Date: Sun, 04 Oct 2020 19:49:28 +0000
From: wantadad1080@protonmail.com
Subject: Backyard Window

The following is fiction. If you're reading this, take your usual
precautions.

Backyard Window

My mom always told me to close my curtains. Of course when your view at
night is a pine forest you tend to keep it open anyway. So one such night I
was doing math homework by lamplight when I saw something very strange. At
the far edge of the brush, a man was dragging what looked like a full trash
bag. Freaked out, I turned off my light and waited. About 20 minutes later
he came out and looked at my window. I ducked down and waited a couple
minutes and looked again to see he was gone.

The next morning, it seemed like the whole house shook when the doorbell
rang, I rushed out of bed and peered down the top of the staircase. Mom
answered the door and it was a man in his 50s, partially overweight with a
tattered cap and a strangely jolly bearded smile.

"Hello, what can I do for you?"

"Good morning ma'am." He touted in a slight draw, dipping his hat. "I lost
my dog the other night and was wondering if you or your husband saw him."

"Oh uh, no sorry, I haven't seen one."

"Well has your husband seen him? He's about yay tall, yellow fur, looks
like a poodle."

"Oh, n-no my husband's overseas. I'm really sorry, I hope you find him."
From the sound her voice I know she was blushing. And I assumed so did he.

"Ah that's alright, sorry for bothering you-"

"Amanda," she shook his hand in hidden excitement, "Call me Amanda." He
continued the shake but slowed down.

"Phil Lambert. I live a couple blocks down. I'm glad we met Amanda. I'll
probably have to check the pound later with my wife then."

"O-oh I see. Well, I hope not to upset you but sometimes dogs wander
through here and get lost in the forest. Just happens sometimes."

"Then I ought to come back here later then don't I." My mom blurted out a
suspicious laugh.

"I'll come home around 3. I can help you look."

"Heh, alright Amanda."

Grown ups talked funny sometimes. However this was one of the few times I'd
listen. After such a long conversation mom basically rushed me out of the
house and told me to stay after school and that she'd pick me up.

I told my friends and they joked and said I'd see him a lot more but didn't
seem scared. One of them said his dad often secretly dumped stuff in the
forest like drugs and Bill's. To be honest I wasn't too scared for my mom,
just concerned that something would happen to me.

Her car drove up around 5. I got in and noticed she was in a good mood. I
never asked my mom too many questions. I preferred talking to dad. We'd be
able to Skype with him once a week maybe.

We hot home and it was getting dark, but the man was nowhere to be seen.
Still I thought I could smell remnants of old spice around the house. We
had dinner and I went on my computer, messaging my friends on Discord and
playing things. Then I started hearing sounds from my moms room, like light
thumping and moaning. The door was locked but I knew what was going on. It
was like those nights before my dad would leave for the Navy. She wasn't
alone. I could hear someone else exhaling over and over. I knew it was
Phil. But again, to me my moms business was her business. Still it got me
thinking new things. Phil must be really good if she wants to see him,
especially what must be the second time today.

I went to bed and heard her door open. It sounded like he came out with his
shoes on the hardwood floor. He pissed in the bathroom and washed his
hands. Then stepped very quietly to my door and opened it. I turned around
and faced his silhouette.

"I know you saw me last night." His southern drawl was gone. I didn't say
anything. "It's Stevie isn't it?" I nodded groggily. "I was gonna do
something when I came by this morning, but that mom of yours is special." I
stayed petrified and alert. "She wants me to pick you up tomorrow. I just
wanted you to know I'm not gonna hurt you two. I've done a lot if bad
things but I'm seeing this as something new." With his honesty I went from
being scared to feeling sorry and nervous. I didn't know for sure if he
ever did anything until now.

The next day, a small red car came by. I knew who it was. He rolled down
the window and asked nicely for me to get in. Slowly I went in the car,
hoping someone might notice what it looked like. As we drove the route
home, I started asking him questions.

"What was in the bag, Phil?" He sighed.

"If I told you you'd call the police." I didn't want to make eye contact.

"Probably." We finally pulled into the driveway and he turned off the
engine. "I don't know why I trust you. Maybe its Stockholm Syndrome or
something. But what are you planning?" I finally looked at him and saw he
wasnt displaying the jolly facade he showed my mom.

"I might have to stay with you two a while. When does your dad come home?"

"December." It was already October. "So you'll just leave?"

"That's the plan. And you won't have to see me again." Hearing all this,
whether it was true or not, somehow relieved most of my anxieties about the
situation.

When we got inside, Phil and my mom continued to play the game of him being
a curious neighbor who liked to hang around. I started enjoying listening
to Phil at the table, even if some of it was fake. It'd been a long time
since we had a man around the house, especially one who shared more secrets
with me than with mom.

I went to bed the usual time and heard my mom lead him to the front door
and say good night. Of course, after it closed I heard 4 footsteps lead
back to her room and then subsequent romping just like the night before.
And just like the night before he came out with his shoes on, took a piss,
forgot to wash his hands and came to my room. This time he closed the door
and sat on my chair. It was almost like a friend sleeping over rather than
a man who was fooling around with my mom.

