Barter: The Ward Case
Disclaimer: The following is an account from Lily Vargas, who survived an encounter with the Ward family. It is the most complete record we have of the Ward family.
1
The phone rang shortly after 3 o’clock on Monday afternoon, and Valerie Vargas answered it in the kitchen.
“Hello, this is the Vargas residence,” she said.
“Hello, Mrs. Vargas,” the voice said, and Valerie recognized the voice as Tyler Rivers, a friend of her daughter Lily. “Is Lily there?”
“Hi Tyler,” Valerie said, “and yes, she’s here. Give me a moment.”
She set the phone down and shouted up to Lily.
“Lily,” she said, “the phone’s for you. It’s Tyler Rivers.”
Upstairs, Lily stuck her head out of her bedroom.
“Thanks, mom,” she said. “I’ll get it up here.”
Lily retreated back into her room and crossed to her phone.
“Hey, Ty,” she said, “what’s up?”
“Not much,” Tyler said, “but I was wondering what you were doing on Friday.”
“Did you get the tickets?” Lily asked; they had been after tickets to the Babes, their favorite band, since they first discovered them last summer. Two months ago, the Babes had announced a tour that would kick off in Tyler’s hometown, sixteen hours from where Lily lived.
“Yeah, I did!” Tyler said. “I talked to my uncle, and he got us all hooked up! Front row seats!”
“You’re the best!” Lily exclaimed.
“You know it,” Tyler said. “I was thinking you could drive over, we see the concert Friday, spend the night, and then head back Sunday.”
“Yeah, that’ll work!” Lily said. “You’re the best. Send me your address, I’ll start packing, and I’ll leave here Thursday morning.”
“Sounds good,” said Tyler, and they hung up.
2
Thursday dawned cold but pretty, pinks and oranges in the sky. Lily loaded her car, a Malibu, up and kissed her parents goodbye.
“Be careful,” her father Bill said, giving her a kiss on the forehead. “Did you air up that spare tire?”
“Yes, daddy,” Lily said. “I’m going to be fine.”
“Just making sure,” Bill said, giving his daughter a wink. Lily smiled and backed the car out of the driveway, and she was off. She hummed along to the radio as she drove, eventually putting in a Babes CD in preparation for their musical adventure tomorrow night.
As she drove, Lily took note of the darkening clouds above and swore under her breath as it began to rain; small drops at first, but they eventually grew bigger and fall harder. Lighting flashed across the sky, and the thunder began to scare Lily a little bit. Nevertheless, she persisted, setting her hands firmly to the wheel and taking a gulp of the soda she had purchased at a gas station three miles ago.
Five hours into her drive, the rain was still pouring, but the drops had gotten bigger and the thunder had gotten louder. She carried on, but she was getting more and more nervous.
“God, I hate the rain,” Lily said to herself.
By 9 o’clock that night, the rain had started to let up a little bit, which put Lily in a better mood. At that moment, as she was just about to pass an exit for a town called Catsville, she heard a loud pop as one of her tires suddenly blew out. She slowed down and turned off the highway, hoping to get some assistance, but the town looked to be abandoned. The gas station was deserted, and the motel looked like it had been abandoned years ago. Also to her dismay, the body shop was also closed for the night.
Lily pulled into the body shop’s parking lot, got out, and looked at her tires. It was indeed the right front tire that was gone. Lily swore to herself and looked around and spotted a car coming into town. She ran to the edge of the parking lot, waving her hands about.
“Please, help!” she shouted. “Help me!”
To her relief, the car slowed and turned into the parking lot. It parked, and a man in his mid forties got out. He had light brown hair that was neatly combed and wore a pair of overalls over a white shirt. His shoes were specked with mud.
“Hello, missy,” he said. “What’s the matter?”
“Hi,” Lily said. “I was driving to St Carl’s, but I just got a flat tire and was forced to pull over here.”
“I see,” the man said, striding over to her car and looking at the tire. “Yeah, that looks pretty bad.”
