They Came After Me

by C S Allen

  “I thought that you would die in the coma, Will, and I would be the only one left of us. When you woke up, I just began jumping up and down and was so excited,” my aunt said.

  My aunt was nice enough to stay with me for almost two weeks before she said that she wouldn’t mind sleeping in her own bed that night. I made a joke that maybe we could go and get her bed and bring it over to the house, but that didn’t work.

  “What do you think about inviting me over in a few days for a lunch or dinner, so I can see you. How does that sound?” Aunt Kelly asked.

  “That sounds pretty good, Aunt Kelly,” I replied, not wanting her to leave.

  “I think you’ve adjusted pretty well, Will, considering the circumstances. And if I haven’t said it before I’ll say it now, I’m proud of you, Will,” my aunt said.

  A few hours later, I waved goodbye to my aunt as she pulled out of the driveway in her car and went down the street.

  The money that my parents had for life insurance was deposited into my bank account after a couple days of requesting it. During that time, I decided to sell my mom’s car and sell my parents’ home since it was too big for me, and I felt it was time to start over. My aunt came by a few times to check in on me, which made me feel good. On one of those days, I got a letter in the mail from Mike’s mother, which startled me at first. I had thought that everything was put to rest, but when word got out that I was out of my coma, people started talking again. I contacted Mike’s mother, Sheryl, by phone since she asked me to in the letter. I was nervous, but I owed it to Mike to talk to her and tell her what she wanted to hear. What I didn’t know was that Olivia, Mike, and Steve’s parents had grown close to each other since their children had been killed. Sheryl asked me how I was doing and handling things since getting out of the hospital. She mentioned that everyone knew that my parents had died in a car accident, and that she was sad about it. After an hour talking, Sheryl asked if she and the rest of my friends’ parents could come by for a meeting with me. Instead of me talking to each family individually and repeating things over and over again, I could talk to everyone at once.

  “I can contact everyone and have them come at one o’clock on Saturday,” Sheryl mentioned. I thought it was a good idea so I told Sheryl that I looked forward to meeting everyone. Before Sheryl got off the phone, she said that getting a few colas and some snacks would be a good idea for everyone. “More than likely, everyone will stay for a few hours talking, and tissues are going to be needed for us criers,” she stated.

  I decided to go out and get everything done at the grocery store since Saturday was just two days away. So, I took my mother’s car to the store to get some snacks. I didn’t know what to get, so I decided to buy six packs of Coke, Pepsi, root beer, Orange Crush, and Sprite. The snacks were simple; all I had to do was get two large boxes of Chex mix, a box of corn dogs, and some ice cream sandwiches because everyone loves those. After getting a few more things for myself, I went to the register to pay for my items and went back home.

  When I pulled into my parents’ driveway, I was shocked to see the front picture window was broken[pe16]. I got out of the car, walked over to the window, and saw that something small, like a rock or ball, had gone through it. I looked through the window, and on the floor of the living room, there was a rock next to my dad’s chair. I clenched my fists and my jaw at the same time, wanting to hit the person responsible. I said a few cuss words out loud and then returned to the car to get the groceries.

  Once I was back inside my parents’ home, I put the corn dogs in the freezer and left the other items in the bag so I could quickly call my aunt Kelly.

  “Will, you need to come stay with me until your house sells. I’m coming over right now, and I want you to gather everything that you need. I have a plan and everything will be all right,” my aunt stated.

  When I got off the phone, I went to my bedroom and took everything out of the closet and drawers. I put everything on the bed and started packing my clothes into suitcases. I had more things that I wanted, but I didn’t have any boxes to put it all in. When I was done, I went downstairs with my luggage and looked around in the living room. I didn’t see anything else that I needed so I sat down on my father’s favorite chair and waited.

  I kept an eye out for my aunt’s car for a few minutes, and then I saw her car pull into the driveway. As I opened the front door, I could see that my aunt carried a few folded-up boxes as she walked up the front steps.

