Hide In Darkness

No man shows greater love, then when a man lays down his life for his beloved
Circle - Flyleaf

Fear.

It is funny how fear makes every little detail so very prominent. It makes the heart beat faster and increases ones senses. Before fear takes hold one can never truly understand why blood is described with a copper stench, one cannot understand the feeling of true regret and one cannot comprehend the impending doom known as Death.

Two families best of friends. Mothers finding each other in the maternity ward, fathers playing golf together on the weekends, children growing together sharing secrets, building cubby houses and never once betraying the sanctity of the pinkie promise. Now, with a family out of home and nowhere to go, the other came to the rescue welcoming them into their home with open arms. Together they lived as one.

It was late one night when a knock at the door had awoken them from their slumber. They stumbled away from the warmth of their beds and her father answered the door. The instant the polished wood had opened a look of horror and disbelief flickered across his face disappearing seconds later when a deafening bang shattered the silence.

The pellets broke free from their casing, tearing into his skin and exiting from the other side. They dragged crimson coloured blood with them and he slumped to the ground in a heap, blood still seeping from his wounds. A gurgling noise escaped his mouth as the life slowly drained from him. A high pitched scream tore through a young woman's vocal cords, tears forming in her blue eyes as she watched her father take his last breath.

The stranger stepped through the doorway, walking over the lifeless form on the ground; a sinister smirk plastered on his face as he watched the terrified girl scream. She fled still screaming her terror. The others had awoken now. They flung their doors open and left their rooms with the intent of silencing the screaming girl.

They were unsuspecting. They were easy targets.

Another shot rang out though the night as another bullet escaped the gun. A scream of pain rang throughout the darkness. For only a moment the fleeing girl stopped and craned her neck to see who the next victim was. It was her mother. She was slumped against the wall, a smear of blood decorating the cream paint where she had hit the wall and slid down it. The mother looked towards her daughter and mouth the word 'run' however her daughter was frozen in the spot. Her teary eyes focused on her dying mother who was bleeding from a bullet wound to the chest.

The impact of the wound had not been enough to end her mother's life and the stranger sauntered over to the dying woman donning a sinister expression. He raised his shotgun and pointed it towards the mother for a second time. She tried to scream but no sound came out. Another shot sounded in the air as her life was brought to an end.  The daughter screamed again and the stranger was once again looking at her, a twisted smirk on his lips.

With a swirl of white silk, and platinum blond hair she was once again fleeing down the halls, her screams following her.  This time it was the family living with them that came to answer her terror filled screams, the three of them exited their rooms. Mother, father and son, ran from the safety of their rooms to be confronted by the double barrel shot gun clutched within the hands of the stranger.

A scream escaped the mothers mouth as her hazel eyes caught sight of the shotgun, surprise flickered across her young son's face before turning into fear. Why would this happen to them? What had they done wrong? There were so many questions going through their minds and yet they could find no answers.

"Warren?" The deep voice of the father broke through the silence, slicing into his thoughts and bringing him back to reality. The men looked to one another, their eyes locking and a silent message was conveyed. It was not a moment later that his hands found his friends and he had pulled her away from the room. They fled down the empty halls and headed for somewhere they could hide, the women still screaming while he was lost in waves of confusion and fear.

The father's voice called out to his wife, yelling for her to call the police and suddenly a shot followed, and then silence.

The duo continued to run even when they heard the father give a roar of heartbroken anguish and then another shot made steps falter. Now his parents were dead too.

Warren pulled Teagan into an empty room and slammed the door shut. Now trapped Teagan moved to the farthest corner of the room and curled into a ball making herself as small as possible. Warren dragged the bed and shoved it in front of the door, a barricade to prolong the inevitable. Warren grabbed Teagan by the upper arm and dragged her to her feet. She was terrified and stumbling, she fell into Warrens arms. Without much effort Warren pulled her into the wardrobe and shut the doors. They hid from the stranger hunting them.

"Quiet Teagan or he will hear us" Warren cooed, his attempts to placate the terrified woman in his arms proving futile, his words drowned out by her sobs.

He cradled her against his chest, running his hands through her hair and tried his best to stifle her cries. It was ironic, even as he looked death straight in the eyes, his heart still played games. How many years had he wished she cried on his shoulder just like this and let him comfort her? How many years had he wished to hold her in his arms as he rocked her in a soothing motion? How many years had he wished to tell her his feelings but was scared of rejection? He had always told himself that he should, before it is too late.  

To him it was love; unconditional and irrevocable. He should have been shutting the woman up, he should have been trying to escape at all cost, he should have been defending himself; yet he stayed by her side loyal to the end. There are many ways it could be described but in all honesty it was simple. Unconditional, unpredictable, unexpected, uncontrollable and unbearable; an enigma he would never fully know. For years they had been friends. They played in pre-school together, were best friends in primary school, bickered in middled school and flirted in high school. Then they parted for uni and the impossible was suddenly possible. They had missed each other and when they reunited it hit him hard. Teagan was the one for him.

"Teagan" He pulled her away from his chest and caught her chin between his fingers, looking straight into her tear filled eyes and hated himself. He could not tell her it was alright. He could not tell her they would live. He could not tell her he loved her.  With a heart of lead he leant forward and pressed his lips to hers, his right hand cradling her face as his finger became entangled in silky platinum blonde. He moved to encircled her in a fierce embrace and pulled her closer. Teagan tilted her head as he delved deep into her mouth tasting her every essence. Together in the closet they played in as children they shared their first and last kiss.

It was passionate, demanding, the kiss of two people that knew that wouldn't get another one. It was soft and sensual. Neither wishing to push the other but both wishing to hold onto the moment forever, eventually having to surface for air.

"Stay here, quiet as a mouse." Warren smiled down at Teagan and as another loud thump at the door resonated through the eerie quiet he placed a chaste kiss to her forehead and quietly exited the wardrobe. The fiend finally broke through the barricade and Teagan heard a crash followed by scuffling and grunting before the gun was fired.
Silence.

Too scared to move she listened but could only hear the panicked thrumming of her heart. And as the silence stretched out she worked up the courage to peek through the crack in the wardrobe door. There was no one in the room. It was dark and she saw the motionless leg of Warren lying on the floor. Without thinking Teagan dashed from her hiding place and was instantly snagged by her hair.

She struggled for a moment but with a final scream of terror was thrown against the wall; crumpled on her knees she asked the question being posed all.

"Why?" She felt the cool of the barrel press against her temple.

"Did you know that if you shoot someone with a 12 gauge shotgun on just the right angle." The man prodded her cheek again. "Their face will be unrecognisable!" Teagan let out a small whimper and repeated.

"Why?"

The man shrugged.

"Why do you wear a white night gown to bed?"

A piercing shot rang throughout the eerie silence as a shadow disappeared into the darkness.