The Lioness: And More Creepy Strange Stories

By J. Wesley Brown

The Lioness, And More Creepy Strange Stories is a collection of five short fictional works. All five vary in subject matter and length, but one thing is for sure - they are all strange and a bit creepy!

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jun 18, 2013
• ISBN: 9781483501819

Book preview

DAY

I. The Lioness

Leonard Pride looked at the two uncooked pieces of meat lying on the tray. They were red and bloody with a few scattered splotches of faint light brown. A tiny white river of fat ran through each of them, complete with tributaries. An uncomfortable memory flashed in his mind, but he forced himself to suppress it. It quickly faded. Honey? Catherine? How do you want your steak cooked? he asked from the kitchen before stepping out onto the deck where the ashy briquettes were glowing. Raw.

Raw? You can’t eat raw meat. It’ll make you sick.

Then rare.

How rare?

Very.

"Are you sure you want it that rare?

Yes. You asked. I want it extremely rare. Can’t you handle it? she asked from where she was seated at her desk. With her two hands she tapped a stack of upright papers, aligning them before inserting them into a built-in folder in her recently purchased brief case.

Of course dear, rare it is, he replied.

He waited and watched as she stood and spread several charts on the desktop, shifting them and making unintelligible comments. She rolled each chart individually.

Leonard watched her deft fingers grab a rubber band and twist it until it was smaller then roll it to the middle of each chart. The twisting reminded him of young girls who he had seen use the same baffling technique to pony tail their hair.

He wondered to himself. No one eats raw meat. Do they? Only wild animals eat raw meat. The memory returned ever stronger. It flashed again and persisted in staying.

He remembered it was the beginning of the first summer after his father died when his mother asked if he would like to go to the fairgrounds to watch the newly arrived circus set up.

Lenny, I have an old friend who is the animal trainer at the circus. He trains the lions and other big cats. He has invited me and of course you, too, to come visit. We can go in the back where the general public is not allowed.

Lenny remembered vividly that it was a hot and clammy day. After they parked, a security guard guided them in the right direction. Lenny noticed the guard had a large frightening pistol on his belt. Although Lenny was almost nine, he held onto his mother’s hand. He was anxious and nervous and his shirt was damp and stuck to his body. The guard took them through narrow passageways created by semi trucks and trailers. Lenny could hear low growls and smell the wild beasts long before he saw them. The stink of their cages emanated and hung in the humid air. It was overwhelming and made Lenny feel nauseated.

The guard brought them to a large-sided tent. Inside was an enclosure made out of panels of welded steel rods, which were banded together forming a huge temporary cage. Inside the giant steel cage were several smaller cages on wheels. Each cage contained at least one large cat pacing back and forth. The animal handlers were inside the larger enclosure feeding the hungry cats through the bars of their cages before the evening show.

The guard called out to one of the handlers, and after saying something to Lenny’s mother, he left. The handler came sauntering over to the perimeter of the larger cage. He made no attempt to hide his interest in Lenny’s mother, who obviously enjoyed the attention. His mother kept messing with her hair and straightening her clothes while talking with the handler. After a brief conversation with the handler his mother told him to stay and watch while she went to find her friend.

The handlers watched her exaggerated walk as she left. One of them said something to the others causing them to laugh loudly. They stared at Lenny and stopped laughing. They returned to throwing hunks of raw meat into the cage with a pitchfork. Lenny felt unwelcome, as if he were trespassing on some kind of adult secret.

The stronger male lions were the first to eat. The lionesses stole what they could. All of the cats snapped and growled at each other as they tore into the raw meat. Lenny watched as the blood oozed through the fangs of the animals and dripped onto the floor. The smell of the raw meat mingled and fused with the rankness of cat urine. He gagged and the workers laughed at him. He fled and ran between the trucks all the way to the chain link fence that surrounded the grounds and gagged again. He stayed there in the oppressive heat waiting for his mother.

He stood when he saw her coming. She was laughing and holding a strange man’s hand who also carried a pistol on his hip, but his pistol handle had a dangling whip curled around it. Lenny thought the man must have fat legs from the billowy pants that he wore tucked into shiny black boots that came almost to his knees. The man’s shirt was unbuttoned half way down the front. Did his mother not see that? She always insisted on Lenny keeping his shirt buttoned. The two of them stopped before they saw him and kissed. He saw his mother touch the man where no one is supposed to touch you. When his mother saw him she made an unpleasant face and motioned for him to go to the car. He looked back and they kissed again. He had never seen his mother and father kiss. Lenny and his mother rode home in silence.

The meat sizzled when Lenny laid the steaks over the hot coals.

They sat at their cozy table for two in their dining niche. Lenny watched the bloody juices run as Catherine cut into her steak. She rubbed a severed cut around and into the thinned redness. The excess juices dripped back onto her plate before the piece reached her mouth. She chewed, closed her eyes, and tilted her head back, trapping any escaping flavors.

She sighed and said, Perfect. Lenny, I think you have finally got it right. She cut another bite sized piece.

So when do you start your new position? he asked, avoiding watching her eat.

She held her fork up to indicate a pause as she meticulously chewed, savoring before swallowing. Monday, but now I don’t have to go in until nine, using her knife for emphasis she added, but I’ll be there before eight. I’m going to make a difference. I’ve got lots of new ideas I want to implement. And now that I have my degree I can finally do just that. With my new promotion, I’ll be the one in charge.

He nodded while watching the diluted blood on her plate, in which she swirled yet another piece of meat. As his appetite diminished, he cut into his well-done steak. He noticed during their dinner that she hardly touched her broccoli.

Didn’t you say you’ll get a raise and a bonus? he asked.

Oh yes, a substantial raise and you know what? I’ll be making more money than you, Catherine said laughing, not that it matters. You should ask for a raise. You know that firm can afford it. Aren’t you worth it?

I don’t know.

You don’t know? She shook her head as she concentrated on her next bite.

It was Friday. They would have usually gone out, caught a movie or something. After dinner Lenny cleaned the kitchen while she lay on the floor in front of the television stretching, twisting, and running