Twisted Roads – Twisted Horror Stories by Matthew Tonks

Respect

“Please, sir, I was hungry. I—I—I haven’t eaten in days. I didn’t want to take it, but I saw you had more…” The boy doesn’t get to finish his sentence as the man slaps him across the face, knocking him to the ground.

“Shut up, child. You’ve made your bed; now you must pay the price with your life!”

“Rademer, stop this foolishness!” another man yells as he grabs Rademer by the arm and pushes him away.

“You dare touch me like I am a lowly peasant? Are you actually defending this boy, Jensen?”

“He’s starving, for God’s sake. Let him take the bread. You’ve proven how this poor fool’s life is of no fortune; killing him will do nothing!”

“It’ll do plenty. It’ll teach all the other rats out there not to touch what is mine, like you will learn.”

“What, are you threatening me now?”

“You must be reminded who you serve. Though it breaks my heart to do this, you must be made an example of. For, if I do not, others will think they can do the same, and I cannot have that now, can I?” he says as he draws his sword.

“Don’t be a fool. Walk away; no one will think any less of you,” Jensen says nervously as he pulls out his own sword.

“You put on a brave show, and the crowd has been mystified, but I can see what is truly in your eyes. I can see the fear. You realise that I am greater than you could ever hope to be, for you are but a petty stone on the road, who will be stepped on or thrown to the side.”

“Do you entertain yourself with your words?” Jensen asks as they slowly circle each other, swords ready to strike.

Rademer laughs. “I do not do it to entertain; I do it out of repetition. This dance is nothing new to me, as you know, and I only offer words to soften the blow that I will bring down upon your skull—words that will make you feel less ashamed of the defeat that will be at my hands.”

“You’ll find that I am not as easy to kill as you hope!” he yells as he attacks. The swords clash together as Jensen brings his sword down powerfully, but his attack is blocked, and Rademer drives a boot into his stomach, sending him crashing to the ground. Quickly, he tries to scramble to his feet, but instead comes face to face with the end of Rademer’s blade.

“I told you, there is only defeat here for you.”

“Do it then! Add another kill so you can continue to build up your reputation, your name. Build the mighty legend, so all that hear it fear it.”

“What is a man if he does not have a title?”

“Is that how you see yourself in this world? Is this how you find meaning?”

“Meaning? There is no meaning to be found, boy. Title brings respect, so either you respect my position or die—there is nothing else!”

“How pathetic, to live your life building a reputation that is built upon a lie. I’ve seen the true you. I’ve—”

“My life is no lie,” he yells as he swings the blade, removing Jensen’s head with one clean stroke. Blood gushes from the severed stump, and his body falls to the ground, followed by a river of blood that flows quickly from his headless corpse.

Rademer turns as a knife is thrust up into his chest. Wearily, he looks down upon the boy. Hate is all that he can see in the child’s eyes. With a sneer upon his face, the boy twists the knife, and Rademer falls to his knees, gasping for breath. For the first time in his long, destructive life, he has been surprised. He curses his stupidity for forgetting about the child, allowing his anger to focus on Jensen, when he should’ve taken the child first. His eyes widen as the boy grits his teeth and lets out a volatile scream as he slashes the knife across his throat. As everything begins to shut down, the child spits in his face, yelling, “Death to the pig dog!” as Rademer collapses to the ground. His blood gushes from his torn throat like an open tap, intermingling with Jensen’s, as it runs down into the gutter.