#eugene bates

"Girl get your head out of that book and come help us!" Her father opens her door yelling, giving her a hard stare as she hurries out of her room. Her light brown wild hair trailing behind her. As she only wears a simple tank top and shorts to help keep the Florida heat at bay.

Mae rushes outside to see her mother loading the bodies of gators. She shivers feeling goosebumps up her spine. She hated Gator hunting with her family, now there were other hunters that did it more respectfully, but her parents were another story. “Look Mae I cut out this one's heart, a tough one he was, but he wasn’t a match for me.” Her mother kicks on, flipping it over to see the giant hole with blood leaking on the ground. “Now come help me get him in the truck.” She orders, Mae nods helping her pick up the gator huffing at the weight on him as they put him in the truck. Her father secures the others in the net making sure they won’t fly off the truck. He brushes off his hands looking back at her and her mother as they finish.

“Mae get your ass in the car you're coming with us.” He motions to the run down truck with years of mud and swamp on the coat. Mae nods, walking to the door and hopping inside as her parents get in the front. “Hey, what was she doing earlier, that was so important not to help us outside?” Her mother asks.

“She was reading that damn book again.” He starts up the car and has her mother rears her head to the back staring her down. “Again how many times do we have to tell you no college would accept worn ass swamp hillbillies like you and me. Your nineteen now get your head out of the damn clouds girl. We Callaway's have been gator hunters for decades and we shall stay that way. Damn pests need someone to hunt them. They chewed off my granddaddies leg I tell you so we do the same and worse to those little shits.” She takes a bottle of beer from under her seat and starts to drink. Mae fiddles with the hem of her shirt keeping her head down.

The car drives away from their home going down bumpy roads. Her parents pass around the beer bottle as she looks out the window to see the endless swamp. She has always dreamed of seeing wide open fields, and big forests maybe settling down in a nice suburb with neighbors. “Mae! Mae! Do you hear me calling you god damnit!” His father splashes some of the beer on her much to her surprise as he drives down the road into the small town. “Sorry.” She squeaks.

“How many times do I have to tell you to stop that daydreaming, I knew we should have given you away. You are completely useless.” He scowls, stopping abruptly. “Now get out of the car and unload the gators. Me and your mother need to buy more beer.” He gets out as her mother follows. “W-wait by myself.” She gets out watching her parents go to the liquor store across the way. “Duh dumbass how else?!” He glares as he walks across the street. Mae looks at the restaurant they parked. It's one of the places her family gets money from giving them fresh gator meat. The owner Gus is really nice and maybe will be able to help her. She walks inside seeing people enjoy the food as Gus hangs out in the back. “Mae how are you?” He smiles as she walks to the back. “Hi Gus.”

“Did you enjoy that new book I got you?” He wipes down a plate. “It's great.” Mae gives him a small smile. “Um, can you help me get the Gators out of the truck?" He raises a brow at her nodding and following her to the truck. “Did your parents leave you to do all this?!” His face grows a deep red as he tries to calm down.

“Yeah, they needed beer.” She points but then sees them dancing in the bar next door. Gus lets out a tsk. He whistles calling out to some of his workers to help load all the gators inside. They load up the truck now waiting for her parents to come out of the bar. Gus was nice enough to give Mae a meal on the house and a heavy tip for the work.

“Let this stay between us.” He winks as Mae nods and couldn't be happier stuffing it in her bra for safe keeping.

“Hey Gus.” Mae’s father walks in followed by her mother.

“Hey Gina, Walter.” Gus gives them their cash as they make small talk with them until they have to leave.

“You really shouldn’t be drinking and driving you two let me drive you back home.” He offers, Mae wishes they would take it but knows it wouldn’t make any difference.

“You know what Gus you're right.” Walter admits looking over at Gina.

“Yes it would be unwise of us to drive with our daughter in the car.” Gina smiles. Gus smiles back happy they will take the offer.

“Can you get us some water please before we go?” Gina asks.

“Sure one moment they're in the cooler in the back.” He answers, turning his back to them.

Just then Mae is dragged out of her seat and then outside.

“Damn Gus trying to be all in our business.” Her mother takes out a lighter and cigarette as she gets into the car. Her father throws her into the car. She didn’t want to go with them, but rather not walk through the swamps at night either. Her father wastes no time driving away picking up dust as they go. Lets just say Mae held on for dear life on the ride, her father swerved on the dirt road. Her mother curses up a storm as they skid on the dirt by their home.

