vacant.
"I have a field trip, and I really want to go. I think it's the week after, so cool."
"How much is it?"
"Thirty pounds, that okay?"
"I'm sure we can stretch the purse strings a little." Carla smiled.
"Thanks, Mum." Dani drummed her fingers on the bannister.
Carla frowned. "You okay, honey?"
"Yeah…yeah, nothing I can't handle."
"Okay. If you need a chat…"
"Yeah, yeah. I know. Thanks though, for the trip. I'm looking forward to it."
The doorbell rang. Carla stood up and checked her watch. "My, that was quick." She ambled over to the door. Teddy ran over to the stairs and started to harass his sister. "Hey, it's dobber boffin face."
"Seriously? Go away, squirt ."
" Never , I'm here to harass you until…"
BLAM .
Carla's shredded body flew across the living room and smashed into the TV, knocking it to the ground with a huge crash. The attached cables wrenched boxes and units from the shelf above, sending them toppling to the wooden floor. One bounced off the dying woman's face with a violent clonk. Blood sprayed and sluiced in all directions from a multitude of ragged holes in her tattered torso. Blood frothed from her mouth and a loud gargle signaled her final throe.
Dennis stood up, dropping his book. Dani and Teddy turned their heads to the chaos in horror. Dani stepped to the bottom of the stairs, pulling her brother behind her. Dennis looked at his kids. "Get Teddy out of here."
A huge man stepped through the front door. He was dressed entirely in black, from his suit, to his balaclava and gloves. Even the shotgun in his hands was gleaming and charcoal coloured. He looked like a modernized version of Death, his scythe replaced by a pump action shotgun. His boots crunched on the shattered glass, signaling his arrival.
He turned to Teddy and Dani and lifted the gun.
Dennis ran over from the left and swung a fist. His punch smacked the intruder in the face. The giant move sideways, dropping the gun. Dennis, realising time was tight, turned to his children once more. "Get out! Go! Take the car and run! "
Dennis turned back to the man before him. He buckled as the man crashed a giant fist into his ribs, and head-butted him, shattering three teeth and slicing his tongue. His gum ripped, filling his mouth with warm blood. Dennis fell backwards, crimson spooling from his damaged mouth. He looked at Dani, pleading, gurgling. "Go…"
Dani pushed Teddy up the stairs, propelled by absolute fear. "Teddy, go. My room, now."
"What about the car?"
"Not now, go !"
"Upstairs is stupid; I've seen enough movies to know that!"
She realised it was a stupid move, but she needed to get the key and she wasn’t about to leave her brother alone. Between a rock and a black-clad psychopath. " Just fucking go ."
Teddy sprinted up the stairs, stumbling on the top stair as it appeared too quickly for his small feet. He rounded the hallway and ran above Dani's head. Dani followed slowly, keeping an eye on her father. He was fighting off the intruder. Torn between saving her father and her brother, Dani groaned and climbed the stairs.
Teddy was standing in his doorway. "Dani, quick, in here." Dani ran towards him, her eyes wide. She motioned to her brother. "We should go to my room; we can climb out of the window. It's next to the garage."
Teddy looked past her, watching the stairs with serious concern. "Or, we can hide in my den. He'll never find us in there."
Dani stopped, saying nothing. After a second, she realised it was a brilliant idea. She needed to do one thing first. She held up a finger, indicating for her brother to wait a second, and ran into her room. With a shuffle of the wrist, she unlatched her window and pushed it wide open, into the cool, evening air. She knocked a few books to the floor, making it look like they'd escaped through the window. She hurried back to the hallway and watched the stairs.
A gunshot rang out, crippling her confidence. It was followed by a loud thump as something heavy hit
"I have a field trip, and I really want to go. I think it's the week after, so cool."
"How much is it?"
"Thirty pounds, that okay?"
"I'm sure we can stretch the purse strings a little." Carla smiled.
"Thanks, Mum." Dani drummed her fingers on the bannister.
Carla frowned. "You okay, honey?"
"Yeah…yeah, nothing I can't handle."
"Okay. If you need a chat…"
"Yeah, yeah. I know. Thanks though, for the trip. I'm looking forward to it."
The doorbell rang. Carla stood up and checked her watch. "My, that was quick." She ambled over to the door. Teddy ran over to the stairs and started to harass his sister. "Hey, it's dobber boffin face."
"Seriously? Go away, squirt ."
" Never , I'm here to harass you until…"
BLAM .
Carla's shredded body flew across the living room and smashed into the TV, knocking it to the ground with a huge crash. The attached cables wrenched boxes and units from the shelf above, sending them toppling to the wooden floor. One bounced off the dying woman's face with a violent clonk. Blood sprayed and sluiced in all directions from a multitude of ragged holes in her tattered torso. Blood frothed from her mouth and a loud gargle signaled her final throe.
Dennis stood up, dropping his book. Dani and Teddy turned their heads to the chaos in horror. Dani stepped to the bottom of the stairs, pulling her brother behind her. Dennis looked at his kids. "Get Teddy out of here."
A huge man stepped through the front door. He was dressed entirely in black, from his suit, to his balaclava and gloves. Even the shotgun in his hands was gleaming and charcoal coloured. He looked like a modernized version of Death, his scythe replaced by a pump action shotgun. His boots crunched on the shattered glass, signaling his arrival.
He turned to Teddy and Dani and lifted the gun.
Dennis ran over from the left and swung a fist. His punch smacked the intruder in the face. The giant move sideways, dropping the gun. Dennis, realising time was tight, turned to his children once more. "Get out! Go! Take the car and run! "
Dennis turned back to the man before him. He buckled as the man crashed a giant fist into his ribs, and head-butted him, shattering three teeth and slicing his tongue. His gum ripped, filling his mouth with warm blood. Dennis fell backwards, crimson spooling from his damaged mouth. He looked at Dani, pleading, gurgling. "Go…"
Dani pushed Teddy up the stairs, propelled by absolute fear. "Teddy, go. My room, now."
"What about the car?"
"Not now, go !"
"Upstairs is stupid; I've seen enough movies to know that!"
She realised it was a stupid move, but she needed to get the key and she wasn’t about to leave her brother alone. Between a rock and a black-clad psychopath. " Just fucking go ."
Teddy sprinted up the stairs, stumbling on the top stair as it appeared too quickly for his small feet. He rounded the hallway and ran above Dani's head. Dani followed slowly, keeping an eye on her father. He was fighting off the intruder. Torn between saving her father and her brother, Dani groaned and climbed the stairs.
Teddy was standing in his doorway. "Dani, quick, in here." Dani ran towards him, her eyes wide. She motioned to her brother. "We should go to my room; we can climb out of the window. It's next to the garage."
Teddy looked past her, watching the stairs with serious concern. "Or, we can hide in my den. He'll never find us in there."
Dani stopped, saying nothing. After a second, she realised it was a brilliant idea. She needed to do one thing first. She held up a finger, indicating for her brother to wait a second, and ran into her room. With a shuffle of the wrist, she unlatched her window and pushed it wide open, into the cool, evening air. She knocked a few books to the floor, making it look like they'd escaped through the window. She hurried back to the hallway and watched the stairs.
A gunshot rang out, crippling her confidence. It was followed by a loud thump as something heavy hit
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