INTRUDER

29 DAYS BEFORE THE INTRUSION

Last night, Garred had run to his room and slammed it shut after he slapped me.

Today, he was more furious than yesterday

"Ugh! I hate how you never do anything!" Screamed Garred. His voice booming across our shaky house. Somehow, his voice made the house shake. The house was scared of him, so were the people inside of the house.

I crouched down on the second floor with Ellie and listened to them fight.

"I have to work really hard to take care of all of you! I pay, I cook, I clean! What else do you want?!"

"Don't you talk like that to me, stupid woman!"

"Don't call me that!"

"I can call you whatever I want, you don't own me!"

My mom began sobbing uncontrollably. She crouched down on the couch and cried. Her head in her hands. Garred brushed his hands through his black hair and walked to the kitchen. Slamming the glass down, we heard the ear-piercing shatter of the fragile glass against the metal sink.

"What do I have here? Oh, a Visa credit card bill? I wonder who's it is?" Garred took the enclosed envelope and my mom lunged for it but Garred tore it apart. My mom burst into more tears. She fell to the floor, her hair covering her face. She crawled to the sink and stood up. She was still crying.

Garred walked up the stairs and walked right passed us. He went into his room and slammed the door very loudly, just like yesterday.

Maggie slouched down into the kitchen chair and sobbed. I went down to see her and she hugged me tightly. I hoped she was okay.

A thought raced through me: as soon as I graduated from college, I would take my mom and Ellie away from Garred and we would live together without him.

Ellie came down, looking behind her to see if Garred was coming down. He wasn't. I felt a sense of relief that he wasn't here with us. I wish he never was.

I grabbed my mom's keys to the car and guided my mom into the car. Ellie also came with us.

I drove down the road in silence, hoping my mom would feel better.

I stopped at a place, and my mom gasped. Dairy Queen was her favorite place to be in, she had told me before that she grew up on it. Her parents would take her to that place and she would always ask for the banana split. Always.

I slid the window down and the lady asked for our order.

"I want a banana split," smiled Maggie. I grabbed her hand and kissed her hard on the cheek.

"I want a vanilla milkshake, medium," Ellie looked at me and smiled and I hugged her, also kissing her on the cheek.

"I'm gonna get a vanilla milkshake, too," I said, winking at Ellie.

"Ok, total is at the window," the lady told us.

We ate our order in the car and drove back home. My mom was very happy, she had a bright smile on her face.

I slowly helped my mom into her bed and put a blanket over her. I kissed her goodnight and she fell asleep.

After I looked if everyone was asleep, I crept to the sofa to sleep.

I felt on the floor and found a blanket... then some candy.. then a gun.

My heart fell when I felt the cold, rusty gun.

I jumped up and ran towards the phone.

I dialed 9-1-1 and told them what I found. They arrived a few minutes later.

The police inspected the gun and the candy.

They asked if we kept the doors locked at night and Garred told them that we don't. The police officer told us that there had been a person sleeping here for 2 nights at the most. They told us to keep the doors locked and they placed an officer for the lookout.

We were safe. At least I hoped.