Rain coming sideways Quarter after ten I'm pulling into my driveway When I see that van again White one No company name One headlight running dim Parked across the street With somebody sitting in it Okay Probably nothing Grab my bag Lock the car Start walking toward the house Engine starts behind me I stop Engine cuts back out Hmm Don't love that Porch light flickers on Keys already in my hand Then I hear a door slide open From the other side of the van Don't turn around No Fuck that Turn around Nobody there Door still open Rain hitting something metal Somewhere inside Then— "Hey!" Nope Every nerve in my body Just voted fucking no I get inside Lock the deadbolt Stand there listening Nothing Then three knocks Not the doorbell Three slow knocks Knock Knock Knock Man, what the fuck is this? Black Mirror-type shit White van in the rain Now somebody's at the crib Maybe there's an explanation Maybe this is innocent But my heart don't get the footnotes When somebody does some shit like this Don't open it Look through the curtain Nobody on the porch Okay That's worse Phone in my hand now Camera through the blinds Van still running Driver's door open Nobody inside Then something moves beside the fence Jesus Christ Person comes around the corner Hood pulled over their face Carrying something long and black Low against their leg I can't tell what it is And that's exactly the problem They stop beneath the streetlight Look directly toward the house Then raise it I drop below the window Fuck Call somebody Don't be stupid I whisper the address Say there's somebody outside Operator asks what they're holding "I don't know" That's the answer I hate the most tonight Maybe a tool Maybe a weapon Maybe nothing I'd fear If the sun was up But it's pouring rain And somebody just ducked Beside my fucking house Man, what the fuck is this? Black Mirror-type shit Every harmless explanation Got a terrifying twin to it I don't know what you're doing That's why I'm not opening shit You can call uncertainty irrational From somewhere that ain't this Then I hear: "Come on, come on" Outside Quiet Then: "Don't make me come get you" Oh hell no Operator hears that too Asks if anybody else is home "No" First time saying it out loud Makes the whole place feel too big I check the lock Check it again Camera light Little red eye Keep recording Don't invent a story Just record what happens Because fear is already writing Three fucking movies at once Then— BANG Something hits the side gate I damn near leave my body "Hey! Get back here!" Footsteps Fast Across the gravel Straight toward the back Nope Operator says units are close Outside somebody curses Then laughs Laughs Who the fuck laughs right now? Man, what the fuck is this? Black Mirror-type shit Maybe I'm misunderstanding Every single piece of it But misunderstanding danger Doesn't make you bulletproof So until I know what's happening I'm respecting what I don't know too That's different Fear ain't proof But fear ain't useless It can say: Don't decide Stay inside Get more evidence Keep some distance Let tomorrow explain tonight Blue lights hit the ceiling Red across the wall Everything outside goes quiet Then an officer calls: "Sir, put that down" Good Whatever that is Put that motherfucker down I look through the smallest opening Between the blinds Person standing by the sidewalk Long black thing Still in their hand Officer walks toward them Then something small Shoots out beneath the van Fast as hell Person turns "THERE!" Takes off running after it Officer yells I lose them behind the hedge What the fuck? Another crash Somebody shouts Then silence Long enough To hear the rain again I don't know what happened That's the truth Not: They came to hurt me Not: Everything was fine I don't fucking know I know what I saw Van Open door Three knocks Nobody there Something long and black "Don't make me come get you" Running toward my backyard Enough information To keep the fucking door locked Maybe not enough To write the ending So I don't Five minutes later Officer knocks This time I know who's knocking I open the door Rain behind him Blue lights down the street He asks if I'm okay "Yeah" I think Then he looks toward the van Starts smiling Not laughing at me Just trying really hard Not to laugh at something I don't understand I look past him Can't see enough Of course He says: "You're safe." And for tonight That's enough Whatever happened out there Can belong to daylight I lock the door again Set the phone beside me Watch the rain erase footprints From the driveway And leave the story Exactly where the evidence ends.
