Blood Games

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

‘Virginia Finley, but everybody calls me Finley. The reason I’m calling, I’m a student at Belmore University, and I’d really like your permission to make a film of one of your stories… The one in The Book of the Dead… Right, that’s the one. A friend of mine read it and it really grossed her out. Anyway, I’ve read it a few times now and I think it’d make a neat little film. The thing is, I need to come up with a showpiece, sort of, to submit for acceptance into a film program down there in Los Angeles. I think “Mess Hall” would be perfect. I’ve got a friend who’s already agreed to write the script.’ Grinning across the room at Abilene, Finley added, ‘She’s the daughter of Alex Randolph… You think so? I’ll have to tell her. Anyway, she’d do the script and we’d shoot the film out here on video tape. If it’s okay with you… Yeah, just the rights to make this production of it for amateur purposes only. I’d pay you a whopping one dollar… Great… You can count on it. I’ll make you a copy myself and sent it to you as soon as it’s finished… Yeah, I’ll send along a contract tomorrow. If there’s anything you don’t like about it, just let me know. And, you know, sometimes things happen with these student productions. If the right person likes it… Yeah, you and me both. Anyway, you’d get a percentage of any deal that might come up for a feature film, television, whatever… Right, fabulous wealth… Thanks, I’ll need it. And thanks very much for letting me do this. I really appreciate it.’ She nodded, smiling. ‘Okay. And I’ll get the contract to you right away… Bye-bye for now.’

Finley hung up. She took a deep breath, and let it out loudly. ‘That wasn’t so bad, was it?’ Abilene asked.

‘He was really friendly and cheerful.’

‘See? What’d I tell you? Can’t judge a guy by the kind of stories he writes.’

‘Geez, but “Mess Hall”? I figured he’d have to be some kind of sleezy creepoid. By the way, he said he’s read all your dad’s books and thinks he’s great.’

‘The man’s got taste.’

‘Anyway, he sounded pretty enthusiastic about the project. He gave the go-ahead, so you’d better get cracking. How long before you can come up with the script?’

Finley had made the call on Monday. By Tuesday afternoon Abilene had finished the term paper for her Chaucer seminar and was ready to start on the script. That night, cast and crew ‘took a meeting’ in the student union.

Finley had already scouted locations. She gave her ideas about how the story should be revised and who should play which characters. Vivian, being a theater major who had already played major roles in several campus productions, was offered the lead.

‘I think Abilene should play Jean,’ she said. ‘It opens with a love scene. Abilene and Harris would be perfect for that.’ Harris blushed.

‘But you’re the actor around here,’ Abilene pointed out. ‘You should have the main role.’

‘It’d be more fun to play one of the zombies anyway.’

‘Same here,’ Helen said. ‘I’ve always wanted to be a zombie.’

Abilene laughed. ‘It’d be a big stretch after all those Halloweens as a ghost.’

‘I can handle it.’

‘So,’ Vivian said, ‘how about Abilene as the main gal?’

‘Fine with me,’ Finley said. ‘Hickok’s got that great, vulnerable look. Make a terrific victim.’

‘Oh thanks.’

She and Harris agreed to take the roles of Jean and Paul, the lovers. Vivian, Cora and Helen would be the zombies.

‘And you’ll be The Reaper,’ Finley told Tony, a handsome, powerfully built young man who’d been going with Cora for the past few months.

‘Now hold it just a second,’ Cora said. ‘I’m not so sure I like the idea of my guy getting to mess around with Abilene.’

‘He doesn’t mess around with her,’ Finley pointed out, ‘he tortures her.’

‘He might just enjoy it too much,’ she said, giving Tony an amused scowl.

Harris grinned at him. ‘Better not.’

‘What’ll she be wearing?’ Cora asked.

‘Not a whole lot.’

‘That’s what you think,’ Abilene said.

‘Well,’ Finley said, ‘we don’t need actual nudity, but it’s gotta look real, you know. This guy is a sex maniac, a psychopath. So…’

‘I’ll work it out in the script,’ Abilene told her.

