Infestation

Rain poured down, crashing against the window. I turned on my laptop to tune into The Late Night News live stream. This became a nightly routine of completing my work while listening to the news. It was always the same kind of stories and updates around this time.

“People injured in a…”

“Shootings At…”, and the occasional coverage of odd weather patterns or storms on the move. Though recently, I’d say over the course of the past few weeks, the news had taken a more positive turn.

“Scientists discover….”

“New tech breakthrough to save you on time and cash…..”

“CEO starts a new nonprofit to increase the quality of…..”

Positive or not it sufficed as background sound.

I sat down at my kitchen island and opened up the tab to begin working on free coding lessons I decided to pick up in my spare time to better myself.

“New discoveries are being made in reversing the effects of climate change….”

“CEO is giving large donations towards…”

I continued to click away, listening to the updates and rainfall, sitting in a room only lit by the glow of my laptop. As each news story came and went, I began tuning them out more and more, hastily making my way through each assignment as the night went on.

Time passed, and I decided to take a brief break to get something to drink. Glancing at the time I see it is already 12:42am.

“Geez,” I exhaustingly exhaled as I rubbed my face, pushing the stress of the day out through my pores.

”Where did all of the time go?” I stood from my seat and began to shuffle stiffly over to the fridge to pour myself a glass of water. The rain storm picked up with the addition of a breeze. The patter of the water against my windows was now accompanied by the scratching of a branch from the tree beside my home. I sipped from the glass as I stared out of the window, watching as the raindrops glided down the glass.

“I guess I can call it a night,” I say as I drop my cup off in the sink, making my way to turn on the hallway light.

THUMP THUMP DUMP

Just as I turned on the light, a clumsy thump came from the back bedroom. I stared down the hall at the closed door.

Don’t tell me I left the window open in there.

Fear of the possible damage to my hardwood floors began to arise.

I started my journey down the hall to open the bedroom door. Grabbing the knob, I swing the door open observing the empty room and wide open window.

What a day to forget to close the windows.

I walked over to the window to close it, luckily the puddle on the floor wasn’t too bad. I began advancing to grab a spare towel out of my hamper to throw on the puddle. I hear rustling coming from the closet behind me. I freeze in place and take a deep breath to soothe the anxiety caused by the sudden new addition, but a small click finally forces me to look over my shoulder and investigate the sounds. Turning my head I see the closet door slightly ajar.

I drop the towel down on the puddle and stare at the door for a few seconds to contemplate the situation.

“I know I didn’t leave that open”, I whisper under my breath. I crept over to the door, eyes fixated on the door.

Slowly I begin to reach for the door and open it. The sound of rain and scratching being tuned out. Silence and tension consuming the moment, my breath escaping my body, the weight of anxiety crushing me as if I was on trial for witchcraft.

Opening the door slowly the hinges left out a soft whine that carried just enough weight to fill the silence that engulfed me.

CREEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAK

At this moment a natural pause occurred. All sound stopped , all motion frozen, it was as though time was frozen. Though I could feel from some unspecified location a glare that was glued to me. It was as if there was a predator nearby, and I had intruded on their territory. It felt as though this hidden disturbance was waiting for the right moment to strike me down. Not moving, I used my peripheral vision to scan the room to see if I could see anything before acting hastily and irrationally.

A few moments passed, but nothing caught my eye and no new sounds were made though this uneasy feeling still lingered.

Must be past my bedtime.

I must be overworking myself and my mind decided to make the executive decision to play tricks on me. I turned to the doorway getting ready to my exit when I saw a brief quick movement at the end of the hall.

I steadily made my way to my hallway closet and grabbed a baseball bat I found leaned against the wall, and walked my way towards the movement. As I reached the end of the corridor I flipped the light switch looking from left to right. Seeing nothing, I consider calling out to the possible intruder. Opting not to, I walk towards the kitchenette to turn off the laptop so I can be sure I hear my surroundings uninterrupted.

CRASH

I hear something fall in the living room making tons of commotion. Right before I can turn the sound I feel something sharp penetrate into my side interrupting my movement. I let out a grunt of pain and swung my bat knocking the intruder away from me retreating before I could look at the perpetrator. The sharp object was still stuck in my side and blood began to trickle out. I scurried all the way down the hall hearing them scramble back to their feet. I hopped into the back bedroom slamming the door shut behind me, locking it and blocking the door knob with a chair before collapsing against the fall facing the door.

