The day was late the night set in, clouds,  heavy with water broke open pouring down rain in sheets of cool wetness. He ran for cover with his long jacket flapping in the wind soaked and wet.  Up a head he could see the light shinning on the porch and became glad he forgot to turn it off. He did his best to speed up not to slip and fall.

Narrowing the steps he took two at a time coming to the top landing. There,  he stopped,  turned around,  and looked at what he just ran through as he shook out his coat. He marveled at the very thickness of the falling rain straining his eyes to see through it. Now more happy for his left on light. He turned back and unlocked the door going in out of this liquid fill of night, removing all his clothing right there at the door on the now sopping mat, tip-toed to the bathroom and jumped into the shower. The warm waters,  soothed,  his cold shaking body as he just stood,  and let it wash down all around him. Awe it felt good. He would stay for a good fifteen minutes or until he flooded the wet cold away.

It was not long after he was changing into warm cloths when the door bell rang, causing him to look over at the clock sitting on his night-stand. Who possibly would be at his home this time of night? he wondered as he continued to dress, then went down to the front door, opening it.

Before him stood three people one that of a woman, rather a young girl. The way she moved out from behind the two men he could see she was packing. The glitter from his porch light which again he forgot to turn off, shone upon the butt of the gun. “Come on in out of the rain.” He said. “Please . . .This is not a night to be out.” He opened the door more and moved out-of-the-way allowing them access to his home. “Please . . .Do come in out of the rain.” he waited then shut the door and locked it. “Nasty habit that . . .Locking the door.” he motioned with his eyes to the door and they each looked at themselves and at him. “You leave your doors unlocked.” She wiped the wet from her mouth. “Yes . . .As he matter of fact i do . . .It is a rule how ever that i shut off the light porch, that i never do.” he smiled. ” here please . . .Let me get you all a towel .” He again smiled and off he went and they each thought this guy must be an idiot or something there like that. Who is this friendly, i’m sure they thought.   he came back with the towels . . .Big ones too. He actually gave the girl the pretty one. Again they looked at each other. Unsure how to, or what to, the big guy said. “Thanks.”  “No problem . . .No problem at all.” he said, please come in. “Can i offer you a hot drink?”   She said “NO!” They all looked at her even him. He slapped his hands together telling her okay.

They took several pieces of clothing off to dry as much skin, as they could without getting naked, leaving trunks or bra and panties on, giving a good rub down. “I can toss your wet cloths in the dryer if you’d like.”  The big guy nodded to the others. “Give him the cloths.”  He put one hand up in defence. “No, no let me get them you finish drying up. This will only take a few minutes, i’ll just take them up and give them a fast spin, toss them in the dryer and they will be toasty warm in a few.”  He smiled at them once again, took the wet pile of cloths off the floor and went back up to the bathroom, which is a large room and he has his washing cloth machine and cloths dryer on the side wall, behind a door way. What else was behind that door was nobody’s business. That door was hidden by a large wall carpet hanging. It was a surprise to himself,  when he found this room, as he bought the place years ago.

Down stairs they could hear that the drying machine was turned on. Minutes later he came back down the stairs. He smiled . . .  “Now you still sure you wouldn’t like some sort of drink? I have plenty.  Guys?”   They all stood in towels,  looking to each other and to him,  then to the big guy.  The big guy nodded to the two. I’ll have whiskey if you have it, Beard-o said.  ”I don’t have a problem with that.”  He said.  The three, found this to be funny so they laughed. They had something in store for this nice person obliging them. But it was not anything to laugh at all. They stopped with their laughter having the drink then a few more, even she gave into delight of the night and poured, while she sat,  holding a gun, pointing at this goody-two-shoed man. The both men ran around in their towels ransacking the place.  What they were looking for was anything of great value. They laughed and joked taking their time , smashing and breaking things and downing their drinks. It was an hour pass by when she yelled out in joy. Giggling.  ”My turn, me, my turn to look . . .Come on Beard-o, sit for a while.  ” Big guy gave a nod, places were switched. Her turn to play finding what she could. She soon stopped laughing. “I want my cloths.” He took his chance . . .  “Up and down in a flash,  if you’d like, just don’t break my hanging pictures.”   What was so important about the hanging pictures? I am sure they wondered the same thing. They all turned to the face the wall.

The pictures were framed with wood and they all seemed to be hand painted, all fifteen of them. They looked at each other in question then back at him.         ”What the fuck is up with the pictures.”  The big guy said. “Why don’t you let me get your cloths and i will tell you. ” He said and gave a smile. YES That smile.

You know that smile . . .The pretend one. The one we all use when we pretend everything is alright. But it is not!  We pretend so things don’t get out of hand.    [Well the smart ones of us do . . .We know this].  He kept his smile on until the big guy said . . . “You got one minute to be back with the cloths . . .Go!”

Like a flash he was back and they were digging into this pile and retrieving what was theirs and getting dressed. He watched and marveled in it all. And still smiled.

 I hope you are getting what i am getting . . .Something is up with the cloths. What?   What possibly could be up with the cloths and why is this happy man so happy?  People out of the wet dark night,  are in his home,  tearing it apart and destroying his things. Like that hasn’t been done before . . .

Drink up drink some more. yes a good thought. Have another. They drank plenty within the last two and one half hours to kill a dog.

Big guy shook his head . . .She sat down . . .Beard-o asked for cold water.

Things were changing . . .The laughter stopped! . . .They wanted air and asked for opening of the windows. They did not feel well. One after another they were scratching and pulling at their cloths. “Okay about the pictures.” “Who gives a shit about your pictures.” The big guy said . . .”What the fuck did you do to us.”  She was now gasping for breath . . .Her body was small for her age of thirty, he thought she was a young girl. Beard-o held his head in pain to painful to even look up or want to move. “fuck you.” Was all The big had to say as he held tight of his gun, to shaky to aim.  Come in out of the rain, he said as he collected the weapons from each of them. They were scratching and blistering and gasping for air,  holding their heads and whining and not feeling well. He smiled . . .

He said . . .”Perhaps my cultural politeness is a bit too much at times. I over filled the whiskey and Vodka bottles, with formaldehyde, as for the towels and your cloths they too are washed and dried in formaldehyde. Perhaps i used a bit too much this time.

She said . . .”But you came across so nice.”