“Thanks for the drink, friend.” The man said as he began spooning sugar into his cup. Billy watched as he tipped spoonful after spoonful into his coffee. He counted thirteen before the man eventually stopped stirring and took a slurping sip.
“Ahh, that’s good. Thanks.”
Billy wanted to demand the man leave. There was obviously something wrong with him mentally, and he didn’t want to trigger any kind of reaction.
“How is it looking down there?” Billy said, forcing himself to look his house guest in the eye and ignore his hairy, fleshy body.
“I can fix it. I need to kill some sluts and Gibberbombs and get a couple of new components for the generator. It’s a straightforward fix.”
Billy felt the hairs on his arms stand up on end. This time, there was no mistake, no chance he had misheard. The man he had let into his house was obviously mentally ill, and potentially dangerous. They sipped their drinks in silence.
The man slurped down the rest of his drink, set his cup on the table, and wiped his chin with the back of his forearm.
“That hit the spot. Thanks, buddy.”
“No problem.” A numb Billy replied.
“This is a nice place. Seems quiet way out here in the middle of nowhere.”
“Yeah, we like it.”
“I bet those Squeakers and Moonglobbers don’t bother you out here do they?”
Billy shook his head, having no idea what Squeakers or Moonglobbers were. All he knew was that he wanted to get as far away from this horrible man as he could. Until then, he would play the game.
“Looks like it’s almost over.” The man said with an ugly grin, interrupting Billy’s thoughts.
“What do you mean?” Billy said, gripping the arms of the chair as panic surged through him.
“The rain, it’s just about done.” The man replied as he pointed a grubby finger towards the window.
Billy followed his gaze to see the rain had indeed slowed to a gentle drizzle and dusk was coming. The thought of being alone in the house under any circumstances with this deranged man was enough. To think about it after dark was something else entirely.
The naked man broke wind.
The sound was sharp and disgustingly loud against the bare wood of the seat. He didn’t acknowledge it at all, and it took all of Billy’s will to fight off his repulsion and keep a neutral expression as the awful stench reached him.
“It’s getting dark,” Billy said, choosing his words carefully. “Will the power be on before then?”
“Oh, it will all be over by then, don’t you worry.”
There was nothing sinister in the way he said it, but Billy was horrified by the predatory way in which he smiled as the words left his mouth. There was silence as they stared at each other, which was broken by the vibration of Billy’s phone on the kitchen table. He looked at it, then at the man.
“Mind if I get that?”
“It’s your phone and your house chief. I’m just the repair guy.” He replied, standing up and giving Billy a view which would have made him bring up his breakfast if he had eaten any.
“I’ll grab my stuff and get right to work.” he added, then headed back into the basement.
Billy answered the phone, the motion of doing so left him feeling lethargic and detached.
“Hey buddy, what’s going on?” The voice on the other end of the line said.
He had expected it to be Angeline telling him she had arrived safely. Instead, it was his friend Alex. They had known each other for seven years, and it was actually Alex who had suggested to Billy about making a move out to the country to start afresh.
Billy hadn’t taken much convincing the change in scenery was exactly what the two of them had needed in order to try to fix their splintered marriage, and as it was a problem he had the power to fix, he had made moving his sole obsession.
“Hey man, you there?” Alex repeated, pulling Billy’s attention back to the present.
“Yeah... yeah, sorry, I’m here.”
Alex started to talk, just shooting the shit, completely oblivious to what was going on. Billy interjected with the occasional response. A yes. A no. A murmur of agreement. All the while, he kept his eyes on the open basement door.
As soon as he leaves, call the police.
Billy didn’t often agree with his inner voice, however on this occasion, they were both on the same page. No matter how he tried to justify it, the strange man in his cellar clearly had issues, and Billy certainly had no intention of confronting him. That, after all, was a job for the local law enforcement. He conceded, however, having someone like Alex around couldn’t harm. He half tuned back into what his friend was saying, then drifted off again when he heard it was some small talk about a fishing trip he and his brother had recently been on. Billy instead watched the basement door and waited for his unwanted guest to emerge and leave, so he could alert the authorities and get his home back. Already it felt tainted and violated, and he had decided no matter what happened, he would throw the chair the man’s naked body had been in contact with away long before Angeline and Tyler came back home.
“Hey, man.” Billy interrupted, realising it was the first thing he had said during the entire conversation.
“Yeah?”
“Do you think you could come over? I could use your help with something here.”
“Uh, I guess, what do you need?”
“I think I have a problem here that I could use your help with.”
“What kind of problem?” Alex asked, sensing the tension in Billy’s voice.
“I can’t talk about it on the phone. Can you come over?”
“I’ll be there in twenty. I’m on the bike, though, the damn car blew a gasket.”
“Yeah, no problem just put it around the side of the house when you get here.”
“What’s going on over there pal?”
Billy was about to give him the short version of what had happened so far when the man from Trans Energy re-emerged from the basement. He was thankfully dressed, and could almost be a normal, if oversized person. Billy, of course, knew different. He had witnessed it for himself. The man hovered, waiting patiently to get Billy’s attention.