‘Can you have it done by Friday?’

‘Sure. No problem.’

‘Great. Then we can go out on location first thing Saturday and get it done.’

‘Problem,’ Tony said. ‘I’ve got a track meet on Saturday. Sorry.’

‘What about the weekend after?’ Finley asked.

‘That’s getting awfully close to finals,’ Abilene said.

Tony held up his hands. ‘Hey, look, I don’t want to screw things up for you gals. I’m no actor, anyway. Maybe you oughta find someone else for my part. That’d be fine with me. In fact, I’d prefer it. Honestly. Why don’t you just go ahead without me? Okay?’

Looking concerned, Finley asked, ‘Are you sure? I mean, we’d really like you to be in it.’

‘Maybe you should find someone else. Really.’

‘I guess we could,’ Finley said.

‘There are some guys in the drama department,’ Vivian said. ‘I could ask around and…’

‘They’re such a bunch of weenies,’ Finley complained.

‘Not all of them. What about Jack Baxter?’

‘Baxter?’ Abilene asked. ‘The guy who played Stanley in Streetcar?’

‘He’s such a Neanderthal,’ Finley said. ‘What I had in mind was someone more… clean-cut, handsome. You know, a Ted Bundy type.’

‘I’m a Ted Bundy type?’ Tony asked. ‘Gee, thanks.’

‘I’m not particularly thrilled,’ Abilene said, ‘about the idea of playing victim for a guy like Baxter.’

Vivian shrugged. ‘Oh, he’s not so bad. And I think he’d be awfully good in the role.’

‘Typecasting,’ Abilene said.

‘Well,’ Finley said, ‘why don’t you check with him, Viv? See if he’s interested. And if he’s available for this weekend.’

‘I don’t know about this,’ Abilene said as she walked with Harris into the secluded clearing near Shady Lane Bridge that Finley had chosen for the opening scene. She wondered if she sounded nervous enough. She certainly felt nervous. The idea of making out with Harris in front of her friends was bad enough, but Baxter had joined the troupe.

‘What don’t you know about?’ Harris asked. Stopping, he faced Abilene and took hold of both her hands.

She glanced about. ‘It’s so… deserted around here.’

Sure. Deserted. Finley with the video camera at her eye, taping, while Cora and Vivian and Helen watched from the shadows beneath a nearby tree and Harris fooled with the trick knife Vivian had borrowed from the prop room. At least he’s not staring at me, she thought.

‘It’s supposed to be deserted,’ Harris said. ‘That’s the whole idea.’

‘I know, but… Maybe we should go back to my apartment.’

‘So your damn roomy can listen through the wall and make noises?’

Smiling slightly at that, Abilene said, ‘She won’t be there. She’s going to a matinee this afternoon. We’d have the place all to ourselves.’

‘I like it here.’ Harris pulled her gently into his arms. He nibbled the side of her neck. That hadn’t been in the script. It made her shiver and squirm. ‘So much nicer,’ he muttered, ‘than some stuffy old room.’

‘Somebody might come along.’

‘You worry too much.’ Nuzzling the side of her neck again, he untucked the back of her blouse and slipped his hands up beneath it.

‘No,’ she said, and gendy pushed him away. ‘I mean it. Not here.’

Harris frowned. ‘What’s the matter with you?’

‘I don’t know. It’s just… I guess I’m worried about The Reaper.’

‘The Reaper? Oh, for Godsake. Everybody’s got Reaperitis. It’s broad daylight. Besides, he’s in Portland.'

‘That’s only a half-hour drive.’

Harris sighed. ‘Shit. Okay. Forget it.’ With that, he whirled around and began to walk off in a huff. Finley sidestepped, keeping the camera on him.

‘No, wait!’ Finley swung the camera toward Abilene. ‘Don’t be this way. Please. I…’ Shaking her head, she hurried after him. She caught him by the shoulder. As he turned to face her, she flung her arms around him. She hugged him hard, kissed him.

He seemed rigid at first, his mouth tight, as if holding onto his anger.

