"some lunatic ... tore out his heart ... fucking blood everywhere ... shit doesn't happen here ..."

broken voices.

'am i dead?'

i moved my finger.

'shit. not dead.'

i opened my eyes.

still darkness, but something was pushing on my face.

i could feel cold.

steel?

i moved my hand.

plastic?

my mind was clearing.

my chest felt like a truck was sitting on it.

bullets.

cops.

shot.

amanda.

poor girl.

even if she was a little freaky, she didn't deserve what happened to her.

"want to see the freak?"

a man's voice.

"yea. really."

sounds like a teenage girl.

a body bag.

my mind is clearer now.

i am in a fucking body bag.

"now don't freak out," the man said.

"he is a fucking mess. bullet holes and blood everywhere."

"will you get in trouble for this?"

the zipper to the body bag began to open.

"no. no one is here this time of night."

fresh air and ...

pot.

the little fuckers were smoking dope.

i closed my eyes.

"ready?"

i heard the girl giggle.

i felt cool air rush over my body as the bag was opened wide.

"where is the blood?"

i felt a hand touch my chest.

i grabbed it and opened my eyes.

"what the fuck?"

it was a young man, maybe early 20s.

i turned to the girl.

she fainted.

i punched the young man in the face.

he went down immediately.

"wimp," i snickered, as i got out of the body bag.

it was cool.

i looked down.

i was naked.

i looked at the young man.

he looked to be my size.

5 minutes later, he was in his underwear on the floor.

the clothes did fit pretty good.

not my style, but it would do.

my body was pretty much healed.

still some pain but nothing i couldn't handle, given the shit i had been through lately.

there was another body in the morgue.

at least i assumed it was a morgue.

i pulled back the sheet.

it was amanda.

her chest was torn apart from the bullets i had put in her.

i kissed her lips gently.

they were cold.

dead.

"sorry, kid."

i covered her up.

there was nothing else i could do.

i looked at the two on the floor.

i could rip their hearts out and build up my strength.

i could.

but i wouldn't.

they had no part in this. just stupid kids.

at least they would have one hell of a story to tell.

i had to find magissa.

a vision filled my head.

my sister's house.

"shall we see who is home?"

magissa's voice.

"leave my sister and her family out of this."

"or what, jackie?"

i headed out the door of the morgue.

i was in a basement of some sort.

this was not a morgue.

it was a funeral home.

i headed up the stairs.

the upstairs was empty.

i went to the front door.

locked.

"fuck this."

i kicked the door open.

outside i looked around. i needed a familiar site.

"fucking walmart."

i needed a ride.

the young mans keys were in his pocket and there was only one vehicle in the parking lot.

"a fucking volkswagon. probably standard."

i opened the door.

it was.

another vision.

magissa at my sister's front door.

with gears grinding, i finally managed to get the shit-box car moving.

~~~~~

it took 15 minutes to get to my sister's.

i parked down the street and walked back.

it was late and nearly all the houses were dark, except my sister's.

the front door was open.

my sister was in the hallway, face down.

there was blood everywhere.

there was no need to check her out.

i knew what i would see.

i stepped around the blood.

i looked into the living room.

my brother in law was in a sitting position in front of the couch, eyes wide open.

chest wide open.

"fuck."

the kids.

i hurried through the house to the stairs that went to the upper floor.

the first bedroom door was open.

i reached for the light switch.

the room was empty. the bed undisturbed.

my nephew, james, must be spending the night out at friends.

i turned to the bedroom across the hall.

it was open too and i could see a light.

"is someone there?"

my niece's voice.

i hurried into the bedroom.

she was lying on her back, on the bed.

a bloodied sheet covered her.

she turned to me.

"uncle jack?"

i fought back the tears and vomit, as i knelt by her bed.

she started crying.

"what is happening, uncle jack? a woman. she came into my room."

she looked down at the bloodied sheet.

"look what she did to me, uncle jack."

i didn't need to pull back the sheet. i knew what i would see, but i did not understand how she was still alive.

"she said i was a gift for you, uncle jack. what did she mean?"

"i don't know, kelly."

the tears were flowing.

i couldn't help it.

she was only 14.

magissa's face filled my head.

"pull back the sheet jack. i left a gift for you."

kelly's eyes were closing.

"no, kelly, stay with me."

her eyes fluttered, but didn't open.

i pulled back the sheet.

"you fucking bitch."

i could see kelly's beating heart.

her chest was ripped wide open.

"eat, jackie. young heart is so tasty."

i heard kelly gasp.

the heart stopped.

"eat now, jackie. before it goes bad."

she was laughing at me.

i covered kelly again and stood up.

i could hear magissa laughing.

"not hungry, jack kincaid?"

"i am going to kill you bitch. i am going to rip your heart out and eat it in front of you."

again the bitch laughed.

"you are too weak, jackie. you are a coward. you do not have what it takes to be like me and that, jack kincaid, is why you will never defeat me.

you have given me the opportunity to regain my glory, not like those others through history who didn't last long enough to give me the opportunity.

that is why i waited so long this time, jackie. i needed the right person.

i needed you."

i looked down at my beautiful niece.

"you just gave me the motivation i need, bitch. i will find a way."

i heard her giggle.

"oh, i am so happy, jackie. and guess what, jackie. i have something else for you."

i heard a scream from downstairs.

a young girl's scream.

"what the fuck?"

a young mans voice.

"james."

my nephew.

i ran from the bedroom.