“Get out of the car mother fucker!” Gina screams at Mae as she rushes out heading outside.

“Get the hunting gear in the shed you are coming with us to get some gators.” She demands as Mae rushes to the shed her father follows her telling her to grab all the guns, machetes, knives, and nets they can get as she lugs them back to the car.

“I knew you had Gus load those gators in the restaurant lazy ass.” Walter gives her a swift kick to the back making her stumble over.

“Get in the car damnit.” Her mother takes a big gulp of her drink sitting back in the car. Mae tries her best to keep the tears in her eyes from flowing limping into the car. Her father starts it up again as they head to their hunting grounds. It was in the middle of nowhere, Mae could barely see anything through the darkness of night. At times like these she thinks about being somewhere else. She feels the money Gus gave her and thinks about heading to college with buildings covered in Ivy vines.

“We’re gonna catch a big one tonight Mae.” Her father said. “The biggest ever is gonna put us on the map.” He gives her a proud smile but she just shrinks in her seat. “Mae you can finally do something to make up for your laziness.” She doesn’t even wait for her to answer. “There have been stories about a big gator. It's huge and some hunters don’t even come back from hunting it, but we have a secret weapon.” She smiles letting out a puff of smoke. Mae feels her stomach sink at not knowing what to expect.

They make it to their hunting grounds in the dead of night. The lights of the car reflect the glowing eyes of gators swimming under the water.

“Mae get the gear.” Her mother growls putting out her cigarette. Mae gets the gear and starts to lay it out, a routine she knows all too well. The click of a gun alerts her attention as she turns to see the barrel of the gun right in her face.

“Mae I’m gonna need you to get in the water now sug.” Her mom smiles as Mae slowly rises, her body starting to shake.

“Go on now hands up.” She motions to the water. Mae raises her hands, tears falling from her eyes as she walks toward the water. The water is warm as she steps in clothes and all. “Keep going.” Her dad chimes in making sure the water comes above her waist as she turns around to stare at them.

“The beast, like human meat, Mae you’ll be the bait until he gets here.” He explains taking out his own gun and net has her mother get one of her knives.

“Make sure you struggle a lot so we can get a good shot.” Her mother yells as they turn off the lights of the car. “Why are you doing this? Parents are supposed to love and protect their children but you can’t even do that!” She screams letting the tears fall out.

“Don’t be selfish Mae, this beast has been wanted all over. We’ll get thousands of dollars for the family and business.” Her father answers as they sit and wait for it to arrive.

“Ma, Pa please don’t do this.” A gunshot lands in the water making Mae jump.

“Shut up! It's not gonna come with you screaming.” Gina screams as Mae lowers her head silently crying. It's no use they won’t listen. To think her life could be changed or maybe even taken tonight makes her heart quicken with every touch of something foreign.

After what feels like hours her legs start to feel numb as she wobbles around. Her parents dozing off to all the beer they drank. Maybe she can take this time to get away and find Gus. Mae slowly moves to the other side of the bay, but something stops her. Something with a vice-like grip wraps around her ankle. She wants to shriek but doesn’t want to alert her parents as she tries to pull away. This doesn’t feel anything like a gator at all. In a swift movement the hands move up her thighs claws digging into the skin as she tries to swim away. A figure appears by the water right next to her standing at about at least seven feet tall. Green scales litter his humanoid form and his black hair gives off shimmers of bright red as it flows through the water. His arms wrap around Mae as she looks into his glassy eyes, teeth bared as the clawed hands wrap around her tighter.

“Ah!” She couldn’t hold it in anymore as her parents woke up seeing the form in the water. They start to shoot riddling bullets across the waters. The man almost cradles Mae as he shields her from them letting out a deep hiss like she’s seen many gators do. Bullets hit his body and blood leaks out from the wounds. That doesn’t seem to phase him though.

In an instant she gets thrown on the other side of the bank with a thud as she groans she looks up to see the man extend his claws racing out of the water and stabbing her father in the throat. “You bastard!” Gina shoots at the man, but he doesn’t care, slicing Walter’s head from the neck up with his claws then turning to Gina.

“No!” Gina goes to shoot her gun again, but nothing comes out. She takes out her knife as Walter’s body falls to the ground as the man smiles at her. Gina jumps on him, going to pull his hair and stab him. The jabs do nothing as they stumble into the water Gina holding onto dear life but the beast was stronger reaching around to swing her around to the front. His teeth open as Gina looks over to Mae. “Mae honey, sweetheart, do something, help me, don't let me die, I love you.” She cries screaming out to her daughter. She loves her? She has never said she loves her. That's what she wanted to hear her whole life. Her stomach twists looking back at her father’s mutilated corpse. Then looks back at her mother’s eyes pleading for her, but all she can do is look away.

