Office Politics

By Art Hernandez

Kelvin, while drooling over a  red haired cutie who was sitting not far from where he was sitting, was rudely dissuaded by a sharp tapping on his left shoulder. He swiveled around, feeling slightly annoyed by this disturbance, and found a tall, well-dressed, well-groomed man grinning at him with a yes-I-ate-the-Tweetybird look beaming from his face--Kelvin was sure he saw yellow feathers poking out the sides of his long grinning mouth.

"Hey," the tall man said, sticking his hand out and grinning. "Name's Hector Garcia."

Kelvin reluctantly answered, taking the lofty man's hand. "Kelvin Pucket," he moaned and curtly swiveled back around to continue his admiration of the cute red-head. The redhead was now starring hungrily back at Kelvin, like a bitch in heat, licking her thickly painted lips.  Her hair seemed on fire, gleaming from the bright fluorescent lights suspended above her head. Suddenly she winked at her admirer; Kelvin gasped.

Hector pulled up a chair next to Kelvin, and in a whispering voice said, "Boy, would I love to have her for lunch--Mmm, Mmm good."

"Yeah," Kelvin replied softly, his study at hand unwavering.

"I'm new here--started last week." Kelvin heard explained  to him from the corner of his eye.

 Kelvin replied, "Me too." The cutie blew him another kiss.

Realizing he was being ignored, Hector got up from where he was sitting, and started to strut toward the girl. "She's cute. I'm going to ask her out."

"No!" Kelvin blurted out.

Startled, Hector turned around, confusion and delight gleamed in his eyes. "What?"

Kelvin bowed his head shamefully, reaching for his cup of coffee. "No, she might think you're sexually harassing her. I wouldn't recommend it," he said softly, looking up at Hector with a weighty expression on his face.

"You're kidding?" Hector smirked. "You see the way she's been staring at me."

She was looking at me you idiot! Kelvin thought angrily.

"Anyhow, it's not like I'm going to ask her to take a shower with me. Maybe later," Hector added, a filthy grin was on his face.  He gave Kelvin a wink, turned around, and started toward the redhead again.

Kelvin groused as he watched Hector meander towards the girl.

The two were now talking and giggling with each other.  However the cutie did something that made Kelvin's heart race: she had smiled and winked at Kelvin while Hector was busy talking and looking at his watch.

Kelvin replied with a soundless hi, a slight wave of his hand, and a smile of his own.

"Mr. Pucket?" Mr. Manazib's deep, booming voice startled Kelvin.

"Mr. Manazib, hello," he obligingly replied, red faced.

Mr. Manazib, a colossal man, loomed over Kelvin. "I need those Opinakto documents, pronto. Preferably tonight," he informed Kelvin in a not too happy tone.  "Do you have them?"

Kelvin was speechless, momentarily; and then, in a most business like way, replied: "The Opinakto entries, yes, I'll have them on your desk first thing tomorrow morning, Mr. Manazib.  I'm having a little problem with the numbers not adding up, but I'm sure I can fixed it."

The large man nodded. "Sounds good to me. But have them ready first thing tomorrow, OK?"

"First thing, Sir," Kelvin replied.

Manazib, emotionless, nodded again. "So, how do you like working with the greatest accounting team in the world, Mr. Pucket? I know it'll get some getting use to, but I have a feeling, down in my gut," patting his stomach, "you'll do just fine," he said. A smile was slowly emerging on his once emotionless face, his teeth gleaming.

"I love it," Kelvin replied gleefully, casually catching a gander of the redhead from the corner of his eye.

"Good, very good," Manazib replied. "One other thing Mr. Pucket."

"Yes, Sir?"

"Careful how you go about acquiring female companionship  around this office," he informed Kelvin gravely.

Kelvin was baffled. "Whatever do you mean, Mr. Manazib?"

"I've noticed, it's my job you know, how you've been looking at Macy. Not that she's not been doing the same thing back, but the women round here, Mr. Pucket, can be heartless at times, ruthless in other words. You best be careful." As if remembering some drastic episode from his painful past, Manazib paused to think; and then, following the moment of silence, continued: "Take this as fair warning, advice from a man who's been around the block and then some."

Kelvin was feeling highly embarrassed now: he'd been caught  red-handed goofing off with some office girl. He nodded, avoiding even the slightest eye contact with Mr. Manazib.

