The Man on the Glade

March 9, 2033

5:58 PM

"Kari! Close the windows!"

Marice said after Auntie Olivia and I hurriedly drove off to town.

"Okay." She said while her voice quivered. Her hands were shaking when she reached out for the window jamb.

Erika and Thomas ran towards Kari. They barked. Kari looked at them. Seems like they could sense danger.

The sound of a locking door echoed around the house as the hundreds of tiny droplet sounds splashed our roof. The house became so spacious. Kari stared at the whole room as she slowly sat down.

"Kari?" Marice from downstairs called her. "Kari? Where are you? Kari!" Marice panicked. She quickly climbed up.

"Kari." She found her sitting on the floor beside the large furnished wardrobe on the corner of the room.

Marice let out a long breath and made a relieved face. Kari looked at her.

"M-mawice." Her mouth curved downward as tears fell down her face.

"No. No. No." Marice paced towards her and hugged her tightly.

"Don't cry. Don't cry." She said while rubbing Kari's back.

"I-I'm s-scared." Kari said while catching up her breath while crying.

"That's okay. Don't be scared. Everything's gonna be fine. 'Kay. Everything's gonna be fine." She said again and again.

The rain already stopped. The sound of bugs cricketing outside while the sky was getting darker. The croaks of frogs surrounds our barn.

Marice was singing lullabies to Kari as she was already stopped crying. Her eyes went red as she clutched her hands in front of Marice while hugging her. She wasn't asleep. She can't in the first place.

"Hey. Sweetie." Marice said.

Kari didn't say anything. They just cuddled on the floor on the corner of the room. Too quiet. It was deafening.

"I will just light up this room. Okay?" Marice said while slowly loosening her arms but Kari suddenly grabbed her body.

"Kari, it's getting darker. I might as well cook something. Are you hungry?"

"I'm scared. They might see the light. They'll come here" Kari said.

"They?"

"Bad guys."

Marice slowly looked at the windows. It was dark already. Thomas and Erika together with Joe paced towards them.

"How about I'll just light up the kitchen then we all stay there?" Marice said. She was also scared. Scared the fact that they're all alone in this huge house.

"Besides, the cops are coming okay?" She reassured. Then she let go Kari and slowly stood.

But Kari suddenly grabbed her shirt.

"Where's Papa?"

Marice looked at Kari. She made a worried face.

Well, I don't know. She thought.

"He's running some errand okay?"

"Really? When we'll he come back?" Kari asked as she slowly stood. Marice grabbed her hand and they slowly walked down the house and went to the kitchen.

"Soon." Marice tried to smile. She was really paranoid about the house. She check every sound she hear. She actually whispers to Kari in order to hear the noises outside. She quickly looked at our main door. It was already block by a table with a small cabinet as all the windows were securely locked.

"When is soon?" Kari asked as they've reached the kitchen. Marice looked at Kari.

"The next few days, if it's not tomorrow." She said.

"Why?" Kari asked while sitting on the corner of the kitchen with the dogs and the cats, far from the front the door.

"Well." Marice paused while getting some thing to cook. "That's what adults do. We never know."

Kari looked at her. She sniffed as she rubbed her swollen eyes.

"What happened to Uncle?"

Marice eyes quivered. She stopped for a second then continued what she's doing.

"He just got some cold." She said.

"Is cold that really bad?" Kari asked again while hugging Barnacles.

"Yeah." Marice's eyes stung.

"Well, I don't want to get a cold." Kari laid her back on the wooden wall as she rubbed Barnacles' tail.

"Yeah." Marice replied with a very gloomy voice.

"My brother was shot right?" Kari said.

Marice's eyes widened. All of the memories this afternoon resurfaced. The sound of gunshot was still stacked on her head. Her hand slightly shivered.

Silence fell.

She looked at Kari. She was hugging Thomas while Barnacle laid on her lap.

Marice bit her lip. And closed her eyes as she started to cry. She didn't want Kari to see her cry.

"Yeah." Marice said while she continued to slice.

She continued preparing the ingredients while she was checking outside on a small window above sink. The moon started to glow.

