I take a deep breath and scrub. Scrub the once hot, sticky blood out of the carpet. My hands shook. “How could this of happened?” I asked myself. I looked around. Pieces of brain matter and hair decorated grandpa’s living room wall. “It’s a damn good thing that old man is on vacation.”

I pause the scrubbing. “Fuck, I’m tired. This is the third time this week I’ve had to put myself at risk to protect this shitty old house.” I throw down the sponge. My eyes, and hands burn from the household chemicals. After all, when you’re in a hurry to clean up a mess like this who has time to go buy gloves?

I’m feeling weak. The crash after an adrenaline rush. I sigh and shuffle my feet, grab the bucket of lysol and head upstairs. I know I should hurry, this isn’t my house and someone, maybe even my grandfather could stop by and check in, but I am just too tired. Wouldn’t want to have to get rid of pops, too. I mean, he’s a sweet old guy.

At the top of the stairs, I hear Peach, grandpa’s cat in the master bedroom. She’s scratching the carpet under the door, and I’ll bet it’s torn to shreds. I can’t blame her. Two days in the bedroom while I defend the house. I had to keep her safe, too. I’ll bet she misses her litter box!

Turning my attention away from the cat’s distress, I remember that I’ve got to take care of the guest bedroom. I take a deep breath knowing horror and stench will await me. I take another breath and put my hand on the door handle. “If I just get this over with I can go watch Game of Thrones.” I think to myself. “One…Two…”

I’m working up to opening the bedroom door when I hear the front door open. I freeze in terror and grab the glock from the back of my pants. “Not another intruder!” I thought. I peaked down the stairs into the living room. The unknown house guest fumbles for a light switch. When they find the light, I see that it’s my cousin. This does not ease my panic. “Jake? It’s Lexi I……” She stops and looks around, noticing chunks of brain on the wall. I stay hidden at the top of the stairs while her petrified scream fills the air.

“JAKE!!” she screams. Then, as if talking to herself or in shock, she whispers, “Are you alive??” She begins to cry. “Oh my god, Jake, you’re dead!” She starts to hyperventilate, taking deep rapid breaths. I can’t take seeing Lex like this. Growing up with her, we were more like big brother and little sister than cousins.

I take a step forward, debating whether or not I should let her see me. The stairwell creeks as I take another step. Lexi senses danger and pulls a gun out of her purse. I grip my glock and make my way slowly down the stairs.

“Hey Lex. I see you found me. How’d you know I was here?” I smile, hiding my gun behind me as I step off the stairway. Without hesitation she drops the gun, runs to me and hugs me. “Jake I thought…I thought..I..what happened here? We gotta call the fucking police.” She grabs my face in her hands. When the blood from my face gets on her hands, she looks at her palms wide eyed with horror.

I push her away and set on the sofa. “I’ll ask you again Lex..how’d you know I was at pop’s?” I asked, hoping she’d hear the annoyance in my voice. “ I..uh.. I called pop..to..to ask..if he..” She was stammering. My patience was wearing thin. “ spit it out woman!” I roared, and she jumped. “Pop..he was having 3 Airbnb guests this weekend while he is on vacation. “He sent me to check and make sure you had watered the plants and left before they got here…”

I paused. “So..the people I’ve got piled in the guest bedroom..those were Airbnb folks?”

I cackled in disbelief.