Tom and Carrie woke up in a dark and damp basement. The only light came from a small dusty window, but it was enough to illuminate the horrifying scene. The siblings were cuffed to the wall by one arm, and there were at least a dozen dead human bodies around them. Some of them had their limbs cut off. A terrifying thought struck Tom’s mind as he regained full consciousness. These hermits were cannibals. The nice granny Matilda would actually cook and eat them.

Carrie screamed when she saw the bodies. 
“Where are we? What’s going on? Why are we tied up?” She asked in a panic.
“I think Granny and her family are cannibals,” Tom answered with a hushed voice.
His sister turned pale. She wanted to ask more questions, but the indescribable horror of realizing that she would be served for dinner soon left her speechless. After about a minute, she began to twist and pull in an attempt to break free from the shackles.

“Stop pulling. Keep your strength for the right moment. When they come to pick us up, then we will try to fight them,” Tom whispered. His sister, however, did not listen. Panic had swallowed her, and she was trying her best to free herself.

The rumble did not go unnoticed. The basement door swung open, and Matilda and her husband appeared behind it. “Don’t rebel, child. You’re just going to get hurt, and we don’t want that. You’re very special,” Granny said with a soft, gentle voice. The old man stood beside the calm grandmother in stark contrast. He radiated brute force and threat.

“Granny, don’t eat us, please,” Carrie said through tears.
“Eat you?! Child, don’t be disgusting,” Matilda replied. “We don’t eat people. What do you think of us?”
“Aren’t you cannibals?” Tom asked, confused by the woman’s answer.
“Of course not,” the old woman replied with a good-natured laugh.
“Then why did you drug us and lock us up. And why are there so many dead bodies here,” Tom continued?
“These are the bodies of all those who are destroying the forest of the Three Sisters. Poachers, polluters, and evildoers who only come to the forest to rape it,” said Aaron, Matilda’s husband, resounding with malice. “They will be sacrificed so the forest spirits may calm down,” the old man added.
“You see, every year at sunset on the summer solstice, we make a sacrifice in honor of the Three Sisters who guard the forest. In return, they allow us to live here and feed on the land without bothering us. That’s why my wonderful boys go hunting every year for the villains who destroy this heavenly place to satisfy their selfish needs,” the elderly lady explained.
“But we respect the forest and take care of it,” Carrie said with a raised voice.
“Yes, child, I know. But unfortunately, Quatanara, the youngest sister, chose you personally, and we must obey,” Matilda replied.
“She chose us?!” the girl asked, puzzled.
“That’s right. The bear that attacked you is not an ordinary beast but the spirit of Quatanara. She desired you, and we will satisfy her wish,” the lady explained.
Aaron poured water into a jug during the conversation and served it to the girl to quench her thirst. Carrie took a sip, then spat with hatred in the giant man’s face. The husband slapped her with great force, causing the young girl to crash into the wall behind her and collapse. The old man lifted her chin for a second blow. At that moment, Tom stepped forward, screaming to the old man not to touch her. The boy broke his wrist to free himself from the shackles and threw himself at Aaron. He struck the old man several times with his good hand and bit him on the nose. This infuriated the giant and, with one swipe, threw the boy to the dead tourists’ bodies. Three consecutive blows followed, as if from a steam hammer. The young man, covered in blood, fell to his knees. Aaron stepped forward to kick him in the face and finish him off. Tom stood, watching the approaching leg. There was nothing he could do.

“Enough,” Matilda said sharply. “His life doesn’t belong to you!” The muscular old man stopped inches from the boy’s face. He hesitated for a second, then stepped angrily to the ground. He grabbed the young man and locked him back against the wall.

Josh recovered in the early afternoon. He had a terrible headache, all his muscles were hurting, but he quickly came to his senses. Tom and Carrie were in mortal danger, captured by bloodthirsty cannibals. The black youngster was still covered in leaves and twigs when he heard footsteps near his hideout. He looked to his left without moving his head and saw a heavy military boot splattered with blood. Josh held his breath so he wouldn’t be noticed.

