Unexpected Visitor

Tap tap tap I heard from my window. All I saw was the shadow of the tree from the sunset.

“Hey Jenny, come and eat, Dear.” I heard my mother yelled from the kitchen. Her voice sounded strained. I left my room. I reached the bottom of the stairs something in the air did not feel quite right. It colder and quieter.

“Mom?” I said, my voice a whisper. Mother was standing at the stove still putting salad into a bowl for dinner. The bowl rattled. Mother turned slowly and narrowed her eyes. She was looking past me.

“Yes, Jenny?” mom whispered back her voice quivering.

“Can we switch rooms? My window ke-...;” I replied. Suddenly, I felt that cold again, I dared not look behind me? I slowly turned. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the body of someone I did not know lying on the floor. "Mother who is that?" I exclaimed, turning back to her, and grabbing hold of her shoulders.

“I don't know! I had the window open as I always do, setting up dinner and I saw something out the corner of my eye! I’ve been trying to distract myself since, then I called you.” mother replied. As she lifted her hand, I followed, staring at the spot next to him. There laid a skillet pan from our cupboard. I started shaking myself and pacing back and forth. My mother attacked someone.

"What in God's name are we supposed to do now, Mom? You didn't kill him, did you?"

“Well dear, I did not think I hit him that hard,” she paused, “but maybe he is. We could call the police.” She placed the bowl of salad on the counter next to the stove.

Think Jenny, what would be the best course of action. Calling the police may lead to questions and they might try to persecute us. As I stood there thinking to myself, I watched mom go near the body, hopefully, to check if he was still breathing.

“Jenny, he's not breathing. I think he's dead!” my mother screamed.

Lovely, this is what I needed, I took slow breaths to calm down my nerves and to think some more. I slowly walked towards mom then to the stairs and back to my room and closed the door behind me. I Leaned against my bedroom door and slid down to the floor with my knees to my chest. I was going to go crazy over this, my mind had to be playing tricks on me, right? My mother killed someone. Well she was defending her home. It could still be a misunderstanding. I could not risk it. The police would treat her just like Dad, a criminal. I knew what I had to do. Call them anyway.

“Jenny change your clothes!” I heard mom yelling from downstairs. I stood up and changed my clothes, hoodie, sneakers, and dark jeans. I packed a bag of other clothes, my phone charger, my laptop, and some hygiene products. I was not too sure what Mom had planned.

"What are we going to do, mom?" I yelled downstairs. Hopefully, she knew what was to come. Leaving my room, I passed Mom as she ran up the stairs. While she was fumbling around I looked over at the body again, he looked like he was staring into my soul. Creep. I walked over to him, pulled my sleeve over my hand and closed his eyes shut forcefully, shivering, feeling a pit in the bottom of my stomach. I just touched a dead body. Mom came back down; I saw she was in some sneakers, a black jacket, and she wore gloves.

“We are going to bury the body, Jenny,” she said. I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out.

I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out.

“Hold on I don't think I heard you correctly,” I moved closer to her and grabbed hold of her shoulders, "We are going to do what?!" I shook her in desperation to have some sense. Even if my plan was not any better.

“Enough jabber Jenny I don't want to end up like your father,” she said sternly. I sighed beside myself and hung my head low when she set her mind to something it will get done.

"Do you even know where mom?" I questioned her. She nodded and walked back into the kitchen and I followed. I watched her look under the sink grabbing some lawn trash bags and bleach.

"First we will bag it, clean up." She began spouting orders. "We will drive out to the country river and place him in one of the dumping tunnels, got it?"

“Why is this happening to us!” I muttered to myself. Mom walked past me and to the body and began bagging him.

“Honey, you okay?” mother spoke softly, looking at her I could see she was terrified; I need to be strong for the both of us. It still felt wrong to do this.

“Yeah, I guess ma,” I said shaking my head to get a hold of myself. I began helping her finish bagging the guy and helped carry him to the truck. Once back inside I saw the stains that circled the floor where the man laid, I thought I was going to be sick. Holding myself together, I helped clean up the blood with bleach and a towel, once we were done, we hopped in the truck and drove. I watched the lights pass as we drove in silence.

“We should have called the police,” I spoke silently to myself.

***

We finally got to the river, I practically had to force myself out of the truck.

“Mom, are you sure we should be doing this?” I questioned at the back of the truck. She did not speak only grabbed hold of the body bag. She was probably upset at the whole situation. We grabbed the body and dragged it towards the dumping tunnels.

“No, I’m not one hundred percent but I rather not end up like your father who was in the wrong place at the wrong time Jenny,” she spoke sternly. We placed the body in the tunnel, I got in the tunnel and pushed it further in and placed some nearby trash and branches covering it. Once we finished, we got back in the truck and drove, in silence, again.

When we got home, I looked at the moon hanging high in the sky. Mom came to my side and held me close in a way where it felt like she needed the hug. I held her shoulder back. Although it was just the two of us and I don’t agree with what my mother thinks, if it means we stay together I’d do anything for her.