Deep breathes, Tom told himself. Just practice your breathing like Dr. Gainings taught you. You can make it through this.

He could see occasional flashes of light coming through the floorboards where he was hidden. Searching for targets, he thought. For prey. He watched and held his breath as the floorboards creaked and dust would fall from footsteps.

Tom had always been a bit paranoid. Something that people would constantly point out to him. He would always correct them and say he was just cautious.

Why? Tom thought to himself. He was quite regular. Im just a background character, he thought. Why this house? Why not just take stuff and leave? What could they possible want?! In the back of his mind, he knew what they wanted. And he wouldn’t let them take it.

Tom could feel himself getting worked up again. Deep breathes. Calm yourself.

He could hear them talking to each other. Searching for something. For him?

He struggled to find the mental footing on what to do. They’ll find me eventually. Deep breathes. Consider your options. Run? Fight? There seemed to be about 4 or 5 of them, give or take. Could he even make it if he tried? He realized there was only one choice.

I have to try, he thought. If I have to go I’m not gonna make it easy. Tom silently removed the false floor he had been under. He grabbed the ax that he had taken with him when he initially saw the lights. Deep breathes.

The first one was quite easy. His back was turned and Tom brought the ax down on top of the man’s head just as he turned around and made eye contact. Crimson stained his navy blue uniform and as the blood ran over the man’s gold badge Tom had a sigh of relief. Local police would be so much easier to handle than what he thought he might find. Deep breathes.

Tom was right. There were 4 of them. Not their fault, he thought to himself. They didnt know. Over a span of 15 minutes he worked through the house and remaining “intruders”. It felt like second nature to him. He hit the last one in the chest with such force that their body slammed into a wall.

Alone at last, Tom thought. Solitude was one of his few joys. He went to the largest closet and removed the false wall there. He looked at the family that he had hid behind it. Paranoid, he thought and softly chuckled.

“Well that sure was close, wasn’t it? Now I know I had said that we would have more time together, but due to this invasion of privacy, we’re gonna have to expedite things a bit.” Tom could see the fear in their eyes and resisted the urge to smile. Solitude wasn’t his only joy.

“Now, now. I don’t want you to worry a single bit. I’m very professional. Just take some deep breathes.”