Free 100 Days of Death by Ray Ellingsen

sternly told her “NO!”
    She got the drift and backed off, but continued growling. I made sure a round was chambered and flipped on the tactical light clamped under the barrel (I now have tactical lights affixed to most of my weapons, courtesy of my trip to the Do It Center).
    I stepped to the side of the door and eased it open. I let the barrel of the shotgun lead the way out on to the porch. The 120-lumen cone of light from my shotgun pierced the darkness through the rain and played across my fence line to the wrought iron gate at the end of my walkway. There on the other side stood my intruder. He put his hands up to his face to protect himself from the light and said my name again.
    I almost jerked the trigger reflexively from the jolt of recognition. Short, stocky, the shock of unruly black hair sprouting out of his head like a Chia pet - Holy crap! - it was Albert. I lowered the light and went out into the rain to open the gate. As he stepped into my yard I got my first good look at him. He had lost weight. His clothes were torn and bloody and hung off him like rags. He carried a splintered, wooden Louisville Slugger.
    He staggered up my walk a few steps and stood there pathetically while I turned and closed the gate, securing it. From behind me I heard Chloe growl again. My hair stood on end and I spun around, bringing my weapon up on Albert and expecting the worst. Albert hadn’t moved, except to flinch when my light hit him again.
    “Please don’t shoot me, man!” he wailed.
    I don’t know what set Chloe off. She knows Albert and has never acted that way around him. “Lose the bat!” I snapped.
    Albert dropped the slugger like it was on fire. I ordered him to look at me, my light shining in his eyes. He told me he couldn’t see, so I lowered the light to his chest. Albert blinked at me from behind his foggy, rain-covered coke-bottle glasses. He quickly removed them and owl blinked again. His eyes were normal.
    “Strip.” I told him. It wasn’t a request.
    Albert started to protest, telling me he was freezing. The look on my face shut him up and he complied.
    As Albert stood naked in my yard I played the light across his body looking for bite marks or any other signs of infection. Finally, I lowered the light. I shined it on Chloe, a little pissed that she had cried wolf. She wagged her tail hesitantly, a guilty expression on her face.
    Albert stood there in the pouring rain, naked except for his shoes, with his hands up like he was being robbed. I sighed. I told him to leave his clothes and brought him inside. Once I secured the door I had Albert wait in the front room while I went to the bathroom and got him a beach towel. I looked away discretely as he dried off.
    I could hardly believe he was here. I was so overwhelmed with emotion I almost hugged him. I smiled at the thought that only a couple days ago a reasonably attractive naked woman wanted to hug me and I was repulsed, yet I was considering hugging my naked, chubby, male Filipino friend. I need to seriously reevaluate my psyche.
    I got Albert a sweatshirt, socks, and bottoms with an elastic waist. There was no way he’d fit into anything else I owned. I heated up the left over soup for Albert and watched him over the table as he wolfed down his meal, slurping loudly. We stayed up until 7:30am talking. Finally, I noticed his eyes getting droopy.
    “Is it OK if I crash in your spare room?” Albert asked.
    Without waiting for an answer, he got up and shuffled toward the hallway. I followed after him, debating how to broach the subject of sleeping arrangements. I wasn’t sure I was ready to let anyone stay in my aunt’s room yet, and I was damn sure I wasn’t ready to invade her sanctuary. Besides, the bed in her room was a hospital bed.
    I guess Albert assumed I had taken my aunt’s room because he walked up to my room and stopped at my door. Albert looked back at me.
    “Thanks for taking me in, man. I’ll never forget it.” he said.
    His