“Exactly,” Lily said. “I have a spare, but I’ll need to get it replaced.”
“That’s bad news,” the man said. “Vic’s Body Work here doesn’t up until eight tomorrow and there isn’t another mechanic open in these parts until tomorrow.”
Lily swore under her breath as she thought about what she should do.
“Tell you what,” the man said. “My name is Samuel Ward-you can call me Sam- and I live just outside of town with my wife. You can come spend the night with us, come to Vic’s when they open up tomorrow, and be on your way before nine o’clock.”
“My name is Lily,” Lily said, “and I would very much appreciate it. I can’t tell you how thankful I am.”
“It’s no trouble,” Sam said. “Give me just a moment, and I’ll call Char. She likes to know we’re having company.”
Sam hobbled over to a nearby phone booth and made the call. As he spoke, Lily breathed a sigh of relief. When he was done, Sam returned the phone and made his way back over to Lily. He helped her change the tire and when that was done, he got back into his car, and the engine rumbled to life.
“Alright, follow me to Ward Castle,” he said, chuckling, and Lily smiled and followed him out of town.
3
They arrived at Sam’s house fifteen minutes later. To Lily, it looked like a traditional country home: a beautiful white house with a red barn behind it. There was even a picket fence that surrounded the front yard.
“Park your car behind me,” Sam said. “That way, it’ll be easier for you to get out tomorrow morning.”
Lily did as instructed, parking behind Sam’s old Pontiac. She grabbed her suitcase from the trunk and followed Sam towards the house. As they walked, a strange sound issued from the barn.
“What was that?” she asked.
“My donkey, Ted,” Sam said. “He gets restless around this time at night.”
They reached the house, and Sam led her into the kitchen. It was a small kitchen, but it was nice and warm. A woman appeared in the doorway to the rest of the house. She was a stern-looking woman, with her black hair pulled into a braid that ran down the middle of her back. Her green eyes were beady and sharp, giving Lily a quick once over examination.
“You’re Lily, I assume,”she said, and Lily nodded. The woman came forward and smiled, which changed her face, giving her a much warmer complexion and making her appear friendlier.
“My name is Charlotte,” she said, “but you can call me Char. If you’d like, Sam can take your suitcase and set it in your room.”
Lily handed him the case, and he bustled off. Char watched him leave before turning back to Lily.
“You look hungry, my dear,” Char said. “If you want to follow me, I’ve got some soup and a sandwich in the dining room for you. You may eat and then go to bed.”
“Thank you,” Lily said, nodding, and she followed Char into the dining room, where the food was sitting; there was also a can of Diet Coke with a glass of ice next to the plate. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate our kindness.”
“It’s no problem,” Char said as they each took a seat at the table. “We’re happy to help.”
Lily smiled and began to eat. They didn’t speak for a moment as Lily ate and drank.
“So, Lily,” Char said. “Tell me about yourself.”
“Well,” Lily said, swallowing, “I’m a sophomore at Titan College up in Belton. I’m studying Veterinary Medicine, and I hope to be a vet someday.”
“I see,” Char said. “We’ve got this farm out here, and it would be helpful to have a vet. I wish you good luck.”
“Thank you,” Lily said, and she finished her food. She drained the last of her Diet Coke and got to her feet, but she suddenly felt strange. The room became blurry and began to spin. She gripped the table for support, but it didn’t help. Her feet gave out and she fell to the floor, unconscious. As she fell, she heard Char yell for Sam and laughter.
4
How long she was unconscious, Lily didn’t know, but she immediately knew she wasn’t in the dining room when she came to. Instead, she was lying on a mattress somewhere. She blinked, and the room came into focus. The room she was in was eight foot by ten foot and was lit by several lanterns. A ladder leaned against the wall, and she could see a trap door in the ceiling. To her right was another mattress. On the opposite wall, she saw a metal clamp drilled to the floor. She tried to sit up but felt something cut into her wrists. She turned and saw each of her wrists was cuffed to the wooden bed frame.