“Just a second buddy,” Billy said, covering the receiver with his palm and looking at the hulking man by the cellar door. Now he was dressed, he immediately seemed less frightening and intimidating, and Billy was beginning to feel stupid that the man had spooked him so much.
“I need to head out and get those parts to fix the generator,” He said as he took the chewed up pencil out of the breast pocket of his overalls and slipped it into the corner of his mouth. “I shouldn’t be too long.”
“No problem, thanks again.” Billy heard himself say, still struggling to deal with the situation. “I’ll show you out,” He added, trying not to sound too keen or eager.
“Oh, that’s okay sir. I’ll show myself out. You go ahead and finish your call.”
Billy nodded, noting even despite the nakedness and speaking gibberish, ‘Grant’ from Trans Energy had impeccable manners.
Billy exhaled as the man walked down the hallway, his boots echoing through the empty house. His relief didn’t last for long, as he heard the man turn and walk back towards the kitchen. He popped his head around the corner of the door and smiled.
“Oh, also sir, before I forget, just to let you know if you leave or call the police whilst I’m gone, I'll gut that wife and kid of yours.”
Billy’s arms fell to his sides and his legs buckled. Somehow he remained upright but was powerless to do anything but stare and endure the tight feeling in his stomach, which was now doing dizzy somersaults rather than just rolling with unease. The man was waiting for something, his eyebrows raised and questioning.
He wanted confirmation that Billy understood.
Somehow, he managed to nod his head.
The man’s piggy eyes shifted to the phone clutched in Billy’s hand, and again, without a word, he knew what was expected
of him. He ended the call, barely hearing his friend asking if he was still there. He tossed the phone on the table and sat down hard. The man from Trans Energy seemed satisfied and turned back towards the hallway. He started to whistle, a tune that was maddeningly familiar, but one Billy could not quite place. The sound of his boots grew quiet, the door opened and closed and Billy was left alone.
CHAPTER THREE
~I~
He wasn’t sure how long he had been sitting there at the kitchen table. His brain felt as if it was overfilled, stuffed with hundreds of thousands of thoughts, emotions and ideas trying to fight for his attention. The only thing he could concentrate on were those words, uttered with such calm and pleasant indifference.
If you leave or call the police whilst I’m gone, I'll gut that wife and kid of yours.
He looked at his phone sitting on the table, and although he desperately wanted to call Angeline, he knew he couldn’t. If he did, he was certain the man from Trans Energy would know. The rain had started to tap at the windows again, and as Billy glanced outside, he noted the best of the day was long gone, giving the house a shadowy murkiness which only added to his unease.
Whenever he had watched movies or read books in the past, he always used to imagine himself as the hero, the go-to guy when shit hit the fan. He was finding when real life presented such a horrifying situation as the one he was currently in, he was in no way cut from the hero cloth. In truth, he could barely function on a basic level, and felt as if he was slowly coming apart at the seams. Talk of Oglebonkers, Squeakers and Moonglobbers made no sense to him. Whatever they were, they seemed important to the man who had invaded his home. The ball in his stomach cavity clenched a little bit more, and he found himself, once again, looking again at the mobile phone lying face down on the table.
He was seriously considering trying to call the police. Surely, there was no way the man could know if he did, as he had been gone for some time.
It could be a trick. He could be outside watching you right now.
Billy didn’t like that idea, and let his eyes slide towards the rain streaked kitchen window and the ever deepening gloom beyond. There were certainly plenty of places out there to hide, although someone of the Trans Energy man’s size would find it difficult to remain concealed.
Unless he’s not working alone.
That idea hadn’t dawned on him, and he half wished he hadn’t thought of it at all. Like it or not, it was true. It was more than plausible he could have an accomplice, someone equally as deranged who was out there right now, watching the place. With calling the police out of the question, he considered his other options.
He could, of course, just run for it, but he knew deep down his conscience would never allow it, even though a horrified part of him was considering it as a viable option. Could he leave his wife and child to a fate at the hands of this overweight, mentally unstable giant? He immediately told himself there was no way it would ever happen, the little voice in his head reminded him that it wasn’t too long ago he was questioning his love for Angeline anyway, and maybe life without her wouldn’t be so bad.
And what about Tyler?
He waited to see what his inner monolog would make of that particular bombshell, and when no answer came, he knew his decision had been made for him. He would have to do whatever it took to defend his home and protect his family.
~II~
There were two guns in the house. The first was an old Winchester rifle which hung above the fireplace in the study. Although it was functional, Billy had no ammo for it. The other gun was a 9mm pistol he had purchased on a whim ten years earlier. He had only fired it once, but it had a small amount of ammunition, and would be his best chance at defending himself if things got out of hand. The gun was upstairs on the top shelf of the walk-in bedroom closet. He took a deep breath and stood, resisting the temptation to look outside into the gloom as he walked through the kitchen and upstairs, trying as best he could to keep casual and calm. Somehow, his shaky appendages carried him safely to the bedroom. He opened the closet, reaching past the old photo albums and spare blankets, he removed the dusty shoebox, and went and sat on the bed where he opened the lid. Suddenly, as he stared at the chrome of the weapon shimmering in the gloom, everything seemed so much realer somehow. It dawned on him that he might have to take another man’s life, and just to think about it made him nauseous. When it came down to it, Billy understood his primary job as a husband was to ensure his family’s safety. The bizarre man from Trans- Energy had made the conscious decision to enter their home and threaten his family, and so would have to deal with whatever consequences came from it.
