Artistic Slashing Ch.9 (Patreon)

Chapter Nine

Snatch and Grab.

Betty slipped out of the water a few hundred feet down from the Docks. A quick Slasher Step moved her deeper into the forest before she crouched down, scanning the area with her Slasher Senses.

Nothing was moving near her. She could dimly hear movement over by the Boat Shed, but that was fine. She was not headed that way. Creeping forward, low and slow, Betty crept through the forest and moved to keep well clear of the Campers’ Cabins as she made her way toward the Cafeteria. She had not needed to be this careful since she first arrived here.

It felt like a lifetime ago.

Betty closed in on her target, hoping that the Counselors’ attention was on hunting her as opposed to cleaning up corpses. Arriving in the woods behind the Cafeteria, Betty saw her prize. The body of Bossy was still lying where it fell.

Perfect.

Keeping her attention on her senses, Betty crept forward and reached for the still form of Bossy. Just as her hand closed on the body, she heard a sound approaching from the Dock. Falling back into the woods was an option, but….

Betty grabbed the corpse, flipped it onto her back, and fled into the forest, trying to keep quiet as she moved at top speed between the trees.

A few minutes later, Betty jogged to a stop. No sounds of pursuit had followed her through the forest.

Betty slipped back into the water and dragged Bossy in after her. The limp form was absurdly easy to move through the water. However, it did seem to have an annoying tendency to want to float to the surface.

Betty let it float up once they were past the halfway point. She knew no one would see her lazily towing it through the waters.

Once safely tucked onto the rocky shore beneath the cliffs, Betty set to work. She grabbed Stabby to use as a cutting tool, only to hesitate.

Now it came to it; she had no idea how you even did this. Her dim memories of medical shows on TV all agreed that the first thing was the ‘y’ incision. That method would prove difficult here; the girl had that third breast in the middle of her chest, right where the cut should go.

Betty stared at the body and considered what to do… as she studied the body, she thought about the description of the Xenobiology skill.

Xenobiology -

Study the body forms of other lifeforms to learn their history, abilities, and genesis.

What did it mean by ‘study the body’ exactly? It certainly suggested a little amateur autopsy work but didn’t specify. Betty stared at the body of Bossy. She was being difficult even as a corpse.

Betty picked up Stabby again, trying to find where she could make the cut, only to notice something strange. Bossy’s jaw was sitting slightly off-center. Moving her hand up and gently moving the jaw, she found it moved easily from side to side, way more than a human’s jaw would.

Herbivore Jaw Structure -

Moves easily from side to side, enabling grinding of plant matter.

Information added to Bovinian Biology.

Betty cheered as the words flashed into her vision before fading. It looked like the skill worked more on the examination and less on the autopsy side of things.

Moving on, Betty pulled the mouth open and looked at the teeth. The teeth were strange, the incisors were at the front, but the rest were molars. The Molars were all wide and flat, with faint ridges in them. All except the molars on either side of the incisors, which seemed to be trying to turn into canines.

Herbivore Teeth with signs of an evolutionary shift towards the growth of canines.

Creature evolved from a herbivore into an omnivore.

Information added to Bovinian Biology.

Betty grinned. This was incredible. She felt like a real Xenobiologist, studying the body of an alien creature.

Moving on, she looked at the eyes; the whole sideways eyelids thing was freaky. No matter how she examined the eyes, nothing popped out at her. Only as she was considering popping one of the eyes out did she notice a third, clear eyelid peaking out at the base of each eye.

Nictating Membrane -

Protects the eyes against wind, dust, and Ultraviolet Radiation.

Creatures evolved in windy or high U.V. areas.

Information added to Bovinian Biology.

Betty kept examining the head, finding the horns to be another example of evidence that the Bovininans evolved from a Herbivore; thus, it needed horns to protect it from predators. The ears were apparently an evolutionary oddity that probably had more to do with a social advantage than a physical one. Maybe the boys and girls here got all excited over the length and pointiness of each other's ears.

“If there is oo-mox shit going on here, I’m going genocidal….” Betty muttered to herself as she moved on to the rest of the body. The shoulders, spine, and general hip and joint structure on the torso seemed identical to humans and triggered nothing in her skill. The three breasts thing, well, she didn’t need to know. Plus, Betty felt she was creepy enough as a slasher without studying a corpse's tits.

The arms and legs were mostly the same as a human’s, with the exception of the sixth finger on each hand. Up until now, Betty had assumed it was an extra pinky finger or something; instead, it turned out to be a duplicate of the middle finger.

Sixth Finger - Mirror arrangement.

A possible sign of evolution from a Bovine-like animal.

The two-part hooves, each splitting into three appendages.

More examples of planetary ecology are required for further analysis.

Information added to Bovinian Biology.

“Huh,” Betty shrugged, “That kind of makes sense.” Moving on to the hooves at last, Betty was unsurprised to see the split hoof that cows, sheep, deer, etc., all shared.