“You bitch ass whore, no one will ever love you like I do!” Gina screams. A deep laugh comes from the beast as Gina looks on with horror.

“Guess you're out of luck bitch.” He smiles, his voice a deep southern drawl smooth to the ear, but deep enough to come off threatening. His jaw opens wide and bites into her neck. Her screams ring throughout the whole swamp. Tearing and eating her flesh as her blood drips down her body dropping into the water below as he tears limbs, rips out entails, and lastly cuts off her head.

All the while Mae covers her ears trying to make herself smaller on the ground. The surrounding gators come to taste the new food as the Beast feeds them the bodies of her parents.

Mae shakes tears falling down her eyes as she feels something warm get placed her. She jolts up seeing it's the blanket from their truck. She looks back to see the gators chewing on the limbs of her parents has the Beast is nowhere to be seen.

“Mae! Walter! Gina!” The voice of Gus shouts as he drives up to the hunting spot, his headlights highlighting Mae from across the way.

                              It was a hot day in Florida hotter than the rest when Eugene was born. His parents were pro gator wrestlers and spread awareness to help the environment. It was happy for the first five years of his life, but it soon took a turn when his mother abandoned the family leaving him and his dad’s relatives. It got harder for them when the family business didn’t bring in any money as many of his relatives went off to do different things. At a young age Eugene was a rambunctious kid he was in everything and always acted out when he wanted. His father and his mother were the only ones to keep a hold of him, and since his mother left his father had his hands full. When he reached high school, he got into fights and his family was barely making ends meet. One day his Uncle came by with lots of money to help with the collapsing business which made them move for more opportunities to Louisiana. Eugene didn’t like the change, and he didn’t like his Uncle Harris. Harris was a sleazy guy and he raised a brow at the money he brought in. He kept his mouth shut for his dad. His dad was over the moon that the family business was back again and he worked as hard as he could. 

During his senior year his dad fell ill and passed away. The doctors marked it as a stroke from working too much, but Eugene knew better. His Uncle didn’t blink an eye at taking the rest of the funds from the family business leaving Eugene in his care. He forced Eugene to work and the business turned into a money grabbing scheme Harris sold drugs and acted as a pimp. All his father’s hard work down the drain. Until one day his Uncle got drunk after a night with some hookers stumbling around the house as Eugene was eating dinner. This was a few years after he graduated, he wasn’t trying to aim for college with the situation he is in now. 

“Your daddy used to always glare at me like that.” He told him a bit of puke dripping down his mouth. “Well, he ain’t glaring anymore, not after I took care of him.” Eugene looked to his Uncle; eyes widened at his statement.

“What surprised? You dad wouldn’t have brought this place where it is now.” He staggered closer to him. “You’ll end up cold and alone just like him-” Before he could finish Eugene grabbed the closest thing he could and stab the daylights out of Harris. Once it broke, he used his hands to claw his throat and anything he could out. A smile grew on his face as he saw the body covered in blood. It felt so good all the times he held himself back, he could’ve gone as far as he wanted.

With not a lot of options he chose the crime world taking over his Uncle’s business on the drug side. He wasn’t stupid, he was actually a good a stagiest and being around his dad he knew how to run a business. His influence grew as he took down gang leaders and other lords in his area. He gave his family’s business over to some nice people and would donate millions to it when he could. He spent his years selling drugs getting lackeys and partying the nights away feeling finally free for the first time. During his 30th birthday he got a call from his Florida mansion that some of his enemies were plotting against him in Louisiana. He always believed if you want something done then do it yourself.  He got his gang and armed them to the teeth. The operation was going to take place at an illegal lab experimenting on gators as it would dump toxic waste in the swamps.

Eugene fought them tooth and nail, but he was overtaken and was injected with a toxic green serum and shot repeatedly as his body fell into the waste ridden swamp. His gang won but at the cost of their leader they blew up the chemical planet after saving the gators. They say Eugene died that day going down has one of the most notorious drug lords in America. A part of that is true. Eugene did survive but once the serum took in, he started to change green scales formed along his skin as he grew taller and claws formed on his hands and feet. In a way a part of him did die leaving only a vengeful animal with a taste for human flesh.