BANG

They crash into the door trying to break it open.

BANG

They crash into the door again.

Then moments later silence began once again. Moments pass and I keep my eyes fixated on the door to see what is next. I doubt they are giving up so easily. I look down at my side seeing a shank made from a stick jammed deep inside of me. “I am so hoping this doesn’t leave any splinters”, I grunted, forcing myself to my feet.

Leaning against the wall, I dragged myself over to the hamper grabbing a rag and tying it around the shank.

I am not pulling this out until I know I can get it stitched.

I let out small gasps as I stabilize the stick and wound each small adjustment causing me great pain. Just as I finish stabilizing everything my feet give out from under me leaving me sitting curled up in a ball. Knowing I need to find a way out before the intruder found a way in I take breaths recovering my stamina and look around to see my options out of this.

Scanning the room, the obvious window choice presented itself to me. Thankfully being a ranch style house meant we were in a single floor situation so all windows were good for exiting. However, all windows were accessible for the less injured intruder to get to me. Not seeing anything else present itself I stumble my way over to the window using my bat as a cane, unlocking it and beginning to open it.

With the motivation of urgency, I looked out the window to make sure my route was clear, something hard and heavy smashed into my nose causing the bone to shift, shatter, and knocking me to the ground. Looking up I saw them at the window, and they looked like me. They were covered in dirt, scrapes and bruises. Their right eye blackened and blood shot, clothes torn and tattered.

I started to scooch backwards, eyes fixed on him as he made his way in through the window. I knocked the chair out of my way, quickly hopping to my feet unlocking the door running out of the room. I could hear his footsteps land on the ground as he fully entered the house and began to chase.

BUMP THUMP BUMP BUMP BUMP

He was sprinting and covering ground much faster than I could, I continued down the hall hoping for a great chance to break line of sight and get the upper hand but he was so fast. Mustering up my strength I was able to accelerate just enough and turn the corner and ready myself to strike him with my bat. Just as I prepared the running sound stopped.

“Come on”, I whispered, “Come around this corner and let’s do it”.

Looking behind towards the front door I realize it’s wide open.

That’s his plan! He wants to come back through the front door!

I throw myself into the door slamming it shut and locking it. I see his outline pass the window as I finish the dead bolt and look back to the kitchen counter where my phone once was. Seeing nothing I realized he must have grabbed it, but if I could lock the place down I could reach out for help from my laptop.

I start rushing back to the back bedroom where he once entered from hoping to beat him there and lock him out, the adrenaline carrying me through the pain I was clearing the distance. Feeling the fires of hope burn, I fell as I reached the room. The hardwood floor had been coated in blood, water and mud making for a slippery obstacle. Hitting the ground hard I could feel the stick get pushed in deeper causing me to cough blood as I let out a loud groan.

After the pain dulled ever so slightly I weakly rolled to my back to take some pressure off the stick. I reached my arm above my head, getting my fingers on the door with just enough surface area to give it a push and close it. I know I can’t get to the window before him, but I can buy myself some time. Coughing from the pain I began fumbling to my feet, nearly falling in either direction as I progressed to getting as upright as I was capable of.

Limping with haste, I made my way to the master bedroom slamming the door and locking it. Trying to save time on my escape, I neglect to barricade the door and limp to the window and begin trying to lift it open.

“It’s locked”, I scolded silently. I began trying to disengage the lock but the blood on my hands, and pain from my injuries caused me to lose some coordination.

BAM BAM THUMP THUMP

He was kicking the door, but this door was beginning to give as the next kicks came.

BAM BAM CRACK

Right when I saw the cracks in the door I was able to manage the lock….

CLICK

Looking over my shoulder I realize I can’t see his silhouette through the cracks.

Is he still there? Did he figure out where I’m going next?

No matter the questions I had to get out, whether he knew or not my best chance of surviving was escaping.

I swing the window open and begin lifting my leg out the window ignoring the pain in my side. Straddling the window, I see his silhouette not far from where I am. Startled by the shape running at me I fell out the window and to the ground, stunning me for a second before a second wind took hold of me giving me enough strength to get up and begin my retreat.

Looking around my surroundings I try to see if any lights are on in hopes I can get some help. With my nose being broken, breathing has been more difficult so I don’t have a lot of strength in my lungs.

“HELP!”, I call out weakly as I continue running, “HELP!”.

No response, no lights flickered, no movement, nothing. My energy running low I could practically feel him breathing down my neck as he continued catching up to me.

