Page 23 of Twisted Diaries of a Monster Groupie

Dear Diary,

When you think you know a guy then he turns around and does something completely unexpected. Swoon!

XOXO – Roxy

The Florida heat had finally let up by the time they arrived at Acid’s house. Other than the brief moment grabbing a rug, she hadn’t really had a chance to see the beauty of it, and he was excited to show her new home. With body in tow, he was determined to make this the night she’d never forget, despite the murder part.

The massively sleek black home looked like something right out of acontemporary home magazine. The place was a beachfront marvel, but the real eye-catcher was the art-adorned backyard garden that stretched behind it. As they stepped through the large, steel double doors, Acid glanced at her, a mischievous smile on his lips.

“There’s something I want to show you,” he said, motioning for her to follow.

Roxy’s eyes roamed the space in awe. The breathtaking home of black and neon green accents was nothing like she’d ever seen. “You live here and own money to loan sharks?”

“Don’t be so shocked. I’m one payment away from being out on my ass. Thanks to you the gambling problem is gone and maybe I can catch up soon. Don’t let fame and the glitter fool ya, princess. A lot of celebrities are a paycheck away from being bankrupt. Fast money and fast times take their toll.”

“How did you get into this mess then?”

He shrugged. “I was a young guy who got a lot of money too fast and wasted it away on cars, parties, and the high roller lifestyle. Lately, I’m starting to see maybe I was just fooling myself.”

“You can turn it around. You’re a huge star and fans love you. You’ll have a long career ahead.”

“You mean if the cops don’t find out we’ve been taking out mob guys and turning them into mindless drones?”

“Eh, who’ll miss them?”

Once to the back of the house, he stood with the garden view behind him through a glassed-in expanse. With hands on the door, she smiled. “I think you’ll like this part. It’s my favorite place in the whole world.”

As they walked through the modernized garden, passing flower beds with contemporary art sculptures, a path led the way to something special. It looked like a laboratory lit by fairy lights and garden decor. She gasped at its glory as the scent of salt water filled her nostrils, mingling with a soft ocean breeze in the distance. They went from chaos to utter paradise in mere minutes.

As they reached the center of the garden, Roxy froze in her tracks unable to even fathom what she was seeing.

Nestled in a twisted metal gazebo surrounded by vines and steel artwork of tortured souls, stood a makeshift lab, much like the one her father created. A combination of tables, shiny tools, and state-of-the-art lab equipment looked like a scientific dream. For effect, he added jars of dismembered mannequin limbs and mood lighting to be more decorative than functional, but it was a real-life operational lab.

Her eyes widened in disbelief. “What... What is this?”

“Welcome to my lab. A work of art created in homage to my creator.”

She turned to him, her hands quickly going to her hips as she stomped over to him. “You had a lab this whole time, and you never told me? I was creating monsters in a damn nasty garage. Do you know they could have gotten sick or an infection while you’re over here hoarding up… this!”

“ Awe , you care about your little pets. That’s cute.” Acid teased, his grin widening. “I like to keep a few surprises up my sleeve. Besides, I needed to know I could trust you before I welcomed you into my personal space. Boundaries babe. You did try to kidnap me, remember?”

With ahuff, she gave him a shove. “That’s beside the point.”

Pulling her to him, he kissed her scrunched-up nose with an annoying chuckle. “You’re adorable when you’re mad. I’ll make it up to you. You can fix up ol’ Texas Chainsaw Massacre . I’ll even clean up after you’re done.”

“Really?” she said with a bounce before he nodded yes. “ Eek! This is amazing!”

“Go ahead. I’ll go get the body.”

Roxy couldn’t contain herself, letting out a squeal of delight, and started jumping up and down like an excited child on Christmas morning. “I can’t believe it. This place is just like my dad’s lab. I’ll start with sewing up the slashes… Then I’ll fiddle around in that brain to see how that psychopath works. This is going to be so fun!”

She rushed over to one of the tables, finding something she wasn’t expecting. “Wait a minute. That’s my dad’s computer. Did you swipe these from his lab?”

Acid leaned against a nearby pillar, arms crossed. “No, but I bought a lot of the equipment in a police auction after he was sent to jail. I had to keep everything for him, I owe him that much. I got my hands on the computer from a Frankie who grabbed the laptop from the lab right before the cops raided it. He said he needed to hide who he was in his past. I think he was an international spy or something. The dude was scary as fuck. Anyway, he wiped out his information and sold the computer to me for fifty bucks. Half of this stuff never made it into the final cut of the film, but I kept it anyway for nostalgia.”

Roxy was practically buzzing with excitement as she picked it up and held it to her heart. A piece of her father was with her, and she’d use his equipment to create monster magic. “This is the best date ever. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. As far as I’m concerned, it belongs to you.” Stepping closer, he caressed her cheek. “As much as I hate to admit it, so do I.”

She smiled softly, enjoying his tender touch for only a moment before her mind was reeling, and quickly went back to exploring the lab.

