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The world's hue strangely shifted to green when night fell. Outside and inside. I closed the blinds behind my bedroom door and walked. Quiet murmuring was heard from the living room. Better keep the door closed. Wouldn’t dare to disrupt my guest.
I stopped in front of the second window. If only there would be more than four, no, three of them. They were the only things that let me see the outside world. The tv and radio gave me something, but a picture tells more than a thousand words. Better three than two, one or zero, though. Complaining is futile and ungrateful. I opened the blinds and wished to see something hopeful like the neighbour playing outside with his daughter or teens hanging out without a worry.
My jaw dropped a little and my face, along with the rest of my body tensed.
The first time I saw this pale, tall visitor, we both stood frozen, staring at each other. His eyes pierced through me. The cryptic words said at my door puzzled me. This time the sight he offered me was many times as disturbing. A FEMA officer hung in his hand. The yellow- well, once yellow-suited man’s head was severed. The pale man’s eyes lit up the moment the blinds moved. A wide smile wrinkled his face. Blood splattered on the ground when he ripped a heart out of the corpse. He presented it to me to make sure I knew what was in his hand.
I tried not to react, tried not to give him the satisfaction. You’re next. Are you scared? was seemly his message. My brows furrowed and my mouth pressed tightly shut on its own. He had gotten way too much from me. The blinds closed as quickly as they could.
***
The door was knocked again. My eye looked through the peephole.
It was him.
Warmth left my body.
“We meet again.” Words left his mouth like silk, calmly and softly. Yet his voice made my hair raise. “What feelings did I evoke in you at the window?”
Apparently my reaction wasn’t good enough, just as I intended. The answer to his question was obvious. I was disturbed and afraid. He definitely knew that, so I gave him a different answer.
“That you’re going to rip my heart out”, I replied monotonously.
His bony shoulders shook as he chuckled. “You’ve misunderstood me. Hmm… Perhaps that’s understandable.”
What was there to misunderstand? There was a pause. He leaned closer to the door. My fingers pressed tightly against my gun due his sudden approach.
“Maybe I’ll make myself more… clear the next time we meet,” he stated. “One more question before I leave. You alone?”
“No, I’m not alone.”
He stood straight again.
“I’ll see you later. Don’t go anywhere.” He snickered before he left.
My body relaxed as I exhaled.
***
Yesterday I became one person short. He had shown no visitor signs and his story added up. His presence made me feel safe and he was taken away from me without a warning. Why him of all people?
I shoved my white blanket aside as I got out of bed. I put on my blue shirt. Pulled the sleeves slightly up. I was ready to let people in or turn them away. First things first, I opened the blinds. My brows rose out of shock. The neighbour’s house was on fire. Who could’ve done such a thing? Worry stabbed my chest. Did the father and daughter survive? I closed the blinds and shook my head. If I could unsee that, I would.
The sight behind the next window wasn’t any better. Bodies. A lot of them. Didn’t even want to imagine the smell but I did. My nose scrunched.
A moment of silence before I noticed something was off. My eyes squinted. I leaned closer to the window as if it would help me see the bodies much closer. The cadavers weren’t scattered randomly. They depicted hearts. Multiple. Were they referencing the heart the visitor tore from the FEMA employee? I had misunderstood something, he said. Was this his attempt to make things clearer? Heart was a symbol of love. He’s either taken a liking to me or he’s messing with me. I don’t know which I’d rather have as the truth.
Something red was in the corner of my eye. I looked down. A large handprint marked the window. I couldn’t resist. My shaking hand pressed against the window. His hand was almost twice the size of mine.
***
After I rejected a suspicious person’s plea to enter my house and pressed my eye against the peephole again, I jumped.
It was him. His smile was wide and he held his hands behind his back.
“Still surviving, are we?” he said slyly.
Even a fool could tell he really wanted a comment about his artistic crime scene. I wanted to get an answer anyway.
“You’re messing with my head.”
His smile faltered a bit, disappointment in his eyes. I realised I was the one messing with him. He could break this door with ease. Better not to irritate him or my body parts will be lineart.
“Or you…like me?” The words left a sour taste in my mouth. That was way more embarrassing to say as I thought.
He beamed. “I often think of holding your frail body in my hands. Will your intestines be squeezed out or will you be held gently?”
We were silent. My bewilderment was off the charts. My thoughts had hit a brick wall. Everything had hit a brick wall. I was just threatened with a painful death and…being held.
“You’ll find out when you let me in”, he said.
I rolled my eyes at the word “when”.
“Is today the daaay?” he asked smugly, pronounced his sentence almost songlike. “Are you alone?”
“No, I’m not alone.”
