An outsider comes to visit

It wasn't the words she was saying that was causing Jane discomfort, but it was how they were being spoken. Over concerned and somewhat nosy. Of course, it was her job, but even still it was uncomfortable. Jane did her best to welcome her. Invited the outsider into her house with good grace, but after all, no outsiders would ever be welcome here. No amount of digestive biscuits and small talk would ever heal old wounds. Would never heal the animosity felt towards outsiders.

"So, you said that he's been behaving better?" enquired the outsider.

In reply, Jane smiled and nodded. Her soft smile barely breaking, but showing just enough of her teeth to be convincing. She could feel the outsider's eyes judging her, and judging her children.

"Lily has she just turned eight?" The outsider said raising a pale finger to point at the ageing refrigerator where a homemade card was held to it via magnets. A big number eight scribble on it via crayon.

"Oh yes, what a sweetie. Was a lovely day" Jane said with a genuine sense of warmth.

"It's quite remote out here but that must be nice for the children. Plenty of fresh air." The outsider tried again to spark more conversation.

"I like it" Jane didn't mean for it to come across snappy so she continued with a softer tone.

"I mean it's just great for the children. The space, the freedom. So much to explore. It might not be as tidy and as up together as it was when John was around ...." Jane paused momentarily.

"But since he left us, it is what it is" Jane finished. There was an awkward silence for a moment as the outsider searched for something comforting or reassuring to say. Jane could see it in her eye's she was searching for the words. The right line of enquiry after all this was some sort of investigation. An unnecessary fault-finding exercise with Jane's life the focus.

"That must have tough to lose him like that" The outsider's words trying to be comforting, but to Jane, it just felt intrusive.

"He left us because he was weak and we don't worry bout that no more" Jane spoke the words rather harshly, spitting them out. The outsider's posture rose and she looked slightly discomforted by those words. Jane's demeanour changed just slightly for a second her soft smile turned more into a scowl before it turned back once again.

"Don't worry about us, we don't miss him" Jane said almost too happily. The outsider seemed slightly shocked but smiled back and nodded her head.

The moments seemed to drag on forever. Jane didn't know how long this unexpected visit would last for but every second her anxiety was growing and growing. After what felt like an age it was finally the outsiders turn to speak again.

"Wouldn't it be great if I could meet them both? Are they upstairs?"

"No" Replied Jane shortly to both questions.

"But I'd really like to see them ...." The outsider continued. Jane just sat there with a puzzled look on her face. They had tried to see the children before on the last visit two weeks back. When a man and woman had shown up on the doorstep, that visit was a very unpleasant one. Jane thought it was odd that this time it was just one woman all on her own. One outsider. An outsider trying to infiltrate her nirvana.

"I really must insist" there was slight desperation in the outsider's voice now. The tone of her voice slightly uncontrollable. Jane paused for a moment. It would have been easy for her to drive this outsider from her home. To scream, shout and let her anxiety all out, but if she did they would be back. Outsider after outsider .... knocking and harassing.

"Yes okay, if you would like" Jane said softly, her voice almost a whisper.

"So, they aren't upstairs?" the outsider enquired curiously.

"Oh no, they're out in the yard" Jane said.

The back door creaked and whined as it was opened. Not oiled since John had passed. It was growing old and need some love just as the whole property did. Just as Jane did. The yard was large and not very well kept. The years were running away with it. At the far end of the yard, the barn was standing idle against the backdrop of the forest behind it. It was not in practical use anymore. It stood there un-used and meaningless. A shelter for animals now not living. A reminder of time visible, but very distant.

"LILLY" Jane bellowed as she and the outsider turned away from the wood but turned now towards the side of the house.

"Oh, there you are" Jane said surprised as they caught sight of Lily who was digging into the rough furrows of the vegetable patch. Hiding behind the side of the house. Very little seems to be growing and the leaves of tiny plants were a brown colour. The little girl didn't seem to respond at first as she faced into the ground. Her hair blond but very dirty was so long it was hiding most of her body.

"I want you to say hello to someone ... This is our friend" Jane said with as much positivity as she could muster. Slowly but surely little Lily rose to her bare feet to face them both. It might have been her job but the outsider could not hide the empathy she felt for the little girl. Covered in dirt all over. The only clothes she was wearing was a stained blue nighty that came down to around her knee's. It was a September morning and the weather was chilly. Her fingernails and teeth were in very poor condition. She had been digging with her bare hands into the hard earth.

"Hello, Lily I hear that your eight now" The outsider spoke as softly and as calmly as she could.

"Yup, I'm eight now. I can't wait to be older. I'll be grown up just like my plants. Mummy why is this person here?" Lily squeaked her voice high pitched

"This is our friend Lily! Why don't you tell her about how great we are doing? About how happy we are" Jane said with great encouragement.

"Oh yeah. We are happy and last week we ate cake!" Lily beamed

"But my stupid brother has been around here again and now I've got to do more digging again" She admitted with a depressing tone.

"He's been huntin--"

"What today? I told him not to, I told him not today" Jane jumped in, her word stern and filled with anger.

The outsider was worried now her thoughts racing, but she managed to control her emotion and her words. Her task was to get visuals on both of the children and check on their welfare. She would not give up on that task.

"Where is your brother sweetie? Is he around" The outsider asked

"I think he's at the wood or the big shed" Lily responded hastily. The outsider looked up and found the gaze of Jane's eyes before she looked away. Jane looked sheepish now, gone was the bullish demeanour. Her right arm comforting her left, her eyes wild. The affrontive attitude now leading way to submission.

The outsider turned on her heels, gazing over to the faded red barn. It looked more solemn than ever as the clouds had slightly darkened in the sky. Instinctively she started to walk towards it. It compelled her. For an outsider, it called her in. It whispered to her and she was not sure as to why but it did. Jane followed behind her not making a sound. Obedient in much the same way as a well-behaved dog follows its master.

The darkness of the tree's almost made the outsider call out when she reached them, but there was no one there. As the barn door was left slightly ajar it was easy for her to slip into the dimly lit barn. A small amount of light was coming through the cracks of wood that held the structure together there were no windows. The outsider was slightly fearful now. We are all scared of the unknown but she did know somehow. Somewhere in her head, she told herself that this wasn't right. She took a few steps forward. She felt a sticky substance on her shoe she recoiled a step back and looked around. Her eye's not yet adjusted to the dim environment. Silently and startling her she felt Janes breath on the nape of her neck.

"He does this sometimes you know. I tell him not to." Jane said in a perfect, crisp whisper. The outsider was standing perfectly still now, the hairs on the nape of her neck standing up.

"I tell him not to kill but he likes it and he does it well" Jane's voice was fearful and timid. "It all started with the small animals..... He likes to cut them and play with them..... I tell him not to"

Then silence fell. She could only hear her heart hammering and Janes hot and heavy breath. This was their world and Afterall, she was just an outsider.