The hard rap of knuckles against the front oak door jolted me upright in my seat. Holy ****! My heart leaped out of my chest and a shriek dangled on the edge of my tongue. I closed my computer, consequently ending my Minecraft Hypixel bedwars game. Rain droplets pelted against the windows of my bedroom. I craned my head slightly to the right. My parents were away, why was anyone trying to come in? Had I imagined the noise? Cringing as it scraped the floorboards, I carefully eased my chair back. Slowly standing, I walked down the stairs and towards the front door.  I crouched near it and put my ear against the middle. Whoever it was knocked again, making me jump back with a hiss. Crap. I winced as the knob turned, and bit my lip nervously as a key was inserted into the door hole. I immediately grabbed the nearest object which was a tall wooden broom. My hands gripped the splintered wood, small shavings flaking off as I rubbed my arm looking for a grip. I raised it like a lance and stood, shaking, aiming at the door. The door turned and a figure stepped through the frame. His beady amber eyes lit up with recognition and a wolfish smile formed across his chapped lips. Grinning, I lowered my broom. “Hey uncle Alec,” I piped as I ran over and hugged him. The felt of his soft coat rubbed against my skin and his small beard pressed into my hair.

“Ey kiddo, how you doing?” he greeted.

I let go and took him in. Small flecks of dust stuck to the fabric of his trench coat, and bits of hair lingered on his pants and sleeves. A small wound rested on his neck and bruises covered his exposed forearms. He reeked of alcohol and the smell surrounded him like an aura. Even still, his eyes glinted and a slight smile rested on his mouth as he ran a hand through unruly black hair.

“I’ll be upstairs if you need me,” I told him as I hopped up the stairs.

He nodded in answer. Halfway up, I watched him as he stumbled into the kitchen, gripping the banister to keep upright. Probably drunk. I shuffled into my bedroom and collapsed into the leather of my beryl gaming chair. Pulling out my headphones, I jumped as my phone buzzed. It was Angela.

Hey, she texted. how r u?

Ok til u interrupted me

Haha. What's up She retorted.

Idk my uncle Alec came back from somewhere to watch over me cause my parents are out this weekend I think that’s the reason anyway

Do you know where he came back from?

I hesitated, concerned that I actually didn’t know, None of your business

Lol how do u know he’s really ur relative and not some creep?

I kno who my relatives r I've seen Alec b4, just not in a long time

Do you guys have a safeword in your family?

Wdym safeword?

U know, that word that people say to make sure they are in ur family or trusted or something mine is Squash 2013 it’s weird but I remember it. Don't tell anyone tho.

Lol. Okay, ttyl.

Leaving already? Bai ;)

I closed my phone. Blinking away my tiredness, I got up and opened the door in case Alec needed something. Collapsing onto the bed, I heard Alec rummage around downstairs. A warm feeling of security enveloped me, knowing Alec would be looking out for me. I succumbed to the pull of sleep as it slowly dragged me underneath its constant waves.       

                                                                                   * * *

I flung the soft strap of my bag over my shoulder. Clutching the banister, I vaulted down the stairs and landed with a small thump.

“Hey kid, you leaving so early?” I nearly yelped as Alec materialized behind me. A sly grin lit up his otherwise sagging face. I grinned back at him. He was wearing a red checkered sweatshirt and blue jeans. A silver pen hung from his pocket. “Hey, can I borrow your phone for today?”

“Sure, why not?” I responded, only slightly confused about why he would want my phone. I reached into my back pocket and turned my phone on. It was 10:12 a.m. The messages with Angela weren’t cleared yet. I also had some notifications from Wifies, my favorite youtuber. I handed Alec the phone. Waving goodbye, I ran out of the house, down the stairs, and towards the bus stop.

          * * *

The 3:00 bell rang and kids flooded the halls. I met up with Angela on the way out. She wore the white Oberlin uniform, and everything on it perfectly aligned except for a broken gold 1st place pin dangling by a strand of cotton. Her dark brown hair was messy and covered the sides of her eyes. As she caught sight of me, a smile lit up her face.

“Hey, what's up?” I asked.

“Nothing much, what’s going on with Alec, anything weird?”

“Nah, he’s chill. Well, he’s being nice to me, maybe a little drunk though,” I chortled.

“Okay, that's fine I guess, ready to go?” she asked. I nodded in answer and we walked out of the school and into the downpour. Rain dripped down the green sign of the high school. Through the mob of students, I spotted the bus I went on. I waved at Angela and watched as she jogged towards a black van that waited next to the sidewalk. The doors slid open and a figure poked his head out. They exchanged a few words and Angela stepped into the van. Through the rain, it was hard to tell, and I may have imagined it, but I could swear I caught a glimpse of a pen on the driver’s coat.

* * *

Traffic had delayed the ride by nearly half an hour. Finally, I got off the bus and into the pouring rain. An endless barrage of tiny droplets enshrouded me, splattering onto the sidewalk with little plops. The sky was an ominous shade of gray and no other human littered the streets, apart from a man in his mid twenties jogging in nothing but shorts and a hoodie.

