Cows

I awoke on a farm. I laid on a wooden floor inside a barn, looking toward two big, open doors that revealed light and fluffy green grass being grazed upon by the cows roaming the field. A light breeze passed through my face and something felt different. The way the air moved over my head and my face. I sat up and ran my fingers over my head and much to my dismay, felt short, buzzed hair. Where is my hair... I trembled and cried into my hands. This must be a dream.

“Oh, you’re awake.” I heard a voice from behind me.

“W-What? What happened? Where-” I managed to choke out of my mouth.

“You were taken from a city not too far from here, you’re living on a farm.” I tried to stand, but quickly realized I was chained to the floor. “Pretty view isn’t?” The man seemed exhausted. He rested on a wooden chair with a shotgun draped across his lap.

“Y-yes.” My voice was quiet and confused. “Where is my hair?”

“It gets buzzed.”

“But why?” I stared down at the wooden barn floor.

“Hold your horses, you people always have so many questions. Guess it makes sense though. You’re taken from your home and brought here. There’ll be a man who will come and explain everything to you shortly, I suppose.” The old man stood up and walked out of the two big, open doors. I watched him for as long as I could until he disappeared in the distance. I struggled around a bit, trying to get the chains off of me. I heard voices from around the corner.

“Did you weigh her?” Voice #1 asked.

“Yeah, she weighs about 145.” Voice #2 said. They weighed me?

“Alright let’s have us a look.” Their footsteps got closer as I saw two large men standing over me.

“Oh, she looks delicious!” Oh no. No, no, no, no. They… they’re going to rape me. Just kill me instead.

“I-I don’t want to be raped. Please just kill me and then have sex with me.” I said with my forehead pressed against the floor. Their silence seemed to last so long as I sat on the floor with my eyes shut, waiting for what was to come.

“Rape? What the fuck is you talking about?” Voice #2 said.

“Yeah, we don’t fuck our food.” Voice #1 said confused. Huh? Food?

“You-you don’t want me for sex trafficking?” My head began to pound from crying and having my brows knitted together.

“Sex trafficking? Oh, that sick shit they do in the underground. No, honey, we’re fixin’ to eat ya! Make a nice roast at dinner.” Voice #1 said. My eyes widened. What did they just say…?

“It really entertains me when they scream.” Voice #1 got down low on my level and stared at me with his dark brown eyes. “You can scream as loud as you want. The closest neighbor around here is about nine miles away.” Another man walked around the corner. He was dressed nicely. In a striped gray suit with an olive green tie. His orange hair was slicked back and he wore a pair of sunglasses.

“This is her?” He asked. Whoa. He’s British. “Hello, I’m James. What’s your name?” He asked me.

“I’m Shayla.” I whispered. Will this man rescue me?

“Alright Otto and Leo, you can go now. I’m going to explain everything to our guest, Shayla.” James said. Otto, Voice #1, and Leo, Voice #2, left.

“Please help me, these men told me they’re going to e—” James interrupted me.

“Don’t beg for your life. I’m going to explain everything. Obviously, you know what cannibalism is, yes?” I nodded my head. “Right. This is a cannibal home that poses as a farm, everyone who lives here is a cannibal. There are nine residents. Now, the residents eat regular food year-round except on a birthday. And today is Annalyssa’s birthday. She’s turning 12 and loves raw human meat from a female. You were taken from a parking garage in San Diego, is that where you’re from?” I nodded my head again. “Tonight you will be eaten, unfortunately, alive for dinner.”

My ears heard wrong. This is still a dream.

“In two hours the dinner will commence. After Annalyssa has eaten what she wants, the rest will cook you and end your suffering.” James got up and left the barn. I screamed his name, I screamed for him to free me. My reality struck me in my face. I laid quietly on the floor, covered in snot and tears. Two hours. In two hours some little girl is going to eat me!? What the hell… what the hell? How can I get out? I scanned the barn, but it was hopeless, there is nothing near me that could help. I wriggled my wrists in the chains, but they were too tight. I just want to watch the sunset one final time. I laid horizontal with the bright green grass and watched as the sun dipped behind the mountains. The cotton candy sky looked so sweet. My eyelids fluttered until they finally closed.

“This is her.” I heard Leo say. I opened my eyes and saw the nine family members and James standing in front of me. I had fallen asleep and forgotten all about this. My stomach wasn't just in one knot but many small ones that felt like cramps. There was a mask covering my mouth now.

“When can I start?” A young girl said. She is Annalyssa.

“Go ahead, baby! Happy birthday!” I’m guessing her mother said. She walked towards me slowly. I couldn't move, completely frozen in fear.

I felt her teeth sink into my flesh, I had never felt pain like this and never heard my own screams before.