You’re pretty good at this acting stuff, she thought.

Then his lips parted. He wrapped his arms around her, caressed her back. Writhing slightly against her, he eased his tongue into her mouth. Abilene sucked it in deep. He rubbed her buttocks, and then his hands moved slowly upward beneath her blouse. They roamed her back with gentle caresses.

For just a while, Abilene forgot about everyone else, forgot the camera and audience. There was only Harris. The familiar feel of him, the closeness and desire. But when his hands passed over the back strap of her bra rather than pausing to unfasten its catches, the illusion fell apart. Embarrassed, she felt her face go hot.

Here we are, doing this in front of everyone. On tape, for Godsake. Total strangers will be seeing all this.

Beneath the blouse, a fingertip prodded her shoulder.

Harris, at least, still had his mind on business.

Abilene concentrated, trying to remember what came next. Then she eased her mouth away from his and smiled up at him. ‘It’s pretty nice here, after all,’ she said.

‘I love you so much, Abilene.’

‘Cut cut cut,’ Finley said.

Laughter and applause from the sidelines.

‘Woops,’ said Harris.

Abilene gently slapped his chest. ‘Dope.’ She looked over her shoulder and mugged at her friends. Then she glanced at Baxter. No smile there. He was staring at her.

‘Okay, okay,’ Finley said. ‘Nothing a little editing won’t cure. We’ll take it up with a close on Harris. “I love you so much, Jean.” Got it?’

‘Hope so.’

‘You’re doing fine, both of you,’ Vivian told them.

‘Really into the scene,’ Cora said.

‘They’ve had so much practice,’ said Helen.

‘Hey, let’s have silence on the set. Ready? Action.’

‘I love you so much, Jean.’

Abilene, gazing into his eyes, reached up and touched his cheeks. ‘And I love you,’ she said. Her fingertips wandered down his face, his jaw and neck. Slowly, she unbuttoned his shirt. She spread it open. While she caressed his bare chest, Harris undid the buttons of her blouse.

It’s no big deal, she told herself as her face again burned with embarrassment.

Harris spread her blouse wide, and she immediately pressed herself against him. It felt strange to have the stiff cups of the bra in the way, keeping her breasts from the warmth and smoothness of his chest. But this was show business, not the real thing.

Show business, with Baxter probably leering at me.

Abilene decided to get on with it. She kissed Harris’s neck, his chest, his belly. Kneeling on the carpet of leaves and twigs, she tugged open his belt buckle. She unbuttoned the waist of his jeans. As she slid the zipper down, Harris sank to his knees in front of her.

He drew her close against him and their mouths joined as his hands moved feverishly up and down her back. Abilene felt a solid thickness against her belly.

You are into this, she thought. Hope you don’t pop out of your skivvies.

Breaking away from him, she lowered herself to the ground. She felt terribly exposed, lying there with her blouse open. As she raised her knees, her skirt slid down, baring her thighs.

Damn!

Then Harris was on top of her, shielding her body from the camera and the watching eyes.

She wrapped her arms around him. She kissed him. She moaned as he squirmed, and sucked in a quick breath when he thrust as if entering her. He went motionless then, the same way he did when it was real and he wanted to do nothing for a few moments but savor the joining.

She could feel him pressed against her, only their underwear in the way.

He began to move up and down, going away and coming back, prodding her, rubbing her. She pushed up to meet his tlmists. She writhed and gasped.

Let’s not get carried away!

My God!

Isn’t supposed to be…

‘Looks to me like fornication in the park.’ Baxter’s voice. Words from the script.

Harris seemed to freeze on top of her. Then he twisted his head around. They both looked up at Baxter, who was standing near their feet, grinning down at them. One hand was out of sight behind his back.

‘Don’t you know it’s against the law?’ he asked. ‘Not to mention poor taste.’

‘We didn’t mean any harm,’ Harris said, sounding sheepish and scared.

‘What if some children had wandered by?’ Baxter asked.

‘I’m sorry,’ Abilene said. ‘We’ll leave.’

