02-25-20 Man Cave
02-25-20 PUSH ARROW TO BEGIN AUDIO
Flash after flash of camera light blasted thru the window. The inside of the house was completely dark and the bursts of light momentarily filled the rooms with white. In those moments of illumination, you could briefly see the contents of the house. Two motionless bodies laid near the sofa and easy chair. Puddles of blood surrounded both bodies. Then another burst exposed the multiple bullet holes in the walls and windows.
In the back of the living room away from the windows, a match was lite and it temporarily glowed the room. The match moved to a cigarette and lite it. Bobby took a long drag from the cigarette and calmly exhaled. Bobby was sitting on the floor with his back leaning against the wall. Every time he inhaled the cigarette became brighter. The living room scene was still. It reminded Bobby of the calm in the middle of the storm. Before the house ragged with violence and anger. Soon again violence would explode thru the doors and take control or finish Bobby. But for now, for this short period of restraint, the room laid peaceful and quiet. Except of the disruptive flashes from news crew cameras, the moment felt like a bubble of peace to Bobby.
Bobby imagined floating away in his bubble to a new world, a new start. On the floor were the bodies of Bobby’s brother Brandon and Brandon’s close friend Doug. They were more than friends. More like partners or cohorts. Bobby grew to hate Doug for the influence he had over Brandon. Away from Doug, Brandon was a normal good guy who Bobby admired. But with Doug, Brandon changed. He became aggressive and conniving. And eventually dangerous.
Bobby and Brandon lived together in the house. Originally it was their parents’ home that they inherited when their parents suddenly die in an accident. Bobby was devastated by their deaths, but the older Brandon only seemed to be glad that the house was now theirs to rule. Soon after Doug and Brandon began remodeling the basement. They wouldn’t involve Bobby, and bragged they were creating a true man’s cave. There was a heavy metal locked door put in. Bobby was not allowed to see the new basement and Doug gave Bobby a pointed warning never to go down there or else! Bobby knew Doug was very serious. Doug and Brandon spent almost all their spare time in the basement. Bobby knew his best move was to never mention the basement. But curiosity overcame Bobby. He bought a lock pick and tried to pick the lock. It was slow work and it took about a week to open the lock.
Another flash and Bobby’s attention came back to the dark room. Bobby was beginning to feel weak. With the next flash Bobby could see the pool of blood forming around him. The police were outside trying to decide what to do. After the neighbors heard multiple gun shots and screams of pain and anger, the police surrounded the house and tried to make contact. Bobby answered the phone once, but warned the police not to enter. Bobby wouldn’t answer any other calls.
Bobby looked around his house and remembered the happy times with his mom and daddy and Brandon, who was normal then. Bobby longed for his parents and the loving life they created. Things were wonderfully normal. But as soon as he opened the door to the police, this family home would become a crime scene, and the family name would always be attached to hellish acts of violence, and Bobby would be the freak survivor.
Bobby was badly injured. When he confronted Brandon and Doug, they immediately became physical and they tried to subdue Bobby. But Bobby had one of Brandon’s guns and fought back. In the end Brandon and Doug were dead and Bobby was shot twice. Bobby was feeling weaker and very tired. He wanted just a few more minutes of peace before his world changed forever. He took his cell phone and dial 911. Then Bobby let himself fall asleep.
After the 911 call, police cautiously approached the house. Then knocked the door down and stormed into the residence. The basement door was open and they found the man cave and called in paramedics. The house was declared a crime scene. As the lead investigator entered the house for the first time, he asked the officer in charge to explain what he knew. ‘When we entered the house, we immediately saw the two men on the floor, there is another man leaning against the wall. In the basement we found an elaborate torture cell with one female corpse wrapped in plastic and two barely alive naked women. There seemed to have been a very violent fight between the men. They all were badly wounded. The man leaning against the wall made the 911 call. None of the men survived. Peace***