"Whoof," He exhaled and leaned back in my chair. I couldn't help but
smirk. "You know I told her I'm divorced and homeless and she still wants
me to stay till December." I felt my heart skip a beat in excitement. "So
tomorrow's Saturday, what are you planning to do?"

"Oh, well I was gonna do some homework and watch a movie." He chuckled at
me.

"Kids. You really think homework's gonna get you anywhere? I had a PhD
before all this and look where it got me." I shrugged, sorta
embarrassed. "Listen Stevo, if I were still what, 8? 9 years old?" His hand
rested on my shoulder.

"10."

"Right, I would enjoy every fuckin second of every day because 99% of the
time your lifes gonna turn to shit anyway." This seemed like the polar
opposite of what every adult I knew told me. And it was also exactly what I
wanted to hear.

The next day, I woke up to a knock on my door. Phil had given himself a
haircut and changed into my dads baseball shirt, holding a basketball.

"Oh yeah, hope you don't mind I put this on." I shook my head. "Come on
outside with me, let's play something." He swapped the ball between hands.

"I dont play sports."

"Neither do I." We both laughed and my mom came up behind with a hand on
his waist.

"Breakfasts ready." I hadn't felt like being in a whole family in a long
time until that moment. Little did I know it wasnt gonna last.

The three of us had the standard bacon and eggs. Phil ate 2 batches of
course which slightly annoyed mom. Afterwards mom broke out that she was on
call at the office again that day and that she'd have to leave me alone
with Phil.

"I hope you two get along fine without me."

"Ah dont worry Amanda, Stevo and I get along just fine." He ruffled my hair
and I giggled, then he got up to ho to the bathroom. My mom smiled at him,
then turned to whisper at me.

"Remember Stevie, anything funny then make a loud noise, the neighbors
would hear you."

"Alright Amanda." She looked at me sourly.

"Listen buddy, I like him too but that doesn't mean I totally trust him
yet. You be careful for the both of us. Especially if he's gonna hang
around like a bum all month." With that, she got dressed for work and left.
Phil peeked behind the wall having heard what she said. Then smiled at
me. I smiled back.

Instead of doing something interesting like basketball or video games, Phil
and I walked alongside the woods and talked.

"She doesn't like me so much anymore does she?"

"She's like that whenever she brings a guy over."

"Yeah I figured. Still loves your daddy... he ever, done anything fun? Like
camping or fishing?"

"He sorta did barbecues sometimes. Wouldn't let me touch it though."

"Ah so he wasn't too fun either. No wonder she likes him." We both
laughed. "But you love your daddy more don't you?" I shrugged.

"Well yeah I guess. How come you think that?"

"I know boys better than I know women." I don't know why but I blushed to
that.

For some reason I started to trust this man more and more as time went
on. Over the next 3 weeks it had been similar. We'd try spending as much
time together as possible. Walking around, fixing things, watching TV,
playing games. A couple times he'd pin me down and start wrestling and
tickling me. Not when mom was around of course. They'd set up the guest
bedroom for him to stay in. At some point they stopped sleeping together
and my mom seemed to keep him around more like a husband and father figure.

I also started to get more and more curious about him as we knew each
other. Sometimes I'd take a shower and he'd brush his teeth real slow, even
after I got out to put on my clothes. Some days we'd lay on his bed
together and listen to Nick Drake and other things. When I was a real sad
song, I couldn't help but snuggle in, even his his armpit was funky.

"I can teach you how to play guitar you know?" I nodded my head. Of course
neither of us cared about guitars, just getting an excuse to be
together. Mom had gone for groceries and he locked us behind the bedroom
door already. "I love you Stevo." Both if us peered in different
directions.

"I know... what's your real name Phil?" He sighed.

"Robert. Robert Cerny." I snuggled in closer and he held me.

"I found your clothes in that trash bag."

"I know. I'm a felon."

"What did you do?" He took a moment to answer.

"I was in love with a boy." I took a moment to respond.

"Doesn't bother me."

"Of course it doesn't... but it means I can't stay with you." I crawled up
on his chest and looked down at his face. I leaned down for a kiss and he
slipped off my shirt. I unbuttoned his shirt and laid my smooth chest
against his hairy one. My legs straddled his waist and he pushed me
up. "Please Stevo. Its gonna hurt, you dont know what you're doing." With
that I got up and removed my pants. I could clearly see something welcoming
my sight in his. He sighed and put me on my stomach removing his pants and
shoes and in a fury commiting himself. I dont need to say how I screamed in
brief pain as he pinned me, but we held hands as he girated himself,
panting and moaning far more than he did with my mom. His body scratched
against mine like velcro and his hairy face tickled my neck. In moments he
grunted loudly and could feel him twitch inside me. Then both of us
collapsed and he stayed in me, holding me from behind as we fell asleep.

None of us noticed when the door had opened until we heard my mother's
screams. Grabbing my dads shirt and pants he pranced out naked to his
car. I never saw him again.

She called the cops and I had to tell them everything. No doubt the male
one seemed to understand everything in a way the woman did not. From what I
read they never caught him. My dad was informed and they filed for divorce.
He took a paternity test since she was pregnant and it was definitely
Robert's. From then on I lived with my dad. He said he knew Robert, they
were friends in college. He wouldn't let me see him but they still emailed.
Sometimes dad would have me say Robert's name for him in the videos we took
in his bed.

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