” I finally asked, breaking the silence. “I thought you were in charge of the new Suicidals?”

  Danny nodded, “I am. But there’s a lot of you fuckers. You really think I do this alone? Shit, I see a lot of you assholes, but I can’t get to everyone. I have help.”

  “Who?”

  Danny shot a look at Peter who cast his eyes to the floor. “Members of the cult you’re about to join. High ranking members who have shown their loyalty to The Pig. True loyalty.”

  I didn’t like the way he said the last par
t and I quickly followed Peter’s gaze to the floor. The last thing I needed was for him to catch on that I was bullshitting this whole thing. Even a seed of doubt could make things incredibly difficult and I mentally ripped Danny’s tongue from his mouth.

  I jumped as the doors opened with a loud creak and the Pig Born filed out, eerily silent. They went and stood back in the corners of the room, not looking at anything and remaining oddly still.

  They’re terrified, I realized. Scared shitless of their own maker.

  Danny waved an arm at us towards the open doors. “Shall we?”

  Trembling, the two old men linked hands and offered me one which I ignored. Peter nodded to the three of us and turned to Danny.

  “Let us begin.”

  Danny walked us through the doors and I heard them close behind us as we entered the room.

  Immediately, my breath was robbed from my lungs and replaced by a choking heat that threatened to sear the inside of my throat. I coughed and blinked in the haze, raising my eyes to the scene before us.

  I felt my bladder tighten as the room swam into focus beneath the thick humidity. Twin furnaces blazed in the far corners of the room, roaring infernos that licked between coal black grates. A heavy smoke billowed out of the great iron contraptions and rose toward a ceiling high overhead that was hidden beneath a layer of swirling darkness.

  But my eyes barely registered that, as they instead fell upon the sight in front of us.

  The Pig.

  It was titanic in size, an enormous mass of rolling flesh that loomed before us like a living, breathing nightmare. Its head was the size of a bus, its jaws cracking around teeth the size of steak knives. Its eyes met our own, twin black pits of ebony ink. Fresh blood leaked from its chin and dripped onto the floor, licked quickly by a long, gore-stained tongue that shot from its mouth like a skinned serpent.

  It stomped in place, an impatient gesture that sent an earthquake through my feet and up my legs.

  I explored its body with bloodshot eyes and saw something growing out of its ribs. Jutting from either side of its ribcage were fleshy tubes that extended outward towards the walls of The Barn. They pulsed and shook with life and I shuddered as something moved from inside one of the long coils, slowly pushing toward the walls.