  “Hey, Will, I have some boxes for you if you need to pack anything,” Aunt Kelly stated.

  I took the boxes from her and then put them down next to the door. I gave my aunt a big hug and then we sat down for a few minutes and talked about everything we had discussed on the phone. Then I went back upstairs to get one more thing. My aunt came up shortly after to see if she could help bring anything down. The phone rang downstairs, but I decided to just let the answering machine pick it up. As my aunt and I walked downstairs with the extra luggage, we could hear someone quietly speaking on the phone, but we couldn’t hear what they were saying.

  “Let’s put the stuff on the couch and I’ll go see who can’t talk right on the phone,” I said to my aunt. I put my things down, went over to the phone, and rewound the answering machine.

  “Remember what you promised me three years ago; keep your mouth shut or you’ll pay,” the voice whispered loudly.

  “Oh my God, call the police, Will, you call them right now!” my aunt yelled, walking over to me.

  I had to sit my aunt down and explain to her that I was dealing with the government and a hired killer. There was nothing the police could do because they would be told by the FBI or another government agency to ignore my complaints. “I can’t say anything about what happened at the cabin any more. I have to cancel tomorrow’s get-together with my friend’s parents or not bother to say anything about what I know,” I replied sadly.

  “This has to be a scare tactic to keep you quiet, Will, but the truth has to be told. Those parents deserve the truth, even if it sounds crazy to everyone,” my aunt stated.

  “Aunt Kelly, they have me scared. They killed my friends by releasing those spiders. Then they shot my friends and burned them all to cover up their mess. I’m the only one alive and I’m sure they want me dead. Look what happened to me in jail. Somehow, they got a spider inside and it bit me. [pe17]This won’t be the last time someone tries to kill me to keep me quiet,” I said, walking around.

  “Okay, well, what do you want to do?” my aunt asked.

  “I want to start my life over and be left alone since I can’t tell anyone the truth. People look at me like I’m nuts when I tell them what really happened. I just want my life back,” I replied.

  After talking with my aunt, I made the decision to call Sheryl and tell her I was cancelling the meeting because of what had happened to me. My aunt stayed with me at the house to listen in on our conversation and to help with any advice. Sheryl was shocked to hear what had happened and agreed with my decision to cancel the meeting.

  “I’m afraid of what will happen next, Sheryl, if I keep telling my story. I have to sell my parents’ house and move away from here just to start over. I can’t live like this if I keep getting threatened. I need peace in my life and need to be left alone from those people,” I told her.

  After my phone call to Sheryl, I told my aunt I was going to call a realtor to get my parents’ house sold and to find a new one to buy as soon as possible. “I think I’ll just trade Mom’s car in for something that I want to drive. Maybe an all-wheel drive truck to help me with moving everything soon,” I stated.

  My aunt was very supportive of my idea to get out of the house and have one of my very own. Starting over in a new home would keep me busy and help with people not knowing where I lived for the time being. I felt good about my plans and felt some relief, like a weight was off of my shoulders when I made those plans. My aunt made the suggestion that I write everything that had happened three years a
go down in a journal. Kind of like an insurance policy or a just-in-case journal if anything ever happened to me. My aunt would have a copy of it and Mr. Morin would also for his own records. If something happened to me that wasn’t accidental, then my aunt would go to every news outlet and give them a copy of what I had written.

  After talking with my aunt and feeling that I could handle what could come next, I decided to stay at my parents’ house. A little while later, my aunt got up from the couch and said it was time for her to go. She gave me a hug and then made me laugh by saying, “I see that you’re putting on your big boy pants, and you won’t need me much longer.”

  “You’re a good cook, Aunt Kelly, I’ll have to see you at least once a week for dinner,” I replied and then opened the front door for her to go.

  “If you need me for anything, kiddo, you have my number; call me anytime,” my aunt said, as she squeezed my arm and then left.

