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The Traveler was ready to get to West Virginia. There was an old family camp nestled on the outskirts of town where they could set up shop. His dad had raised pigs there. He hadn’t talked to his family in years, so he didn’t know for certain if anyone was living there, but they would soon find out.
Hatred still burned deep in The Traveler’s gut. None of those who viciously taunted him deserved to breathe the same air as him. He couldn’t wait to exact his revenge and make them pay with their lives. They never considered anyone else’s feelings except their own, and now it was his turn to show them there were consequences to playing god. He wanted to see the terror in their eyes as the understanding of what was about to happen to them seeped in. David was right, psychological torture was just as important as physical torture.
First, they needed to pick up some supplies. He would need a generator, wood chipper, and a few other supplies. The Traveler was ready to make the town pay for their cruelty. He’d already divulged his plans to David. David quickly agreed to help punish those who had wronged him.
They arrived in Lake Hamilton, West Virginia forty-eight hours later. Lake Hamilton had always been a small town, with a population well under 35,000. Crime was virtually nonexistent here. Where the surrounding cities had problems with carjacking’s, drive by shootings and murder, Lake Hamilton had somehow remained unscathed by these crimes. The worst crime here was an occasional house being burglarized.
Lake Hamilton had always been a vacation spot for the more affluent tourists. A resort was built overlooking the lake years ago. The astronomical green fees for the golf course kept out any unwanted players. The resort and spa had been strategically priced so only the wealthy could afford to vacation here.
Most of the people living in town worked at the resort, spa, or golf course. There were also several restaurants, small businesses, a car dealership, and stores dotted across the town that offered employment to the locals. The coal mines also supported the local economy.
As with any small town, gossip always ran rampant. At least the town wasn’t so small that everyone always knew each other’s business.
The Traveler knew it was risky coming back here after all this time, but the need for vengeance lured him in. The thrill of retaliation against those that victimized him sent a sizzle of anticipation rushing through his bloodstream. The winds of change were starting to turn. Soon, he would show this town he was the one in control, the one that held their fate in his hands. Revenge would be oh so sweet.
He would make those that were malicious to him pay for all the hurt and indignity they put him through. As time had passed, he hadn’t been able to forget about his wretched childhood. Instead, it was all he dwelled on.
The Traveler expressed his concerns to David, “I don’t want anyone in town to know I’ve come back. I want to have the element of surprise on my side. You sure as hell don’t need to go anywhere. All we need is for some stupid country bumpkin to recognize you from the news.”
“You don’t have to worry about me. I plan on keeping a low profile. I have no desire to go back to prison. I’m a master of disguise, though, if and when we do need to venture into town for supplies. We’ll be fine, don’t worry. We should have enough food to last us a few days. Let’s go set up shop and get started. We need to start a list of things we will need for our work room. I didn’t get a chance to fully release my hunger with the last one, and I have a need.”
For the past year, David had lived in the small, cramped cell, wearing the same thing day in and day out. One year of sleeping on that miserable cot with no privacy whatsoever. One year without anyone to put fear into, torture, have sex with and kill. He never wanted to go back to prison. He would do whatever he had to do to stay free, even if it meant living in squalor.
“Let’s go check out our new home, my friend, and get started. Soon, you will be able to satisfy that hunger.”
When they arrived at The Traveler’s family camp, they discovered it was overgrown. It appeared to have been abandoned for several years. The Traveler couldn’t believe it. He hadn’t had any contact with his family, so he had no idea if his parents were even alive or if his brother lived here in town. “It doesn’t look like anyone has been here for quite some time, so no one will know we are out here. Total isolation. Let’s go see how bad it is.” The biggest luxury the camp had was running water from a well. David was grateful for this small concession.
David didn’t know what to think about the camp. He had assumed this family camp was similar to what he grew up in. This was a shack, literally, and falling apart. One good wind may blow it away. The old barn looked better than where they were supposed to sleep. At least his new friend was correct about the neighbors. David did not see any signs of houses, or life for that matter, on the drive up here. The road to the “camp” was a long, curvy, single lane, gravel road. “This will take some time to get everything right.” David warned his friend.
