"Nice, sharp knife..." The masked figure repeated to themselves over and over in a hushed tone. They wandered down the street in the dead of night with a laugh here and there as they nearly skipped and danced through the darkness. "Nice, sharp knife!" They repeated, a large Bowie knife held in their left hand, balanced on a single finger, glistening in the street lights.

"Reports have come in of several citizens being violently attacked in their homes during home invasions. Police and armed guards are baffled by the fact the perpetrator has yet to take anything from the homes, but instead leaves a wake of carnage and gore." Reported the woman on the television inside many of the homes.

The individual outside had begun to lurk about the deepest of shadows, seemingly blending right into them minus the knife. They crept about from home to home, peering into windows and giggling before moving on to the next one. Eventually a particular house gave them goosebumps; it seemed absolutely perfect.

"And what was it that you witnessed?" Asked the reporter on television, now joined by a woman with tears welling up in her eyes. "I saw someone enter my home...they just strolled right in...we keep our doors locked! That face...they seemed so happy...they laughed...it was eerie, as though I were listening to something not of this world...my son ran to the door...and...god, he was only 9 years old!" The woman began to cry, hands covering her face. The reporter placed a hand on her shoulder and signaled for the camera to cut.

Meanwhile, the strolling individual outside peered in through a window, watching the report via the homeowner's television. They snickered and left the window, moving instead to the door. They'd trace the knife over the peephole before carving it up beyond recognition, then begin slamming on the door. "I'm comin' I'm comin', dammit! Hold your horses..." A voice called from behind the door. "Who the hell is it?" Another voice called out, a woman rather than the deep voice from before. "It's the police! We've had some disturbing reports in your area; it's best we discuss things inside!" A brief pause occurred, followed by the sound of locks being unlocked. The moment the door creaked open, one chain lock still attached, the knife-wielding individual would deliver a full force boot to the door, nearly kicking it off the hinges.

The man behind the door who had been flung to the ground had hit his head on the banister, and the woman who sat atop the stairs began to scramble. The invader delivered another swift kick to the head of the man before crawling up the steps at incredible speeds, coming upon the woman well before she could reach the phone. The invader, laughing, held the knife not a centimeter from her eye, obviously reveling in her fear. The invader then waved the knife, indicating for the woman to go downstairs.

After some time, the invader had managed to not only put the door back in place and lock it, seal all the windows and draw the curtains, and tie up the couple - the man's head now bleeding profusely while he drifted in and out of consciousness, but also made themselves a drink at the couple's minibar. The woman sat shaking, bound to her husband yet oblivious to his actions. "Who are you?" She asked, drawing the attention of the invader.

"Who am I? What do I want? Why am I doing this? Why you? ...does that pretty much cover it?" The invader asked, slinking over to the woman, now face-to-mask with her. The woman nodded, and the invader took a seat cross-legged in front of her. "Well lady, lemme ask you this: Who are YOU? The hell do YOU want? Why are you wasting YOUR time? And finally: why the heck NOT you?" The woman looked confused and began to shake. Violently. "I'll tell you who the hell I am, you piece of human gar---" The woman would stop in the middle of her next word. She realized the invader's hand had been raised, and now her vision in her left eyes was gone. Realizing what they'd done, she'd watch as the invader signaled her to "shoosh" with one finger. "Call me human again and see what you...or he...lose next. Capiche?" They then giggled and pulled the knife back, letting the woman see her own eye fall from the blade into her lap.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" The man roared, managing to struggle free of one hand restraint. He'd grab the invader weakly by the pant leg and try to wiggle further free. The invader...was amused. They not only laughed, but cut the man free entirely before throwing the woman, now in shock, on to the couch leaving just the semi-conscious man and the invader. "Leave...leave her ALONE!" The man roared again while picking up a nearby baseball bat. The invader with knife in hand began to snicker and creep ever so slowly back towards the woman. "Or what? You'll beat me to death with that carved stick? C'mon big man, now's your time! Now is the advent of that hero dwelling deep inside!"

