The Show Must Go On

The Show Must Go On Episode #3

Episode #3

“Ladies and gentlemen, we started with fifty hopefuls from around the United States.” A colleague of people was showing smiles in a courtroom. “Guilty.” Each person smiling. “Out of a field of fifty, we are down to our final four. Our Creepers are not in the studio tonight. Tonight they are free and in the street. It is free for all. One against one or three verses, one. It is their choice. We set them free in a six-block area. Four go in, three come out. Would it be the lady with a black smile? Will it be the dealer? The strangler? Or will it be the Superstar? Let's join the show in progress.”

Four large screens came to life. Each screen showed the Creepers via drone. The host's voice came through the speakers loud and clear. “Gentlemen, and my dear lady. You have thirty minutes. At the end of thirty minutes, if you haven't killed or been killed, the exits will open. The last one out will stay there. The others will move on." He turned toward the audience. "Audience, are you ready?”

The up-roaring crowd cheered. “Creepers are you ready?” All four gave the thumbs up. “Oh, on behalf of past Creepers, those who are about salute you. May they die with honor and be forever remembered in tonight's game."

A commercial came on in the studio and across the screens of the millions who tuned in each week to cheer on the Creeper.

"Kill-Er-Ator. Sponsored by Kill Wear. Why kill like an innocent? Kill in style with our new line of clothing. Look the part. Be the part. Kill Wear. Show off the killer in you.” The audience cheered. “Start the timer.” The timer started.

Zane started running down alleys. Looking left and right. Rats scattered as he approached the street. He looked left and right. Not knowing where to go.

The host's voice came over the screens of the Creepers. . “Creepers we have a special surprise for our winner. Kill Wear will give the winner of this event a fifty thousand dollar gift certificate worth of clothes. Zane smiled. In the distance, he heard a scream.

Zane skidded to a halt. His head spinning. a trickle of doubt on his face. sweat rolled down his brow.

On the audience screens. An “Oh.” and “Ah.” The audience's attention looked to Armando's and Meredith's cameras. They wrestled on the ground. Meridith was on top as they spun. They rolled into a fire hydrant. The impact knocked the wind out of Meridith.

Armando ran over to her. "I'm going to ring your f*****g neck. Stupid bitch." He spat blood from his busted lip.

Zane popped around the corner. He saw the two Creepers struggling. His face always had a blank expression. He could not think he had to act. He deeply formulated a plan.

“Come on b***h, you're going to die.” Armando had Meredith on the floor. He was choking her. “Come on pussy.” She spat blood on him. “You don't have the balls.” Armando started choking her harder. “b***h. I'll show you a pussy.” He started pulling off her panties. “Oh f**k yeah. Kiss me or I'll kill you little bitch.” He said. She started throwing punches. She smiled as he started having s*x with her. “Mm. That feels so good.” Armando bent over and kissed Meredith. As they kissed, his eyes opened. He pulled away, blood dripping out of his mouth.

He pinned her down with his knees in her ribs. He lifted his face up feeling the blood fall from his missing lips. The pain fueled Armando's Rage. He threw her off of him. She went through a bus stop bench. Armando howled in pain. "Bistch." He spat.

Meredith smiled. “You said kiss me or kill me, err, whatever. Time for you to die.” She said as she grabbed her ribs. Meridith's face was that of a smile. The dangerous type. Still, she bravely goaded Armando.

Armando rushed her, his face a mask of rage. His eyes were blank. Armando was on autopilot. He had never been disrespected this badly before. Worse, it was one mouthy b***h. A f*****g b***h.

Grabbing her hand, he tackled her to the floor. Pounding her head on the concrete. “Die. Itch. Ie bit.” Meridith saw Zane standing there. He walked back and forth. Meridith's eyes begged for help because her voice was gone. Tears ran down her cheeks. Their eyes met for a brief minute. Zane looked away.

Meridith wanted to scream. The gentle embrace of death held her. Mother Death and Father Life. She became light, her world grew dark. There was no panic, only peace. Mother Death held her. Meridith struggled. Death spoke. "Do not struggle, you will be cared for in the darkness.

Zane rushed closer. He could see Meredith's body slowly stop fighting and go as limp as a rabbit does to a python. Seeing red, Zane ran toward Armondo and Meridith. Creepers kill, they do not r**e. As a Creeper, you have to maintain that image.

