Lex’s heart raced as she took cover behind an overturned shopping cart, her airsoft rifle clutched tightly in her hands. The Butcher’s chilling laugh echoed through the supermarket, his massive form lumbering through the aisles like a twisted predator savoring the hunt. Only moments ago, he had burst from the shadows, his bloodstained cleaver swinging wildly, sending them all scattering for cover.
"Everyone, stay low!" Lex whispered urgently, peering over the cart. "Use your flashlights to confuse him if you have to. Just don’t let him close the distance."
The others were huddled in different aisles, breathing hard, their airsoft guns ready, each one listening to the Butcher’s slow, methodical footsteps. His voice drifted through the supermarket like a venomous taunt, words dripping with malice.
"Where are my little rats hiding?" he sneered. "Come out, come out, wherever you are…"
Sophie gripped her airsoft rifle tightly, her flashlight attachment illuminating the darkened path in front of her. She glanced over at the two terrified survivors huddled close to her, their eyes wide with fear. “We’ll get you out,” she whispered, keeping her voice low and steady. “Just stay close and keep quiet.”
The male survivor nodded, his face pale and gaunt. "You… you don’t understand. He likes to play with people. Like… like animals."
The woman’s voice was barely audible. "Please… don’t leave us. We can’t go back in his ‘cages.’"
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Damien, hiding near a shelf of canned goods, saw an opportunity. He grabbed one of the cans and hurled it at the Butcher, the metal can bouncing off the Psycho’s shoulder with a hollow thunk.
"Hey! Over here!" Damien called, raising his airsoft pistol and firing a quick burst at the Butcher’s face. The pellets struck his cheek, causing him to flinch, but he quickly shrugged it off with a mocking laugh.
"That’s the best you got?" the Butcher sneered, turning his gaze toward Damien’s hiding spot. "I’ve carved up tougher meat than you."
The Butcher took a step forward, dragging his cleaver along the floor, sending a grating sound echoing through the aisles. Lex could see his twisted grin from her hiding spot, and she knew they had to keep him distracted if they wanted a chance to escape.
"Brandon!" she whispered sharply, catching his attention. "We need to split his focus. Lead him toward the back, near the freezers. It might slow him down."
Brandon nodded, taking a shaky breath. He aimed his flashlight at the Butcher’s face, casting a bright beam directly into his eyes.
"Hey, you want some fresh meat?" Brandon taunted, waving his light. "Come and get it."
The Butcher let out an annoyed growl, shielding his face from the blinding light. "You little pests think you can outsmart me?" He turned in Brandon’s direction, cleaver raised, and began to lumber down the aisle, his footsteps heavy and unyielding.
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While the Butcher was distracted, Lex signaled to the others, motioning for them to move further toward the back. She kept her airsoft rifle raised, her finger on the trigger, ready to fire another round of pellets if he came too close. Maya stayed close to Sophie and the two survivors, her eyes darting around for any exit they might use.
"There’s an emergency exit at the back of the store," the male survivor whispered urgently. "But it’s locked. He keeps it that way."
Lex cursed under her breath. "Figures. Then we’ll have to find another way out."
They continued inching along the aisles, careful to stay out of the Butcher’s line of sight. His laughter and taunts filled the air, each word dripping with twisted amusement as he stalked through his gruesome domain.
"I know you’re here," he called out, dragging his chain along the floor with a metallic clank. "And I’m getting bored. So come on, show me what you’re made of!"
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
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Damien peeked around a corner, his heart pounding as he caught sight of the Butcher approaching. With a quick motion, he raised his airsoft pistol and fired a burst of pellets at the Butcher’s knees, hoping to slow him down.
The Butcher staggered slightly, his scowl deepening. "You think these little toys can stop me?" he snarled, swinging his cleaver toward the shelves where Damien had taken cover.
The blade struck the shelf, sending a cascade of canned goods crashing to the floor. Damien scrambled back, barely dodging the swing as he ducked behind another row of shelves.
"We need a new plan!" Sophie whispered to Lex, her voice tense. "We’re not even scratching him."
Lex’s mind raced. "We can’t just keep running. If we’re going to survive, we need to trap him somehow."