Panic began to set in as she tried to slip her wrists through the cuffs but to no avail; she was stuck, and she wasn’t going anywhere. Above her, she could hear footsteps, and the trap door opened. To her horror, Sam came down the ladder, another unconscious body flung over his shoulders. Sam paid her no attention as he laid the second body on the other mattress, cuffing its hands to the bed frame. When Sam finally moved, Lily could see it was a man, not much older than Lily. When he was cuffed, Sam turned to Lily.
“I’m glad to see you’re awake,” he said. “When he wakes, we can begin.”
“Begin what, you psycho?” Lily shouted, but Sam turned her no attention. He instead laughed and climbed back up the ladder, closing it behind him.
Twenty minutes later, the man next to Lily began to stir. He opened his eyes, took in his surroundings, and screamed.
“Where the fuck am I?” he said, looking at Lily. “Who the fuck are you?”
“You’re in some sub basement of a barn,” Lily said. “I’m Lily. Who are you?”
The man panted as he answered.
“Todd,” he said, “Todd Young. Do you know these fuckin people?”
“No,” Lily said. “I only met them tonight. How did you get here?”
“I was driving north,” Todd said, “and I pulled over to get some sleep. I had no sooner parked my car and started to doze off when my car door was torn open by the fucking asshole wielding a crowbar. He knocks me out, and I wake up here.”
“Jesus,” Lily said. “What the hell’s gonna happen to us?”
To that, neither of them had an answer.
5
What seemed like an hour passed before Sam returned, this time with Char following behind him. Seeing them on the bed, Char squealed with delight.
“Oh goodie,” she squealed, clapping her hands together. “Let’s do it now! Let’s do it now!”
“Go wake him, and bring him here,” Sam said, and Char smiled and disappeared back up the ladder. A moment later, the strange sound sounded again, this time much louder than before. The trap door opened again, and Char returned, but someone was with her; whomever it was, was using all fours to move around. When Char reached the bottom, she strode over and stood beside her husband. When the other individual reached the bottom of the ladder, its face was finally lit up by the lantern light, and Lily let out a scream.
The face was horribly disfigured, its left eye swollen to the point where it was almost closed. Its teeth, those that were left, were yellow from rot; a strange bile dribbled out of a corner of its mouth. Although it was mostly bald, the hair that was still there looked as if it had never been washed; it looked oily and thin. Char led the creature, complete with a chain around its neck, over to the and chained it to the clamp.
“May we introduce,” Sam said, and Lily could hear a mixture and sorrow in his voice, “our son…Luke.”
6
“Yes, he is indeed our son,” Char said. “Now our only son.”
Lily now understood the sorrow behind Sam’s voice.
“Luke here, despite his looks,” he said, “was born ten years ago. We had another son before he was born, named Ryan. We loved both of them.”
“Ryan was five when Luke was born,” Char said. “So much so that he would feed him and read to him at night. One night, when Luke was almost a year old, Ryan was reading to Luke when he accidentally cut his finger, and the cut started to bleed. Some of the blood somehow reached Luke, and that was it.”
“Luke attacked Ryan,” Sam said, “and killed him. we walked in on him feasting on his flesh, drinking his blood. At first, we were horrified. Our son was dead, murdered by our one year old. But we denied it. We hid the body, didn’t want anyone else to find out. But something had happened. From that night on, Luke didn’t want to eat or drink anything else. We then realized: the only thing he wants to eat and drink was human flesh and blood.”
“Before I was laid off,” Char said, “I was the head of a maternity ward at a hospital in the next town over. I would steal the newborns, report their supposed deaths to their parents, and bring the babies home to my own. We wanted to see him happy. After I was laid off-after twenty fucking years of loyal service-we turned here, to home, to find our son’s nourishment.”
“Our beautiful boy,” said Sam, and only the pride remained in his voice. “After a while, we decided to have a little fun with this too. Would you two like to play?”
“Hell no!” Todd shouted. “I don’t give a fuck about your son or you! Just let me go!”
Sam’s face flinched as a look of anger danced across it, but it was replaced by the same calm expression.