"Tomorrow morning then?" Manazib asked again.

  "Yes, Sir."

The food in the cafeteria didn't look or smell too appetizing: the au gratin potatoes reeked of fungus infected sneakers, the macaroni salad seemed dried out and crusty in some spots; the spicy chicken wings, Kelvin speculated, as he eyed the buffet with revulsion, appeared rotten.

Nonetheless, Kelvin, after some careful scrutiny, selected  the cheese-dribbling steakburger, a hefty side order of greasy steak fries, and large cola. Finding a table, he sat down. An older woman with long black hair to his left and two seats down offered him a friendly smile.  Kelvin smiled back, cramming a fry in his mouth.

Hector entered the cafeteria; he spotted Kelvin eating his hamburger and waved at him.

"Oh grand," Kelvin mumbled to himself. The thought of having to eat his lunch with Hector made his stomach knot up.

Hector sauntered over to Kelvin's table with a plate full of those nasty looking chicken wings and a side order of the crusty macaroni salad in his hands. He pulled up a chair next to Kelvin.

"Hey," he said to Kelvin with a grin. "Guess what."

"What?" Kelvin replied forcedly, chewing on a piece of  steakburger.

"We're going on a double date," Hector told him.

A baffled look emerged on Kelvin's face. "A double date? What the hell are you talking about?" He asked.

"That girl, the redhead, she's invited us to her apartment for some dinner and wine, and then maybe some dessert. She's got a friend for me," he said; there was obvious devilry in his voice. "Apparently Macy, that's her name, has the hots for you. You lucky man you. Her exact words were, if I remember right, 'he's got a lovely smile' I believe."

A joyous feeling suddenly took hold of Kelvin's  body and soul. Macy, what a lovely name, he mused.

"Kelvin, are you still here?" Hector asked, noting Kelvin staring blankly into nothingness.

"Huh," the day dreamer replied, the image of Macy abruptly vanishing from his mind. "Shit!"

"What's the matter with you, man?"

"I can't go."

"What, are you out of your freaking mind, man? She wants you man."

"Mr. Manazib wants those Opinakto spreadsheets tomorrow morning, which means I'll be working on them all night long.  Can't do it. Shit!"

Hector sighed. "I guess that means I'll be going by myself,then, huh?"

"I guess so, Hector," Kelvin replied, sounding utterly depressed.

The rest of their lunch period was spent in silence.

Hector arrived at the girls' apartment earlier than expected, for Penelope, a tall  woman with long shiny pitch black hair, Macy's roommate and friend from the  office, answered the door still wrapped in a towel that barely covered her long, dripping wet body.  Her slim, well toned legs gleamed from the wetness that ran down them.

Hector was overwhelmed by the lovely and nearly nude sight standing before him; his mouth was wide open as if ready to utter. He brought his hand from behind him, exposing a bouquet of red and white roses.

"You must be Penelope," Hector croaked.

"Yes, and you must be," she paused to study him considerably, eyeing every inch of his sharply dressed body, then returned, "Hector?" She then peeked around him and found that he had come here alone.

"Where's your buddy? I thought . . ."

"He couldn't make it. Mr. Manazib has him finishing the Opinakto papers."

"That's too bad. I don't think Macy will be too happy about that. She's been waiting for this very moment, very anxiously."

Penelope offered him access and he stepped inside without further hesitation. To his left down the hall and in the next room emerged the red head girl, Macy. She saw Hector, waved  and smiled, then made her way towards the two.  She was eagerly searching for something as she drew closer, her head moving left and right, up and down.

"Hi, Hector, glad you can make it. Kind of early," she said, still scanning the space around her. "Where's?"

"Kelvin couldn't make it. Had to finish some spreadsheets for Mr. Manazib." He grinned wildly. "But it doesn't mean we three can't have some fun tonight."

"Of course not," Penelope replied, responding with the same enthusiasm as her date. "I'm sure we can manage without Kelvin. Perhaps some other night, huh, Mace?"

"Perhaps," she replied sadly. "I'm going to get the legs and arms ready for eating. I'll be in the kitchen. You two get acquainted,"

A puzzled look appeared on Hector's face. "I thought I heard say, arms?" He giggled.