Cloven Hoof -

Sign of evolution on uneven ground. The two separate parts of the hoof give better stability on rocky, uneven, or slippery surfaces.

Information added to Bovinian Biology.

“Hmm, that’s interesting and all, but it doesn’t help me much,” Betty muttered as she looked at the body. That Bovinian Biology thing sounded like some kind of… a new message popped up as soon as she thought the words Bovinian Biology.

Bovinian Biology -

Bovinians evolved from herbivorous creatures similar to Earth bovines. They were likely originally native to an area of rocky ground and high winds.

They have since evolved a bipedal body and an omnivorous diet.

They are likely to have strong legs and back.

Has naturally high endurance and strength.

The most likely points of weakness are the neck and the jaw.

Most likely retains the freeze response of prey animals.

Edible, a good source of protein and nutrients.

Information added to the Societal Matrix of Rosetta Stone.

Betty frowned at the word edible as her stomach gurgled. A steady diet of what she now suspected was grass chips, and such had definitely left her missing the more meaty flavors. But… This was a sentient creature. Well, not now. Now it was just meat, but….

Betty stalked out of the forest, her arms full of wood. She was still in two minds about this. Her stomach growled, overriding her. She got to work, building the campfire, putting off the inevitable. Once the fire was built, she found a stone to strike sparks off Hacky. In no time, she had a fire going. She guessed she owed Parker an apology if she ever got back to Earth.

Her brother had insisted they go on that survival weekend together as a ‘bonding exercise’ when they were sixteen. He had thrived while she skulked in the background. She had spent so much time focusing on the tasks to avoid talking to people that she actually still remembered it all.

In no time at all, the moment had arrived. It was time to cut the meat. It was definitely the meat and not the body. Just meat.

“Just meat,” Betty told herself as she carved into the flesh of the leg. She cut off a large chunk and cut it free of the skin. A large flat rock served as her frying pan as she sat back and watched the meat slowly cook, licked by the flames as they curled around the edges of the stone. “Just meat,” Betty repeated to herself again.

In no time at all, the meat was cooked. The whole beach smelled like a barbeque as the smell of flame-cooked meat wafted to Betty. With drool around the corners of her mouth, Betty reluctantly bit into the meat. An involuntary moan of pleasure rocked through her as the tender meat flooded her mouth. It was like the best Aberdeen Angus steaks all mixed with a faint spiciness that she assumed came from the wood she used.

“This is just so wrong,” Betty frowned as she ripped the meat apart. “I can’t do this.” She looked down at her hands in shock, finding the entire steak gone. Little rivulets of oil and blood ran down her fingers.

Standing with Hacky in one hand and Stabby in the other, Betty looked down at the body with a wild look in her eyes. They also taught them how to make a smoker on that course.

“Looks like meat is back on the menu, boys!” Betty grinned as she approached the body.

Betty slipped into the water and floated on her back. The meal had been fantastic; she had never eaten that much meat in one go in her life. She had felt herself slipping into a small food coma and decided to get a little soak in the water to wake herself up. She simply floated for a while as she planned for the upcoming hunt.

She had left the three survivors alone for long enough as it was; she needed to finish this before they found a way to call for help. Her eyes flicked to the shore, where smoke gently wafted from the Bossy Jerky she was making.

She had time.

With a flick, she rolled over and dove under the water, arms and legs pumping as she shot forward along the bottom of the lake and towards the camp. The protein had left her feeling energized and powerful.

Her stats let her cross the distance in a matter of minutes.

Betty let herself float to the surface, keeping everything from her eyes down below the water line as she scanned the shore.

She grinned at the sight. Twinsy One and Two were busy putting up a line of cans along the water line. They dangled from a long series of strings that they were hiding in the shrubbery. Looks like they figured out she was using the Lake to get around. Betty slipped back beneath the water and swam over to the far side, away from the industrious counselors. Bracing against the crystal floor of the lake, Betty pushed hard.

She flew out of the water, and Slasher Stepped into the woods before she landed. Crouching down, she listened for movement, cries, or anything else.

Silence.

Betty grinned and set off through the woods toward the camp, keeping her eyes peeled. The girls had been busy. She was impressed with how much they had managed to get done. Betty carefully scanned the ground and easily found their first set of warning systems. Trip wires with a single pair of cans covered every path and most of the approaches to the camp.

Next up were a series of snares and traps, each quite easy to spot. The areas around them hid the real traps.

It was clever.

Betty Slasher Stepped over them with an evil smile.

Just not clever enough.

In no time at all, Betty was looking out over the top of a boulder at the Cafeteria. Wooden poles had been carved into spikes and made a pair of walls that narrowed the path to each doorway.

Betty could see a single life sign inside the building, pulsing and powerful. Well, hello, Trashy. The twins were still down at the dock, wasting time and effort to keep her out. Still, that should give them a nice false sense of security.

