Chapter 16: Pet Teacher

A car pulled up after they had finished talking and Martin prodded Luis to his feet. The pain was unbearable, but Martin grabbed his arm and squeezed it with vice-like force. He didn't know if it was a spell, or the pain of his grip that made him forget about his bodily agony and lumber over to the car. Martin opened the door and ushered him into the back seat.

The driver was David Hanson, Martin's father. Luis recognized him from the funeral and pictures which the paper had published the next day. The two of them smelled like they were decomposing and Luis dry-heaved in the car.

"What's the course?" Martin smiled.

"Asurprise." Luis looked at the form of David Hanson and shuddered. The shadows accentuated the ridge of flesh under the man's chin.

"You killed your parents?" Martin erupted.

"Haven't you understood anything? Kill, you can only think of kill. Do they look dead, are they lying six feet under in their graves? Father, are you dead?"

"No Collaq." David Hanson answered. Martin chuckled. Luis listened but the words sounded hollow compared to the stench that surrounded him in the car. Stench was not good, and it was not an alternative existence. It was the hell of someone that has not been allowed to rest in peace.

They drove through the center of town and Luis noticed that it looked even quieter than before. There were very few cars and the lights in all of the stores and shops were extinguished. The streetlight swayed in the breeze and David Hanson ignored the red light and drove forward.

"Who do you serve?" There was no laughter in Martin's voice.

"You shall find out soon enough," he said as the car came to stop in front of an ordinary brown house. "But before that we have a little business to attend to." He exited the car and pulled Luis with him. Luis felt the pain from his past beatings and he kneeled onto the ground. As he did, Martin attached a dog collar to his neck and pulled him forward.

"I don't think I have to warn you about trying to escape." David Hanson remained in the car and they both walked up to the doorway of the house. The name on the mailbox read "Leer." His mind was still trying to put the pieces together when Martin pressed the doorbell. Luis heard it reverberate through the house and after a few minutes there were footsteps at the door. Then a voice.

"Who is it?" There was fear and concern in the voice, one that mirrored the anxiety of a once peaceful town that had been racked by unexplainable violence and death. A few days earlier, the occupant might not have even asked who it was. But times had changed, and Luis prayed that whoever lived there would not open the door.

Martin rang the bell again and Preston could see the broad grin on his face. He was enjoying the moment, savoring the fear which he sensed on other side of the door.

"Who's there?" It was not really a question but more of a plead. Martin began to whisper to him.

"I really had this bad crush on Kathy. She was my teacher. Very cute, very nice. I used to spend hours in glass daydreaming about her. Her long legs, her ass, her boobs, you name it. Only daydreams then, but reality know, it's all reality know."

"Go away or I'll call the police." Luis wanted to yell out a warning, to tell the young women not to open the door.

"Getting Kathy is all part of the plan Luis. Just like you. The Collaq tells me what to do, and it all works out. She's just part of what I've always deserved." Luis could feel his heart beating and perspiration began to form on his brow. He could be a hero, this was his opportunity. What was the value of his own life now? He expected the little monster would kill him soon anyway. At the very least he could save the girl and die a hero. He tried to open his mouth but couldn't. His cowardice was too strong and he heard Martin croon into the door.

"It's me Kathy, your student Martin. Please open the door Kathy..." his words trailed off into another grin. Luis could sense the confusion and prayed that Kathy would remember under stress that Martin had died. "Do not unlock the door," he mentally willed her. "Do not unlock the door."

Kathy did not possess ESP because even as he repeated the words in his mind he could hear the lock turning and a bolt being drown back.

"Martin?" she said in confusion, her resolve strengthening when she realized one of her students might be in danger. "Martin, how..." Her comprehension came too late. Martin threw his inhuman force against the door, ripping off the second security lock. Wood cracked and the slide snapped and went ricocheting across the room. The door smashed into a retreating Kathy and sent her sprawling across the room.