From the shadows of the alley, Jefferson stepped in his way. “Not so fast dawg. As I see it, you're the favorite to win. We both know brothers never win these contests without cheating our motherfucking asses off. However, I need to win. You're not my type, but f**k it dawg.”

By this time, Meredith was inches from death. Armando looked at the other two. “Hey, vatos. Mira this b***h is out cold. Want to bust a train then kill this b***h?” Jefferson looked between Zane and Meredith. “f**k it, bro. Let's hit it then kill this bitch.”

Zane smiled. “ f**k .”Yeah, let's do it.” Jefferson asked. “Whose first?” Armando smiled.

“I knocked her out. I'm first. You get my sloppy seconds.” Jefferson laughed. “My ninja, that doesn't mean s**t. You ever r**e a b***h?” Armando smiled. “Naw, Holmes. All my bitches were willing to try my chorizo burrito.”

Jefferson laughed, grabbing his crotch. “My ninja, you a b***h. I'm going first. Experience over a virgin.” Armando got mad. “Hey f**k you essay. I knocked her out puto.” Jefferson faced Armando. “ You got beef motherfucker?” Armando got in Jefferson's face. “Yeah, lleva. Que baso puto.Cinga tu madre pinche mayate.” Jefferson's eyes widened. “What b***h? Swing mother...” Armando's eyes opened as wide as Jefferson's. The crowd cheered.

As they fought, Zane backed away. He walked into the shadows hearing the fight escalate. Zane scanned the floor. The side of buildings. He looked at the smashed building. "Think. Zane. Think." He closed his eyes. He squatted. He knew he needed help fast. He looked up at the drone.

Zane got up frustrated. He pulled his fist into a ball and punched the wall. On contact with the wall, his knuckle started bleeding. He pulled his fist to his mouth, licking the blood from his knuckles. "f**k that hurt." He spoke to the camera. His eyes fell on the side of the building. A fist-sized hole looked innocently back. In the debris, he saw his savior. A piece of rebar.

Instantly, he started pulling the rock off the wall. His fingers and flesh shared blood with the wall of the building. After a little bit of time, Zane punched the wall over and over. The pain coursed through his body. The pain numbed the body part you used but gave you the adrenaline to go on.

Armando and Jefferson started throwing punches. Jefferson was on top of his, raining down blows. "You ain't no gangster. You b***h made spick." Jefferson rained blows on Armando's head. "f**k you and your crew. You ain't s**t, neither are they." Jefferson kept talking s**t.

Zane smiled. “Will you two bitches shut the hell up?” He said. Both Armando and Jefferson looked at each other. Pain coursing through Jefferson's body. Armando was in a daze. Jefferson looked down at Armando. Their eyes met. Jefferson's eyes looked down, and Armando's looked up.

A piece of re-bar connecting them through the stomach. “Pinche puto. You f*****g captain save a hoe joto.” Spat Armando at Zane. Poor aim caused it to land on Armando's chest. Jefferson, with blood running out of the corners of his mouth, sputtered out. "Well, f**k me."

Zane smiled. “Yeah, what can I say? I saw you two assholes arguing over this b***h. So I just did what smart people do. I took out the trash. Real Creepers kill without thought, control, or emotion.” Armando and Jefferson eased into their final pose.

“Good luck my ninja.” Jefferson slid down the rebar slowly. Armando tried to hold Jefferson's body. Slowly the blood flowed out of his back. “I'll catch you on the rebound.” Zane grabbed the rebar. "I'll see you in hell," Armando spoke. "Not today, c**k sucker."

Zane picked up the re-bar. “

The audience cheered. In unison, the crowd chanted, “Kill that b***h. Kill that bitch.” They chanted. Zane raised the rebar over his head. He arched as far back as he could go. He brought the rebar down right next to Meredith's head. He dropped the rebar. Bent down kissing Meredith on the cheek. “I'll save this sweet meat for later.” He smiled, looking at the camera. Flashing his movie star smile.

The screens went black and the audience cheered. The host's voice boomed through the studio. “This is a new high on Fade to Black. The choice to kill was made by Zane. Oh wow, this is amazing. A legend in the making. Our fifty thousand dollar Kill Wear gift certificate is Zane Monroe. This brings us to our season finale. Next week we will see who takes the prize. The Goth or the Star. The bell from hell or superstar? Next week everyone gets to find out who wins the whole shebang.