Luke

The Year is 2000, the Millennium. After arriving home from school, he took a drink up to his bedroom as he usually did, where he would endeavor to finish his homework before the evening meal. However, this afternoon, his usual after school tranquility was interrupted by loud screams and shouting from somewhere downstairs in the house. He was concerned enough to get up from his studies and go to investigate what was going on. As he got to the bottom step he realized that the screams were coming from the cellar. Looking down from the top of the stairs that lead down to the cellar, he couldn’t believe what was happening in front of his eyes, the terrible scene he was witnessing, he was unable to force himself to watch anymore…all the blood and the screaming was too much to bear. He had unwittingly put both hands over his mouth to restrain himself from screaming out aloud. He knew he would be next if he was caught, but the doors to the outside had been locked and the keys removed, he couldn’t get out so he had to hide. He went as quietly as he could back up the stairs and higher, up to the attic, then he locked himself in and removed the key. Holding onto it so tightly that he drew blood from his palm, while he hid behind the toy chest, shaking wildly but trying to control his tears and his breathing so as not to be heard. The screams from downstairs turned to deathly silence, and he knew that the knife wielding monster in the mask would be looking for him next. Several silent minutes past before he heard a creak on the stairs, and he knew it was only a matter of time. He took a deep breath and held onto it. The door handle rattled, and then there was loud banging on the door. Then it was silent again. A minute or so later he heard a noise from downstairs like a door slamming. Had he gone? He waited and waited for what seemed like hours, feeling as though he had held his breath all the waiting time. Now he knew that he had to get out somehow, but was the madman still in the house? ‘Surely he would have made a run for it by now!’ He thought. Moving like a cat across the creaky wooden floorboards he managed to put the key in the attic door lock without a sound. There was only a faint click, as he controlled the turn of the key and unlocked the door. Turning the doorknob he opened the door an inch so that he could look down the stairs to the landing. The way was clear, but he hesitated before stepping out onto the short staircase and down onto the main landing. It was still clear and quiet, so he proceeded down the main flight of stairs reaching the bottom without a sound. He tried the big wooden front door. It was still locked, so he looked through the kitchen to the backdoor, which led to the back garden. He could see the key in the door, and assumed that the man must have gone, slamming the door behind him. He tiptoed across the room; it was his only means of escape now. Reaching out he turned the handle to open the door, sure enough it was unlocked, but as he began to quietly open the door, a hand the size of a shovel and with a vice like grip covered his nose and mouth. A strong arm encircled him around his waist and picked him up off the ground, squeezing the life out of him. He kicked and struggled, but couldn’t draw another breath before the darkness came over him...