She relaxed her hold on Harris. As he rose to his hands and knees, she gave her skirt a quick tug to cover her thighs. She was closing her blouse when Baxter grabbed Harris by the hair and yanked his head back.

The look of pain that flashed through Harris’s eyes wasn’t fake.

‘Hey!’ she snapped. Not in the script.

Baxter’s other arm swept around. The knife slashed Harris’s throat, its hollow blade squirting out a bright red stripe.

‘Great!’ Finley blurted. ‘Fantastic!’

She lowered the camera. Baxter released Harris’s hair and stepped away. Harris, mbbing his scalp, gave the guy an annoyed glance. ‘You were a bit rough, don’t you think?’

‘Sorry about that, dude. Going for the realism.’

‘From now on,’ Abilene said, ‘take it easy. Are you okay?’ she asked Harris.

He nodded. As he got to his feet, Vivian came over and gave him a towel. He thanked her, and wiped the red fluid from his throat and chest.

‘Now for the fun part,’ Helen said, approaching with a paper cup full of the stuff.

Cora laughed. ‘I think they just finished the fun part.’

‘You’re right about that,’ Harris said. With a blush and a smile, he pulled his zipper up. He turned to Finley. ‘Are you sure it turned out all right? Maybe we need to do another take.’

‘Or several,’ Abilene added from the ground.

‘Hate to disappoint you,’ Finley said. ‘It was fabulous. Gonna look like you were really doing it.’

Almost felt that way, too, Abilene thought.

Smiling down at her, Vivian said, ‘You can always come back tonight and do a take without us.’

From the look that came into Harris’s eyes, Abilene knew he liked the idea. So did she.

‘Okay,’ Finley said. ‘Time for some wet work.’

Helen, the cup of stage blood in hand, knelt between Abilene’s legs and ducked low. Finley crouched behind her and aimed the camera at Abilene. The red light appeared.

‘Action.’

Helen hurled the fake blood. It splashed warm against Abilene’s face.

She was alone with Baxter. The blood felt like a sticky mask. Though it had dried somewhat during the hike back through the park, it still dribbled. It tickled her face and neck. It made her itch. She ached to rub it, but kept her hands away and reluctantly started to unbutton her blouse for the next scene.

Baxter looked. She pulled the blouse shut.

He didn’t say anything.

Just as well. She was still angry about the rough way he’d treated Harris.

They waited, watching the others walk toward the parking lot. A few cars had come along after their arrival earlier that morning, but none was parked very close to the one they intended to use for the upcoming scene. Shouldn’t be a problem.

Finley stopped beside it. The rest of the group stepped back to stay clear of the shot. Camera to her face, Finley wandered about as if trying to find just the right angle. Then she called, ‘Let’s go for it!’

‘Just take it easy,’ Abilene told Baxter.

‘No sweat.’

He ducked, shoved his shoulder into her belly and clamped an arm across the backs of her thighs. Below the hem of her skirt.

This sucks so bad, she thought.

The crap I do for you, Finley.

As he lifted her, she bowed forward. The shoulder pushed into her. She dropped against his back. Turning toward the parking lot, he began to trot. The rough motions bounced her. She felt as if her breath were being punched out with each of his strides.

She could see nothing but the back of his white T-shirt.

She could feel the heat of his body through it.

She wanted to brace herself up, at least enough to stop her breasts from pushing against him. But she was supposed to be limp. If she struggled, Finley might want to do the scene over again. So she let her arms hang and sway. She shut her eyes. She wished she’d never agreed to be part of all this.

Would’ve been fine if Tony’d played The Reaper. But this jerk!

He stopped abmptly and bent forward, throwing Abilene off his shoulder. She gasped as she fell. Her back slammed into a flat sheet of metal and she knew he had unloaded her onto the hood of Finley’s car.

He could’ve been more gentle about it!

But at least her head didn’t bang.

She heard quick footfalls on the pavement, rushing away from her.

Remembering the script, she opened her eyes. She saw the clear, pale sky. She raised her head. Her arms were outstretched across the hood, her blouse wide open, her legs hanging over the front of the car.