The Traveler didn’t see a rundown piece of property; he just saw all the possibilities before them. There may not be much land here, maybe 15 acres, but it was all theirs, to do as they saw fit. The old barn would be perfect for what The Traveler had planned. “Don’t worry, my friend. It just needs a little bit of elbow grease. We may find some tools in the barn to use in our workshop. The barn is the best place for us to set up shop. Hell, we may even be able to round up some pigs around here and pin them in. Pigs eat anything and can help with the disposal of the bodies. Let’s go see how bad everything really is.”
The interior of the barn wasn’t in that bad of shape. Mostly cobwebs and a lot of dust. The shack seemed to be sturdy enough. The Traveler even managed to find the old generator for the house.
Proud of the find, he informed David. “It needs a little fine tuning, but we should be able to get the generator running.”
David looked at the generator skeptically. “I’m not mechanically inclined at all. I wouldn’t know where to start with that.”
“Don’t worry, my friend. It just takes a little tweaking. I remember this thing from my childhood. My dad would curse this thing to hell and back. Once he was done, he always had it up and running. Here goes nothing.” About two hours later, he had indeed kept his word and had the generator running.
“The generator tends to burn a lot of gas. We’ll have to keep a steady supply on hand. It may be best not to turn on the thing, unless we need the electricity. During the day, the sun will light up the shack anyway. It’s not like we will be catching cable out here.”
“I have my own form of entertainment and am itching to get started.”
The Traveler couldn’t wait to start either. “Well, let’s go get our workplace set up.”
The Traveler was proud of what they’d accomplished. They transformed the old stalls into mini prisons, with shackles of some type in each one, to keep prisoners from escaping. Hay had been gathered and each stall lined sparsely, but lined nonetheless. Bowls had been placed in each “cage” to help keep their prisoners hydrated. The Traveler would slowly bring his enemies here to be tormented. If they died too soon, he would have to abduct someone else sooner. The psychological torture was just as important as physical torture. The Traveler couldn’t wait to get started.
Moonlight streamed in from the windows, mingling with the glow from the lanterns. At the end of the day, both men were weary. Neither had the energy to bother with the generator. Why waste gas when they were going to fall sound asleep? The furnishings were sparse, but David was glad to have a little more breathing room than in the RV. The mattresses smelled musty from the years of abandonment, but at least it was a place to sleep and not a jail cell.
The Traveler felt the eagerness building, churning inside of him. He was one step closer to making his dream a reality. All the years of fantasizing and planning would soon come to fruition. He was ready to unleash his wrath on this town. The anger had been building for so long, and it was time to release it on all those who tormented him before he went insane waiting.
The Traveler noticed David writing a list. "What's up? Do we need more supplies?"
"You know how people always write a bucket list of things they want to do before they die? Well, I'm compiling a list of tortures that have always fascinated me. This little workshop gives me the perfect setting to try a few things, especially with the men." The people they planned on keeping captive here would make the perfect lab rats to perform every sick and twisted fantasy he had ever had.
“That’s a good idea. I can tell you what certain ones were scared of in high school, if you want to use that against them also.”
“This is a team effort, my friend. Remember, psychological torture is just as important as pain.”
Macabre Torture List
Mummification – with a live subject
Length of time it takes for antifreeze to kill the subject
Length of time it takes for rat poison to kill the subject
How long does it take a heart to stop beating after removal from a live subject
Does phantom pain truly exist – removal of a limb from the subject (Must cauterize to keep said subject from bleeding to death)
Does acid being dripped into subject’s eye change the eye color?
What happens when the subject ingests lighter fluid and is then forced to swallow hot coals
Is it possible to stretch a subject to death
Confine subject in glass coffin full of spiders
Acupuncture using long hot needles – slowly add burning candles to needles
Bury subject with only head exposed and remove eyelids – let ants and bugs finish off
Make a small incision in gut to pull out the intestines. Restrain subject to tree outside for animals to munch on
Suspend subject above bamboo shoots and wait for them to grow into the subject.