‘Help Us, Please!’ after Dad’s Death, Weird Men Started Coming to Our House Every Day – Story of the Day

After Dad died, men with weird facial lesions started banging on the windows every day, pleading for help and scaring me and my sister. Now, Mom isn’t answering her phone and hasn’t returned from work. Something is wrong, and I’m going to find answers.

"You’re seriously going to work?"

Mom frowned. "You won’t understand because you’re fourteen, Anne, but adults have to prioritize some tasks, no matter what’s happening in their lives."

Mom's words gutted me. Sure, her and Dad’s medical research was important, but Dad was gone now. We covered his casket in roses and lowered him into his grave fifteen minutes ago. Nothing mattered more than that right now.

"I'll be home soon."

Mom leaned in to kiss my forehead, but I walked away. A feeling I couldn’t name had its claws in my chest and around my throat. I couldn’t breathe the same air as her, not when she was leaving me and my little sister, Kaylee, alone.

The following morning, I tried to distract Kaylee with Saturday morning cartoons, but she kept nagging about Mom. I ended up snapping at her, which made her cry and me feel guilty. In the wake of our grief, we both just wanted Mom. Instead, Kaylee had me, and I had nobody.

Something heavy hammered against the window nearby, rattling the pane. Kaylee screamed at the monstrous face peering at us, but I froze. As I stared at the inflamed lesions dotting his skin, I realized this was a man and not an actual monster.

"Help us, please!" The man slapped his palm against the glass.

My heart thumped like a frightened rabbit. I grabbed Kaylee and dragged her out of the room. As we passed the front door, a second face pressed against the frosted glass panel beside it.

I didn't know what was wrong with these people or why they came here for help, but I wouldn’t let these freaks hurt my baby sister. I grabbed Dad's old baseball bat from the coat closet and prepared to defend myself and Kaylee.

"You get away from there!" A familiar voice shouted. "I'm calling the cops."

The men vanished. I opened the front door but left the security chain in place. Through the gap, I watched the strange-looking men flee while elderly Mrs. Mitchell shook her fist at them.

"Annie, are you okay?" Mrs. Mitchell called as she walked up the path.

I assured Mrs. Mitchell everything was fine now and neatly dodged her questions about Mom. When she left, I immediately called Mom. A tidal wave of anger swept through me when she answered like everything was normal.

"You've been gone a whole day without a call, Mom! Two creepy guys were banging on the windows, and Kaylee is terrified. Why aren't you home yet?"

Mom swore softly. It shocked me because she never cussed in front of Kaylee and me. Then she said she’d return home the next day, and my rage returned full force. I hung up on her. I'd never felt more abandoned and uncared for in my entire life.

Mom didn't return the next day, but the strange men did. I called 911 immediately. The officers arrived quickly and caught them. I went out front as they led the men to their car. The taller of the pair lunged forward when he spotted me.

"Where’s your father?" he shouted. "He promised us medicine! He swore he'd fix this."

His words left me shook. These men just went from creepy pests to some guys who were involved with Dad. I phoned Mom again later. She didn't answer, and she didn't return the next day. I'd had enough. I had to find answers, so I told Kaylee I was leaving. She burst into tears.

"I'm going so I can fix things, Kaylee," I explained. "No matter what happens, nothing will keep me from coming back to you, got it?"

Kaylee glared down at her shoes and squeezed the plush toy in her arms. I sat beside her and held her close. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into, but right then, I decided I wouldn't be like Mom. I'd keep my promise to return so Kaylee wouldn't be alone.

I left Kaylee with Mrs. Mitchell and headed to the lab where Mom worked, and Dad used to work. I entered the glass and chrome reception area and asked the receptionist to call my mom. She looked at me like I'd said something weird and asked me to wait.

Soon, Mom's boss, Mr. Han, approached with a serious expression. "Anne, I'm sorry to be blunt, but your mom isn't here… I gave her three days' leave to mourn with you and your sister. When last did you see her?"

"Uh, Friday, after the funeral. She said she had to work..."

Mr. Han shook his head. He promised to help me find Mom, and I left feeling confused. Had Mom lied to me? And who were those strange men looking for Dad? My parents had worked together on most projects, so maybe they'd both been involved in something... but what?

