The PickAx House

(Chapter 9) Christmas is upon us!

Day 65. 2 weeks till Christmas! Tim had cut his own tree, as was tradition and now Mary, Abby, Susan and Joseph were decorating it. Susan was so excited! For the past two weeks they had been decorating their home and now the anticipation was almost more than she could take. As they unwrapped the ornaments, you could see a sparkle in her eyes every time she handed them one. Joseph was playing with the paper and boxes strode out on the floor.

"It's coming along beautifully!" Abby said as she wrapped her arm around her mother's neck, admiring their work. Mary smiled, "Yep only one thing left to do. It's time to put the star on top!" Abby turned to her, "But that's dad's job, where is he anyway?" Mary's eyes began to tear up. "Who knows. He has been so distant. He is always either in his workshop or the barn or his study... Sometimes I see him just wandering around outside like he's looking for something or carrying on a conversation with someone. I tried to talk to him about it, but he just snaps at me!" Abby hugged her saying "Oh mom, everything's going to be okay! He has been different, but this year has been a tough one. He always gets this way during winter, but you know as soon as the snow melts, he and everything else will get back to normal." Mary sighs, "You're probably right. I guess I just worry too much. Every time I start to think I do not know who he is anymore, he does something selfless and kind. Like going out to cut this tree down in the storm for us." Abby let her go and grabbed her by her shoulders and said "Exactly! See I told you, everything is going to be okay. I promise! Now on a more positive note, I heard on the radio that the storms are going to let up for a short while after Christmas so, we should be able to take the snowmobile into town and give all the kids at church their presents!" Susan perked up. "Presents!" They both laughed. Mary wiped her eyes saying, "Okay if you'll start cleaning, I'll go find your father."

2.

She walked to the front door but as she reached for the handle there was a knock at the door. She froze and slowly turned her head back to look at Abby. Abby stared back at her shrugging her shoulders in confusion. Another knock, she turned back to face the door. Hesitantly she slowly reached for the door handle gripped it tight and began to turn when the door popped open. Her eyes widened as she pulled the door open to discover everything in peaceful order, undisturbed with no one in sight. She yelled out "Tim! Are you there?" Abby started to walk over to her, when she was stopped dead in her tracks by the sound of someone beating on the back-door. Boom! Boom! Boom! exchanged a look that infused them for a moment before another boom! They both jumped as Mary grabbed the door, slamming and locking it as quickly as she could! She turned back to Abby, "Take the children upstairs!" "But mom!" "Just go, now!"

Abby ran to the children, "Hey who wants to play a game?" "Me, me, me!" said Susan with a raised hand, her little brother copying her every move. Abby put her finger over her lips, "Shhhh, you have to be quiet to win... have you ever played hide-and-seek?" "Yes!" "Great, well let's go hide upstairs and whoever is last to be found wins an early Christmas present!" "Yay" Susan quietly cheers! Abby began to push them up the stairs, "Hurry let's go!"

3.

Boom, boom, boom! Mary began frantically looking around for a weapon, any weapon! She ran to the kitchen and grabbed a butcher knife. With the knife trembling in her hands, she quietly tiptoed to the backdoor. All went quiet. She listened to the footsteps of someone walking back and forth behind the door, the porch creaking with every step. With a shaky voice she yelled out "Tim is that you out there?" The footsteps stopped. Trembling beside the door with her back against the wall, she slowly slid down until she was eye level with the handle. As quietly as she could, she leaned over to look out the skeleton keyhole. She closed one eye and looked through the other. In slow motion everything in front of her began to blur as the object on the other side came into focus. A pickaxe! It raised up to where she could only see the handle. She put one hand over her mouth and began to say under her breath "Oh my..." BOOM! The pickaxe slammed into the door. She fell backwards screaming. Terrified she put her feet against the door and screamed "Stop! For God sakes stop! Please!" Boom! The door shook, the hinges rattled as the sharp end of a pickaxe pierced through. She screamed as loud as she could, "Tim help me! Tim!" The sharp metal pick ripped out of the door. From the floor she tried to see through the hole, but she could not. Crying hysterically, she braced the door for the next blow. But nothing happens. Trying to catch her breath, she began to stand up and slowly look through the hole. To her surprise she saw no one. They are gone!

Boom! The front door rattled and the handle jiggled back and forth. She jumped and screamed just before she heard "Mary it's Tim! I heard you screaming, let me in!" She ran to the front-door unlocking it as quickly as possible and threw it open. Wrapping her arms around him, she could not stop sobbing. "Oh my God Tim, thank God you're here!" He embraced her tight saying "What happened? I heard you screaming." "You were right, someone's here! They tried to get in through the back-door!" "It's okay, I'm here now. Let me check it out."

4.

Letting her go he closed the door behind him and rushed over to his gun cabinet. He took the keys out of his pocket and unlocked it. Grabbing his 12-gauge out, he asked her "Did you see them?" "No, I never got a good look at them." He loaded his shotgun and pumps it. "Okay, I'll handle this." "What? No, you can't go out there! It's not safe!" "What else are we going to do honey? We can't call for help, no one can get here in these conditions." "Just stay here and let me take a look." Mary's eyes teared up again as he walked to the backdoor.

After quickly examining it he quietly unlocked the door and jerked it open, pointing the gun out in front of him. He stepped out into the cold, looking around but once again saw no one. "They're gone, he said lowering his gun. He turned back around. "Gone." "There's nowhere for them to go Tim! You just said yourself no one can come or leave here." "I know that but there's no one here so what do you want me to say?" "Well I'm not making this up! Look at the God damn door Tim!" "I can see the God damn door just fine Mary! I know someone's here, I'm the one that told you that remember?" "Okay so, where are they?" "I don't know!" "And where were you Tim? I screamed and screamed and screamed for you!" "What are you trying to say" he asked her, cocking his head to the side with the look of intent in his eyes. "I was in the barn with Dolores tending to the animals" he said as he slowly started walking towards her. "Well then where's Dolores and how did you hear me at all if you were in the barn?" she asked as she slowly stared, stepping backwards. Tim smiled and shook his head. "Just what are you getting at Mary? I mean after all let's not forget I did just save you." She secretly wondered to herself if he had. "They had your pickaxe Tim; how did they get it if you have the keys?" "I lost them a few days ago sweetheart and just found them today, I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to worry."

Back inside, he shut the door behind him and leaned his gun against the wall. Turning back around opening his arms he reassures her "Everything is going to be okay. Just give me the knife." With Fear gripping her, she says "I can't do that." He slowly starts walking towards her again. "Yes, you can honey, just hand me the knife and everything will be okay." She begins weeping and drops the knife. He grabs her as she collapses and holds her on the floor. "Shhhh, I've got you." he tells her as he's petting her hair. "I would never let anything happen to you and the kids." "You promise?" she said with her face buried in his chest. "I promise." Tim Woodland began to smile.