“Henry, did you find him,” said an approaching voice.
“No,” said the owner of the boots, a foot from his head.
“Mom will be furious if we don’t find him,” said the other voice, who was now no more than a few steps away.
“Then, Ed, I think it’s a good idea to help me find him instead of wandering through the woods,” Henry said, aggravated.
“Let’s recheck the river. He’s probably there, considering it’s the only place he knows in the area,” Ed suggested, and his brother agreed.

Josh waited for the footsteps to subside. He laid down for another 5 minutes, and after he made sure he was all alone, the boy stood up. The teenager began to sneak back to the house, making sure it was as quiet as possible. When he reached the last row of bushes before the building, he surveyed the area. The youngster saw an ax stuck in a log and crept up to get it. After acquiring a weapon, he sneaked to the house entrance and put his ear on the door. He heard someone walking in the house, but after listening for a few minutes, the boy determined that only one person was in the hut. He opened the door slightly and saw Matilda washing dishes with her back to the door. Josh approached slowly and pressed the blade to her neck.

“Where are Tom and Carrie,” Josh whispered through gritted teeth?
“My husband washes their wounds. The children were quite naughty, and we had to teach them a lesson,” granny said in her typical gentle and calm voice. 
“Would you like some tea, Josh,” she asked?
“Release them immediately and let us go,” the young man insisted.
“I’m afraid that’s not possible,” Matilda replied with a wide smile.
“You have at least 10 people to eat, we promise we won’t tell anyone. Just let us go,” the boy hissed.

“Stupid boy, neither you nor the bodies are for us,” the old lady said, and suddenly swung a knife she had taken from the sink. The blade crossed an inch from Josh’s chest, and he bounced back, picked up the ax, and dropped it on the old woman’s head. She slumped to the ground without making a sound but knocked down a pile of plates and glasses. A second later, Aaron emerged from the basement and howled like a shot wolf who had nothing to lose. There was murderous anger in his eyes. No matter how precious Josh was, Aaron would kill him before handing him over to the forest spirits.

Josh raised the ax in an attempt to look more menacing, but Aaron’s gaze pierced him. Тhe young man considered his chances and quickly decided to retreat. This beast would have to be ambushed; he thought as he fled out the door. He ran back to the forest to hide and prepare a new rescue plan. At least now he had a weapon.

As he ran, he heard the old man scream. “Boys, the black man killed your mother. Find him and bring me his skin. The meat will be for Quatanara, but his skin is mine,” he ordered. Josh shuddered.

About an hour later, Ed and Henry returned empty-handed. “I’m tired of this,” growled the father and went down to the basement. Seconds later, he came out, dragging Carrie behind him. “Take her and use her as bait. Just don’t kill her. Her life is not yours.”
Ed and Henry headed in the direction the black man had disappeared. Not long after, they noticed footprints. Their pray was near. They could sense him watching them.

“Hey, boy, look who we brought,” Henry said, tugging at Carrie’s hair. She screamed. Josh barely stopped from jumping out of the bushes and attacking them, but they were too far away. If he were to attack them now, they would easily overpower him. Furthermore, they had his friend. Josh needed the element of surprise as an advantage to have any chance of winning.

“Come on, boy, come save your girlfriend,” Henry urged him once more, stepping slowly to where Josh was hiding. Ed stood a few steps to the sides, but he was also moving forward.

“I’m sick of waiting! You damn brat! Come out, or I’ll cut your girlfriend’s beautiful face,” Henry shouted, and at the same moment, Josh jumped out from behind a rock with lightning speed. He swung his weapon, severed the arm that Henry had placed to protect himself, and split his head. His brother immediately rushed with his small ax to avenge his family but was greeted with the back of Josh’s ax, which the teenager retreated from Henry’s severed skull. Ed fell bloody to the ground, but he didn’t even have time to shout. The black youngster dropped his ax once more, but this time with the sharp end.

“Carrie, are you okay?” Josh asked, and she just hugged him tightly and whispered in his ear, “thank you.” They sat down for a few minutes, and the girl told Josh everything.

End of chapter three

If you found this interesting and want to express your support for my work monetarily, please consider tipping me with a small DONATION. Any amount will be greatly appreciated. 

Subscribe to my email list for funny emails every now and then (Maximum once a week). You’ll have the opportunity to get every new story and article directly.