“No,” he said simply. “Char, honey, it’s time to play.”
“This is my favorite part!” Char said, clapping her hands together again. “It’s your turn, hon!”
“My pleasure,” Sam said, and he moved to sit at the end of Lily’s bed, facing both her and Todd.
“Eeny meeny moe,” he said, his finger pointing back and forth between Lily and Todd, “catch a tiger back the toe.”
He ran through the whole song, his finger alternating between the two captives. At last, his finger landed on Todd.
“And you are…it,” he whispered, pointing at him. “We have a winner, winner, chicken dinner!”
“I’ve got the knife,” Char said, withdrawing a long, thin knife from within her apron; its blade glinted in the lantern light. “Get a mason jar.”
Sam smiled and climbed back up the ladder, returning moments later, a mason jar clutched in his hand. The entire time, Lily and Todd were sobbing, dreading what was to come, but they knew it wouldn’t be good. As they watched, Sam approached Luke.
“Luke!” he said, and Luke faced his father, drool dripping down his chin, mixing with the strange bile. “Look at me, and sit.”
As if he were a puppy, Luke sat, his tongue sticking out one corner of his mouth. Sam ruffled the thin, oily hair.
“Good job, my handsome boy,” he said. “Now, stay like that. Excellent!”
he then turned and locked eyes with Todd, who let out a shout.
“Keep the fuck away from me!” he shouted. “Don’t you dare fucking touch me!”
Todd’s pleas and swears proved no effect. Expressionless, Sam strode over to Char, who handed him the knife. He then swept over to Todd, who screamed endlessly. To Lily’s horror, and unable to turn away, she watched Sam run the knife’s blade across Todd’s upper arm. It began to bleed profusely, and Sam used the mason jar to collect some. Then, leaving Todd to sob and shriek, he strode back over to Luke, who was still sitting obediently.
“Luke, I’ve got something for you,” he said, and he sat down next to his monstrous son. As Lily watched, Sam began to drip blood from the jar into Luke’s mouth, feeding him as if he was a newborn drinking from a baby bottle. Luke began to lap it up, drinking as if he hadn’t done so in days or weeks.
“Honey,” said Sam, turning to his wife, “I think he approves.”
“Oh good!” Char said, clapping and giggling. “Shall we?”
“Good ahead, my sweat,” Sam said. Giggling again, and without any hesitation, Char reached back into her apron, pulling out a pistol. She faced Todd and, wearing the same expressionless face as her husband, fired a single shot at Todd’s head. Lily’s shrieks reached a new high, and the bang echoed loudly in her ears as she began to hyperventilate.
“Holy shit,” she said, “Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit!”
She closed her eyes, forcing herself to look away. Before she fainted, she could hear Todd’s handcuffs unlatch.
7
When Lily finally came to, she looked at Todd’s mattress but saw that it was empty. Horrified, she looked at Luke, who was crouched against the opposite wall, gnawing on something. When he saw her, he screeched loudly, like a monkey, and darted towards her, but the chain around his neck prevented him from going very far. To Lily’s horror, she saw behind Luke, covered in blood and torn in several sections, Todd’s body, and she saw it was missing the left arm, which now being waved at her by Luke.
Above them, Lily could hear footsteps, and the trap door opened. Sam entered first and Char, unseen, handed him a wooden chair and some rope, which he took and set between the beds. He then turned to face Lily.
“This is another favorite part of ours,” he said, gleefully. “You get to watch our handsome boy eat, and you have to make sure he eats every last piece. He’s a growing boy after all.”
Sam undid the handcuffs, and Lily reacted. She smashed her own head into Sam’s face, causing him to back off, clutching his nose. She leaped up and hurried towards the ladder but stopped short of climbing up: Char stood at the top, pointing the pistol at her.
“Get in that chair now, you stupid bitch,” she said, and Lily shot her a dirty look as she walked back to the chair and sat down. Sam was howling to her right in pain, still clutching his broken and bleeding nose.
