text: I thought old people we're meant to be sweet and kind. My grandparents were sweet and kind so I just figured all old people were nice. When I started work in the care-home I thought it was going to be an easy job. I thought the old women would just be fussing over me trying to pinch my cheeks. And I thought the old men would be telling me their wartime stories and how lucky we whippersnappers had it. That didn't seem to be the case though. In the first week. I was spat on, punched, I had stuff tossed at me. One old bastard hit me on the forehead with a heavy ornament and I had to get stitches. They were relentless, mean old bullies, that got off on causing pain and suffering. Not all seemed bad. There seemed to be a gang of them, who sat around plotting on how to make people's lives miserable. Mr Jones was the leader of the gang. I would've loved to know where they got all their energy from. Mr Jones was 105 and he had the energy of a child and he was strong. I tried to get him to go to bed one night and he caught me in a chokehold and whispered in my ear. "Don't fuck with me boy or I will snap your neck like a twig." I'll be honest, I was really scared he was going to kill me but he just let go and laughed at me. "You're as pathetic as my dead son, " he shouted at me as he stood over me. It's the other old people I felt really sorry for. They ganged up on the more vulnerable old-timers. They had it in for one guy, poor Micheal. He got landed here a few days before I started. Nobody knew where he came from, he was just here one day. I was helping Micheal change his clothes after Mr Jones had thrown hot tea in his lap. Micheal turned and gave me a sorrowful look. "I'm not meant to be here, " he said to me. I looked at him confused. "What do you mean Micheal?" I asked. I'm not old. I'm not bloody old, " he cried. He grabbed my arm and looked me in the eye. "Ring my wife she will tell you, " he asked as tears rolled down his eyes. I really started to feel sorry for him. "What's your wife's name, Micheal?" I asked as he put his hand to his face. "I can't remember her name. Why am I here?" he asked as he became upset and confused. I put him to bed and went about checking on the other residents. As I'm doing the checks, I noticed the old gang of delinquents were missing. I searched everywhere for them and the only place I could think of was the cellar. I made my way down below and as I searched around I began to hear sobbing coming from the back of the cellar. I slowly made my way through the dark. The sobbing turned to pleas for help. I found a light and switched it on. The gang of old bastards were gathered around something. As I got closer I realised they had one of the staff members pinned to the ground. A young girl named Mary who had only started working here. "Get off her," I shouted. They all turned and hissed at me. They ran at me like wild dogs. They moved unnaturally on all fours, as they charged me. I started swinging and punching like a mad man, but they overpowered me. And before I knew it, I woke up in the cellar and everyone was gone. Including Mary the young girl, they were attacking. I phoned management to complain or tell them to do something about these old creatures. But they didn't want to hear it. Later on, that night when I got home I couldn't stop thinking about what they were trying to do that young girl. I even questioned my own sanity. "Did I really see what I saw? Course I didn't, weird shit just doesn't exist." I said to myself. I was making something to eat when I heard something moving around in my back garden. I grabbed a hockey stick I kept lying around for safety reasons and made my way to the back garden. I cautiously looked around. My heart was going a million miles a minute. I heard giggling coming from the large oak tree in my back. When I looked up I was horrified by what I saw. "What the fuck Mrs Janette? What the hell are you doing up there?" Why aren't you back at the care-home?" I screamed angrily. She looked at me and just giggled before lunging from the tree down on top of me. She hit me hard, knocking me off my feet as she landed on hers. I got to my feet as she made a run for me. I raised the hockey stick and hopped it off her head as she came at me, knocking her to the ground. She picked herself up and dusted herself off. She fled by jumping my fence. I tried to run after her, but I couldn't keep up with her, that old bitch ran faster than Usain Bolt. The next day back at work I tried my best to not let those old bastards get the best of me. Poor, Mary must've been too scared to come back to work as there was no sign of her all day. I slowly walked past Mrs Jannetts room as I made the daily checks. She was sitting on her bed silently staring at me with a sinister smile spread across her face. It was coming to the end of my shift and I was waiting for the late staff to take over. I couldn't wait to leave. The night staff were always late getting to work. As I waited patiently I heard a scream come from Micheals room. I thought he was hurt so I ran straight into his room and the next thing I knew I was waking up in the cellar with a pounding headache. Two of the old creatures were holding me down as Mr Jones stood over. "You don't get to my age and still be this active by just drinking prune juice if you know what I mean, " he said as he smirked down at me. He pulled out a strange-looking knife. Mr Jones and the rest of the creatures started chanting some kind of nonsense. I screamed at them to let me go. I struggled and struggled but they were too strong for me. Mr Jones sliced his hand with the blade, showering me his blood. Mr Jones looked around at all the other old bastards. "This one's mine, " he smirked. And then he leaned in to kiss me. When I came around to my senses a searing pain shot through my body. My bones felt weak and they ached all over. I had a splitting headache. I was back in the t.v room and I was sitting in one of the recliners. My legs didn't work and I couldn't get up. I looked down at my hands and couldn't believe my eyes. Two off the late staff had already arrived. And came into where I was sitting. They looked at me and looked at each other. "Why is it when one staff member goes missing, they dump another senile old bastard on us? Come on let's get you to your room." The two carers picked me up by my arms. "I'm not meant to be here. I'm not old, I'm not old," I tried to shout, as they dragged me down the hall. "Save it for someone who cares, you old fart.