The Freak

The day was so creepy and with dead silence, the whole neighborhood was full of people wearing black outfits and women with veils on their heads. The death of Mrs. Scarlet the wife of the mayor was a blow to everyone in the neighborhood, before the day she died a tragic and painful death, she was in the church preaching, Mrs. Scarlet is a woman filled with life and spirit, no one would have thought death would take her away from us so soon. Everyone was deeply affected by her death, Mrs. Scarlet would never offend or hurt anyone, and her free-spirited and open-minded life makes everyone love and respect her. Everyone wonders who would have done the evil act of murdering Mrs. Scarlet. The next day after the funeral the police came to investigate the crime scene and no evidence was found as to who might have killed her. Mrs. Scarlet was raped before she was killed according to the autopsy conducted on her, who would have done such an evil act everyone wondered, Mrs. Scarlet is just an old woman who would want to do such a thing to an old lad. The whole neighborhood was in a panic mood and people refused to come out of their homes because there is an unknown killer in the midst of us...

I was in the kitchen preparing dinner when I heard the doorbell ring, my wife has refused to come out of her room since the death of Mrs. Scarlet, Mrs. Scarlet was a very good friend of hers they were like sisters to each other, I took off the apron from my neck and ask Jack to continue with the cooking while I go check who is in the door. I walked to the parlor and saw my kids already open the door, it was the policemen, I wondered why they are in my house by this time of the day, I asked my kids to go back to their room while I attended to the police officers. The police asked to if there is a man named Jack in my house, I told them yes wondering what they were up to, they ask to see him, I was curious about why they wanted to see him so I asked if they are anything wrong, they said they just want to ask him a few questions, I called Jack out from the kitchen, and he came out nervously. Jack is my visitor, he had pleaded to spend the night in my house two weeks ago, since that night Jack has refused to leave saying he has nowhere else to go, he pleaded with us if he can spend a few more days before he continues his journey since he is a stranger in the neighborhood and has only come for some business because he was stranded he couldn't leave that day, my wife and I took a pity on him and let him stayed in our guest room. The policemen asked Jack where he was at the time of the incident, I quickly defended him by saying he was with me that day, the policemen asked if I was sure, and I told them yes, that Jack and I left for my workshop that day which was true. Since Jack has nothing to do after my kids left for school and my wife left for work, I told him to always accompany me to the workshop, that particular day Jack refused to leave the house, but I forced him, it was when we came back from work that night that we heard the death of Mrs. Scarlet. The policemen left after I told them that, I apologized to Jack for the inconvenience, Jack didn't pick any offense to any of it, and he responded by saying things like this always happened that he understand, I respected Jack for his understanding of the whole matter...

Three days after the death of Mrs. Scarlet, another woman was raped and murdered afterward, no one knows the murder nor was any evidence found at the crime scene, women became so scared that they don't go anywhere without their husbands or brothers accompanying them. Whenever my wife wants to go to the market or her workplace, I always accompany her, if I don't, I would ask Jack to accompany her. Even with the tight security, there were still cases of women being raped and killed afterward. The police were so serious with the cases., everyone man in the neighborhood was carried to the police station for investigation, I was not excluded, but still the culprit was not found...

I was given work outside town, and I needed to go which was urgent, I asked Jack to stay behind since I would be gone and I trusted him but my wife insisted he goes with me and that she would be fine with the kids, I told her to lock the whole house and never to step a foot outside till I come back, I further told her never to open the door to any strangers not even people she knows, she nodded and I left with Jack, before leaving I watched her locked everywhere and I was convinced my wife and kids would be safe before I get back. On our way out of town, Jack said he forgot his phone and would want to go back to get it if I can wait for him, I agreed and let him go, after a few moment I suddenly have this feeling of things not being fine at home, I refused to go check if everything was all right at home since Jack is already on his way home but still I was not comfortable with the whole thing, I decided to return back home, on getting home, I saw my door wide open, and was hearing screams from my bedroom, I rushed  to the room and saw Jack trying to force himself on my wife, I hit him with the hammer I always keep in my bedside for protection, Jack fell down to the ground, I told my wife to go to the kids room to check on them while I call the police, I grab my phone quickly was trying to call the police, when I was hit on my shoulder by the same hammer, I fell down on the ground, my wife ran out of the room to the children's room and saw them sleeping soundly, she shut the door behind her and call the police with the land phone in the kids room. Soon the police arrived but Jack was nowhere to be found it was at that moment I realized that on the day of Mrs. Scarlet's murder, I asked Jack to buy some tools in the supermarket and he was absent for an hour, all these while I never knew I have been entertaining a murder in my house. It took the police five hours to find Jack, Jack was arrested and was punished for his action. Ever since that incident, no one in my neighborhood has ever accepted a visitor into their home. This is a great lesson to learn to never trust a stranger.