A New Start

The empty moving van bounced down the ancient driveway spewing clouds of exhaust into the air as it drove away from the old house, then turned north on the brick road that ran towards the center of town.  From the covered front porch, the man watched the movers drive away while he sipped an ice cold beer.  The house was situated on a sparsely populated block on the outskirts of some no name little town.  A few neighbors were out working in their yards but most had retreated to the comfort of their homes for their nightly routines.  The evening shadows were stretching out across the dry lawn indicating the end of another long day.  After a few moments he stole a quick glance at the watch on his wrist then walked through the front door into his new foyer.  

An antique grandfather clock stood guard in the entrance, its silver pendulum swaying back and forth, ticking away the minutes.  The floorboards creaked under each step as the man moved from the foyer to the sitting room where he planned to start the daunting task of unpacking.  The movers had placed all the large furniture such as the two couches, the recliner and coffee table in their proper places but there were dozens of large boxes that contained several lifetimes of nicknacks and treasures that needed to be unpacked.  

Two hours later the man opened his twelfth beer after unpacking the final box.  He stumbled across the noisy hardwood floor to the large window and peaked through the curtain.  The sun had already set, his employer would be arriving soon.  He took a nervous swig from the bottle in his hand.  The beer bottle fell to the floor and the man nearly collapsed when he spun around and saw his employer’s face two inches in front of his.  

“Ah shit!” the man shouted.  “Oh, sorry boss, you scared the hell outta me.”

“How has the unpacking been going? Was anything damaged in the move?”

“Yeah, no, nothing was damaged.  I got this room all but put together.”  He pulled a rag from his hip pocket then knelt down to mop up the spilled beer.   “I’m planning on moving to the kitchen and the dining room next boss.”

“Now, I’ve told you, call me Kaiser, and never mind about unpacking anything else tonight.” he turned and walked across the room.  “I’ll be going out soon.  You’ve done a good job today, you should get some rest.  Be sure to lock all the doors and make certain you have all the keys.  It is imperative that no one enters this place while I’m out.”  

“Very good boss, Kaiser, I meant Kaiser.”  The man stood back up with the empty bottle in his hand. “Hey,” he paused.  “If I have all the keys”

“Make sure to secure each of the windows and draw the curtains.”  Kaiser interrupted.  “We don’t need anyone snooping around.  You know how small town folk can be.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” he instinctively raised the empty bottle to his mouth then quickly lowered it.  “Okay.”

“Why do you drink so much David?  That stuff will end up killing you.”  Kaiser said, leaning towards the man.  

David instinctively recoiled a bit.  

“There’s no reason to fear me David, you are my friend and I need your help.”  Kaiser walked across the room to the shelf on the wall and picked up an old framed photo.  He stared at the black and white image of a young woman for a silent moment.  “I’ve tried for too long to handle things by myself.  Only recently did I realize that, even I, need help.”  He replaced the photo on the shelf and turned to face David.  “Your faithfulness will be greatly rewarded, as I have promised you.  Obey my instructions and no harm will ever come to you.”  Kaiser moved silently over the hardwood floor towards David.  “Disobey me and, well, let’s not think about that.”  

David shifted his weight from side to side, the floorboards beneath his feet squeaking erratically with his nervous swaying.  

“Now clean yourself up,” Kaiser nodded towards the wet spot running down the front of David’s pants “and get some rest.  We’ve got a busy day ahead of us tomorrow.”

David looked down at the puddle on the floor then back up at Kaiser, who had suddenly disappeared.  After mopping up the second spill of the night, David made sure all windows and doors were secured and locked.  He counted then recounted all the keys, each one was still on the ring as it should be.  Then he opened another beer and collapsed in the recliner.  Three beers later and David was fast asleep.  

The sound of broken glass falling on the hardwood brought David out of his alcohol induced slumber.  He stood up from the recliner and squinted his eyes, as if that would help him to see in the absolute darkness of the sitting room.  As he stared impotently around the room he heard the distinct creak of someone stepping onto the hardwood floor.  The familiar wetness blossomed in the front of his pants as he felt the sharp tip of a blade pressed under his chin and tasted the foul breath of the interloper when he asked, “Where is the beast?”

“Who?” David asked.  

“Don’t play games with me,” the intruder spat.  “You know who I’m looking for.  Where is he?”  The point of the knife pressed harder into the soft tissue opening a small cut along the side of the jaw bone.  “I’ve been tracking him for years now.  I know he’s here.”

“There’s no one here.  It’s just me, take what you want and just get out.”

“Fool, I’m not here to rob you.  I’m here to...” the man stopped mid sentence and the knife pulled away from David’s jaw.  

There was a loud crash as something heavy slammed against the far wall.  David heard the glass bookcase topple over and shatter, dumping its contents on the floor.  A moment later the lights came on and David saw his attacker laying, motionless under a pile of broken glass and hardcover books.  

“Fear not David,” Kaiser said as he stepped towards the body on the floor.  “He won’t be bothering us any longer.”

“Kaiser!  Where did you come from?”  David asked as he stepped back nearly falling back into the recliner.  “Who the hell is that?”

“His name was Gary Pringle, he was from a small midwestern community, much like the one we are in now.  A few years ago, he and others from that town fell upon some of my children in a graveyard as they fed on the groundskeeper one night.”  Kaiser began slowly pacing around the room.  “I had allowed myself to become sloppy back then and as a result many of those that I fed upon had turned.  My children, I called them my children.  Before long, I had too many children and that made it impossible to remain inconspicuous.  I had to move, but not before that terrible night in the cemetery.”

Dave opened another bottle of beer and took a big chug of the amber liquid.  “You had kids?” he asked.

“All of my offspring perished at the hands of those men who gathered that evening.  Once they were finished with the slaughter, the men piled the bodies in a tool shed and set it on fire.  The blaze got out of control and spread through the cemetery grounds and ultimately burned nearly six square miles.  I guess Mr. Pringle here,” he swept his hand in the direction of the broken body, “felt he still had a score to settle.  It’s because of him, and others like him that I had to move.  That’s why I found you and that’s why we moved here.  To start over, yet again.  This time it will be different.”