Twisted Roads – Twisted Horror Stories by Matthew Tonks

Apple

“Are we going to do this?” he says nervously, looking towards her. She smiles, and he feels his heartbeat rapidly increase.

“Are you scared?”

“He said not to. Out of everything, all of it, he only ever said not to touch that. So, to answer your question, yeah, maybe I am.”

“Pathetic. How did I get paired with such a spineless weasel like you?”

“I don’t understand what you mean. I have a spine, and you told me you loved me. Was that a lie?”

“It wasn’t a question that needed any answers, and don’t act like you didn’t enjoy it. We both knew it was going to happen, even if I didn’t tell you what you wanted to hear. So, why don’t you get off your high horse and just fucking get up there and get it!”

A tear runs down his cheek, quickly followed by more. She rolls her eyes and places her hands on her hips, powerfully.

“Enough with the waterworks, honey. We both don’t want it to get nasty again, do we? Just get it down, and I’ll do that thing you like.”

“Everything’s not about that, so don’t try and patronise me. It doesn’t suit you!” he says, stamping his foot into the ground.

“And being a drama queen suits you? Just get it before I lose my shit,” she says, taking a step forward. He shuffles backward, placing his hands over his head in protection.

“Okay, OKAY! I’ll get it, just don’t hit me again!” he yells, scurrying over to the tree. He quickly climbs up its elongated branches and comes to rest against the trunk several feet from the ground. With one hand, he grips the tree, reaching out towards the apple with the other. His fingers lightly touch it with their tips before it swings away.

“Put your back into it! You almost had it!” she yells.

He looks down at her, frustration written all over his face. “Shut up! I’m trying to reach the goddamn thing, but it’s just out of reach!” He makes another failed attempt, but this time, he loses his grip and tumbles forward. Frantically, he flaps his arms as if hoping somehow he would magically fly, but instead, he hits the ground with a thud.

“How useless are you?” she says, looking down at him. But her frown of disappointment is soon replaced by a smile as he awkwardly raises a shaking hand, holding out the apple for her. She grabs it and dances around his broken, bloody body, laughing and giggling with joy. She looks over at him with a huge smile on her face and blows him a kiss.

“Guess who’s getting lucky tonight?” she says, taking a bite of the apple, and…

“Can I interrupt for a moment?” a voice asks.

“Well, it’s not really how things work. Normally, I just finish the story, and people like it, maybe make a comment, tell me how it changed their life, how great a writer I am, you know, the usual. Normally, a story doesn’t interfere with the process and certainly doesn’t ask if it can interrupt.”

“I know, but we are closing in on Halloween, and you do have this Roundhead story thing running over the next few days, which is about a story coming to life and questioning things about itself. So, in a way, this is not a new idea to you, is it?”

“Well, if you put it like that, it’s sort of like that, but not really. Anyway, I’d like to finish the story, so, what do you want?”

“I just want to know, are they going to have sex?”

“Sorry? What sort of question is that?”

“I think it’s a valid question. I mean, it’s so obvious this is Adam and Eve. I’m sure we all get that, and you’re doing your usual spin on things to play with the whole, ‘this is what happened, but this is my story of it all.’ So, I’m expecting, as I’m sure everyone else is, that they’re going to have sex. So, are they?”

“You know what? You can finish yourself off. It seems to be your style.”

“Did you just call me a wanker?”