She heard a door swing open.

As she struggled to sit up, Baxter returned. He swung his fist down like a hammer.

Shit!

But he pulled the punch, surprising her. His hand smacked softly against her belly. She whooshed out her breath and bucked as if really hurt, then sagged on the hood, wheezing. Baxter gathered her arms in front of her waist. He snapped handcuffs around her wrists.

Then he pulled a rag from his pocket and wiped her face. ‘All pretty again,’ he said, smiling down at her. The cloth rubbed her neck and collar bones and the top of her left breast. She didn’t like being touched by him, but it felt good to have the itchy fluid removed.

Grabbing the front of her blouse, he dragged her off the hood. She was hardly able to stay on her feet as he rushed her alongside the car. He shoved her onto the passenger seat, picked up her legs and flung them in, then slammed the door.

He hurried around to the other side. He climbed in behind the wheel, started the engine, and shot the car backward. The tires squealed as he skidded into a tight turn. He sped toward the parking lot exit.

After a glance at the rearview mirror, he slowed the car. He turned it around and drove back to where the others were waiting.

Finley grinned through the passenger window. ‘That was great, guys. Let’s head for the Mess Hall.’

Finley led the way with Cora, Vivian and Baxter in her car. Abilene and Helen travelled in Harris’s car. They left the town of Belmore behind, heading eastward into the wooded hills.

‘Where’s she taking us?’ Harris asked.

‘It’s only about a half-hour drive,’ Abilene said. ‘Some place she found that’s really off the beaten track. Figured we shouldn’t do the nasty scene in the park.’

‘We’re lucky we got through our scene without visitors,’ Harris said.

‘Would’ve been even more embarrassing.’

‘It was pretty strange, doing that in front of an audience.’

‘You both sure seemed to enjoy it, though,’ Helen said from the back seat.

Harris smiled over his shoulder at her. ‘I can think of worse ways to spend a Saturday morning.’

Soon, they followed Finley’s car onto a dirt road that twisted through the woods. Harris slowed down to stay out of her dust cloud. The car lurched and bounced. Branches squeaked against its sides.

‘Hope we’re almost there,’ Harris said.

Abilene nodded, but she was in no hurry to reach their destination.

Five minutes later, the road dead-ended. Harris stopped short, apparently waiting for the dust to settle a bit. Up ahead, the doors of Finley’s car swung open. Cora and Vivian climbed out of the back seat. During the trip, they’d changed into their zombie costumes.

Along with Helen, they were supposed to be earlier victims who’d been tortured and murdered by The Reaper, then left behind as meals for the woodland creatures. They were to show up for revenge just in the nick of time to save Abilene’s character. But in the story, there were six of them and they were a mess. The Reaper had mutilated them: scalped one, skinned another. He’d gouged eyes, cut off noses and breasts. Mother Nature’s scavengers had then gotten to the girls: ants, maggots, coyotes, birds. By the time the zombies came staggering to the rescue, some were missing limbs and all were filthy, ruined cadavers in various stages of decay. They were all naked, too.

Finley had known when she chose the story that such things couldn’t appear in her film. First, she didn’t have the time or resources for any elaborate special effects. Second, nudity was out. There was no choice but to have zombies that looked much too healthy and wore clothes.

The girls had been left to their own devices about what to wear.

Vivian wore an old sundress, ripped here and there with a razor blade, its skirt half tom off. Cora wore panties (two pairs, actually), and a tattered T-shirt. The garments of both girls were filthy with dirt and large amounts of stage blood that had been applied last night and now looked stiff and brown.

‘Maybe I’d better change,’ Helen said as Harris pulled the car forward. He parked, and Helen stayed inside while he and Abilene climbed out.

‘You gals look pretty good for a couple of stiffs,’ Harris said.

Cora smirked at him. ‘We sure look better than you and your pals did, that Halloween.’

Abilene smiled as his face turned red. ‘Talk about embarrassing moments,’ he muttered. ‘Jeez. I wanted to crawl into a hole and die.’