As I neared my house, a small rummaging noise startled me. I crept down my driveway, the asphalt now a minefield with puddles. At the driveway end, was my shed guarded by two bins with a little roof over them. Rain collided with the steel roof and snaked down its ridges towards the ground. The trash’s plastic lid jolted and fell back down with a thump. I flinched and pulled up my second hood. I began inching closer towards the bin. Less than a foot of space remained between me and the bin. My sneakers squished as I compressed myself to fit under the steel roof. I was face to face with the bin now. I peered closer, reaching with my hand to open the lid. A shriek rang through the air as a white face poked its head out. I yelped and swung my fist at the creature. The opossum recoiled as my fist scraped its nose. A wretched noise echoed out of its mouth as it spewed bits of garbage at me. I twisted away, repulsed by the stench and color. The rodent bared its fangs and hissed as it proceeded to leap out of the trash bin. Its fading form scurried underneath my porch where it was consumed by the darkness. I started down at my chest and almost hurled. A pinkish, yellow-brown lump oozed down my shirt, resulting in a warm and moist sensation. My skin tingled as the garbage mess slowly edged down my pants and onto my laces. I could feel nausea building up as I averted my eyes. A pungent acidic smell, similar to wet spoiled cheese wafted into my nose. Bile began making its way up my throat. I lifted my foot and swung towards the bin. The goo flew off and hit with a clang. What? I peered down at the splatted chunk of vomit. Covered by bits of trash and feces, was a golden pin titled 1st place. I stared at the pin. I took a deep breath and crouched. I stuck my hand into the filth and gagged as it got swallowed by the substance. Clutching the pin, I yanked out my arm resulting in bits of trash spewing to the sides. I looked around wildly. Seeing the coast was clear, I walked back into the storm and up my porch stairs with the broken pin clutched in my hands.

The planks creaked and moaned underneath my weight. I stepped into the house and threw my coat onto the little bench kept by the door. A thump echoed from up the stairs. I put the pin in my pocket along with some trash still stuck to it. A muffled yelp echoed from above, it sounded vaguely familiar. Darkness had fallen outside and the rain was all that one could see. I reached the top of the stairs, the long wooden hallway unfolding before me. A whimper rang from my parents’ room.

“Shut up!” a voice commanded, followed by a smacking noise. I tiptoed down the hallway, making sure not to make a sound. At the end of the hallway lay my room. Adjacent to it was my parents’ room and the bathroom. Nearby a lampshade stood guard on a little table. I clutched the peeling door frame and inclined my head. Muffled, frail whimpers emanated out of the crack between the door and the wall.

My hand slipped and hit the lamp. The shade fell off and landed with a resonating plop. The noises abruptly stopped. I heard footsteps approach the door. Immediately, I ran inside my room, crouching, and diving underneath my bed. I pulled on the blanket tips to provide a bit of cover. Faint cobwebs slipped onto me, followed by a thunder’s boom outside. From my position, I could see a shadow being cast into the hallway. A figure made its way into my room. They were wearing black men’s hiking boots with the laces undone. The boots trotted around the room. I watched in silence, trying to breathe downwards towards the floor. Scared out of my mind, I was sure that the man could hear the loud thumps of my heart. I prayed that he would just leave. Sweat poured down my face leaving tiny trails. I bit down on my lip to keep from quivering. As he neared my bed, I held my breath. After rummaging around the bed, he made to look under it. I stifled a whimper as a hand pulled on the corner of the blanket. Thankfully, his hand got caught in a cobweb, and he snatched it away, swearing. I let out a small sigh as he began to walk away. As if he heard, the man suddenly stopped in his tracks, turned back, and made his way back to the bed. He carefully lifted the blankets and looked under……. Only to get a faceful of opossum vomit from my pocket. Spitting and cursing, he staggered backward. I let out a noise almost equivalent to an opossum’s. It seemed to work. Still spitting and wiping himself down, the man retreated out of the room, only then I noticed he had a stained knife and a necklace chain clutched in the palm of his hand. As quickly as I could, I rolled out from under the bed and jumped on the man.

“What have you done to Angela?!” I cried. I dug my nails into the skin of his neck. The man shook violently, trying to throw me off. I yelped as he stepped back onto my foot. I managed to hold my grip as I pulled my foot out. Pain coursed through me and I gritted my teeth as I swung my foot into his shin. The man swung his arm back and made contact with my stomach. I gasped and one of my hands slipped off his neck. He reached back his left arm and yanked out my remaining fingers. Swiveling around he swiped at my temple with his fist. I managed to yank my head out of the way just in time to see his fist fly by. I grabbed his arm and bit it, blood sprouting out of the new wound. I saw his face, contorted with anger freeze as he recognized me. He only hesitated for a moment. I watched as he cocked his other fist and slammed it into my temple, leaving a throbbing sensation. My vision clouded and I let go of his arm. Mustering up all the strength I could conjure, I swung my boot into his groin. Alec inhaled sharply and let out a whimper, dropping to his knees. I raised my own knee and bashed him in the face. Blood sprouted out of his now swelling nose. He collapsed onto the ground and lay there unconscious, the only movement being the periodic rise and fall of his chest.

I reached into his coat pockets, searching. I finally found my phone and dialed 911. I myself withstood guard over his body and in minutes, a police car showed up by the door. Making sure Alec was still unconscious, I hobbled downstairs. The police waited outside the door. I opened it and familiarized the cops with the event for a few minutes. After confirming that they knew who Alec was from different state prison time, we walked upstairs to retrieve him. Alec’s body had vanished, a trail of blood droplets leading out my bedroom window. Crap! Where did he go, he was right there. I opened my mouth to address the cops. One silenced me, reassuring that I would be protected until Alec would be caught. It was also confirmed that Angela would be taken back to her home and treated appropriately. My heart wrenched in agony simply thinking about her. Selfishly I began to think if she would still like me. I couldn’t bear to look at her as she was escorted outside. The remaining cops assured me that two would always be patrolling the house. Glancing at the clock, I realized it was already it nearly ten so I decided to head to sleep. As I drifted off to sleep, a dreading feeling of insecurity swept over me like a blanket, knowing that Alec would be looking out for me.