“Oh, there, there, honey,” Char said. “We’ll get you all bandaged up, and you’ll be right as rain in no time. Now get over here, and tie this bitch up.”
Sam stopped howling and did as instructed, tying Lily’s wrists to the back of the chair. With it done, Char led Sam back up the ladder, closing the trap door behind them. After they had gone, Lily began to fumble with the knots on her wrists. It took her nearly twenty minutes, but she got the knot undone. All the while, Luke remained on his side, slowly eating different parts of Todd’s body.
Lily got to her feet, and picked up the chair. Luke saw this and began to shout, but Lily took the chair and slammed it against his head; the chair smashed against his head, and he crumpled to the ground in a heap, unconscious. Above her, she could hear Sam and Char’s voices returning. They opened the trap door, and shouted down.
“What’s going on down there?” Sam shouted.
“I’m free,” Lily said, moving to pick up the lantern; its warmth in her hands comforted her, telling her the world wasn’t completely dark. “Luke’s unconscious, and I’ve got the lantern. Let me come up or I drop it, and it sets the whole room down here on fire. You’ll lose your precious son.”
Char and Sam mumbled to each other before Char responded.
“All right, fine,” she said reluctantly. “Come on up, and don’t you dare drop that lantern.”
“Don’t shoot me either, or he dies,” Lily said and, the lantern in one hand, she began to climb the ladder. When she reached the top, she came up and took a breath of fresh air; she determined it was the best breath she’d ever taken. She looked around and saw Char and Sam, both on their knees and trembling, terrified as what Lily might do. She locked eyes with both of them and, moving to above the trap door, released the lantern.
The lantern fell to the floor and smashed, its flame catching onto the wooden floor. The blaze quickly grew and smoke began to issue from the opening. Char and Sam leaped to their feet, horrified. Sam let out a roar like a bull elephant and began to charge towards Lily, who moved out of the way. He hit the wall, bellowing louder, and lost his balance, tumbling down into the burning room below. His screams grew louder as the flames licked his body before growing quieter before silencing.
“Sam!” Char screeched, rushing to the edge of the opening and looking down. Tears began to run down her face, and she curled into the fetal position, crying and mumbling Sam’s name under her breath. She paid no attention as Lily stepped towards her and fished the pistol out from her pocket. She then pulled Char to her feet and marched her back to the house and into the kitchen. Lily, still aiming the pistol at Char, grabbed the phone and quickly dialed 911, explaining her situation and location to the operator.
8
Sheriff Brad Maddox arrived at the Ward’s house ten minutes later, a squad of deputies and firemen behind him. Lily explained the evening’s events to Winston, who promptly arrested Char. He then ordered his fellow officers to search the rest of the house. Their search yielded ten corpses, each with large chunks of flesh missing, bloody knives, and aprons stained with blood and flesh.
The Wards family quickly became a high-profile case, and many people, both in person and at home, watched the court trial. Most of those that followed the case argued for the death penalty, citing no amount of therapy would help Char. Instead, Char was sentenced to spend the rest of her life in the Barter Psychiatric Hospital, under the care of Dr. Thaddeus Hill. Since her sentence began, she remained in her room, mumbling only Sam and Luke’s names under her breath.
Lily Vargas was interviewed by nearly a dozen television news stations, each fighting to get the story. She became a celebrity, everyone celebrating her courage and will to survive. She graduated from Titan College and married Tyler, living a peaceful life as a veterinary, even opening up her own practice, Rivers-Vargas Veterinary Hospital.
Charlotte Ward Escapes Hospital; Manhunt Underway
At 8 o’clock this morning, staff members of Barter Psychiatric Hospital announced the escape of Charlotte Ward, who was involved in the Vargas case of 1995. Ward, now approaching 52, should be considered extremely dangerous.
“We have every available officer out looking for Ward,” said Sheriff Brad Maddox in a statement this morning. “We caution everyone to be vigilant, to be on the lookout, and to report any mysterious activity. There is a cash reward of $10,000 for information that leads to her capture.”
