The Homestead

The Homestead

Derek stands watching his wife pack up her things wondering how their marriage has gotten so bad.
They were supposed to have a family together and be called mom and dad,
but those goals are now a dream as divorce has become a certainty.
Derek and Sarah can’t stand being around each other currently.
Both have made mistakes in their marriage and have acted reckless and carelessly.
In future relationships, they will have to trend a bit more carefully.

It’s true Derek cheated on Sarah with a good friend of hers,
and will have to live with the regret and memories of being behind her while she was on all fours.
It’s true he hurt her first but what she did in revenge…
makes him struggle to contain his anger and become unhinged.
She cheated on him with his best a friend and made a tape,
a tape he holds onto with imagines burned into his memory from which he can never escape.

Derek loathes Sarah as she loathes him.
They each loathe themselves and both feel their fates seem awfully grim.
They both have a secret they haven’t told each other.
A secret that binds them together.
A secret that is about to show up in their lives once again.
A secret that this time may cause something worse than a relationship strain.

Derek takes his eyes off of Sarah still busy packing up her bags and looks out a window.
He stumbles back at a shocking sight and screams internally that increases in a crescendo.
The strange man that convinced him to cheat on his wife is standing outside.
He never wants to see him again, that is no lie.

Sarah looks at Derek and asks him what’s wrong.
He says nothing in an unconvincing tone that’s weak not strong.
He retreats to the bedroom to escape the sight of the strange man.
The strange man smiles as separating them is part of his plan.

Sarah, growing tired of packing also looks out the window and takes a stumble back.
The strange man waves to her, he’s still wearing all black.
He smiles large happy Sarah sees him as well.
Fear hits Sarah hard and inside her begins to swell.
She opens the window and yells at the strange man to leave her alone.
He’s done enough damage to her and this home.
She closes the window threatening to call the police.
The strange man then vanishes, but Sarah is not left in peace.

Derek sits on the bed still holding the tape tight.
He hopes the strange man gets the hint and leaves; he doesn’t want to fight.
Tears begin to fall from his eyes as anger begins to take him over.
He feels like he’s about to lose his composure.

“I know what you want to do,” a voice says to Derek.
“I must admit, its rather barbaric.”

Derek turns to his left to see the strange man smiling at him sinisterly.
He shoots the strange man a look not so graciously.

“Get the fuck out of my house now!
You being here or anywhere around me is no longer allowed!
You have ruined my life!
You convinced me to cheat on my wife!
Now our marriage is over and it’s your fault!
You don’t want to get into a fight with me, because it will be a ruthless assault!”

“You wanted to cheat on your wife and did so on your own free will.
I just merely nudged you in the right direction, yet here you are looking at me like you want to kill.
Only you do want to kill but its not me is it?
No, I can see it in your eyes, I’m not the target of your anger fit.”

“Go away and leave me alone forever, I want nothing to do with you.
If I have to tell you again, I will turn that smug face of yours blue.”

“Feisty, but its not my face you want to turn blue, its Sarah’s, your soon to be ex-wife.
That tape you hold has caused a great strife.
You want her to pay with her life.
Many ways you can do it, a gun, your hands or even a knife.
It’s what you truly want,
because if you don’t, your dreams she will forever haunt.”

“I’m not listening to you again now leave before I call the police.
Or maybe I’ll take care of you myself, and instead of my wife, it you will you that becomes deceased.”

The strange man looks Derek in the eyes and tells him its time to do what must be done.
Derek nods knowing what he is about to do will not be fun.
He takes one last look at the tape, then breaks it in half.
He throws it at the feet of the strange man who lets out a laugh.

Derek exits the bedroom and approaches his wife.
She looks at him feeling concerned for her life.

“I’m about ready to leave Derek then I will be out of your hair forever.
Our relationship was quit the endeavor.
I’m sorry for that tape, I truly didn’t mean for that to happen.
I deserved what you gave me, a hard slapping.”

Derek inches forward toward Sarah and inches back looking puzzled.
Derek’s eyes look different, like they are full of trouble.
Sarah turns to head towards the front door,
as Derek grabs her and screams, she’s a whore.

Derek shoves her to the ground and climbs on top of her.
Sarah struggles to get away fearing the worst is about to occur.
Derek wraps his hands tight around Sarah’s throat and begins to suffocate the life out of her.
If death must come, a quick death is what Sarah prefers.

As the light begins to go out of Sarah’s eyes she looks to her right,
and sees one final sight that leaves her with a jolt of fright.
The strange man stands by the bedroom door looking rather pleased.
Sarah looks one last time into Derek’s eyes and notices they look diseased.

Sarah takes her final breath as the world around her goes black.
Derek stands up satisfied with the outcome of his attack.
But Derek is not done, there is one more thing he must do.
Sarah’s dead body is now is cue.

Derek returns to the bedroom with the strange man following close behind.
He committed murder, something he will never be able to get out of his mind,
so he takes out a rope and ties it into a noose,
then hangs it from an overhead fan making sure it’s not too loose.

Derek stands on his bed and places the noose firmly around his neck.
He takes a deep breath then gives the noose one last check.
He steps off the bed ready for his life to end.
The last thing he sees before it all goes black is the strange man standing in front of him telling him he will see him soon and calling him his friend.