A Gray Life: a novel by Red Harvey Read Free Book Online Page A

into the kill room with Him. They stayed busy for about an hour before she stumbled out, sobbing in big gasps. Michael rushed over, trying to console her. It was like trying to console a toddler throwin' a tantrum;  wudn't gonna happen , as my dad used to say. 
    Erin tapped Michael on the shoulder, saying she would talk to Louise. The two women didn’t do much talking. Erin looked at her, and Louise looked back, and they hugged. No, not hugged. They held one another, crying quietly. It was weird.
    * * * *
    August 2nd
      I knew it was coming, and I wondered what took Michael so long to ask. He wanted to know why no one ever tried to escape through the window on the far wall. People sure have tried to escape, and one person almost succeeded.
    A young girl with purple hair used to live in the corner when my family was first got down here. She was defiant to The Man (something I haven’t seen since), always spitting in His face, calling Him names. He kept saying  Oh, I’m gonna break you . Not sure what he meant, but I’d say He broke her alright.
    Two weeks into our capture , she stacked chairs and furniture up to reach the window. Using her hands, she broke the pane of glass and scrambled out. I was asleep for a good portion of it, but Erin told me later she heard the girl laughing all crazy-like, thinking she was free. Then a thump, which was probably The Man hitting her over the head with His baton.
    He forced h er back down into the basement.
    On the floor, he placed two metal-slats. I think they were cheese graters.
    “Kneel.” He said.
    “Hell no.”
    He pointed a gun at her and she knelt on the graters, whimpering as her tender knees came into contact with the harsh metal. He called her a baby, bragging about how His father had given him the same punishment as a child, and He had taken it like a champ. The statement seemed real, an insight into the deranged Man’s past.
    After her knees were ready to give way, He gave her a knife. She asked Him what the knife was for.
    “It’s for you, dummy . Now, cut off your ear.”
    Something about his request struck her as funny, and s he laughed, a nervous guffaw cut short by the bullet He fired into her thigh. Purple Hair slipped on the graters, cutting deeper into her knees. She fell over.
    “ Let’s see you try to run away now, stupid cow. I think you’re done for the day.”
    She didn’t seem to be listening; she was in too much pain to hear Him.
    Before she could beg for the end, The Man turned around and went upstairs. Purple Hair tried joining the Wasters, but didn't last long. Her wounds became green and puss-filled, and she died a week later.
    * * * *

7

    August 5th
    I’ve noticed a difference about Him.
    All of our spirits are getting lower, but not His. As days go by, He get s happier and happier. Out of nowhere, He asked Michael to go on a hunting trip. We all knew The Man scavenged around for scraps of food to feed us and Himself, but we were unaware He actually hunted to get our food supply, since most of it came to us in gruel form.
    W hat else could Michael do but go, so go he did. Hours later when they got back, Michael was as white as a nun’s bed sheet. He didn’t want to talk about what happened, even though it was clear he had seen things.
    Gabriella, Louise, and Marc crowded around Michael, lodging question after question at him.
    “What did you see?”
    “Where did he take you?”
    “What did you do?”
    His wife only had one question for him:
    “Wh y didn’t you try to escape?”
    The questions were overwhelming him. I could see all he wanted to do was fall out on his bedroll and sleep. Sleep to forget. I did it all the time, so I knew the look.
    “It would’ve been pointless.” He put his hands out as if to say,   that's all I got .
    All he had wasn't enough for Louise.
    “What does that mean?”
    “We weren’t exactly hunting deer. But I’ll tell you this, that bastard is so jolly lately because now he’s not the only