I turn around to swing my bat hoping the element of surprise will be enough to give the upper hand. Using all of my strength I turn into the swing blindly hitting him in the shoulder and causing him to stumble. I take another swing right behind it giving him no time to recover, but barely miss his face as he glides out of range.

I charge in towards him utilizing the bat as a ram to catch him with something unpredictable.

CRACK

He plows a rock clean into my eye socket, I can hear the sound of cracking as the connection is made. During my time of being rocked he snatches my bat from.

BING

The aluminum strikes me in the jaw causing me to fall on butt, still conscious but uncalibrated as I feel I’m standing on a rotating plate. Scooting back I narrowly dodge a follow up swing from him creating a breeze that passed my nose.

It seemed as though my fortune had run out however, as he closed the distance he swung the bat cracking the top of my head.

BING

I fell straight on my back, staring at the sky struggling to move. Blood is now beginning to drip from the strike that landed on top of my head. The loss injuries getting to me I see his face, my face, appear above me staring at me.

“You really thought you could get away from me”, he said in a raspy voice. Just then he smashed me in the face with the bat separating me from consciousness.

Waking up, my vision was fuzzy and my head was pounding. The adrenaline wearing off I could feel all of my injuries, the stab wound, the broken bones, my teeth loosening and wiggling. Unable to move I realized I was bound to my kitchen chair and there before me stood me. He was staring at me quietly, curiously, observing me and studying me as though he was confused by my existence.

“What?”, I asked weakly, I coughed up some more blood and a tooth followed this time as it all hit the floor.

“What do you want?” I was able to muster up enough strength to get my head in position to make eye contact. He remained silent walking over to the knife block and grabbing a steak knife. He continued staring at me not answering my questions as he walked to a drawer and grabbed out a meat tenderizing mallet. I guess he noticed my eyes widened, because a grin came across his face as he made his way to me.

Pulled a chair up in front of me and sitting down and resting the tip of the knife on my knee. He put a small amount of pressure on the blade pressing it to my knee. I stared at him confused.

“What?”, I asked. He swung the mallet with all of his force, the mallet hitting the knife’s handle digging it behind my knee.

I screamed in pain feeling all the skin and muscle fibers tear, it was so quick but I felt it as though it was slow motion. The knee cap lifts up to make room for the blade to squeeze behind the tendon snapping and popping strand by strand the bone grazed by the sharp blade. I scream overwhelmed by the pain.

“What are you doing here”, he said sternly and forcefully, slightly lifting the blade handle causing the pain to multiply. My screams intensified.

“I live here, I live here!”, I exclaimed.

He pulls the knife out of my knee and jams it directly into my thigh meat. He swung the mallet into my face, knocking a few of my teeth out and causing my eye to swell more.

He said nothing in reply. He just stared at me wearing this look in his eye as though he was starving and the only thing that could satiate him was killing me. I stared back at him knowing my answer won’t change this hunger for my blood. He lifts the knife handle, causing more tears in the tendon. Squirming trying to break out of my bounds, but it was no use. I lacked the strength, and the growing issues of blood loss and wounds from the assaults have drained me of what fight I had left.

“I am not going to survive this”, I say, straining struggling to catch a single breath. “You aren’t going to let me out of this”.

He lands a clean punch into my jaw, clearly finding joy in having the upper hand. This moment was much like how a cat plays with a mouse before becoming bored and killing it. Stringing along the victim, making them believe maybe there is a way out of this, only to snatch it away when you are finished.

I was defeated, the last sparks of finally extinguishing.

“You can kill me”, I kept eye contact with him.

“You can, I know how this ends for me. It won’t end here for you and you know that deep down too”.

Quickly he slashed across my unswollen eye with the knife blinding me causing me to yell again.

“I don’t care where it ends”, he whispered in my ear, he grabbed my throat, beginning to choke the life out of me. Grinning as I struggled for air , he smashed my good knee with the mallet causing a cracking sound forcing my leg to go limp.

“I just want what I am owed”, I felt the blade drag across my throat repeatedly; he slashed and sliced until I presumed he could see my spine. He proceeded to stab my abdomen endlessly as my life left me slipped away. As every drop of blood fell from me to the floor I could feel less and less life in my veins. The dark from being blinded became even darker, the hypnotizing rain fading, the world growing colder my lungs out of commission only using the last of their strength to push emptiness my body went limp.