(⚠️ Insane 17 year olds, blood, peeling skin off, cannibalism, kidnapping and mild torture. ⚠️ )

Thomas Meers looks out of the window of the bus, watching the outside world blur around him. He’ll be officially starting 12th grade when he makes it to the school. He isn’t afraid, he just doesn’t want his Summer to end.

It has been so much fun.

——

Last month…

“Thomas! Thomas!” A voice called out to him from the darkness of the forest.

Thomas pointed a flashlight at the person and found a pale boy, who had the face equivalent to an angel, dragging a large bag behind him. “Good, you’re here.”

Holland frowned. “Really, that’s my ‘thank you’?”

The angel boy giggled when Thomas gave him a quick peck on the cheek, taking the bag out of Holland’s hands as he did so.

“Why the hell is this so heavy?” Thomas grunted as they walked together towards their shed.

Holland’s arms wrapped around Thomas’ waist, making it rather difficult for the latter to walk, and kissed the back of his neck.

“I got that girl you wanted.”

Thomas grinned at that. “This is why I love you, my angel boy.”

Thomas thought he heard Holland gurgle in happiness, but he wasn’t really sure. Then he felt Holland’s arms tighten around him, and he knew the angel boy was pleased.

---

Thomas sighed, trying to ignore the annoying muffled screams coming from their latest fruit: a Mary.

Holland had her ready to go on Thomas’ examination desk in seconds. He guessed practice does make perfect because Thomas found no flaw with any of the many straps and buckles that held his fruits down.

“I thought you said you injected her.” Thomas grumbled, taking out a long knife from his bag.

“Don’t be mad at me! Be mad at her! I didn’t know she took drugs like that.”Holland sniffed from his trash bag covered chair. “It’s not my fault.”

“I never said it—“ Thomas was cut off by a clear scream. It seemed the Mary had forced her duct tape off.

Holland moved without a word to get more while the Mary screamed for help and thrashed against her bindings.

“HELP! HELP PLEASE!! ANYONE—mhhh!!” Holland tape her mouth shut once more, cutting the tape from the roll with scissors. Thomas stood watching it all, twirling the knife around in his hands.

“Shh, Mary,” Holland cooed, brushing a lone strand of brown hair out of her face, “Screaming will only make it hurt more.”

Tears ran down her cheeks, and Thomas finally stepped forward with his knife. “We weren’t going to leave you conscious originally, but it seem that your intake of drugs has dulled ours. So, sadly, we have to leave you awake for this peeling. Holland, get your notebook.”

Holland gave Thomas a big smile, kissing the Mary on her forehead before he went back to his chair to open his notebook, pen in hand.

“June 13th, 12:24 A.M., our subject a Mary Tenenns.” Thomas pressed the side of the knife to her bare arm. “The Mary has soft skin,” he pressed the knife in harder, creating a thin line of rising blood and making the Mary whimper, “and it is easy to penetrate.

“When we take off the first layer of skin, we will find her wet, bloody muscles, just like the other fruits from the previous weeks.” Thomas slid the knife up, exposing almost all of the Mary’s inner arm to the air.

The Mary screamed, tears budding in her eyes again as she struggled, screaming muffled screams over and over again.

Thomas and Holland watched the crimson, iron smelling blood waterfall out of her arm and onto the examination table. Her peeled skin curled outwards like an orange peel, the inner side wet and sticky red. “Holland, keep taking notes.”

“Of course, Tommy.”

“The subject seems to be in immense pain,” Thomas continued, placing his knife to the side. He lifted the Mary’s arm, from the bottom, with his latex gloved hands and turned her arm this way and that to watch how the blood continued to pool out. “The Mary seems to have a large amount of blood, as well. And—oh—she has passed out.”

Holland frowned. “Man, it was kinda fun to see one awake this time.”

Thomas ignored his remark. “Continue writing Holland; we are not finished yet.”

“Do I still get that long awaited fuck if I do?” Holland muttered, pen at the ready.

“Only if you write everything I say,” Thomas brought out another knife, a butcher knife, “Then we can talk about it later.”

---

Mary Tenenns, a 14 year old who attends XXX Middle School, has been reported missing. If you see this individual, please contact the police so that she can get home safely to her parents. Thank you.

“Oh, isn’t that awful?” Holland turned off the TV after that. “Her parents must be worried sick. Don’t you think so Tommy?”

Thomas shrugged. “I guess so.”

Holland stuffed a couple more spoonfuls of their fruit stew into his mouth. “Your probably right. When is your mom coming back anyways?”

Holland shivered as Thomas kissed his bare shoulder. “Next week.”

“Then that means we have plenty of time to finish this fruit stew and do other things.”

Thomas kissed Holland again, this time on his throat. “Like what?”

Holland laughed. “After one night your already hungry for more?!”

Thomas went away, a blank look in his eyes. “I’m always hungry.”

Holland gave Thomas a grin, then scooped a couple more spoonfuls of stew into his mouth. “I know, that’s why I make these stews for you. I know you like their different flavors, Tommy.”

“The Mary fruit has to be the best one by far.” Drool escaped Thomas’ mouth. “Do you think there’s another one out there, Holland?”

“I hear she has a twin sister, but we’ll have to be sneaky.”

“Do you think she’ll peel and bleed the same as well as taste the same?”

Holland shrugged. “Only one way to find out.”

——

Thomas steps out of the bus and is greeted by the swarms of kids, of different tasting and smelling fruits, that all head to their circle of friends.

They all stare at Thomas. They all stare at him during lunch, during class. They all avoid him because of the way his eyes stare.

They all judge him, but they don’t understand. They don’t understand his hunger.

Holland knows, Holland understands, Holland helps.

Thomas sees Holland waving to him from the school front doors.

“THOMAS! OH THOMAS!”

Thomas sees people stare at him and he runs towards the angel boy. Thomas smells the scents of the fruits around him as he runs, choosing which one for Holland to cook next.

So he can examine, so he can peel, so he can watch them bleed, so he can see who’s the tastiest of them all.

That’s why the Tenenns are no more. The Mary’s twin was more delicious than her, as well as her mother and father. It makes Thomas’ eyes roll back just thinking about it.

“Tommy, focus, we can start after a couple months in, alright?” Holland tossed his arm onto Thomas’ shoulder and brought him close.

Thomas nodded. “So many fruits to peel this year…so many choices.”

——

(1,217 words! OMG. Anyways, I’ve had this story in my pocket for the longest. I don’t write this stuff a lot anymore, so I’m rusty. Thanks for reading and have a great day!)