"Oh yes, Macy's such a jester," she replied, the teeth within her smile gleaming sharply.

Penelope took the roses from Hector's hand, and with her other hand took Hector's empty hand. It felt warm and damp.

"Come," she said softly, her voice dripping sensuality. She took his hand. "Come here big boy. How bout I fix you a drink then I'll got get some clothes on. Sound good? What's your poison?"

"Yes," he replied, staring deeply into her beautiful brown eyes; he then thought, as the penis in his pants was growing larger, there's no hurry with the clothes, honey, that towel's just fine. "A glass of Chablis would be nice."

"Why Hector, you're drooling," Penelope cooed and with her tongue proceeded to slowly lick the drool from the side of his mouth.

"Thank you," he croaked, staggering down the hall with Penelope holding his hand.

"My pleasure, honey," she replied.

"Mmm, good stuff, Macy," Hector slurred, heavily drunk now, chomping away on his meal like a man who'd been forcibly deprived of food for years. "What is it? I've never tasted anything like this. Chinese? Spanish?  Whatever it is it's sure delectable. You must," he paused to guzzle down some more wine, "give me the recipe."

"Shredded arm and leg of man in an old world style marinara sauce," she replied calmly. Her eyes, like two emeralds shining bright, stared coldly at him.

Hector upon hearing this started to cough and gag from laughter. Food and drink spat from his mouth and nose.

"Penelope," he said trying desperately to stop laughing, "said you were kidder."

Macy didn't reply. Still that same cold look on her face.

"Cut that out you silly bitch," Penelope laughed, slapping Macy lightly on her shoulder.

Macy turned angrily at her friend, madness seething from her green eyes. Penelope returned Macy's disturbing glare with a disturbing glare of her own.

"Australian mountain goat, honey," Penelope informed her date as she landed her arm around his neck and planted a wet kiss on his cheek. Her tongue left her mouth, slowly tracing the outer parts of Hector's ear, then darting in and out of it. Gradually her mouth and tongue made their way down his neck. She removed his tie and, at the dinner table, started boldly unbuttoning his shirt.

All this was obviously arousing Hector, sweating and breathing heavily, his eyes rolling. The crowning touch was when Penelope, now sucking viciously on Hector's hairy chest, brought her hand underneath the table and gave Hector's already firm penis a hard squeeze. Her date moaned.

Disgusted by the sight, Macy excused herself from the dinner.  "I'm going to start the dishes."

Penelope, lost in the throes of passion, didn't respond.

"Come," she said, again in that same sexy way when she had first asked Hector to follow her to the bar for a drink.  "I want to fuck your brains out, you hunk of a man you." She gave Hector a long French kiss then showed him the way to her bedroom, which was located up a winding staircase just outside the dining room. Still loaded from all the wine drinking, Hector stumbled up the stairway, a bottle of Chablis in one hand.

As Macy proceeded to clear the table, stacking glass upon glass, plate upon plate, dirty forks upon dirty spoons, she could faintly grasp the sounds of erotic gasping and moaning from above her head, the sound of the bed squeaking, the thumping, wishing greatly it was her up there with Kelvin.

Macy heard her roommate ask her date, loudly now, to do her harder, and faster. And heard her date reply with yes, yes, I'm coming. Macy then heard Penelope cry out, as she laid a tower of plates down on the table, Wait! Then heard her roommate's lover gasp and ask: kinky, a butcher knife; what are you going to do with that my love?

And then she knew all too well that it would soon be over with, as she heard the unmistakable howl of a person in harrowing pain soon after. It was done.  Later they would feast.

After some minutes of silence, Penelope emerged from the upper floor, slowly descending the spiral staircase with blood all over her tight, blue evening dress, with a long butcher knife in one hand dripping blood all over the floor and stairs, and with  the hairy arm of her once panting lover in her other hand.  There was blood on her lips and cheeks as she chewed. Blood on her face and in her hair. She was grinning sinfully down at her friend.

"Boy came too fast, pissed me off."  She proffered Macy the bleeding arm and asked, "Want some, tasty piece nonetheless, young and tender?"

"You know I can't eat them when they're raw like that," Macy replied; picking up the leaning tower of dishes once more, she started for the kitchen.

Penelope sighed, raising the arm to her mouth.