“Shame… You’ll hope it’ll be so in a few days. Or will you?”
He was gone again.
***
It’s been a while. Someone died again and I blew another person’s head off. A drop of sweat fell on the bloody floor I was cleaning. I couldn’t accept help from my guests. This was all my fault anyway.
***
“…Two, to be precise. It'll speed things up. This is all for the best”, stated the FEMA officer.
“Two?” I repeated.
My pupils dilated. Heart pounded rapidly and loudly.
“Please take just one”, I pleaded.
“Quit fucking around and do as I say!” he raised his voice.
My breathing was too quick. I pet my shoulders. It’ll be fine. More people will come after him. I’ll let anyone in.
The FEMA officer bellowed louder, “OPEN THE DOOR!”
I let him in and he pushed me aside. Soon my two guests walked out of the house with him. Their eyes pleaded.
“Thank you for your cooperation. Have a good night”, said the officer as he took the last remaining safety away from me.
The door was knocked after a minute. I rushed to the door with a shimmer of hope in my eyes.
Everything shattered. I turned almost as white as him.
“Caught you in a bad time, hm?” inquired the pale menace.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down, only to choke.
“I wooonder…” He tilted his head and seemed like he was about to laugh. “…if bad choices were made?”
My fingers hurt from squeezing my gun. I ignored the ache.
“Not bad in everyone’s point of view. You know what’s coming next, don’t you? The big question.”
I swallowed. It went down like sandpaper. He took a small step closer.
“You alone?”
Everything in me was immobilised.
There was a long pause.
He waited patiently.
I should’ve said no the moment he asked me. My silence has given away the answer.
“I’m going to count down from five and break through the door if you don’t open it. Fiiiive…”
I took a step back. Another.
“Fooour…”
I could shoot him. But what about the whole patrol of soldiers he wiped out the other day?
“Threee…”
What chance do I have against him? Did I even remember to load my gun?
“Twooo…”
I must run. Legs! Move!
“Oneee…”
A loud bang and the door’s slight movement finally let my body move. I ran around the corner and looked at my choices. Another bang. I won’t hide under the bed. That’s too obvious. Final bang and the sound of a large object hitting the floor. I hid in the living room and hoped it’d live up to its name. I sat right next to the exit. It’s impossible to see me when the door is first opened. I made myself small in the corner. A door opened in another room.
“Are you here? No.”
He closed the door. My arms and legs embraced my gun. This room reminded me of everything. The two sofas, the cross, Toto.
After a few more guesses, he opened the living room door. Our eyes met. His narrowed when he smiled.
“There you are! Let me take this.”
He grabbed my gun and snapped it in half like a toothpick. Small metallic parts scattered around the floor. In turn his hands grabbed my waist and lifted me up. With no avail I tried to push him off by his cold wrists. He was amused.
“Relax. Remember what I said during my previous visits.”
I glared at him. “That I should guess if you’ll crush my bones and intestines?”
“Whoopsie-daisy!” He put me on his shoulder and held my feet together with one hand.
We were already in another room. The door was closed. I was put down. Not in the way I anticipated. He sat on my bed, I stood before him.
“Let’s test your hypocrisy. Show me your teeth”, he told.
I stretched the corners of my mouth with my index fingers. My head boiled. I hoped this wasn’t even half as embarrassing to my guests. He leaned closer curiously, and burst out laughing.
“We have so much in common!” he said. A moment of silence passed. He looked around. “Heh! This night is coming to an end, isn’t it?”
“What are you going to do now?” I asked quietly. My eyes were on the floor.
He pulled the blanket, removed my shoes and put me in bed. His face was inches from mine.
“Since you made me break the door down, you’ll be needing me even more. Sweet dreams. I’ll be here.”
He got up and stood next to the bed. We stared at each other. Apparently he looked after me and was standing guard. My head and stomach did numbers on me. What should I think of all this? I eyed elsewhere. A minute passed and I closed my eyes. Felt too awkward not to.
Hours later my heart wasn’t pounding in my ears anymore. My breathing slowed. I knew he was looming there so I couldn’t get sleep yet.
I counted numbers. My thoughts got tangled up and I didn’t remember where I was. 520 something. Or was it 510 or 530? I didn’t feel his eyes on me anymore. I checked if that was the case. Wrong. He was still staring at me.
“Still here, yes”, he affirmed. He kept his voice down, almost like a whisper.
I closed my eyes. The disturbance by him didn’t feel like anything anymore. My eyes were heavy. My body warm and comfortable. I tried to worry about my safety in this doorless house. Will madmen come here? If one or a group came, this would be the last house they’d try to loot.