Maya looked around, her eyes landing on the rows of refrigeration units lining the far wall. "Maybe we can lure him into one of those freezer aisles," she suggested. "It could slow him down, at least for a bit."
"Good thinking," Lex said. She motioned for everyone to follow her lead. "Everyone, start moving toward the freezers. We’ll box him in and try to disorient him with our flashlights and whatever we have left."
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The group moved cautiously toward the back of the store, their flashlights cutting narrow beams through the dark as they weaved around fallen displays and scattered debris. The Butcher, catching sight of their movement, roared in rage and began to charge after them, his cleaver raised high.
"Now!" Lex shouted. She, Brandon, and Damien fired their airsoft guns in unison, aiming for his face and eyes. The pellets peppered his skin, causing him to blink and shield his face from the onslaught.
"Is that all you’ve got?" the Butcher taunted, though his voice was laced with frustration. "Come on, hit me harder!"
The group reached the narrow freezer aisle, quickly taking up positions along the shelves and blocking the exits with whatever they could find—carts, fallen shelves, anything heavy enough to buy them a few precious seconds.
"Stay low and keep your flashlights on him," Lex ordered. "We’re going to blind him as much as we can."
They aimed their flashlights directly at the Butcher, flooding his vision with blinding light as he stumbled into the freezer aisle. He growled, swiping his cleaver wildly in their direction, but the light disoriented him, causing him to stagger and lose his footing.
"It’s working!" Sophie whispered, hope sparking in her voice. "He can’t see us!"
"Keep it up!" Damien added, throwing a can at the Butcher’s head for good measure. "Come on, big guy. You’re not so scary when you can’t see, are you?"
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The Butcher roared in frustration, flailing his arms as he tried to push through the makeshift barricade. His movements became more erratic, his swings less controlled as he struggled to regain his vision.
"We’re almost there," Lex whispered, her voice tense. "Just a little longer, and we can make a run for it."
But then, with a sudden surge of strength, the Butcher tore through the barricade, sending carts and shelves flying in all directions. His face twisted in fury as he zeroed in on the group, his eyes gleaming with murderous intent.
"You think you can trap me?" he sneered, his voice low and menacing. "I’m going to enjoy carving you up."
The friends backed away, their hearts racing as they realized their plan had only slowed him down temporarily. They were running out of options—and out of time.
"Fall back!" Lex ordered, signaling for everyone to retreat down another aisle. "We’ll have to think of something else!"
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They sprinted through the aisles, their flashlights bouncing off the shelves as they frantically searched for an escape route. The Butcher’s heavy footsteps followed close behind, each step a reminder of the relentless predator they were dealing with.
"What about the meat locker?" the male survivor suggested, desperation in his voice. "It has a heavy door. If we can lure him inside, we might be able to trap him there."
Lex’s eyes lit up with a spark of hope. "That might just work," she said, nodding. "But we’ll need to lead him all the way back there."
"We’re running low on pellets," Brandon warned, holding up his nearly empty magazine. "We’ll have to make every shot count."
"Then let’s do this," Lex replied, determination hardening her gaze. "We get him into the meat locker, and we lock him in."
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They moved quickly, guiding the Butcher toward the back of the store. As they neared the meat locker, Lex took the lead, stepping out into his line of sight and firing her last pellets at his face.
"Come on, big guy!" she taunted, backing toward the open locker door. "If you want to catch me, you’ll have to follow me!"
The Butcher snarled, his eyes blazing with fury as he charged after her, cleaver raised. Lex darted inside the locker, skidding to a stop just as the Butcher entered, his twisted grin widening as he thought he had her cornered.
"Now!" Lex shouted.
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Damien and Brandon rushed forward, slamming the heavy door shut behind the Butcher. They could hear him pounding on the metal, his furious roars echoing from within as he realized he had been trapped.
"Did… did we get him?" Sophie asked, breathing hard as she stared at the closed door.
Lex nodded, her face pale but resolute. "For now, yes. But that won’t hold him forever."
As they caught their breath, the friends exchanged weary, relieved glances. They had survived another encounter with one of the mall’s most dangerous Psychos but they knew it was only a matter of time before they would have to face him again.
End