  That afternoon I made up my mind to go to a pawn shop and buy a cheap gun because I was afraid of not having protection in the house. I didn’t know anything about guns except what I had seen on TV and the little Olivia had told me and that was how to load a magazine and how to pull the trigger. I hoped no one would make me use a gun, but if Tom came into my house, I would use every bullet on him.

  After ten minutes of driving in town, I found the pawn shop I had driven by many times before. I pulled into their parking lot and then parked in front of their doorway. I locked the car doors before getting out and then double-checked them to make sure they were locked. I looked around to see if anyone had followed me, but I didn’t see any vehicles that looked like government cars. Satisfied, I turned around and headed inside the pawn shop to find a handgun. I went straight to the checkout counter and asked the clerk if he had any handguns for sale.

  “Plenty of them, sir, what brand and size would you like?” the clerk asked.

  “Hell, I have no idea to be honest with you. I just need a gun that will stop a person breaking into my house,” I replied.

  “Well, have you held or used a gun before?” the clerk asked, pulling out a gun from underneath the counter.

  “Never,” I replied, shaking my head.

  “Okay, well, this gun here is a Beretta nine-millimeter handgun. And this one here is a Glock nine-millimeter handgun. They both have the same stopping power and use the same size bullet, but they are made differently. It’s kind of like if you were to buy a Ford or a Chevrolet truck. They both do the same thing, but you have a preference. Go ahead and pick each one up and feel the weight in your hand,” the clerk stated, handing me a gun.

  “How do I know which one I should get?” I asked, holding one and looking at it.

  “Well, the only real way is to go to a gun range and shoot them. How it handles in my hand when I fire it, how many bullets it holds in the magazine, how hard the trigger pull is, and the looks of it help me decide,” the clerk said, holding the Glock.

  “I just need one that will fire when I need it to, that’s all,” I replied, putting the Beretta down.

  “Well, I have gun prices from one hundred and ninety-nine dollars up to eight hundred dollars. If I were to suggest a gun for you, I would buy a nine-millimeter, semi-automatic gun for four hundred dollars on sale with just one owner. This one here is an army issued Beretta and it’s easy to use. Let me show you what I mean,” the clerk said, while giving instruction.

  Since I was ignorant about guns, I purchased the Beretta and a box of ammunition to go with it. Luckily, the clerk had the instruction booklet to go with the gun or I’d have been confused. Before leaving the pawn shop, I asked the clerk where I could find a good alarm system for my mother’s house.

  “You can buy the over-priced, five-thousand-dollar kind that is wired into your house or you can get the fifty-dollar kind that just requires double A batteries,” the clerk stated.

  “What good are the fifty-dollar kind?” I asked.

  “I have those in stock over here behind this glass case. Take a look at these vacuum- packed, USA made babies,” the clerk stated, taking out a plastic box. “These are awesome to have because they are removable and are not hardwired. What you have here is a two-piece design that comes together as a magnet. One part is on the door and the other is attached to the door frame. When the door is closed, there isn’t a sound, but when the door opens, it screams like a stepped-on cat. They come with batteries already in the box so you don’t have to go looking for ’em. They are made for both windows and doors and work great. Oh, here let me show you on our front door,” the clerk said, coming around the counter. I followed him to the front door, and he showed me the plastic alarm attached to the door and its frame. “This is on now so when someone opens the door, this is what it sounds like.” The alarm was almost deafening, as the clerk watched me plug my ears. “Pretty loud, hunh?” the clerk asked and then closed the door.

  “Okay, you sold me on the alarm system!” I yelled and walked back to the register.

  Once I paid for everything, I felt like I had accomplished what I set out to do and that was to get security. I felt secure now, carrying a gun and the alarm system in my bag. No one was going to screw with me unless they wanted to die. I felt tough as I opened my car door and tossed in the bag, and then I sat down on the driver’s seat.

