I still remember the day I became a father. The joy and love that filled my heart was indescribable. My wife and I were blessed with three beautiful children, each with their unique personalities and quirks. I would do anything for them, even if it meant putting my own life on the line.
But there are some things that even a father’s love cannot protect against. Evil exists in this world, and it can strike when you least expect it.
It started on a quiet Sunday afternoon. My wife was out grocery shopping, and I was at home with the kids. We were playing board games in the living room when we heard a knock at the door.
I went to answer it, and there stood a man I had never seen before. He was tall and thin, with wild hair and a crazed look in his eyes. He asked if he could come in, saying he needed to use the phone.
I should have said no. But something about him made me uneasy, and I didn’t want to risk offending him. So I let him in.
That was my first mistake.
The man went straight to the kitchen and made himself at home. He started rummaging through our cabinets, muttering to himself about how hungry he was.
I tried to keep an eye on him while playing with my kids, but he soon disappeared into one of the bedrooms.
That’s when I heard the screams.
I rushed down the hall to find my eldest daughter, covered in blood, lying on the floor. The man was standing over her, a knife in his hand.
I didn’t think. I just acted.
I tackled him to the ground and wrestled the knife away from him. My heart was racing as I held him down, waiting for the police to arrive.
But as they took him away, he looked at me with a twisted grin on his face. “I’ll be back,” he said. “You can’t protect them forever.”
I didn’t sleep that night. Or the next. Every creak of the floorboards made me jump, every shadow seemed to be watching me.
And then the letters started arriving.
They were addressed to me, but inside were pictures of my children. Pictures of them at school, at the park, at home. The man had been stalking us for weeks, maybe even months.
I tried to keep it together for my family, but inside I was falling apart. The fear was consuming me.
And then one night, I woke up to find him standing over my bed. He had escaped from prison and had come for us.
I fought him off as best I could, but he was too strong. He overpowered me and took my children away.
I don’t know what he did to them, but I know it wasn’t good. He left their bodies in the woods, like they were nothing more than trash.
I should have protected them better. I should have seen the signs. But now it’s too late.
Every night, I hear their screams in my dreams. And every night, I wake up knowing that I failed them.
I am a father who loved his children. But love alone is not enough to protect against evil.