He took the box of ammunition from the shoebox, wishing it was a little heavier. His suspicions there weren’t many rounds left were confirmed when he removed the lid.
There were four bullets left.
It would have to do. Although his only experience of firing the weapon had been during a singular visit to the firing range, the man from Trans Energy was a pretty big target, and he was sure if it came down to it, he could make sure at least one bullet hit its intended destination. Billy was afraid, the feeling was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. It left a thick taste in his throat, and the somersaults his stomach had been performing when the whole ordeal began had now subsided, leaving his innards feeling like a tight, compressed ball. With the weapon loaded, he stood and tucked the gun down the front of his jeans and covered it with his t-shirt, but it was too obvious and uncomfortable, and it would restrict his movements. He recalled every action movie he had ever seen, and instead of the front, he tucked the gun into the back of his jeans instead. This time, it was both concealed and secure, and even though he felt grossly out of his depth, he was determined not to let himself be intimidated. He glanced to the window, trying as best he could to ignore the growing gloom of the coming night. Other than the torch which was downstairs on the kitchen table, he had no other means to generate light. Why hadn’t they bought candles? How many times had they walked right passed them in the store and not bothered to pick any up for situations like this one? Of course, it was easy to say now. At the time when they were trying to work out their finances, keep an eye on Tyler and the conversation between themselves civil, such things as candles were an easy oversight.
He dismissed it as best he could, ignoring his pallid, haggard reflection, made a conscious effort to will away his frustrations and force his body to relax. He couldn’t afford to give his intruder even the slightest hint anything was amiss. He ran a hand through his hair and tried to be casual as he headed back downstairs, pausing on his way to flush the toilet in the en-suite bathroom. He wasn’t entirely convinced there was anyone out there watching the house, of course, but he wasn’t willing to take the risk.
Even though he had only been away for a few minutes, when he walked back downstairs, the lack of light was alarming. The entire house was now cast in a perpetual gloom, and the shadows were deep and wide, spreading across the walls and growing out of the corners as they devoured the room. He walked down the hall, passed the sitting room and into the kitchen, and sat back at the table. The silence was absolute. It weighed heavy, and even the house, which often made noises as it settled, was deathly quiet. Outside, the sky was shifting from light blue to dark. Within the hour, it would be full night.
Once again, his eyes fell on his discarded phone on the table. He picked it up and opened the menu, grateful for the pale blue glow of light from the screen. He navigated to his contacts list and scrolled down to Angeline’s number. It would be so easy to call her. Or even send a text. At least, he would be spared the agony of the current situation, stuck in a limbo where he had no idea what was happening or what was the right thing to do. He half suspected the crazy man from Trans Energy was bluffing and was hoping to achieve the exact outcome that he had – leaving Billy a prisoner in his own home who was trying to second guess every situation and unable to commit to a decision. The truth of it was, although he had t
o hope the crazed man was lying, something in his gut told him he was telling the truth.
There was a knock at the door, three sharp rapports which sounded deafening in the stillness of the house. Instantly, all of Billy’s attempts at retaining his composure were dissolved, and outright terror surged through his body.
The man from Trans Energy was back.
The knock came again, louder this time. Billy didn’t move. He couldn’t. Every fiber of his being told him not to answer the door, and to do so would be madness.
“Hey, man, you in there?” The muffled voice shouted from outside.
Relief replaced fear, and Billy ran for the door and swung it open.
Alex looked puzzled, an expression that morphed into fear when he saw his friends' haggard appearance in the gloom.
“What the hell happened to you?” Alex asked.
“You shouldn’t have come here.” Billy croaked, his eyes darting as he glared into the gloom.
“You look like shit. Are you okay?”
Billy nodded, then ushered his friend into the house.
“Come on, before he gets back.”
“Before who gets back? What the hell happened here Billy?”
He didn’t answer. Instead, he headed to the kitchen as Alex followed.
“Why are you sitting here in the dark?” Alex asked as he sat down in the same seat the man from Trans Energy had used. Billy said nothing and sat opposite, trying to rationalise his thoughts and get them into some kind of order. He knew he must look crazy because that was exactly how he felt. Until the man from Trans Energy had knocked on the door, Billy had always considered Alex to be a ‘big’ guy. Now, though, he couldn’t help notice how small he was in comparison. He was still an imposing figure, of course, all forearms and shoulders and an expert in martial arts to boot. His skin was the colour of cocoa beans and his dark eyes shone with a sharp intelligence.
Forgotten Fears Page 4