The man rushed at the invader, swinging wildly only to have the invader sidestep him and drift behind him, planting the knife into his right shoulder. As the man screamed, they'd cover the man's mouth and twist the knife. "No screaming! It's ******** RUDE!" Warned the invader before ripping out their knife and jumping backwards off of the man's back. Suddenly, the invader would slump to the floor, having been hit from behind by the woman with a gold club. "Don't lecture us on what's rude, you wretch!" She cried as she, and now her husband, took turns beating on the seemingly lifeless mass at their feet.

Once the couple had beaten to invader into a bloody mess, they both dropped their weapons and embraced one another in victory. The man looked to the woman and burst into tears upon seeing her missing eye, and the woman realized that man's head was cracked. "How are you even moving?!" She questioned. "Oh I'm sure it's not as bad as it looks...but you! My god..." The man didn't know what to do to help. "Call the police!" She instructed. "Right, you go get the neighbors!"

And so they departed, the husband into the kitchen and the woman out the front door. As the woman returned with their neighbors, they looked upon the spot that was formerly occupied by the invader...now just a bloody stain. And their stood the man in the doorway of the kitchen, watching the news program as the reporter explained the grizzly details of the murders. "The killer, dubbed The Puppet Master..." - "I wonder how they got that name?" Asked the man in a distorted voice. He'd fold his arms - sloppily - and shake his head side to side.

"...Where is the body, Marv?" Asked the woman. The man, now dubbed Marv, would look to her and grin a creepy grin, almost inhuman. "Well wouldn't you like to know Betty! You WRETCH!" He roared. The woman, now dubbed Betty, shook her head and looked to her neighbors. "Run...RUN NOW!" She roared before the door would slam shut, each lock seemingly bolting itself. The neighbors would each run for the door, trying to unlock it while Betty looked at Marv, her hand on her mouth. "My God...what did you do to him?" She asked.

"Because why nor, Betty? Why not take advantage of your blatant ignorance; it's like you've never seen a damn horror movie! I mean SERiousLY! Who the hell leaves the killer all alone?! But hey...if you want Marv...come n' get em'!" Spoke Marv, his arms first falling to his side, then raising up as if for a hug, his fingers curling to beckon to Betty. Betty shook her head and stepped backwards. "No..." She cried. "Come to me Bets, come give me a hug and this will all be over..." Beckoned Marv once more. "No." She spoke, taking another step back. This time Marv's arms' fell to his side. The neighbors would now join Betty and try to convince her to run. There would be a brief moment of eerie silence...followed by Marv shrieking and running forward, tackling everyone to the ground and biting chunks out of Betty. This would cause the neighbors to pick up the bat and golf club and proceed to beat on Marv.

Soon enough the door would burst open, militia men entering with guns drawn to see a lifeless Betty beneath a now pleading Marv, just before the weapons could be brought down on Marva again, the men would fire, shooting the neighbors repeatedly. Marv now lay at Death's door, his dead wife beneath him, his neighbors cold bodies atop him.

And down the street, nearly skipping around the lights in the night, was the masked invader, knife in hand. Laughing.

---Epilogue---

"Marv? Are you there, Marv?" Asked the doctor, a resident of the psychiatric ward. "I'm here..." He responded without looking at the doctor. "I need you to look at me, Marvin. We've been practicing making eye contact, so let's give it a try." Marv sighed and looked the doctor in the eyes. Instead of the doctor's old, grizzled, white-haired face, Marv instead saw the mask of a plague doctor. "Why are you wearing that hideous thing? Take it OFF!" Marv ordered. The doctor sighed and looked to the orderly. "Increase his medication for the day. I fear we're making little, if any, progress with this poor man."

Marv scoffed and looked away, out the window. And there, in the window's reflection of the room he saw the invader in all their masked glory. The invader sat atop the doctor's chair, knife twirling on their finger. And Marv...smiled. The doctor took notice of the grin and tilted his head. "Marvin, are you alright?" Marv looked to the doctor, and with a smile he nodded. "I think I'll be OK. By the way doc, I like the mustache." The doctor smiled and looked back to the orderly. "Never mind on that increase, I think our friend Marv just needed a moment." Marv and doctor met eye to eye, and while the doctor saw a kind yet troubled man, Marv saw a man in peril from the unseen invader now perched atop his bookcase, knife in hand...