Flesh Ravenous (Book 1) by James M. Gabagat

more violent toward me. She tackled me in the yard, yanked at my hair, and struck me. My lip bled.
    I had had enough of Olivia. Was I supposed to be sympathetic to this retard who was victimizing me every week? Was I supposed to be understanding?
    Fuck that.
    On a rainy day, during recess, most of the students chose to play indoors. I found Olivia alone near the monkey bars, sitting on the ground eating mud. I snuck up behind her and kicked her in the head. I remember how she toppled down, screaming and crying. Screaming so fucking loud, but nobody could hear her. While she was on her back, I brought my fist down on her face three or four times. My fingers hurt after. I smiled when I saw the blood on her teeth. She must’ve bitten her own tongue.
    Olivia didn’t tell on me. She didn’t know how to.
    Olivia had a horrible life. I heard that her mom went to prison for beating her. I also heard that Olivia had no other family to take care of her. So, I don’t know what became of her.
    Do I regret beating her ass?
    Fuck no.
    It actually makes me feel good to think about it.
    The whole point of this story is…
    I’m always going to fight. That’s the person I am. I don’t care what the circumstances are. I didn’t care for Olivia’s disability or her sucky existence. If you stand in my way, I’ll fight you.
    We head out today.
    It’s time to fight.

 
    7
    Black Friday
     
     
    Kasey
     
    The morning after Thanksgiving, Kasey was up at six thirty. She was an early riser, usually the first in the house to awaken and light all the candles downstairs. During the morning hours, she’d read novels she had already read or do a regiment of pushups, sit ups, and dumbbell lifts. This morning, she started preparations for the trip to Westerly Acres. She scrounged through the storage room and came away with four camping packs, two large gym bags, and one small shoulder bag. She went downstairs into the kitchen and packed three water bottles and two cans of food into each of the four packs and iodine, painkillers, bandages, a can opener, and a toilet paper roll into the shoulder bag. No one told her to do the task, but she took the liberty, assuming it’d take Lawrence and party an hour of procrastination and confusion to collect all essential supplies. Helping to prep made her feel like a mother, something she never had a chance to be (something she couldn’t be). It was like packing a lunch for her kids before they set off for school.
    A little after seven a.m., Kasey was on the family room couch reading one of her lengthy novels. She could hear voices and rustlings coming from the downstairs bedroom. Sonya and Ally were probably up and getting dressed. Kasey set her book on the coffee table, got up, and headed toward the bedroom to check on the girls.
    As she passed the stairs, Lawrence was on his way down, dressed in…
    Oh Lord. What is this fool wearing? Damn this kid be strange.
    “What’s up, lady,” said Lawrence. “Do you like my outfit? I’m sure you do.”
    He was dressed in armor. Not real armor, as in steel and leather, but some form of decorative paddings with overlapping scales and a color scheme of black, red, green, and yellow. It looked cartoonish and fantastical, and made Kasey think of a samurai circus clown. He had the greaves, the gorget, the cuisses, and the upper and lower vambraces strapped on. Kasey knew the names of all the parts. Her husband Darren had loved history and owned a few books about armor and weaponry through the ages. Beneath Lawrence’s armor was a bright yellow utility vest, dark green cargo pants, and leather gloves. Those clothing articles were more appropriate for the excursion.
    Kasey stared, unable to shake off her bemusement, and slight amusement. “Boy, if I met someone on the street dressed like that, I’d scream and pepper spray the fool. Lawrence, why you dressed in some kinda Lord of the Rings armor getup?”
    Lawrence reached the bottom of the stairs. He set his