She turned back to him, thinking about what it would be like if all these horrible people trying to hurt them and others were given better lives, just like she was doing for her family. “I have an idea. What’s the stiff’s name on the street?”

“They call him The Lumberjack. I heard him bragging once he used to do wood carving competitions with the same chainsaw he cut people up with. Why?”

She raised an eyebrow. “The Lumberjack?”

Roxy glanced toward the garden shed, thinking about Hank’s new hobby of gardening. She couldn’t help but smirk at the thought of turning the brute into something useful.

“You know,” she said, tapping her chin, “I think it’s time we give our friend a second chance at life.”

“What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking we turn that lump into something that can contribute to society. Every good Florida estate needs a gardener and handyman around, right? Hank seems to like his new hobbies.”

“You’re going to redirect their brains to fit their personalities, only… better?”

“Exactly. He knows how to use yard tools; we’ll give him something better to hone his skills than cutting up poor defenseless guys down on their luck.”

“Not a bad idea. And since you have figured out how to make them all more natural, no one will notice they’ve been Frankied.”

“Well, get that body. We have work to do…”

An hour later, Roxy stood in front of her latest creation. The transformation had gone smoother than expected, and now, before them, stood a creature unlike any they’d made before. He was creative and pleasantly polite.

The Lumberjack still had the rugged look of a man who had once built a life on crime and violence. But now, wearing a nice suit with a bowtie, he looked respectable with a hint of sexy-nerd that made even Roxy take a second glance. The newly crafter gardener had a rough exterior with scars to boot, but his eyes held a smile that was infectious, and afar cry from the blood mask he usually wore after slaughtering his unsuspecting victims.

Roxy folded her arms, admiring her work. “There. The Lumberjack is no more. Say hello to your new gardener, Trevor.”

The creature blinked, then slowly looked down at his hands. He flexed his fingers as if testing the limits of his new body. When he spoke, his voice was deep and gravelly, but there was a surprising softness to it.

“F-flowers…” He stammered, looking at the plants around him that needed a bit of pruning. “I… like flowers.”

“You do?” Roxy asked, adjusting his chip on the computer and testing his verbal skills.

The gardener nodded slowly. “Yes. Always wanted to… take care of a garden. This… This is good. I… don’t… how word?” He struggled, looking to her for help.

“It’s okay. Take your time.”

“Don’t feel… Angry. Only… joy.”

Acid, sat back against the gazebo framing, shocked at what he was seeing. “You remember who you were?”

He nodded. “Was angry. Always angry. Hated… Donnie. Made me hurt people. I… I want to make… pretty.”

“You want to work in the garden?’

“And make my wood carvings? I… no family. You family?”

Patting his back, Acid smiled. “Yeah, buddy. A weird one, but we’re family. Us Frankie’s gotta stick together.”

“I… undead?”

“Yeah.”

“ Hum? Good. Better this way. Trevor no more hurt.”

Roxy hadn’t expected him to have such a gentle side, but she couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of pride in what she’d done.

“You like gardening and woodworking, huh?” she asked, her voice full of curiosity.

The creature nodded again, looking almost shy. “Always wanted to be… gardener. Thank you.”

Roxy beamed, feeling a warm satisfaction wash over her. “Well, consider this your second chance. Take care of this garden, and we’ll call it even.”

“I go now?”

“Yes. Enjoy your new home.”

Without a word, Trevor went to mull over the broken water fountain in the center of the yard. He knelt, adjusting the stone pieces with precision before tinkering with the wires. The couple watched in amazement as the creature began to fix the fountain, water trickling back into place as it sprang to life once more. When the monster looked over at them with a smile, they could see that what they were doing wasn’t actually a bad thing, at least for Trevor.

“You’ve outdone yourself this time, princess. I’ve never seen that guy smile.”

“He just needed a second chance.”

As the fountain bubbled to life, the garden lights began to flicker on, casting a soft glow over the dark backyard. Stars above sparkled overhead as Trevor wandered off toward the beach to look at them like it was the first time he’d looked at the sky in years.

Acid turned to Roxy. “Dance with me.”

“What? There’s no music.”

“Sure, there is. In that pretty head. Sing for me.”

“Acid,” she said shyly.

“Come on, princess. Sing me that song you like.” Acid extended his hand, a gentle smile on his lips.

She took his hand, allowing him to pull her closer. As they moved together under the moonlight, the world seemed to quiet around them as her lovely voice carried softly over the space. For the first time in what felt like forever, she let herself be who she truly was. A little awkward and complying mad, but beautifully so. In Acid’s arms, she felt something she hadn’t in a long time—peace. She missed her father, and the only other man in the world who loved her was right here with her under the stars.

“Acid, are we doing the right thing? Have I gone completely insane?”

“Look around you, princess. This is all insane and love every crazy minute of it. Just relax and enjoy this ride, and I’ll be right here with you.”

“Will you die for me?” she breathed as his lips met the tender flesh under her earlobe.

“I already did.”