I felt like a sleepwalker as I left the building. All I could do now was report Mom missing. Then I noticed something that messed me up even more: Mom's car was parked in the lot.

I was about to storm back in there to demand answers when it hit me: Mr. Han wouldn't have lied about Mom unless he had something to hide.

I had to go to the cops, but first, I needed solid evidence to convince them something ominous was going on. I crawled into the air vent on the outside of the building. Eventually, I peeked into the room attached to Mom and Dad’s lab, and there was Mom!

Her eyes widened when she saw me. She urged me to go back and climbed up to join me. She told me nothing except ‘they’re coming,’ a phrase that filled my heart with fear. We crawled through the vents, but the moment I climbed out, a man grabbed me.

"We've got your kid, Doctor. Unless you want her to get hurt, you'd best come quietly," the man called into the vent.

Mom surrendered. Security guards marched us into an empty room and locked the door. Mom sank down to the floor with her back to the wall.

"It's time you explained what's going on here." I stared down at Mom. "What did you and Dad do? And how is it connected to those men with the awful marks on their faces?"

"Your father and I developed an anti-aging serum that accelerates skin cell rejuvenation," Mom said, "but it also works on abnormal cells, causing aggressive skin cancer. We told Mr. Han it was too early for human trials, but he wanted it on the market as fast as possible, side-effects be darned."

"Your father and I had to stop him." Mom sobbed. "Your dad came here to destroy our files. I think Mr. Han killed him. I think he caught your dad deleting our work... just like he caught me when I tried to finish the job. He probably would've killed me too if he didn't need me to reproduce that information."

"And, since you refuse to cooperate, and tried to escape, you're now more of a liability than an asset."

Mom and I both jumped at the sound of Mr. Han's voice. I spun to face the door just as he raised a gun and pointed it at Mom. Time seemed to slow as his finger tensed against the trigger. I leaped sideways to stand between him and Mom.

"Don't!" I said. "Dad kept a backup of his work at home... I can get it for you."

I could almost see the gears turning in Mr. Han’s head as he studied me. Eventually, he lowered his gun and flicked the safety on.

"You two, take the girl home to fetch this backup," Mr. Han told the two security guards at the door. "Verify the information immediately too." He glared at me.

"If you're lying, your mom dies."

I didn't dare look at Mom in case Mr. Han realized I was lying. This was a risky ploy, but it was our only chance. I followed the two security guards out to their car. Soon, I was leading them to Dad’s lab in the backyard shed.

"It's in here," I said, pointing to a chest freezer as I pulled on safety gloves. "Just give me a moment to get it."

A thick fog poured from the freezer. I'd already taken a deep breath to avoid inhaling the dry ice fumes, but I had to work fast. I snatched two vials and hurled the rapidly melting contents at the guards. The corrosive ate through their clothing in seconds. Soon, they were writhing on the ground in pain.

I stole one guard's phone before locking them in the shed. Mr. Han's number was the only saved contact. I called him.

"I got rid of your goons, Mr. Han," I said. "I can't risk you ordering them to kill me and steal the backup. Let’s make an honest exchange. I'll give you the backup, and you'll return my mother. Agreed?"

Mr. Han said he’d meet me at the docks, so that’s where I stood an hour later, holding Dad's briefcase in my hands. I shivered anxiously as Mr. Han walked toward me with Mom in tow. He released her and raised both hands. I set the briefcase down and carefully approached Mom.

Mr. Han started walking, too. I sped up once we passed each other and hurried to meet Mom. Together, we sprinted to the end of the dock.

"I'm sorry, Mom," I said as we ran. "There was nothing else I could do."

"What are you talking about, Anne?" she asked.

I didn't reply—I didn't need to. Police cars were skidding to a stop ahead of us. Cops were taking up position behind the open doors of the squad cars as they aimed their guns down the length of the dock.

"This was the only way to prevent that serum from causing further damage," I told Mom.

"Mr. Han would've killed us both once he realized the briefcase was empty. Kaylee would’ve been all alone then."

Mom nodded. "I... I don't want to leave you girls, but you did the right thing, Anne."

"Time's up, kid. We need to go."

I looked up at the cop standing beside the open car door and nodded. Mom was sitting beside me in the squad car in handcuffs. They'd arrested her as well as Mr. Han. I climbed out of the cruiser and walked away in tears to keep my promise to return to Kaylee.

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