“Hey!” he said, stepping in too close to her. “Whatcha wont fer that carpet right there?”

He smelled of basement dirt.

He had just dropped his bicycle at the curb, so she was sure he couldnt be serious.

Politely she responded, “$20,” with a smile.

“Ahhh haa haa!” he roared, “Yer kidding me! I tell you what, how ‘bout I mow yer lawn and you sell it to me fer…” he reached into his stained Dickies and pulled out a wrinkled dollar bill with change, “… $2?”

Again, she smiled politely and said, “No thank you.”

Feeling uncomfortable, she stepped around him and greeted an older lady holding a silver lamé garment – “How much would you take for these alien costumes?”

“Fifty cents?”

The bum stepped up to the older lady – “You want me to try it on fer ya? AAAHHHH HAHAHA!”

She moved quickly moved toward a handsome man looking at the skis.

She said, “Good morning!” a little too loud, but the handsome man smiled and asked, “How much do you need for these skis and this ski mask?”

She moved to put her back to the bum, telling the handsome fellow, “Oh, that’s not a ski mask; it’s a traditional Takanakuy mask from Peru!”

“Interesting, I suppose I’ll take it,” he said with a smile.

“If you give me $50 for the skis I’ll throw in the mask,” she said, touching him on the arm.

“Deal!” he replied.

As the handsome man counted out $5 bills, the bum stepped up and slapped him on the back, saying, “Hey! You need help getting them skis tied to yer car?”

Irritated, she said curtly, “Sir, you may have the carpet, just please leave.”

His eyes fell like a scolded dog. “Well, okay. Didn’t mean to upset no one.” With that he tucked the carpet under his arm, mounted his bicycle, and peddled away.

She apologized to the handsome man. Smiling, he said, “No problem. Some people. You know?” He turned and slid the skis into the back window of his car.

That evening she reflected on the day. It was a good take for a yard sale – even if she had to give the carpet away.

Her mind drifted as she cut bacon for the green beans. Rinsing the cutting board something caught her eye through the sink window. A shadow moved across the elm in the back yard.

She stepped toward the back door, left open for the breeze.

As she reached to shut the sliding glass, a dark figure instantly appeared in front of her – the Takanakuy mask, raised butcher knife. The big knife slashed through the screen and through the meat of her raised forearm. She only had time to let out a brief scream as it cut through her esophagus. Her mind, confused and fogged, was as much in shock over the attack as seeing the Takanakuy mask.

As she lay on the ground, the warmth of her own blood pooling under her head, she heard a voice from under the mask.

“Yer boyfriend shoulda let me help with them skis…”