Luis stood at the threshold and saw Martin surveying the room. He scanned it coldly and precisely before his eyes settled on her.

"Hello Kathy." She sensed her own danger and quickly bound to her feet, lunging for the door to the kitchen. Martin moved in a blur and knocked her down onto the floor. She slid across the polished wood and crashed into a glass table. It wobbled and then tipped, cracking into five or six big pieces. Kathy rose again and grabbed a broken shard of glass.

"Who the hell are you?" she screamed as blood flowed from cuts under her eye and on her arms and stomach. "What do you want from me?" Her eyes locked on Luis and he turned away in shame. He knew Martin's strength and was convinced that even the two of them were no match for him.

"Kathy, it's me Martin. I'm in your class. I just want to be your friend. That's not so bad is it?"

"You're dead," she hissed. He held up his hands and spun around.

"Do I look dead? Luis, do you think that I'm dead?"

"No, no technically I guess not," he said softly. With every word he felt more and more like the traitor that Martin wanted him to be.

"You see Kathy, even the town's esteemed journalist says that I'm alive. Everyone believes him, don't you? Please, I'm only asking you to be my friend." He held out his hand and Kathy lunged at it with the glass. She was very quick and it caught the edge of Martin's arms before he could spin around and smash a fist into her back. The putrid smell erupted again and Luis could see a chunk of flesh hanging from Martin's limb. The blow sent Kathy staggering back across the room and onto the floor in front of Luis's feet. The glass also landed in front of him on the carpet in one piece. Kathy lay sobbing and she looked up at Luis.

"Please help me, please, please." Luis looked at the glass at his feet and watched Martin walk over and grab Kathy by the hair.

"I'm going to make a woman of her Luis, by god she will be a woman." He turned her head and looked into her eyes.

"I'm hurt that you won't be my friend. But you see it doesn't really bother me. I'm used to not having friends. Luckily I have one really important friend, and he says I can have you, and that in time, you will learn to like me." Martin grinned and slowly traced her chin. He brought his hand to her chest and massaged her breast under her shirt. He reached under her shirt and with a violent jerk ripped it off.

Kathy screamed and Martin pushed her onto the ground. A button rolled around and stopped next to Luis's foot.

"Do you want to help her Luis?" Martin asked him. He said nothing as Martin ripped off her bra. She tried to cover her nudity by turning but Martin whipped her around. "Let me see Kathy, let me see." He traced her nipples and then put his hand on her leg.

She bucked but Martin threw her back down. His hand disappeared under her skirt and then reappeared an instant later with her white panties. He threw them at Luis and with a big tear ripped off what remained of Kathy's tattered skirt. Martin looked at her naked body and his mouth dropped open. For an instant, he looked confused, as if he didn't know what to do and was aghast at his actions. Kathy only looked at the ceiling and like a dying fish, tried one or two last gasps at freeing herself from the horror.

"Ms. Leer?" it was a question from the small boy that Martin had once been and as soon as it was uttered, the soul behind it was gone.

Luis tried to turn away but couldn't. The sight of the small boy perched on top of the naked schoolteacher glued his eyes. He tried to ignore the round breasts and the soft mound of pubic hair. He knew he should have felt disgust, but instead he felt only a strange interest and a sense of arousal. The feeling further sickened him and inflamed his growing guilt.

Martin slowly rose and looked at Kathy lying still below him.

"Isn't she beautiful Luis?" He wanted to say no, that what had just happened was horrible.

"Yes, she's beautiful," he said quietly.

"Please, please take what you want and leave. Don't rape me." Martin walked over to her and drew out another dog collar. He pulled her neck up and fastened it.

"I'm not going to rape you Kathy, at least not yet."

"Are we friends?" She only sobbed and Martin tugged at the chain. She groaned and Martin tugged harder. She slowly rose to her knees and Martin pulled her along. She crawled forward and then out the door.

"You will be my friend."