Kelvin pored over the surrounding walls of Mr. Manazib's office, on which an assortment of beautifully illustrated oil paintings and breathtaking photographs were on display; however, he couldn't quite understand why he was contracting a creepy feeling about them. Why the unnatural feeling? He'd seen paintings before.

Because Mr. Manazib had asked Kelvin to report to his office after lunch, Kelvin quickly assumed he was going to be laid off: Hector did not come in to work today, a strong possibility that he'd been laid off earlier; maybe he was next. Perhaps Mr. Manazib wasn't impressed with the way he had prepared the Opinakto papers. He began to worry, as he sat there fidgeting nervously with a paper clip in his fingers, worrying he would be thrown out into the cold world without ever getting the chance to meet Macy, the girl of his dreams.

He was captured by something odd draped around the lampshade of the desk lamp. At first glance it appeared to be just an ordinary necklace. But after closer observation he discovered just the opposite. This was no ordinary necklace hanging around the lampshade: teeth had been strung together to form the necklace, not bear teeth, not shark teeth, not cat or dog teeth, but human teeth. Kelvin gasped, startled by the opening of the office door. Manazib entered. There was a huge, black briefcase in his right hand. A short man, sporting a long, shiny red ponytail, walked in behind Manazib. This must be my replacement, Kelvin wondered miserably.

"Kelvin," he said in a his deep voice, "good to see you again." Manazib grinned and pointed to the other seat, his sunglasses beaming sunshine. The new guy nodded and sat down.

The new guy stuck his hand out and Kelvin took it, smiling. "Hi. Name's Rex. Rex Fairbanks. My friends call me Rex."

Kelvin took it and shook. "Kelvin," he replied.

"Rex is a new here at the firm. Temp just like you Kelvin; if he does good I'll make him a permanent employee," Manazib informed Kelvin.

Kelvin nodded nervously.

"I'd like you to show him the ropes, the ins and outs, around the office," Manazib told Kelvin as he popped open his briefcase on the desk.

"Sure Mr. Manazib," Kelvin replied.

"I went over the Opinakto ledgers this morning; I must say, I was well impressed. I'm sure Mr. Opinakto would agree with me." Manazib cleared his throat. "Too bad I had to get rid of that other temp, what was his name?"

"Hector, Sir?" Kelvin informed him.

"Yes, yes. Had him terminated; didn't report for work today. Didn't call. I really dislike that in a new employee." Manazib pulled a toothpick from his shirt pocket and proceeded to pick at his teeth.

Kelvin was obviously glad to hear that, as a smile emerged on his.

"One more thing before I excuse the two of you. I'm throwing an office party tomorrow night. Barbecue and beer, all you can eat and drink. Can't beat that now can you? I'd like the two of you to come along."

Kelvin and Rex nodded in unison.

"And bring a date," Manazib interjected as he prodded his teeth.

The two nodded again.

"Well then, let's get back to work." Manazib stood up; thrusting his hands out, he shook both their hands.

"We'll start work on the Kilibrew Project," Kelvin assured him as they got up from their seats.

  "Good, good," Manazib boomed. "That's the spirit.  See you both at the party then; I'll have my assistant type up a memo with directions on how to get to the party. Sound good?"

"Yes. Thank you Mr. Manazib," Kelvin said. He started for the exit, Rex tagging behind him.

"Very good indeed," Manazib said, prodding his teeth.

Kelvin was frantic, panting and jogging through the parking lot outside the office building, searching zealously for Macy. He finally spotted her unmistakable figure climbing into a silvery jaguar and bolted after her.

He had wanted badly to introduce himself to her today, albeit  the concerns of Mr. Manazib, but unfortunately hadn't found the time to talk to her. He'd been with Rex all afternoon, showing him the ropes as Mr. Manazib had put it.

His heart was pounding harder. He was almost there. He heard the sound of the jaguar's engine roar to life. Desperately, Kelvin flung himself, like some suicidal madman, in front of the Jaguar, just as the car was taking off.

Macy slammed on the brakes, followed by Kelvin's face slamming into the windshield.  Sensing a tad more embarrassed than hurt, Kelvin, blood trickling down the side of his face, smiled stupidly at Macy as she gave him the most frightening look back. She then quickly realized who she had nearly made road-kill out of and began to giggle. She got out of the jaguar with a silly smile on her face. "Are you alright? You're bleeding."

