Herbert van Thal: The Seventh Pan Book of Horror Stories

'My favourite kind,' said Peter. 'The job I like doing best in the world.' He sounded excited.

'What's that?' asked Lottie.

Peter smiled. 'Don't ask questions and you won't be told lies,' he replied. He smiled gaily.

Lottie drank her milk hurriedly. She found that she was suddenly frightened; she had no idea why. Perhaps it was the sight of Peter in his plastic overalls. He certainly looked rather sinister. Perhaps it was only this unlikely and hideous room, which even by Lottie's standards was depressing beyond belief. Perhaps it was the way Peter was now looking at her, with what she could only describe to herself as a calculating intensity. She finished the milk quickly and set down the empty glass.

'Well,' she said with an effort to sound gay and unconcerned, 'we'd better be off hadn't we? Stella will be mad at me.' She stood up.

Peter got up too, crossed swiftly to the door, and locked it.

'What are you doing?' asked Lottie in amazement.

'Locking the door,' said Peter flatly.

'I know,' said Lottie. 'But why?'

'Because you should never talk to strangers,' he answered.

Before she could reply he gagged her with the triangle of linen, and in spite of her frantic struggles he dragged her over to the iron bedstead.

'I'll have you first,' he said, 'and then I'll kill you like all the others, and I'll tell you how I always do it. I saw off your arms and legs while you're still alive, and though you're in agony you don't die until I saw through your heart. I've always killed them like that. It's the way they struggle most — and it gives me a real kick.' He laughed so hard that the tears came into his eyes.

She fought with all her strength but she was no match for him.

And as she fought with him on the bed she realised what the

smell was that had been puzzling her since she came into the room.

It was the smell of blood.

The last thing she heard him say when he had cut off both her arms and was preparing to saw off her legs, and just before she lost consciousness completely, was 'Never talk to strangers. Never talk to strangers.' And there was exultation and hatred in his voice.