The Uninvited Read Free Page A

was doing. When the man saw the light upon him he looked up, stopping what he was doing and waving to her, and then went back to his work of lowering the large rope that hadn’t been used in years, not since Steven had quit working on local farmer's tractors in the massive barn to help make ends meet.
    The man disappeared again, melting back into the darkness and a moment later, he was standing next to a bloodied and exhausted Steven who, even in his now crippled state, was trying to escape. Christy watched, praying by some chance he would find a way to get away. The man let Steven crawl as he undid the rope, bringing the pulley system down with the large hook hanging from it. She beat on the window more to get his attention. He simply tilted his head to the side and waved to her.
    Christy knew she was no match for him but had to do something to try to save the love of her life. She ran down the stairs, slowing for only a second as she took in so many happy memories hanging on the wall. She wasn’t ignorant and knew that even if they somehow survived this night that the two of them would always be changed going forward. The false sense of trust the two of them shared living in the country would be gone in the wind.
    Christy barged out of the front door with the Maglite still in her hand. She hit the on button, shining it directly in the man’s eyes and not wavering it at all. The man quit doing what he had been doing with the rope and let go of it. He walked directly for Christy, ignoring Steven who was still trying to escape on the ground, leaving a bloody trail behind him. Christy yelled, “You son of a bitch. I’m going to crack your damn head open. You messed with the wrong woman today mother fucker!”
    Steven gripped onto the man’s leg with his good hand. The man brought a hammer out of his overalls; it looked like it might as well have been a miniature tool compared to the man’s hand. He brought it down once hard, breaking a handful of bones in Steven’s hand. He screamed trying to clutch it but his opposite arm was of little use to him now. His eyes began to fill with tears, ones that were shortly going to become rage.
    The man continued walking for Christy, who brought the light up one time and swung it at the man’s chest, as his head was almost two feet higher than her delicate small frame could reach for. The man gripped the flashlight with his right hand, blocking her swing, and gripped her ears bringing them and her skull down quicker than anyone could imagine possible, connecting his right knee to her nose. She felt the bones shatter beneath it and something warm started to run down her face and into her mouth that had a metallic taste to it.
    She tried to fall to the ground but the man gripped her by the back of her shirt keeping her up and not allowing her to fall down. He dragged her through the dirt towards her husband. When they were close Christy screamed, “What is wrong with you?”
    The stranger reached the barn near Steven. He had been thinking of her question and when they made it there, threw her on the ground. She looked up, blood now almost blinding her. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
    The man tilted his head back and forth almost seeming to debate what it was that they were saying. He held up his hands a foot apart, Christy snapped, well, what the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
    Steven collapsed on the ground. He could take no more of this. He whispered, “He’s telling you that there is a lot wrong with him. You are wasting your breath Christy. This son of a bitch is bat shit crazy and there ain’t anything that you or anyone else is going to be able to do about it.”
    The man gripped the meat hook hanging out of Steven and in one violent pull ripped it from his shoulder. Steven thought that the pain he had experienced while being dragged out to the barn like a wet useless doll had been the worst feeling in his life. The pain that poured out of his arm now was nothing