Kelvin jumped off the hood, brushed off his suit, and straightened his tie.

"Yeah, just a little bump. My name's Kelvin," he told her, painfully now.

"I'm Macy. We were suppose to meet the other night," she snickered, batting her eyes at Kelvin. "You sure you're alright?"

He touched the side of his face, grimacing. "I think I'll be alright."

She smiled. "You're sure? You did hit the window mighty hard there."

He nodded.

"You must have had a very good reason for almost killing yourself. Right?" She asked him.

He looked at her finally with that 'I would die for you look' beaming from his face. "Huh; oh yes. Mr. Manazib is throwing an office party at his estate, tomorrow night and he invited me; said I had to bring a date . . ."

"And you would like me to be your date for the party?"  She said, cute green eyes twinkling with delight.

"Yes, sure. I know we didn't get a chance to formally meet the other night, but I think this date should make up for it."

She drew closer to Kelvin, inches from his face; her hand went up to touch his cheek. "I would follow you anywhere, my love."

Kelvin's eyes flew wide open, and a huge grin emerged. "You would," he replied, starring deeply into her eyes.

She replied sensuously, "Anywhere, anytime."

"Then it's a date. I'll pick you up at seven."

Macy nodded. "Would you like to ride with me to my place.  I can fix that nasty cut on your head; and then afterwards we can get acquainted over some wine and dinner?"

"Sure," Kelvin replied eagerly. "That sounds great.  What's for dinner?"

"Mountain goat in tomato sauce. You'll enjoy it, I promise you."

The sound of devouring mountain goat did seem a bit unusual to Kelvin. Nonetheless, he would go. "Oh, I'm sure I will," Kelvin told her.

"Afterwards you can have me for dessert, if you desire," she cooed; a foxy look emerged on her dainty features.

The prospect of this sudden and most delightful proposal stirred the manhood in his underpants.

They quickly climbed into her Jaguar and sped out of the parking lot. As the Jaguar roared down Melrose Blvd., Kelvin watched as the sun gradually set behind the row of towering edifices.

The room reeked strongly of sex.

Thin plumes of gray cigarette smoke rose from the bed the two lovers lay resting on. An open bottle of Chardonnay with two wineglasses around it, one empty and one nearly empty, stood empty on the nightstand next to Macy. Kelvin's eyes were closed, a long Marlboro hung loosely from his lips; the bed sheet was barely covering his sweaty body.

Macy got up abruptly, her breast bouncing, and extinguished her cigarette on the metal ashtray near the empty bottle of wine. She grabbed her bathrobe and started for the exit of the bedroom.

"Where're you going?" Kelvin asked her.

Macy turned around. "I forgot to do something. I'll be back, I'm going to Penelope's room for a sec. I got something for you there," she said. She blew Kelvin a kiss, turned back around, then quickly headed out the room.

Kelvin simply shrugged, took another puff, gagged a bit, then closed his eyes again. A sex toy maybe, he wondered.

She felt extremely nervous, anxious, queasy, as she walked slowly down the dark hallway. Could she, without second thought, actually bring herself to do it? Was it in her heart; was it coursing through her bloodstream: could she perform the act that she now demanded of herself? She felt the act momentous: she loved Kelvin, she knew that much was true, and for that matter alone, no other token of her love would suffice. No matter, it would have to be done, if she was to somehow express the extent of her admiration for Kelvin. This task would undoubtedly prove to Kelvin that she indeed was in love with him, and him only.

A beam of moonlight slanted out the halfway open door leading to Penelope's bedroom; Macy entered the room, carefully, so as not to disturb her roommate, just in case she had come home and had fallen asleep from a long and exhausting night of drinking, dancing and dining. Macy glanced at the unkempt bed to check and see if Penelope had returned home. She found it empty of life, except for her roommate's favorite stuffed bear lying silently on top of a small hill of bed covers. She turned on the light. Macy instantly spotted the shiny object on top of Penelope's dressing table, glimmering brightly from the light of the crystal chandelier hanging overhead. Hastily she went for the object. In her rapidity, she knocked over the still-bloody knife that had been set beside the shiny object--the very same knife that Penelope had had the immense pleasure of using on her lover the other night. It landed on the hard wood floor with a thud.

