June.”
“Hello, Mister Harington, are you okay?”
“Yeah, apart from not being able to see shit.”
“Have you seen my mom?”
“Is it safe to come out?”
“Yeah, it’s fine. I said, have you seen my mom?”
Mister Harington stepped into the corridor, carrying a flashlight of his own, we both angled them so they didn’t blind us. He was an old man, painfully thin and with more wrinkles than a baseball glove; he was in shorts and a white shirt that had more stains than Alec’s bed sheets.
“Sorry, son, I haven’t seen her.”
“Damn it.”
“Don’t worry, kid. I’m sure she’s fine. Have you tried the elevators? If the power is out, she might be stuck in one.”
“I didn’t think of that. Shit, she hates being trapped in small spaces.”
“You kids got any idea what’s going on here?”
“Not a clue. Is your cell down too?”
“I don’t have one, son. The main phone line is down, though. Did you catch any news on the TV before the power went?”
“Nothing.”
“Alec, why are you wearing a skirt?”
“Oh, I was … I was … we were going to a comic book convention. This is my cosplay.”
“It ain’t Halloween, son. It’s getting closer to Christmas. Do you have the wrong holiday season? I did that once. I showed up to my nephew’s Easter party dressed as a vampire, terrified the poor kid, he still wets the bed because of it.”
“Do you think it’s a terrorist attack?”
“I wouldn’t put it past the bastards. Pardon my language, June. I shouldn’t be cursing in front of a lady.”
“Don’t sweat it, Mister Harington.”
“I know,” he said. “I have a radio, battery operated, maybe we can get a signal, on that. Why don’t you kids come in here and we’ll try. I’ll look after you. I’m trying to get in your mom’s good books, since I dinged her car.”
“That was you?”
“Yeah, don’t panic, I’m planning on telling her. I just want to get her liking me a little more first.”
“You’re adorable, she’ll take it easy on you,” I added with a smile.
“Thank you, missy. If I was twenty years younger … well, I’d still be too old, but I do like a lady with meat on her bones, since when did everyone get so damn skinny. Don’t you go doing that.” I rolled my eyes and cursed him under my breath.
A black-shadowed object blurred into view from Mister Harington’s apartment. It enveloped the old man and snatched him backward. He was gone in an instant, his shoes still stood in the corridor. He’d been pulled right out of them. His door slammed shut. Alec and me jumped back.
Then the blood-curdling screams started.
BRAD
Sara held me into her chest. It felt good to be pressed up against her. My blood was still pumping but the adrenaline was gradually leaving, my shaking decreasing in intensity as it did. “Is he dead?” I asked, terrified of what the answer might be.
“I’m not sure. He isn’t moving.” She stroked my hair and made hush-hush noises. “You had no choice. He would have killed us both.” She answered a question I hadn’t asked. It was like she could read my mind.
“I could have stopped. There is always a choice.” I’d never killed anyone before. Hell, I’ve never done that much damage to someone before. Dealing with being a murderer, with jail time, would be too much for me to take. My load was too heavy as it was.
“It was self defense. You did what you teach us.” Her voice was soft, calm, and almost motherly. Why was she so calm? How could she be so calm, when I was a wreck? It was as if she’d dealt with that kinda thing before. That scared me and at the same time made me feel like a pussy, my testosterone didn’t care about the gravity of the situation. It only cared about impressing a girl it would seem.
“I still could have stopped.” I swallowed, my throat was raw, and then I took a deep breath. I could hear her heart through her chest; it was beating fast, but nowhere near the speed of mine. Her
“Hello, Mister Harington, are you okay?”
“Yeah, apart from not being able to see shit.”
“Have you seen my mom?”
“Is it safe to come out?”
“Yeah, it’s fine. I said, have you seen my mom?”
Mister Harington stepped into the corridor, carrying a flashlight of his own, we both angled them so they didn’t blind us. He was an old man, painfully thin and with more wrinkles than a baseball glove; he was in shorts and a white shirt that had more stains than Alec’s bed sheets.
“Sorry, son, I haven’t seen her.”
“Damn it.”
“Don’t worry, kid. I’m sure she’s fine. Have you tried the elevators? If the power is out, she might be stuck in one.”
“I didn’t think of that. Shit, she hates being trapped in small spaces.”
“You kids got any idea what’s going on here?”
“Not a clue. Is your cell down too?”
“I don’t have one, son. The main phone line is down, though. Did you catch any news on the TV before the power went?”
“Nothing.”
“Alec, why are you wearing a skirt?”
“Oh, I was … I was … we were going to a comic book convention. This is my cosplay.”
“It ain’t Halloween, son. It’s getting closer to Christmas. Do you have the wrong holiday season? I did that once. I showed up to my nephew’s Easter party dressed as a vampire, terrified the poor kid, he still wets the bed because of it.”
“Do you think it’s a terrorist attack?”
“I wouldn’t put it past the bastards. Pardon my language, June. I shouldn’t be cursing in front of a lady.”
“Don’t sweat it, Mister Harington.”
“I know,” he said. “I have a radio, battery operated, maybe we can get a signal, on that. Why don’t you kids come in here and we’ll try. I’ll look after you. I’m trying to get in your mom’s good books, since I dinged her car.”
“That was you?”
“Yeah, don’t panic, I’m planning on telling her. I just want to get her liking me a little more first.”
“You’re adorable, she’ll take it easy on you,” I added with a smile.
“Thank you, missy. If I was twenty years younger … well, I’d still be too old, but I do like a lady with meat on her bones, since when did everyone get so damn skinny. Don’t you go doing that.” I rolled my eyes and cursed him under my breath.
A black-shadowed object blurred into view from Mister Harington’s apartment. It enveloped the old man and snatched him backward. He was gone in an instant, his shoes still stood in the corridor. He’d been pulled right out of them. His door slammed shut. Alec and me jumped back.
Then the blood-curdling screams started.
BRAD
Sara held me into her chest. It felt good to be pressed up against her. My blood was still pumping but the adrenaline was gradually leaving, my shaking decreasing in intensity as it did. “Is he dead?” I asked, terrified of what the answer might be.
“I’m not sure. He isn’t moving.” She stroked my hair and made hush-hush noises. “You had no choice. He would have killed us both.” She answered a question I hadn’t asked. It was like she could read my mind.
“I could have stopped. There is always a choice.” I’d never killed anyone before. Hell, I’ve never done that much damage to someone before. Dealing with being a murderer, with jail time, would be too much for me to take. My load was too heavy as it was.
“It was self defense. You did what you teach us.” Her voice was soft, calm, and almost motherly. Why was she so calm? How could she be so calm, when I was a wreck? It was as if she’d dealt with that kinda thing before. That scared me and at the same time made me feel like a pussy, my testosterone didn’t care about the gravity of the situation. It only cared about impressing a girl it would seem.
“I still could have stopped.” I swallowed, my throat was raw, and then I took a deep breath. I could hear her heart through her chest; it was beating fast, but nowhere near the speed of mine. Her
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