Abilene laughed. ‘Oh, you were so cute.’ Suddenly, she remembered what they’d found in the man’s house later that night. The thing in the wheelchair.

What had been wrong with him?

God, don’t think about him!

As Finley and Vivian came back from the trunk of the car with a couple of make-up kits, Helen joined the group. She wore a blouse and jeans. Yesterday, they’d been white. Today, they looked as if they’d been used to mop up the floor of a slaughterhouse. The legs of the jeans were tom. Half the blouse was ripped away, including most of its left sleeve. The remnant of that sleeve was empty, Helen’s arm hidden inside the blouse. With the proper camera angles to keep the bulge out of sight, she ought to look as if she’d lost the arm.

For the next few minutes, Finley and Baxter helped the girls apply make-up. It consisted mostly of the stage blood, which was smeared over nearly every visible inch of their skin. For the sake of variety, Vivian’s face was spared the red goo. A gray substance was applied to her face by Finley, who then added a few colorful purple contusions. For a final touch, they mussed their hair.

Then everyone followed Finley along a footpath to a sunlit clearing. It looked perfect.

‘How did you ever find this?’ Abilene asked.

‘Wasn’t easy. I was out here with Brian last year.’ Grinning, she added, ‘We had a little picnic. Right under that tree. Just like the one in the story, huh? I remembered the limb. We swung on it.’

‘It’s perfect,’ Baxter said.

Ten minutes later, Abilene was hanging from it by a rope tied to her wrists. The rope was long enough to let her feet touch the ground, but it stretched her arms overhead. Higher than she appreciated, but she didn’t complain.

Better to suffer with it than risk having to go through anything a second time. Once had been more than enough, being carted into the clearing on Baxter’s shoulder, thrown against the trunk and punched again in the stomach so she wouldn’t resist while he took off the handcuffs, bound her with the rope and suspended her under the limb.

Now, standing just in front of her, Baxter pulled the knife from his belt.

‘No,’ she gasped. ‘Please.’

He smiled. ‘I knew you’d get around to begging.’

‘I never did anything to you.’

‘But you’re about to do something/or me. Oh, yes.’ With the flat of the plastic blade, he caressed her cheek.

On cue, Helen let out a coyote howl. She did a good job of it. The plaintive cry seemed to come from far away.

Baxter slid the blade under Abilene’s chin and up to her other cheek. ‘That’s my friend,’ he said. His voice was slow and lazy. He sounded a bit amused. He had a languid look in his eyes as he watched the movements of his knife. ‘We’ve got an arrangement. I leave a meal for him and his forest friends, and they do the clean-up for me. None of this “shallow grave” nonsense.’ The point of the knife eased down the side of her neck. It nudged the blouse away and stroked along her collar bone. ‘I just leave you here, tomorrow you’ll be gone. They’ll come like the good, hungry troops they are, and leave the area nice and tidy.’ The knife went lower. Its point scraped lightly over the slope of her breast, traced the edge of the bra cup. ‘No fuss, no bother.’

‘Please! Please don’t.’

‘Please!’ he mimicked her. ‘Please don’t.’

He drew the knife sideways, pushing harder, and Abilene felt fluid squirt from its tip as he sliced her across the chest. She flinched rigid and cried out, ‘Yeeeah! ’

Laughing, he took the knife away. He licked the blood from its blade.

‘You bastard! ’

‘Is that any way to talk?’

‘HELP!’ she shouted. ‘HELP! PLEASE, HELP ME!’

‘Nobody’s going to hear you but the coyotes.’

‘You can’t do this!’

‘Sure I can. Done it plenty of times before.’

‘Please! I’ll do anything!’

‘I know just what you’ll do. Scream, twitch, cry, kick, beg, drool… bleed. Not necessarily in that order, of course.’ Bending over, he kissed her chest.

Not in the script.

What the hell’s going on?

He licked, his tongue sliding and flicking at the bare skin where he’d ‘cut’ her. Licking up the fake blood.

Why isn’t Finley stopping this?

Probably figures it looks good.