  Pulling into my parents’ driveway, I immediately loaded the gun’s magazine with ten bullets and then inserted the magazine into the gun. I was ready to defend myself. I got out of the car with my bag and then put the gun in my front pocket with its handle sticking out for quick access. I closed the car door, walked up the steps to the house, and unlocked the front door. Then I pushed the door open and stood there, looking, but without going in, as I was waiting for whatever might be inside. After a moment of nothing happening, I went inside, still alert to anything. I stayed just inside the front door, listening for any sound.

  Ring! Ring! Ring! The phone rang louder than I had heard it ring before, causing me to jump almost a foot off the ground. “Damn it!” I said out loud and then walked over to the phone just before the answering machine picked up. It was my aunt, calling to check in on me and to ask where I’d been. I didn’t tell her that I had been out purchasing a gun, but I did tell her that I had an alarm system for the doors and windows. She thought it was a good idea until I moved into a new place of my own. My aunt Kelly was taking over as a mom figure, and I was glad that she was there for me. After talking for a few more minutes, we ended our conversation.

  I took the alarm system out of the bag and opened the box with a knife. I put all of the batteries in where they needed to go and then started placing the little alarms on the windows and doors downstairs. I turned each one on and then opened each door and window to check that the alarms were working properly. Then I took the gun out of my pocket since it had started to weigh my pants down a bit. I looked around and tried to figure out where I would put the thing when I was in the house. I should have bought a gun holster while I was at the pawn shop, but I hadn’t thought about that.

  I was hungry, so I checked in on my ice cream sandwiches and found they were frozen. I pulled one out and then went back into the living room to eat it. I remembered the journal that my aunt mentioned for me to do, so I grabbed the gun and then went upstairs to find the lined paper that I had in my bedroom. After looking around, I found a big notebook that I hadn’t used before and then pulled out a pen from my desk drawer. The gun was once again pulling down on my pants so I placed it on my desk. I lay down on my bed, trying to decide which way was going to be the most comfortable, and then finally picked lying on my stomach as the best way to write.

  I found myself falling asleep a few times, and my head kept bobbing up and down. I looked over to the clock on the wall, and it was one thirty in the morning. I figured I should go to bed since I couldn’t stay awake, and my neck was getting a good workout. I sat up from the bed and forced myself to go over to the light switch and turn it off. I left the lights on downstairs because I w
as too tired to go down and turn them all off. I turned back around, went to my bed, and flopped down face first.

  The next morning, I woke up at seven forty with the sun shining against my window blinds. My stomach was making noise because I was hungry, so I decided to get up and go downstairs to eat breakfast. I poured some cereal and milk into a bowl and then went into the living room to sit down and watch the TV. As I was eating, I realized that I had slept in my clothes all night and felt a bit grungy and needed a shower desperately. While in the shower, I thought of finding a realtor. I didn’t care who the realtor was as long as they could sell my parents’ house quickly. Maybe later, I would go to the local car dealership and trade in my mother’s car for a truck. When I was done taking a shower, I walked into my bedroom and picked out what I wanted to wear and then got dressed, thinking about a new truck and what color it should look like. I grabbed my gun off the desk and put it in my front pocket and then went back downstairs to look for a phone book. I hadn’t used one in forever, so I had to go hunting around in all kinds of drawers. You would think that a phone book would be at the phone, but not with my parents. I went in the kitchen and looked in the ‘everything’ drawer, and there it was.

  After calling a couple of realty companies and getting answering machines, I found a woman who actually answered the phone. I told her that I wanted to sell my home as soon as I could and buy another one that was fairly new. She asked me about five questions and then said that I could come to their office and pick up a realtor book that had homes for sale.

  I didn’t like her attitude, so I said, “Why do you want me to come to your office when you should be coming here to look at my home? Shouldn’t you be meeting me instead of the other way around?” The woman apologized and then said that she was just the answering service. “Well, I thought you were a realtor with all of the questions you were asking me. Why didn’t you tell me that in the first place? You know what, forget about it. I’ll have someone else sell my million-dollar home,” I stated and hung up the phone.