D: Events from the life of John McDermen

December 5th, 2009 - Something is dreadfully wrong with my neighbor. It seems as though he may be schizophrenic, but I'm not quite sure. When I see him outside of his house walking to work, at least that's where I believe he's going, he is quiet and stern almost like a moving statue. Yet inside his house when he is at home, I hear him screaming, a cold, dark, hollow scream. It chills my organs to hear it. I believe him to be alone when this happens. Sometimes it happens for hours, scream after scream. It has been going on for weeks now, I even hear loud banging noises much of the time. It certainly frightens me, enough that I have only mustered up the courage to go over there once. I made it up to his front doormat, blue and frayed, it had the words HOPE and HOME on top of each other on it.. I almost knocked, until I heard the sound of footsteps dashing around inside the house. I feared he was going to run right through the door, so I sprinted back to my house. He frightens me.

December 7th, 2009 - Ms.Chopin across the street called the cops today. I heard her talking to them on her patio when they arrived. I peered through my blinds as if they were there for me. I heard her say she heard loud screaming from the house. Had she not heard it until today? It had kept me up for hours last night and for many nights before that! The police officers went to knock on the door and I intervened. I told them that he had left for work and inquired why they were here. Of course I knew; I just didn't want to seem odd if I mentioned I had heard screaming for over a week and never called them myself. They left and mentioned they would be back later, and I told them he got home at about six every evening. He came home, like clockwork later that day, but the cops never returned. He's screaming right now.. it is hard to think.

December  12, 2009 - He left for work today, and I went over there. I snuck through a loose board in my fence that I had been working on for the last 2 days. His backyard is so well-groomed and he has morning glories, sunflowers, tulips, and lilies in full bloom all over his lawn. The beds, where they lie, are all beautiful and well taken care of. I decided I didn't have time to stop and enjoy their beauty, so I made my way to his back door. Of course it was locked. I couldn't break in, he would have known and seen the loose board and … I was able to open the basement window. Don't ask how, because it was so small I couldn't see myself fitting but I fit through that window. I was in his basement. Average basement, a few cracks in the foundation, some cracking of the mortar between the blocks, and some needed fixing to the ceiling. He had a few boxes stacked in one corner of the basement. Clothes was crudely written on each of them in red permanent marker. I wasn't convinced they were clothes, but after some investigation I realized I was mistaken. I looked around the basement more... washer, dryer, hamper, tools, table. I began to realize his basement was rather well kept. I made my way up the stairs. At the top of the stairs there was a hallway with pictures strewn on the walls, mostly of himself, yet some with other individuals I had never seen frequenting his home.To the left, I could see the back door and another door at the wall to the right of it. Down the right of the hallway I saw a break in the hallway with rooms on both sides and the front door in the center. Right next to me on my left were more stairs, they headed upward. I was about to head into one of the two front rooms when my alarm on my watch went off. I had it set for 5:30 so I wouldn't get caught. I guess I didn't realize how long it took me to get into his house, and how long I was actually in the basement. I checked to make sure I hadn't left any footprints and I made my way out the back door locking it behind me. Tomorrow I won't wait so long after he leaves and I'll check those rooms and I'll go upstairs.

December 14th, 2009.... What the hell is he doing over there? There were scratch marks all over his bedroom in the upstairs of the house. They looked horrifying and covered the walls and furniture. Even the bedsheets were shredded. I almost got caught.  I was so baffled by the sights, that I believe I turned my alarm off as it beeped - without realizing it. I was opening his closet door when I saw a glimpse of his clock, perched on an end table. It was 5:51. I made my way out so quick, I didn't check my tracks. I have stayed up since - trying to envision what I may have left as evidence of my trespassing. I thought of what he might do when he noticed I had been there.  I'm not going over there today, I don't imagine I'll find anything new. At least the screaming has stopped for a while. I won't call the cops. I don't know why they didn't come back last time. I'm afraid he knows I've been in his house and he will tell them.     I'm terrified. 

December 19th,    he walks so peaceful, so quietly, so innocently to work. Maybe he is just crazy, maybe that's why the cops didn't come back, maybe they know his mental record and just didn't say anything to me and Miss Chopin because it's confidential, and maybe they even have talked to him about it, or talked to his doctor, or nurse, or his family, or boss, or friends, and maybe it's all clear to everyone, everyone besides me and I'm just being paranoid because his screams kept me up for two-plus weeks, but they've stopped now and he doesn't scream or bang or anything; he just comes home and sits does God knows what in there and tears up his room because he's crazed and I'm just being stupid and I actually broke into his house twice and rummaged through his stuff and he never did anything to me I should stop. Calm down. Relax. Breathe... So tired and my mother called today and I snapped at her. I'll get a job when I'm damn ready to. He's home, it's dead quiet over there. I don't hear a television, radio, or anything on over there. The light in his bedroom is on but I don't see him.

Dec. twenty two

Well I've officially gotten a full day's worth of rest yesterday, I mean a full day- 24 hours. He didn't go to work today. he didn't go anywhere. I sat in my robe next to my front window and watched for a good 30 minutes. Maybe longer. I went to sit in my backyard to try and get out and enjoy some sun. That's when I saw it, the loose board, it was pushed away from the fence and it's nails pried backwards as if they were staring at me with two sharp eyes. I snuck over, hugging the fence as if I was on some sort of secret covert mission. I crouched down and peered at his backyard through the gap that was in the fence. He was tending to his garden, clipping dead branches from various plants, plucking unkempt flowers from their stems, weed wacking, and pulling up roots of leaves. I noticed a footprint in his flower bed at the entrance that was next to the gap. Then, I noticed a footprint on my side of the gap, right where I was kneeling. I knew right away that it wasn't mine, it was too small and the grooves that were left in the dirt did not match the tread on my shoes. I double-checked just to make sure.

     No. Not mine. His. But I've been home, he couldn't have been in my house, he couldn't have been in my backyard, he couldn't have gotten through the fence without me noticing. I'll check tomorrow for anymore footprints for anything else out of the ordinary I'm reall tired for some reason.

Decembur 27 th

I fowand a scaracth mark on my bedroom closit door, he was here. How

only can think it must ov been while I was a sleep. But that hadnt happened much.  I am still tired evn tho the screamin stopped. I can barly keep eyes open now and ahaven't noticed him going to werk or not. -----------

Decmber 28

keep falling asleepThe screms havea started again   they somehow seam closer

D 30

Today Mom call, left mesage. Wants to know wher ive been.

          A litle less tired now. The scream soundz like it was comin from mi room this morning. Thast sily of course I checkded No one there. no one cept me. Now my head hert and I have bad painz in my side. I’ll call the doc tomoorow    may b I'm comin down with somethin Bing Crozby playing on the radio, I'll call mom tommmorro to. Miss her …..miss dad more.

D

I seen him in my bedroom!  Today. 

Wit a blink he was gone     then I sawd him in my kitchen then gone. I went to the looose board and no more foot printz. I kep on hearin the screamin in my room then I go up there

   more scrath markz. 

I called dad  he said he was in my heart always. I don't know what that meant but the screamn stopt for a bit after that. The countdown is startin soon and it will be my birthday.   27!              yay. 2010,  at least I won't be alone.