‘Don’t!’ Not in the script, either. But in character. Finley kept taping.

He’ll quit in a second, she told herself. Hang in. It’s almost time for the zombies to show up and that’ll be the end of him messing with me.

Baxter licked his way up Abilene’s neck. She turned her face away as he tried to kiss her. His mouth found her cheek. He was breathing hard, moaning.

Christ!

One of his arms went around her back, underneath her blouse. Itpressed her hard against him and she felt the warm fluid squirting against her spine. His mouth got to her lips.

‘No!’

He kissed her hard, and now she couldn’t call out and make it all stop.

She strained against the rope. Squirming, she tried to get her mouth away from his.

Somebody make him quit!

A hand clutched her right breast. Fingertips pushed under the cup of the bra, tugged. The strap dug into her shoulder, snapped. Her breast was bare under his robbing, squeezing hand.

She drove a knee up.

It pounded against him. He grunted but didn’t let go.

Where the hell is Harris?

With a quick twist sideways, she freed her mouth. ‘Stop it! ’

He didn’t stop. His other hand, knife gone, went down her. back and rump. It scratched her skirt up. It rubbed her buttocks for just a moment, then hooked the panties down and he yelped with surprise and pain as Helen clutched his face with a bloody hand and yanked him backward.

He flopped onto the ground.

All three zombies went at him.

It was nothing like the script.

Sobbing and gasping, she watched the zombies pound Baxter.

Cora, sitting on his chest, punched him in the face. Vivian stomped on his legs. Helen kicked him in the side.

They weren’t pretending.

Neither was Baxter. He bucked and twisted. He flung up arms, trying to shield his face. He grunted. He cried out. Real blood poured from his nostrils. He began to beg. ‘Stop! Please! Leave me alone! Don’t! I’m sorry. I’m sorry!’

Finley taped it all.

Harris came rushing into the clearing. Where had he been?

One look at Abilene and he stopped abruptly. Confusion on his face. Then fury.

He took a step forward.

And halted and watched as one-armed Helen lurched forward between Baxter’s legs and kicked him in the groin.

Baxter didn’t respond.

He just lay there, silent and limp.

‘Cut,’ Finley said. Voice grim.

‘What the hell happened here!’ Harris blurted. Not waiting for an answer, he ran over to Abilene. As he approached her, the zombies stood over Baxter and stared down at him.

‘Things got out of hand,’ Finley muttered.

‘Jesus.’ He pulled Abilene’s blouse shut. His arms went around her and he drew her gently against him. ‘Are you all right?’

‘Where were you?’ she sobbed.

‘I didn’t want to watch what he… Did he hurt you?’

She shook her head. ‘Could you get me down from here?’

He reached for one of her bound wrists.

‘Hold it,’ Finley said. ‘Let one of the zombies do it. Then we’ll have an ending.’

‘Screw your damn film! ’

‘It’s okay,’ Abilene said. ‘Let… it’s okay.’

He backed away. Finley gave Vivian a real knife similar to the fake one.

Finley taping, Vivian staggered forward in good zombie fashion but with a strange, frantic look in her green eyes. She sawed through the rope. Abilene lowered her arms. Her panties were down around her knees. She bent over and pulled them up. Then she whirled around and ran for the trees, the loose end of the rope dragging along the ground beside her.

‘That’s it,’ Finley called.

When Abilene returned, the girls gathered around her while Harris untied her wrists.

‘I’m really sorry,’ Finley said. ‘It just didn’t hit me what he was doing. I knew he wasn’t sticking to the script, but…’

‘I should’ve been here,’ Harris said. He sounded miserable.

‘I just wish we would’ve nailed him sooner,’ Cora said. ‘I don’t think any of us realized…’

‘It wasn’t till you kneed him,’ Helen said.

‘Yeah,’ Vivian said. ‘I didn’t know what was going on. God, I’m sotry.’

‘It’s all my fault,’ Finley said. ‘I should’ve stopped things when he started licking off the blood. He wasn’t supposed to do that. But it seemed right for The Reaper, you know? It all seemed right for The Reaper, and you were reacting like a good victim even though…’ She shook her head. ‘Shit.’

