The Man in the Black Mask

A muffled “POP” invaded my dreams.

Hmmm…What was that? Probably just Robby fretting over his presentation. Shit. Now I’ll never get back to sleep. Sleep…please….sleep…

I drifted into that cloudy space between wakefulness and sleep. I lingered there for a while until I was fully aroused by the sound of shuffling papers.

Earlier that night I’d sought refuge in the guest bedroom to escape the gentle snores of my husband, Rob, and the roaring snores of Benny, my 200 lb English Mastiff (who each staked a claim to my bed). Not only was I a perennial insomniac, but at 38 weeks pregnant with twin girls, I closely resembled the world’s largest pumpkin and was beyond uncomfortable.

As I lay there — in the dark — listening to the sound of continually shuffling papers, I assumed Rob was downstairs in the office putting the final touches on the big presentation he’d been working on for weeks.

Shit. May as well check and make sure he doesn’t need any last minute edits. It would suck to have a typo in a presentation that he worked so hard on.

Getting out of bed was no small feat, though. I sucked in a deep breath, grabbed my underbelly with one hand and lifted it. I paused for a moment in awe at how big I’d grown. Then, with the remaining free hand, I heaved myself up into a sitting position with a tired grunt.

Guessing my way through the dark, I crept through the cavernous house. The cool marble floors soothed my bare, swollen feet. I made my way down the stairs, listening to the sound of frantic shuffling.

What could be so urgent at this time of night?

I followed the sound of the papers down the dark hallway to the office.

Why isn’t the light on?

I stopped in the doorway and the shuffling stopped. I felt around on the smooth, cool wall for the light switch and said, “Honey, why are you working in the dark?” I switched on the light and looked into the room.

There was no one there.

“Robby?” I said.

There was no answer.

I scanned the glass desk in front of me and noticed my laptop stacked on top of Rob’s. Random papers were strewn about. Then, something on the floor, behind the desk moved, and my black chair swiveled to the right an inch, or so.

The next moment, a dark figure rose from the floor and two narrowed Asian eyes stared at me through the holes of a black ski mask. I held his gaze as he straightened up and the confusion disappeared from my mind in that split second.

There was an intruder in my home.

Who invited the Ninja?

My heart jumped into my throat, and the room spun around me in a sickening dizziness. Then I turned and I ran.

Unfortunately, my big, bulbous belly pulled me down to the ground within a few quick steps and I found myself sprawled out on the floor hunched over my pregnant stomach. A sharp pain shot through my body and I couldn’t quiet my mind.

What the hell these twins that I hated so much when I found out they were inside of me have become a part of me and now I am going to lose them before I ever get to meet them is this some kind of fucked up twist of fate is this God and his cronies fucking with me for acting like a spoiled brat? I want them asshole! I love them. Please please please don’t hurt them.

Instinctively, I turned around and saw the man in the black mask trying to get out of my front door.

For whatever reason, maybe he couldn’t figure out how to unlock it, or maybe he figured he’d be caught on the compound video surveillance if he went out the front door, he oscillated from right to left foot a couple of times as if deciding how to proceed.

As he weighed his options, I weighed mine. I tried in vain to get my 180 pound body off of the cold, marble floor. I pulled my dead weight up, with no help from the twins. That’s when he charged me. Within seconds we were face-to-face. He placed one hand on my chest, grabbed my shirt in his hand, and with his other hand he sprayed something directly into my eyes. A cool wetness dripped down my nose. Then he drew me close to him and in a flash he pushed me with all of his strength to the floor.

My head smacked the marble floor with an audible CRACK. A searing pain shot through my head and down my spine. A shrill ringing invaded my mind. As I lay on the floor the man in the black mask jumped over my legs like a track star and disappeared into the darkness.

I clawed my way to the bottom of the steps and screamed, ““ROBBY!”, but my voice came out in an inaudible, hoarse whisper. I tried screaming again, but there was still no sound. Finally, on the third or fourth try, I found my voice and screamed, “ROBBY! HELP ME! ROBBY! BENNY! HELP ME!”

Is this a fucking joke? What is taking him so long? Benny? Where are you? My 200 lb watch dog that everyone is afraid of is snoring his way through the craziest moment of my life.

I screamed again, my voice carried by a wave of fear that spewed out of me like dry, projectile vomit. And again, but still no one came. Finally, I heard the pitter patter of tiny feet and my six year old son answered my screams in a meek voice, “Mommy, are you dying?”

A few seconds later I heard the rushed pounding of Rob racing down the stairs. He stopped halfway when he saw me on the floor.

“Are you having a baby?” he asked his eyes wide with fear and anticipation.

“No! No, there was a man here,” I said, my eyes closed and shaking my head.

He looked around, confused. “No, Honey, there’s no man here.”

“There was a man here!” I screamed, slapping my hand on the floor.

“No, Honey, you must be dreaming?”

“HE HAD A MASK!”

Rob jumped down the remaining steps, crouched down by my side and moved to within a few inches of my face. He grabbed the back of my head and pulled me closer. His eyes grew wider. “A mask?” he said, under his breath. Silent acknowledgment spread across his face. Without speaking, he stood up and bounded up the stairs.

I heard him say to the kids, “Get in my room and keep the door closed.”

They replied with voices steeped in fear, “What’s wrong with Mommy?” but the door closed and stifled their whimpers.

A few short seconds later Robby reappeared with the make-shift club we had hidden under our bed for this very occasion, his hood now pulled up over his head, he paused at the bottom of the stairs, and coughed, “What the fuck is that?” he asked, rubbing his eyes.

“I don’t know. He sprayed me with something.”

“Where is he?” he asked, holding the club like he was prepared for a fastball.

“I don’t know. I don’t know. It happened so fast. I think he went out the back,” I said. I pointed into the darkness behind me. Rob disappeared behind me, just as the man in the black mask had moments before. I sat there — alone — and I tried to remember exactly what happened, but the contents of my mind were blurred by fear, pain and confusion.

The only cogent thought that formed in my mind at that moment was how the hell did I end up here?