When Darkness Comes Knocking

Prologue

Three months earlier

The loud banging on my door pulled me from my drunken stupor. I shook my head as I used my arms and rose to my knees. The banging continued.

What the fuck? Them niggas knocked like I owed them money. Wait. Did I?

I stood to my feet and swayed. My body tittered back and forth as I thought about who could be at my door. I paid Jay the money I owed him yesterday. That was how I was able to buy all that beer yesterday because I had a little money left after I paid my debt.

Bug at my job would get his money next week for the lotto tickets he bought me. He knew that already, so it couldn’t be him. I set to walk out my room when I stumbled over the many empty beer bottles that littered my floor.

“Shit!” I voiced loudly. My head throbbed as I looked down and kicked the bottles out the way.

I needed to stop getting drunk like that. My son needed me to get my shit together, but after losing his mom, I didn’t know how to anymore.

Slowly, I eased into the hallway. The house felt as if it was about to crash down on me at any second. That malt liquor had got the best of me yet again.

I dragged one foot in front of the other as I used the wall to guide me to my son’s room. This seemed to be the hardest task of the day for me. It felt like I was pulling a truck while trying to walk.

My head pounded. That didn’t help the situation either. The banging continued.

I was in no hurry to answer the apparent urgency of whoever waited outside for me. When I finally made it, I peeped inside AJ’s room. His cartoon character bedspread had fallen to the floor.

AJ was balled into a ball, sleeping soundly.

That boy could sleep through anything. I stumbled into his room and placed his blanket over him.

Now that he was nine, he thought he was too old for my kisses, but he was my baby.

He had a while to go before I stopped kissing the top of his head and cheeks.

I left quicker than I arrived. My hands gripped the railing and wall as I descended my stairs. The banging kept going. “Hold on! Damn!”

With weary bones and an aching head, I stepped off the last stair, then snatched opened the door. The bright sun hit me. Quickly, I shunned my sight with my forearm.

Seconds later, I shook my head, and my slightly blurry vision was able to lock in on the three sheriff deputies that stood before me, and an older black woman dressed in a gray blazer and gray skirt.

One deputy held a pink slip in his hand as if I was expelled from high school. I wiped my eyes and glared at them.

“What the fuck do y’all want?”

A couple of deputies and the older woman fanned their noses. Apparently, my breath smelled. Oh, the fuck well.

“Y’all fanning y’all noses, but ain’t nobody opened up their mouths and explained why the fuck y’all at my house so damn early.”

The older woman cleared her throat. “Mr. Price, I’m Latena Notes. I’m a social worker with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

“Your son will be removed from your property today because of his outstanding absences at school, reports of malnutrition, and abandonment,” she voiced in a calm yet stern tone. There wasn’t an ounce of sympathy for me.

A rage the size of Lake Michigan filled me. I clenched my fists at my sides. They were here to take my son. There was no way in hell he’d leave me.

I’d never let them take AJ from me. Never! We’d already lost my Naya. That shit wasn’t gon’ fly today.

“Over my dead body! Y’all ain’t taking my son out of here!” I shouted.

Latena stepped back and pushed her glasses up on her mocha brown face. Two deputy sheriffs walked up on me, and swiftly, I popped one in his face. Before I could counter the attack, the second deputy hurriedly tased my ass.

My body shook from the voltages of electricity that filled me. I swung at him drunkenly as I stepped out my house and onto the porch, but he dodged my lick.

The deputy I hit knocked my ass on the ground like he was Tyson and I was Holyfield.

All three deputies immediately jumped on my back to cuff me.

Licks repeatedly rained down on me, but the only thing I could focus on was the social worker racing past us to get AJ.

They won now, but I’d get my son back. That I could bet my life on.

<<<

Weeks later

The rain pelted hard against me as I raised the hood of my car. My son ate his hot dog in the front seat, and my headlights flashed because of my emergency signal. The scene was perfectly set.

I jogged up the three cobblestone steps to knock on the door of the house we were parked in front of. The porch lights immediately came on. They had them everywhere.

When I saw the doorbell, I decided to ring it rather than knock. Minutes passed, so I rang it again. This time, light shuffling could be heard on the other end of the door, before it slowly opened.

“Can I help you?” the old man questioned with his wife behind him.

“I’m sorry to bother you folks at this hour. My car broke down and phone died. As you can see, my son is in the front seat, and it’s pouring down raining. I just need to use a phone to contact Triple D. Please, a phone is all I need,” I expressed with my right hand in the air.

To lay it on thick, I sniffled, wiped my eyes, and looked back at my son. He ate his hot dog and played on his tablet. I’d do anything for that boy literally.

I turned back to the elderly couple. My eyes scanned there once sleep filled eyes. Now both elders’ eyes and postures had softened.

Just like that, I knew they’d let me in. It surprised me that they didn’t recognize me, though, but that worked out in my favor. I guess that switch up was much needed.

The man finally spoke. “Alright, son. One call. After that, you gotta leave.”

“Thank you so much, sir.”

He unlocked his screen door. I stepped inside. His wife examined me with curious eyes. Her husband cleared his throat. She looked at him and nodded. They had some kind of nonverbal communication going on. The elderly lady guided me to their house phone.

“Here you go,” she stated softly, pulling her robe tighter around her.

I took the phone and dialed a random number. It rang and rang until someone speaking a foreign language answered.

“Hello. Yes, this is David Cost. I’m stranded at—” I looked to the elderly lady for their address.

“Oh, 4837 Rosebud Lane,” she whispered.

“Thanks. Hi, I’m back. I’m at 4837 Rosebud Lane, and I need a tow to the nearest mechanic.”

I pretended to listen a bit while the stranger spoke in his native tongue. After minutes had passed, I chimed back in. “You’re sending someone. Okay, great. I’m in a black sedan out front. You can’t miss it. Alright, got it. See you in a few,” I professed then hung up.

“He’ll be here shortly.”

The elderly lady observed me until her eyes widened. “I know you.”

I shook my head. “You should’ve kept it to yourself,” I voiced menacingly.

Swiftly, I removed my knife and plunged it into her husband’s belly.

“No! Oh no!” She cried. The elderly lady turned and ran as fast as her old legs could carry her.

However, she’d only made it to the second stair when I grabbed her.

“Please! Don’t kill me. You can have anything you want. Take it. Just don’t kill me!” She pleaded for her life.

“Sorry, ma’am. I don’t need any witnesses.” Hurriedly, I plunged my knife into her heart deeper and deeper, until she became dead weight in my arms.

I snatched my knife out of her and made quick work of rolling them both up in a rug and carrying them outside into their backyard. I grabbed a shovel and got to work. Once my hole was deep enough, I pushed them both in, then jogged to my car.

Once there, I removed the dead body wrapped in plastic and carried it over to my freshly dug hole. I was tired as hell, but soon, I’d be able to relax. The plastic covered body fell on top of the elderly man with a thud.

I looked on at my work. For me to handle all this shit in less than an hour, that had to be record breaking. “Husband and wife, meet the social worker. Social worker, meet the husband and wife. You folks play nicely now.”

Rain continued to pelt down on me as I filled the hole. Next, I placed a wheel barrel over it. Briefly, I admired my handiwork, then raced to my car to get my son. Once we were both showered, I laid him in his new bed and looked out the window.

The home across from me was dark except for one bedroom. The light was still on. When a beautiful, curvy woman came into view, I swallowed hard.

My dick bricked up. The lady wiped her tired eyes before she pulled a bonnet over her pixie cut. The view was breathtaking. She was next on my list to consume.