Baker Family

Threats

Dawson carried two bags of grass to the trash can and then stuffed them inside. He looked as he heard the sound of girls laughing. There were about four of them between the ages of thirteen to sixteen. His mouth went dry as he saw Scarlet walking down the driveway with her friends. She looked at him gave a slight smile and waved. Dawson could not help but wave back.

One of the girls who was slightly on the overweight side and had short cropped brown hair gave him a nasty look as she said "What a dork."

"Don't call him that." Scarlet said in a scolding tone as they got in the car.

Dawson felt his heart began to beat faster as he watched her leave. Once again she gave him a warm smile as the brown hair shot him a look of pure disgust. He ignored her concentrating on Scarlet and her blue eyes. He stood by the trashcan mesmerized.

"Boy you need to stop staring at my daughter if you know what is good for you." Red Benson said from the other side of the fence as the car pulled out of the driveway.

"Oh hey Mister Benson." He said nervously.

His eyes blazed as he said "Don't hey me boy."

"Sorry sir." He said quickly avoiding the man's intense gaze.

"Come over here boy." Red said waving him over.

Dawson cautiously walked over to him. "Yes sir." Fears and trepidation filled him as he stood by the fence.

Red grabbed Dawson by the shirt and pulled him forward. He pulled the boy off his feet and held him close to his face. "If I ever see you staring at my daughter again you little punk I am going to beat you senseless you understand me." His face twisted in anger and rage filled his eyes as he spoke. Dawson felt a lump form in his throat and he was certain any moment the adult was going to kill him.

"Yes sir." He said.

Red then let him go and Dawson fell back to the ground.

"Now get lost you little maggot before I take my gardening shears and cut off your little pecker."

Dawson got to his feet and then ran off. Red let out a laugh as he watched him run. He so enjoyed watching teenage punks run for their worthless lives.

His face was a mask of fear as he turned the corner to where Pete and Ricky were talking. Pete looked at his son in concern as he said "Is everything okay buddy."

Dawson then saw Red walking down the fence of the out of the corner his eye. He felt feel his gaze boring through him. Fear began to seize up inside of him as he said "Yes sir."

Ricky gave his younger brother a concerned look.

"Come here buddy." Pete said and Dawson walked over to him. Pete then put his hands on his son's shoulders as he said "Are you sure everything is okay." Dawson started to look at Red again when Pete said "Don't look at him, look at me." He then grabbed the thirteen year old by the chin forcing him to look at him. Dawson looked in Pete's eyes as he said "Is everything okay."

"Yes sir." He said but Pete did not believe him.

Pete then said "Go into the house."

"Okay." Dawson said.

He then looked at Ricky and said "You too."

"What are you going to do dad?" Ricky asked.

"I just need to talk to Mister Benson." He said. "Go on in." Ricky hesitated for a moment which earned him a slap on the side of his leg. "Ricky do as I say." He then thought do it or you will be facing the wall for the next twenty minutes.

"Yes sir." Ricky said as he thought please don't do anything stupid dad.

"Thank you buddy."

Ricky walked into the house and Pete walked across the yard. "Red."

"Yes Pete."

"What did you say to my boy?" He asked as his voice filled with anger. A verse then entered his mind. Be ye angry and sin not. He repeated the verse several times in his mind calming himself down.

"I just politely asked your boy not to stare at my daughter like some little pervert and I told him that if he continued to there would be consequences."

"Consequences?" Pete asked.

"Yes consequences."

"And mind explaining to me what you mean by consequences." Pete said crossing his arms.

"Painful ones." Red said with a small smile.

Pete face twisted in anger as he said "You stay away from boys Red or so help me..."

"You what?" He asked with a laugh. "Aren't you born agains supposed to turn the other cheek?" He spoke in a mocking tone. He disliked born again Christians almost as much as teenage boys being around his daughter. The fact that the little punks next door were both made him hate them even more. "Look just keep your boys away from my daughter. I don't want them talking to her, I don't the looking at her, I won't them even breathing in her general direction. As long as they abide by those rules we should be fine." His face then darkened. "Break those rules and your boys will be in a world of hurt."

"You are a sick, twisted, warped individual you know that."

"Call me names all you want Pete it's not going to change the fact that I am just a loving father trying to protect his little girl." Red said. "Just keep them away Pete, that's all you need to do."

A sixteen year old boy with red curly hair then walked onto the porch. "Dad mom needs you."

"I'll be there in a minute." He then turned to face Pete. "Remember what I said Baker. Keep your boys away from my daughter."

Red turned and then walked away. He got up to the porch told the boy to get into the house and followed him in.

Madman Pete thought as he walked back towards the house.