Snip, Snip (Original Story)

 Snip, snip.

 

   I can hear his ragged old lungs try to keep himself supplied with air. I think he’s trying to keep quiet, but considering how much he was running earlier I guess I can’t blame him for being so noticeable. He’s surprisingly athletic for an old man. Maybe it has something to do with those prosthetic limbs of his.

 

   Snip, snip.

 

   It’s rather easy to track him down. While the breathing helps, it isn’t specific enough. He flinches with almost every snip of my scissors. These metal floors and walls amplify nearly every squeak his shoes create when he tenses up. I can’t help but snicker. The old fool probably thinks I’m mistaking the noises for the creaks and moans metal buildings just love to make.

 

   Snip, snip.

 

   Oh, my… I’m getting all tense! Alright, come on now… deep breaths. I don’t want to get too excited. It should only be a few more rooms till I get to where he is. I might as well think of ways to taunt the old man…

 

   Snip, snip.

 

   "Ahh… Alright, time to close up! Better make sure all these stations are in order,“ I announce to the room I just walked into. It was muffled from the echoes of my words, but I’m pretty certain I just heard the old man tense up and gasp. I wonder if he’s even aware of the reason this building is here in a roughly ten acre large fenced off area of thick redwood forest.

 

   This entire area is pretty much a feedlot for me and my fellow shamblers. Most just call us zombies. It’s fair, seeing as we’re corpses resurrected through a virus. We’ve got all sorts of creatures here. Orcs, humans, kobolds, kitsune… Some of us just prefer to jump them and chow down, but myself? I like to… "play” with my food. Hence, this building’s reason for being here. It’s a set. A set based off of a barber’s shop. Three guesses as to what I was before I kicked the bucket.

 

   The room me and the old crone are in is the one that has all the barber’s chairs and stations. He’s hiding under one of the stations… I know it for sure. I just need to narrow down which one.

 

   Snip, snip.

 

   I walk up to one of the stations and rustle around a few bottles and open a few drawers. When I look underneath the station, I hear the sound of the old man crawling to one of the other stations to my right.

 

   Where there aren’t any exits.

 

   Snip, snip.

 

   "Everything looks good here,“ I mumble as I move to the opposite station. The old fool should be somewhere to my left now. I repeat the same actions as last time. I begin to hum a slower version of "Shave and a Haircut” over and over again as I move down a row. My muscles feel so tight and my mouth feels like it might give itself a tear from smiling too widely.

 

   Snip, snip.

 

   This time, the old man scrambles to the next row down after I’m done with the third station I check. I saw him under there, but… I wanted to keep him sweating nervously for a while longer. It’s got a distinctive smell to it.

 

   Snip, snip.

 

   Hehehehehehehe~! The absolute fool! He’s placed himself under the one station against the back wall! I feel like every part of me is vibrating! I want to run over there and stick my scissors into his jugular– No, no! Keep calm, keep calm… I’ve got to keep this little game up. Hehehehehehehehe…

 

   Snip, snip.

 

   My fingers twitch as I go through this little routine one last time. As I stare at the old loon under the station I pretend to be surprised. But I don’t think he bought it. Oh, well! That’s actually kind of what I wanted.

 

   Snip, snip.

 

   "Oh, hello there! What’re you doing in here after hours?“ I don’t give him a chance to respond. "Ooh, wow. You don’t look so hot,” I say as I yank the old man out from under the station. As I stare at him I can see the glimmers in his teeth vanish and move as his expression changes from shock to fear.

 

   I give him a smile. “Did you get locked in here? I’m so sorry, sir! How about I give you a haircut to make it up to you?” Again, I don’t give him time to respond. I sit him down on the chair and place his arms and feet on the appropriate rests. After about five seconds, some restraints automatically lock his forearms, wrists, and ankles in place. Pressure sensors are a wonderous thing, aren’t they?

    Snip, snip. Snip, snip.

 

   Hehehehehe… all this tension in my arms and fingers! I owe myself some release… He’s flinching and tensing up almost constantly! Maybe I’ll just start with the sides. Whoops, there goes the tip of his ear!

 

    Snip, snip.

 

   "Sir, could I ask you to hold still? I nearly took off your entire ear!“ I’m beginning to drool. I continue to cut his hair, occasionally lopping off chunks of his ears. This is just so much fun. The old man’s holding up surprisingly well. I don’t think he’s even begun to cry. Well boo! That simply won’t do. Maybe I’ll just…

 

    Snip, snip.

 

   There goes one ear. I’ll just leave this other one hanging by a thread. Ooh, what’s that noise? Sounds like water dripping onto medical grade silicone. Hehehehehe! Perfect. I think it’s about time to wrap this game up. My stomach is screaming…

 

   Snip, snip.

 

   It always amazes me how much blood can shoot itself out of the human jugular. I feel all twitchy and my shirt’s all wet from drool! I had fun, old man. I’ll make sure you won’t go to waste.