Walking up the steps, Gary hears every individual slab of hardwood creak as it balances all his 300 pounds of solid flesh and bone. Sluggish from a hard day’s work at the local coal mine, he slugs off his layers of dirt-matted clothes and leaves them where they land on the floor.

“Only one of the few perks of living alone,” he says to the empty room before him.


Gary glances at the clock and realizes he he has fifty-two minutes to shower, find something to eat, and settle down for the nightly hockey game.

“Gosh dang mine keeping me overtime to sort out some rookie's mistakes," he angrily mumbles.

Showered and ready for his game to start, Gary lounges in his threadbare recliner with a bowl of popcorn and pepsi ready for a night of normalcy and routine. Channel surfing mindlessly waiting for the last thirty minutes to pass before the game, he waited for the melodious sound to reach his ears. With his brow furrowed in confusion, the coal miner checked his watch. 10:01 p.m.flashed across the digital watch's screen.

It’s never late, Gary thinks. He lowers the leg rest of the chair whilst listening intently for the lullaby to reach his ears. He stalks to the window to see a group of teens gathering around the old barn that lies half an acre from his house. Unconsciously, Gary grabs his rifle and hunting knife before striding out the house. He slams the door with a bang that echoes through his tiny home and rattles the house’s frame.

“What in God’s mind do you think you’re doing here?” Gary questions angrily once he’s within earshot.

“We’re just here to see who plays the music inside of this old place. We’re merely curious to see who the infamous “ghost” pianist is, Sir," a tall and muscular kid says. He turns around and winks to his friends as he adds, "We’re not going to cause any trouble. Once our curiosity is satiated, we’ll be on our way. We heard the ghost is even headless and plays with his feet.” The teen had an air of arrogance that flamed outward towards Gary with every word he spoke. His stance and willingness to explain the reason behind the group’s presence obviously pinpointed him as the leader of the group. His crew-cut and muscular physique stood in stark contrast to the tiny frames of the girls and his less muscular buddies that flocked on his sides.

Six foot five and three hundred pounds, Gary strolled towards them causing the group, minus the leader, to step back noticeably shocked at the giant to whom their friend had just conversed.


As Gary walked closer, he noticed objects hidden in the shadows the kids were blocking from view. A crowbar, knife, and a handheld gun were most distinguishable, but there were many other shapeless objects.

“You sure about that, son? Looks to me like you’re going to cause quite a bit of trouble with the weapons you’re trying to hide from me,” Gary states in a conversational and disinterested tone void of any hostility and anger contrasting greatly with what his question implied.

How dare they disrupt the playing? Flashes of red pulsed through his temple. Unphased, Gary shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly and turns to head home. Knowing they’ll be off guard, Gary spins around and brings the butt of the gun down forcefully on the leaders head. He crumples to the ground soundlessly. He’s immobile. The rest of the flock stare down at the rumpled body on the grass knowing that their friend’s body is nothing more than an abandoned shell that once housed during his life..

A few moments pass until the kids realized their friend and leader’s executioner was just a mere few feet away. A short brunette is the first to break the silence screams out in fear and shock. She sprints towards the woods in hysterics. The other girls follow her lead and one by one they collapse lifeless to the ground as Gary sets the gun off. Their last screams still echo in the frozen night air. The rest of the group puts their hands up surrendering.

“Boys, all I want to do is get home before my hockey game and listen to my song,” Gary says evenly with a sliver of whininess slipping into his voice, “I’d let you guys go, but then I’d get a bunch of complaints and phone calls from your parents tomorrow. It’s just not worth it.”

“No! we won’t breathe a word about this to anyone! We can promise you that, Sir,” a younger kid says with a tremor in a voice revealing how young he really is. His voice rings with the tone one can have just after he goes through adolescence and becomes a man.

He looks to his buddies to get their agreement, but they’re too preoccupied crying and begging for the forgiveness of their sure to be murderer. Their inaudible babbles layer over one another. Gary sadly smiles at the young teen as if offering his condolences of the loss of a loved one.

Thoughtlessly Gary raises his knife towards the young teen only to lower it a moment later. He looks to the youngster curiously.

“Son, what’s your name?”

“Ja-jacob. Why do you ask?” the teen inquested to the coal miner with an appalled expression gracing his young features.

“I was just curious,” Gary answers. He raises the knife again and throws it toward Jacob. The weapon hurdles in Jacob’s direction and buries itself deep in his heart. He goes without pain or the torture of waiting for death to take him. Gary executed the rest of the group without further ado and no merciful thoughts.

Immediately after Gary’s return to the safe confines of his home, the piano’s gorgeous melody filled Gary’s ears. He settled into his recliner once again ready for the night’s hockey game. The game hadn’t even started yet.