Betty waited and watched; eventually, Trashy came out of the building and walked the perimeter. A knife was taped to the end of a long stick; Betty was fairly sure it was a broom handle.

Cute.

Betty tensed to attack just to relax again as the Twins approached from the docks, apparently done with their little traps. The three girls talked for a moment before they all went inside. As they did, Trashy gave one last anxious look out the door before it swung closed.

Every fiber of her being wanted to rush them, fight them all together, and prove her power, but… that was not very Slasher behavior. ‘Quick’ and ‘Creepy’ had to be her watchwords. Instead, she watched as the life signs moved around inside the building. They settled down after a few hours, and a faint hint of music playing low came out of the building.

How big were these girls' bladders? Betty wondered. She had been forced to relieve herself twice already, but… the back door creaked as it was gently opened.

Betty Slasher Stepped onto the roof, then across to the other side, before laying herself flat against the roof and peering down.

Twinsy One was peaking around, scanning the forest and paths. Seeing nothing, she edged out, tensed to dash back in. Silence.

A minute passed, and the girl began to squirm. Her sister joined her. Finally, they both took another step out. The door stayed open. Someone was holding it.

Trashy.

Voices whispered to each other, and Twinsy One dashed over to the woods, crouching in the bushes as the others kept watch. Finishing up, Twinsy One practically dashed back to the Cafeteria, vanishing inside. Betty got silently to her feet, careful not to let the roof creak. Crouched on the roof's edge, Betty watched Twinsy Two hesitating, scanning the area before turning to go back inside just as the door drifted closed.

Betty dropped from the roof, driving the girl to the floor as she swung Hacky down, severing the neck in a single strike.

It had taken less than a second.

She scooped up the head as the door was flung open.

“Boo!” Betty yelled at the startled Twinsy Two, throwing her sister’s severed head at her. The surviving twin froze as Betty slammed Stabby into the girl's knee joint, just as Bovinian Biology had predicted. With a vicious grin, she kicked the girl back into the kitchen.

Trashy roared and rushed through the kitchen door. Betty just laughed and turned around, leaping over their barrier and streaking into the woods.

She hoped that Trashy would follow but was frustrated to hear no sounds of pursuit.

The faint smell of flames reached her nose. Curious, Betty doubled back, approaching the Cafeteria again from the other side. A ring of fire was burning around the doors; the barriers converted to firewood.

Trashy stood at the front door. She was lit by the fire, and the shadows danced across her face, giving her a fierce look.

Betty walked out of the woods and stared the girl down. As Trashy yelled and screamed at her, Betty simply stared at the girl. She cocked her head to the side slightly in the move that she thought of as ‘The Michael.’

Trashy faltered in her brave stance, shying back for a second. Betty smiled.

Trashy called back into the building; Twinsy Two came forward, that thing they used to play music a few days ago held in her arms.

It started to project something. Betty’s eyes narrowed as she heard a familiar voice.

“Hello, can anyone help me?” Paula called out on the recording. Betty watched the shaky camera as the group by the bonfire turned to stare as Paula came out of the Mist at the edge of the clearing. “I'm Mrs. Peters, and I am–”

They pointed and spoke to each other. Betty gripped Hacky tighter. If they thought watching her friend die…

Paula screamed when she saw the group. A couple of the Trash Mob moved towards her; arms raised placatingly. She grabbed rocks and threw them at the boys. Bossy snapped an order, and Jock tackled the woman to the ground. Paula fought like a demon as the others descended on the woman. The camera panned, showing Trashy arguing with Bossy.

Betty heard Paula calling her name. The old woman screamed for Betty to run, to get away, to escape. The final shot showed Twinsy One and Two holding Trashy back as she tried to get to the others.

Trashy pointed to herself and the surviving twin, shaking her head as she spoke.

“Yeah, yeah, I get it,” Betty said as they gestured again. “You weren't involved.”

Betty pointed at Twinsy Two and gestured with the axe.

Trashy blanched.

“What? You weren’t involved,” Betty pointed at Trashy, “but she was.” This time she pointed at Twinsy Two.

Betty watched the girl consider it. She decided to up the ante. She pointed to Twinsy Two and slid a finger across her own throat. Then she pointed to herself and pointed off into the distance, careful to point away from where the flying bus thing came from.

Betty grinned as she watched Twinsy Two scramble to get away as Trashy grabbed her and dragged her towards the flames.

Just as Betty thought it would work, Trashy spun, throwing three of the pebble things, glowing angrily,  directly at Betty.

The pebbles detonated as they crashed into her body. The explosions ripped into her, blowing open her chest and sending fragments of ribs into her lungs and heart. She felt her hips crack as she lost feeling below the waist, collapsing to her knees as Trashy leaped over the flames, her spear driving Betty backward and into the ground. The last thing she saw was Trashy’s hoof descending toward her face.