Carefully, Macy kicked the knife away, and huffed angrily.  Why hadn't she cleaned up the knife? Why hadn't she put the god-forsaken thing away?

Her anger quickly subsided as she raised the shiny object to her face. She inspected the shiny object, a thin gold chain; her eyes were like two shimmering emeralds as she surveyed it. She smiled.  I hope Kelvin likes it, she thought dreamily. She dropped the chain into the bathrobe's pocket and quickly exited her roommate's bedroom.

"I got worried. Where'd you go to in such a fury?" He asked her as he sat up.

She slid the robe off her body, landing it in a clump of terry cloth around her tiny feet. Macy grinned and promptly jumped in bed.

"I told you silly, I went to get you something," she replied, slowly exposing the thin gold chain she had hidden well in the palm of her hand. The chain swung softly from the tips of her fingers, right in front of Kelvin's marveling eyes.  Kelvin gasped. She tasted his cheek with a kiss; he blushed.

"You're blushing," she said with a giggle.

"I can't accept this."

She seemed disturbed by this, and replied, "What do you mean? Don't you like it?"

"Yes. It's very beautiful but I just don't feel right that I should accept it. It's too much. We just met. I don't deserve it, Macy." He tried, humbly, to explain.

"Don't worry. You don't have to marry me just because of the chain, silly. But if you don't want it--"

Kelvin suddenly kissed her. "I love you. I want you forever in my life. If accepting the chain will prove my undying love for you, then accept it I will." He took the chain and kissed her again.

"What did you just say?"

"I'm in love with you," he told her, smiling. "Have been since the first time I saw you."

"I love you too," she replied, somberly, the twinkle in her eye revealing everything.

They arrived at the office party together, in her shiny jaguar.

The air around them was thick with the smoky scent of barbecue as they made their way up the pathway holding hands.

"Smells good, doesn't it?" Macy asked, sniffing smoky air.

"It smells wonderful," Kelvin replied. "Can't wait to dig  into it. I haven't had barbecue food in years."

"Trust me, my love. This is no ordinary barbecue food.  Mr. Manazib uses only the best meat."

"T-bone?"

"Better than that," she replied with a grin.

Macy rang the doorbell. A tall man, very slim, with thinning black hair, opened the door. Mozart blared out.

"Macy, so glad you could make it. And you brought your own meat, I see," the man said, eyeing Kelvin with strange  interest.

Offended by the awkward man's comment, Kelvin replied angrily, "I'm not a piece of meat. I'm her date."

Macy was hurt by the comment as well. "You must excuse  Mullholand, Kelvin. His mama never taught him proper manners."

Mullholand made a false smile. "I was only kidding, Kelvin.  That is your name?"

Kelvin nodded and with Macy's hand in his pushed his way by the snob.

Mullholand winked at Macy as Kelvin went by him. She glared furiously back.

"Penny," Macy blurted out loudly, waving at her roommate.  Surrounding Penelope, as she held a near empty glass of wine in her hand, were three elegantly dressed men talking and ogling at her perfectly proportioned body pressed tightly beneath her silky red evening dress.  Penelope spotted Macy and waved back; she then informed one of her adoring friends with a soft touch upon his chest that she was leaving and quickly made her way through the other party members towards Macy and Kelvin.

"Penny, over here." Still waving her over. "That's Penelope. My roommate. I want you to meet her."

Kelvin's eyes almost popped out of their sockets when he caught her lovely figure coming their way. Glorious, he mused.

"You can stop ogling now, Kelvin." Macy said half-heartily.

"I wasn't," he replied, softly, and kissed her behind her ear.

Penelope stuck out her hand. "Kelvin, Kelvin, I finally get to meet the one Macy has been drooling about at the dinner table. Too bad you had to work late the other night, we had such a swell time. Hector was delicious."

"How about you Kelvin. Are you a spicy one?" Penelope asked with a glint in her eye.

"I can be," Kelvin told her.

"I'm sure we'll find out, won't we Mace?" Penelope asked, licking her lips.

Macy replied securely, "He's a spicy one alright."

"You don't mind if I take Kelvin here for a little drink at the bar?" She asked Macy, motioning to the bar.

"No. Not at all."

"I really think I should stay here with Macy. I don't need a drink right now."

"Come here," Penelope purred. "There's no need to be shy.  I won't bite, unless, of course, Macy lets me."

