by Kenneth Bell
A group of orcs rallied in front of a food bank. Some of them hoisted up picket signs that read “Meat is Murder” as they protested and roared to all within earshot. Others carried signs with graphic depictions of bloodied and severed limbs. The group formed a chain to block the front entrance. They shouted obscenities at all within earshot. Orcs passing by threw trash and spat in their direction or covered the eyes and ears of their younglings. This was no sight for a civilized society.
“But I’m hungry,” a thin-bodied and elderly orc proclaimed to one of the protesters. His ragged clothing barely clung to his ailing body. “I just want a leg, or even a little arm. And then I’ll be on my way.” He fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around the protestor’s leg.
The protestor kicked the old orc backwards. An impression of a large footprint was left on his whimpering face.
“Monster!” the protesting orc shouted.
Another group of orcs, with cutlass swords and scabbards hung on their waists, gathered at the back of the food bank. A young orc named Yuuri watched her hands shake uncontrollably. “I’m not strong enough,” she said. Yuuri felt a rough hand grab her right shoulder. Its claws were almost sharp enough to pierce her hide.
“Tatsuya,” she said. “I don’t know if I can do this.”
“You’re new to being a vegan,” Tatsuya replied. “The urges never go away. You must resist the temptations. Meat is murder.”
“Meat is murder!” The rest of the vegan orcs shouted.
Tatsuya kicked the back door off the hinges. The vegans stormed the inside of the food bank. Packages of human meat stocked onto pallets filled the room. Unused heads, hands, and feet littered the bloodstained floor. Yuuri felt a blood-soaked oven mitten beneath her foot. As the rest of her crew moved forward, Yuuri reached for the mitten and sniffed it. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head. She licked her lips repeatedly.
“The Red Capes are coming!” one of the orcs shouted.
Yuuri snapped out of her haze. Dozens of orcs draped in crimson cloaks and wielding claymores appeared. The vegan orcs unsheathed their cutlasses and charged towards them.
Yuuri swung at one of the Red Capes but missed. She barely dodged a returning slash. Yuuri assumed a defensive position. The claymore’s weight sent vibrations through her body as it clashed against her cutlass. A heavy blow forced her backwards. The Red Cape raised his claymore above his head, preparing for a downward slash. A loud blast cut through the air. The Red Cape fell forward. Blood poured from an open wound in the back of its head. Tatsuya stood over him holding a flintlock.
“You have a gun?” Yuuri said.
“Jealous?” Tatsuya replied. “We’ll handle the Red Capes Yuuri. Find the livestock and set them free.”
Yuuri opened a door and followed the steps leading downwards. Cries and screams of pain pierced her ears. In the basement, Yuuri saw rows of cages filled with humans. They were covered in dirt, blood, and feces. As she walked past the cages, many humans reached out. Some climbed over top of motionless bodies left inside. Humans didn’t possess the intellect of language, but their wails and cries were decipherable to any orc. A thunderous fart deafened the human cries. Yuuri snapped her head left and saw an obese orc sitting on the floor, back against the wall. In his lap were fried and battered human arms and a half-eaten watermelon.
“Could you be anymore pathetic?” Yuuri said. Her cutlass was now pointed towards him. The orc struggled to get to his knees. He clasped his hands together as if in prayer.
“Please don’t kill me!” he begged. “I’m just the chef! I’ll give you whatever you want! I can have it delivered to you in secret! Please! Just let me go!”
“What makes you think you have anything I want?” Yuuri said.
“We have the tastiest humans you’ve ever seen! So good they’ll make a vegan relapse!”
Yuuri shoved her sword into one of the fried human arms and pulled it towards her. The aroma of seasoned meat was almost intoxicating.
She pulled the arm from her sword and threw it over her shoulder.
“I AM A VEGAN!” Yuuri yelled. “AND MEAT IS MURDER!”
The chef grabbed another fried arm and bit into it. “The darker the skin, the sweeter the blood” he said. The chef cracked a nervous smile. Yuuri raised her cutlass. The chef covered his eyes. Yuuri cut the lock to the nearest cage. Humans stumbled upon each other as they pushed their way out. As Yuuri continued cutting locks, more humans flowed from out their cages like a river, heading towards freedom.
“The Red Capes will have your hide for this!” the chef shouted.
“The Red Capes are preoccupied.” Yuuri responded.
“P-P-Please! I don’t deserve to die! I promise, any human you want! Prepared anyway you want! Have you ever had a pregnant human? They’re divine!”
Yuuri made a swift motion with her cutlass. The chef looked down and saw her sword at his throat. She took a deep breath.
Outside, Tatsuya was directing humans away from the food bank. Yuuri walked out towards the rest of the vegan orcs. Tatsuya noticed the blood on the tip of Yuuri’s sword and nodded at her.
“You did good Yuuri.” Tatsuya said.
Yuuri cracked a nervous smile. “Thanks.”
Three weeks later.
Yuuri sat in her living room watching television. She chewed handful of rainbow kale. The news anchor reported that the Red Capes were still looking for the perpetrators of the food bank raid but were investigating a new lead.
The doorbell rang. Yuuri stuffed another handful of rainbow kale into her mouth and headed towards the door. She opened it and saw two large boxes and an envelope. Yuuri opened the envelope.
The darker the skin, the sweeter the blood. – Chef
Category: Featured, Short Story, SNHU Creative Writing, SNHU online creative writing, SNHU Student