March 9, 2033

6:39 P.M.

The air was getting even colder. It was so quiet. So peaceful. No distant dogs barking. No crowd laughing. No us chatting. No lights to make the house alive.

Marice and Kari were taking up their dinner while the dogs sat beneath the table. The cats were on the chair waiting for some spills.

They just ate. No words came out of Kari's mouth. They have nothing to say. They just don't want to talk about what happened. They were scared of the truth.

"Maybe you should go at our room after we eat." Marice said as she looked at Kari. Kari looked her back.

"No. I'll stay here." Kari replied as she made a mouthful crunch.

"Well. Just wait here. I'll do the dishes after we eat."

"Okay."

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!!!!

The two jumped off their seats.

"Marice!!!" Kari was so afraid as she ran towards Marice and hugged her tightly.

"That's okay. That's okay." She patted Kari's shoulder. The dogs growled. Erika went on the front door and sniffed. She growled again.

Marice quickly grabbed a knife when she saw how the dogs reacted.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!!!!

An even louder knock. The dogs began to bark. The whole house became so loud.

THUD! THUD!

"Marice!!!" Kari screamed as the door was already being pushed.

"Go to your room." Marice started to pushed Kari away but she gripped her hard.

"No. I'm scared."

I know she was scared. Actually the staircase was only before the kitchen door and after the guest area where the main door is.

"Okay. We'll go there together." Marice and Kadi started to paced out of the kitchen. But they suddenly stopped when the person outside stopped pushing the door. They were still in the kitchen though.

Marice breathed heavily as she looked around and held Kari tightly. The dogs ran around while sniffing and they have reached the kitchen.

Marice eyes widened. She quickly gazed the kitchen. Kari's eyes were tightly closed as she was hugging Marice's waist and her face dugged on Marice's belly.

The dogs began to bark. The two girls were startled as Marice raised her arm while pointing the knife back n forth.

"Kari. We need to go upstairs now." She said to Kari.

THUD!!!

They were startled by the sound. It was on the window above the sink.

Marice slowly gazed the windos as the dogs barked even more. Erika started to howl.

Marice eyes widened as she saw a face on the window. It was a man. His eyes were big. He was like someone on drugs. It was so creepy. He smiled evilly as he saw the two girls.

Marice trembled. She saw that the started to pummel the window. She quickly grabbed Kadi as they ran towards the hallway next to the guest room

The sound of a breaking glass echoed.

She was beathing heavily. All she can her was her breathed. She pointed her knife towards the direction of the kitchen as they both shiver with fear.

"Kari. I need you to call the cops again." Marice suggested while her voice was shivering.

"I don't want." Kari hugged her tightly.

"Kari, you're the only one who can do it. I'll distract him". She passed to knife to her other hand as she patted Kari's shoulder.

Kari looked at her. I know she knew Marice was scared. She was scared too.

She loosened up her arm and slowly hovered on the next door where the telephone hanged.

"Ehehehehe."

Marice and Kari looked at each other as they heard a very creepy laugh. The dogs were barking.

"Shut up!" The man loudly said.

And one of the dogs whimpered.

No! Marice thought. She covered her mouth by her other hand.

"No!"

Marice's eyes widened as she looked at Kari. She was already crying while holding the telephone. She really loved the dogs and the cats. She even cried if one of them were hurt.

"Ehehehe. Found you."

A huge man appeared in front of the hallway. She didn't actually see face because only the light from the kitchen illuminate the hallway.

Kari's eyes widened as she saw the man carrying an ice pick. He was wearing a leather shoes which were covered with mud and some dried leaves with stuck on it.

The guy smiled again.

"Looks like I got two meals." Then he licked his lips.

Marice quickly hugged Kari as they backed slowly towards the next room.

"W-Who are you?"

Marice raised her arm and pointed the knife to him.

The guy wicked smile with his eyes as he titled his head. He slowly raised the ice pick.

"Me?" He cut then licked the ice pick.

Marice's eyes widened as she saw the ice pick. It was dripping with blood.

"I'm Max Lyons."