"Go on," Macy assured him--though extremely wanton, Penelope wasn't known to be a boyfriend stealer. "And bring me one back, Kelvin."

"Sure," he replied, as he was yanked softly away from her.  Penelope exposed a harmless grin.

Some time had gone by. Penelope and Kelvin had just finished their third drink together.

"We need to get back," Kelvin tried to speak; his vision was deteriorating rapidly as he spoke.

"Drink up, boy." Penelope told him, her eyes gleaming.

"I don't feel I. . . . should," Kelvin mumbled, raising the glass, which felt unnaturally heavy to him now, to his puffy lips. The glass slipped from his fingers and crashed to the floor, red wine splattering. Groggily Kelvin looked up to find Penelope's teeth shining brightly at him.

"Are you feeling alright, Kelvin?" Kelvin heard faintly asked of him. He replied negatively with a slow shake of his head.

However the room now was spinning faster. He felt insensibility coming quickly.

"Are you sure, honey?" Penelope asked.

This time Kelvin didn't reply. He swooned, hitting the bar face-first hard.

"Sleep my little boy," Penelope said softly, caressing the back of Kelvin's head with her long fingers. "Sleep now."

Kelvin was awakening to the smell of death, his eyes opening, slowly, to the blurry surroundings of the room. Kelvin noted then, hazy vision and all, a man, hanging upside down, naked, decapitated, with both his arms removed, dripping blood heavily into a long shallow pan.  The unfortunate had been disemboweled as well.

Hanging right side up next to the unfortunate, hands tied tightly together at the wrist, was a naked woman; the woman was untouched, all limbs intact, so unlike the grotesquely chopped up man who was hanging dead beside her. Her eyes were closed; her ample chest, exposed, moved steadily up and down; she was breathing, possibly unconscious. Kelvin heard the woman moan softly.

The room Kelvin hung helplessly in was, now, by degrees becoming frighteningly clear to him. Besides the fact that there were humans hanging on ropes, hanging from all four walls were an assortment of shiny cutting and sheathing knives, long ones, short ones, tools usually found hanging on butcher shop walls. Grappling hooks hung down from the ceiling like long metal claws; some of the hooks, Kelvin speculated, held large chunks of meat, greatly resembling parts of the human anatomy. And then that smell, that strong, unmistakable odor of blood, of decay. All of these vile sights and smells lead Kelvin to believe as he hung there curiously looking around, that this was, for some horrific reason, an abattoir for humans. But why? Who was behind this madness? And where the hell was Macy?

He heard laughter and people conversing outside the room. Suddenly then the door to the room opened and in walked Mullholand, the man Kelvin had met at the entrance of the estate.

"I'll check on it," Mullholand assured someone outside the entrance. He closed the door and turned around.

"Kelvin, we meet again."

"What the Hell is going on here? What are you doing to these people?"

"Not me only, but us. Mr. Manazib, Penelope, Macy. And the rest of the firm," Mullholand answered him, his eyes bloodshot from drinking. "You and the young lady here are being prepped for eating. Rex," he said, pointing to the dead man hanging upside down, "is on the grill right now." Mullholand sneered.

"You're kidding me," Kelvin replied.

"Why do you find it so hard to believe, Mr. Pucket? Some of us do love to eat our own kind. I prefer young men, like you, and  like Rex for instance," Mullholand told him, grinning sinfully.

"Cut me down from here!" Kelvin demanded, yanking fiercely at the ropes. "Cut me the fuck down! Now!"

Mullholand scoffed as he walked over to the hanging woman.  He touched her soft breast, then squeezed them. "Good meat," he commented. He then sauntered over to the hanging Kelvin and felt his arms.

"Get your fucking hands off me!" Kelvin growled.

Mullholand then worked his hand down Kelvin's bare chest, running his fingers through the thick bush of hair. "Strong.  Do you work out?"

"Don't touch me!" He shouted, kneeing Mullholand in the gut. 

Gasping for air, Mullholand stepped back, nearly buckling to the ground. "Now, now. That wasn't very nice," Mullholand told Kelvin in an imminent voice, his eyes rolling from the pain.  "I see why Macy found you highly attractive," he said, insinuating Kelvin's penis size with his bloodshot eyes and a pointing finger. "Tell me Kelvin, have you ever been brought to orgasm by a member of the same sex?" Mullholand went behind the chopping counter and brought out a rope. "I'll have to tie your legs up so you won't want to kick me again. That way I can show you how a man pleases another man. Agreed?" He grinned again.