Abilene rubbed her sore wrists, then fastened the buttons of her blouse. ‘It’s okay. It’s over. I just don’t want my breast ending up in your movie.’

‘It won’t. I promise.’

‘And you owe me a new bra.’

Just for an instant, a smile tipped up a corner of Finley’s mouth. Then she was looking grim again, nodding.

They all turned their attention to Baxter as he groaned. He shook his head, grimaced, rolled onto his side, clutched his groin and drew his knees up.

‘What’ll we do with him?’ Abilene asked.

Harris took a step toward him, but Abilene grabbed his shoulder. ‘Don’t. He’s had enough.’

‘We oughta get a final shot of him,’ Finley said. ‘Gotta mess him up first, though.’

Vivian and Helen went to the edge of the clearing. As they came back with jars of blood, Cora nudged Baxter with her foot. ‘Roll over and play dead.’

Wincing and moaning, he eased down onto his back. Cora bent over and tore his shirt open. Then Vivian and Helen doused him all over with the crimson fluid. It mixed with the real blood on his face. The real blood looked brighter.

‘Okay,’ Finley said. ‘Get down around him and act like you’re ripping him apart. Don’t move a muscle, Baxter. The mood my pals are in, they just might get carried away. That happens, you know.’

Helen, Vivian and Cora knelt over Baxter. While Finley taped, they pretended to tear at him with their fingernails and teeth. He didn't move at all.

‘That’s a wrap,’ Finley said.

The zombies got to their feet and stepped away from him.

He remained on his back. His eyes found Abilene. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said.

‘I’ll bet,’ she muttered.

‘I mean it. I never… I just couldn’t stop myself. I never planned to do any of that. It… just happened.’ He turned his face away. ‘I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.’

‘You’ll have plenty of time to think about it,’ Finley said, ‘while you’re walking back to town. Come on, let’s get out of here.’

‘We aren’t gonna leave him,’ Abilene said.

‘He’s not going back in my car.’

‘Then we’ll drive him,’ she said, and looked at Harris. He was frowning at her. ‘Hey, I’m the one he messed with. And I didn’t appreciate it one bit. But we all got him into this, and maybe it’s not completely his fault. You got carried away in the love scene. We both did. I’m not so sure we should blame him for losing it. I mean, I wish it hadn’t happened but… it was this damn story. We never should’ve asked any guy to play The Reaper.’

‘Would’ve been okay,’ Finley said, ‘if Tony…’

‘Tony didn’t have any track meet today,’ Cora said.

‘What?’ Finley blurted.

‘He lied about it. He just didn’t want to play The Reaper. He said, “I can’t do that stuff to Abilene or to anyone else. Not even pretending.” It’s like he knew what might happen.’

‘He wouldn’t have done that stuff to her,’ Vivian said.

‘Maybe he was afraid he might. I don’t know.’

‘I know one thing,’ Abilene said. ‘He’s smarter than the rest of us; he stayed out of it.’

‘ “A nifty little film. Though I realize you were limited as far as special effects, you managed to carry off the story quite effectively. The cast was great. Very convincing portrayals all around. My regards to everyone involved. I wish you success with your film, and I should think you’ll have a great future in the cinema. Sincerely, Dick.” How do you like them apples?’ Finley asked, grinning up from the letter.

Abilene sneered. ‘Convincing portrayals, huh?’

‘They should’ve been,’ Cora said. ‘Nobody in the whole damn film was acting. You and Harris were really making out, Baxter tried to rape you, and we zombies kicked his ass in earnest.’

‘Turned into cinema verite,’ Finley said. ‘Hope the Institute appreciates it as much as the author.’

‘I’m a connoisseur of such things,’ Helen said, ‘and I think it was fabulous. Especially that one-armed zombie.’

‘You did a great job pulling Baxter off me,’ Abilene admitted.

Helen beamed at her. ‘Pretty good for a fatty, huh? And a dead one, to boot.’