"If you touch me I swear I'll kill you!" Kelvin cried, his legs kicking the air in front of him.

However, before Mullholand had the chance to demonstrate his talent, the door to the abattoir opened, and in walked Macy. She appeared upset about something.

Mullholand turned with a start, the rope still in hand.  "Macy, my dear. How delightful that you can join us."

"What are you doing with that rope?" She snarled.

"He's mad! Macy run, get some help!" Kelvin hollered.

"You can join in if like, my dear." Mullholand mused.

"Go fuck yourself, Mullholand," Macy spat.

"He's out of his freaking mind, Macy. He says he's going to eat me, that Rex's on the grill," Kelvin explained in a cooler voice.

"Yeah, Macy. Tell him how crazy I am. Go on, tell Loverboy how crazy I am."

"He's not crazy," she began, a look of despair emerging on her face. "Extremely stupid, but not crazy, my love."

Baffled, Kelvin shook his head at her. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You and the woman are being prepped, to be eaten. Just as Mullholand had told you. And I can't do anything to stop it." She avoided his eyes and continued. "Kelvin, please, you've got to believe me. I pleaded with Mr. Manazib to let you go. He told me to shut up and get lost." A tear started to roll down her cheek.

"If this is some joke, it's not very funny. So, if you would please cut me the fuck down now!" Kelvin cried out; there was madness in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said finally, turning away from him.

"I thought you loved me. You said you loved me!" Kelvin hollered at her.

"You know, I've never killed one awake before. This might just turn out to be interesting," Mullholand said, snickering, slowly bringing out from behind the chopping counter a large and very sharp butcher knife.

Kelvin started to squirm even harder. 

"Too bad you won't get to experience the feel of my tongue all over your body, Kelvin. What a shame," Mullholand remarked with a sly look.

"Shut up! Just get it over with," Macy grunted.

"She doesn't love you, Kelvin," Mullholand told him coolly as he pressed the blade upon Kelvin's neck. "Macy's one of us. We're family. Something your kind will never understand."

And then it happened. Flesh and muscle were breached, and the abattoir shuddered with an earsplitting scream. Geysers of blood sprang forth, splattering Macy's face, her hair, and her arms. She plunged the boning knife into Mullholand's back again. And again, and again, until the screaming was over and done with and Mullholand had fallen to the floor onto a puddle of his own blood; she watched nervously, wiping sweat and blood from her face, as he floundered on the bloody ground like a fish out of water. The butcher knife that he would have used on the defenseless Kelvin was still in his hand.

"Bastard!" Macy shouted down at the fallen man. "I never did like you!" Shuddering, Macy quickly cut the bonds that held Kelvin. "Hurry!" He plopped on the ground and looked  up at her strangely. "We haven't much time before the others notice Mullholand missing."

"I knew I shouldn't have brought you here. Penelope assured me that you wouldn't be touched. The bitch lied to me," Macy said angrily.

"What about her?" Kelvin asked, pointing to the naked woman swaying on the rope.

"What about her? We've got to get the hell out of here, and fast, or they'll have us both for dinner," she informed him gravely.

"I'm not leaving her to die."

Macy huffed and quickly cut the blonde loose. The woman fell to the floor, her head striking the ground violently.

Kelvin got down on his knees and heaved, flinging the woman over his shoulder.

"You must work out," Macy said with a smile, watching Kelvin's biceps swell.

"Twice a week," he replied.

"Are you going to put some clothes on?"

"What clothes?"

Macy pointed to Mullholand.

"Bloody clothes? I don't think so."

Struggling with the heavy load upon his shoulders, Kelvin bolted out of the abattoir, Macy following right behind him. The Jaguar was close by, behind the abattoir, and not too far. The two renegades made a dash for it, scrambling down the backyard.

Kelvin lowered the naked woman gently onto the back seat of the jaguar then clambered into the car. They sped away.

"The hospital's not far from here. We'll leave her there," Kelvin told his partner.

Macy immediately agreed.

THE END

Copyright © 1998 by Arturo Hernandez