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Night of Murder
Sharon woke with a start, bolting up right. She strained her ears.
Her husband Fredrick sat abruptly beside her. Sharon caught sight of her reflection beside her bed. Her bleach blonde hair was sticking out all over the place, with bags beneath her tired eyes. Her husband too was a mess. His ginger hair stood out on all ends, and his stubble had begun to look untidy. His eyes too, had heavy bags beneath them.
“I think someone just broke in,” she whispered with a squeak.
Fred nodded. “You go and get a weapon; I’ll go and get the kids and call the police.”
Sharon swallowed hard. “All right.” I’ll grab a couple of weapons and deal with them- just keep the girls calm. Vicky and Sabrina will freak out if they find out otherwise.”
She slipped on her bathrobe over her night gown and crept down the stairs.
Sharon sneaked into the kitchen and quietly pulled open the draw. She slipped a meat cleaver into her sock, and grabbed a pair of scissors. The door opened. She jumped and spun around, slamming the door closed. Swallowing hard, she slipped the scissors into her pocket.
“Welcome to the party,” the man growled. “Come and join your husband and children in the living room.”
She shakily led the way and found Fredrick and kids on the fabric blue sofa.
“Did you do it in time?” she asked him quietly. Fredrick gave her a small nod. “Kids ok- they didn’t hurt them, did they?”
Fredrick shook his head. “The kids are fine.”
“Mummy, Daddy; who are these men? Why are they in our house?” Sabrina questioned worriedly.
Fredrick whispered back to them. “They’re just here for a bit- they won’t be around for very long.”
“Do they want a late night drink too, Mummy?” Vicky asked innocently.
Sharon cleared her throat, “I don’t think they’re thirsty babe. They’re probably just being a bit naughty- and hiding from their Mum and Dad.”
Sharon turned her attention to Fredrick, speaking calmly and very softly so not to frighten the children.
“I got what I needed. But I am going to have to get you and the kids out of the way- it might get chaotic in here- and I don’t fancy you and the kids watching me get murdered by these people.”
She looked around, observing the captors. They were both armed. each holding a Gluck and what appeared to be a modified water pistol. It was green and yellow, and looked as though it was a mere toy.
“Are those… plastic guns?” she chided.
The bigger man; who appeared to be the one in charge, sniggered. He had a full grown beard with black greying hair.
He was a frumpy man, growling as he glared at her. “Do you really want to find out?”
“How about firing a shot at the floor; see if it fires big boy bullets or wimpy water.”
The man grinned, eagerly wanting to use his gun. He lowered his weapon and pointed the nozzle to the floor.
“-Wait!” Fredrick yelped. “Can I take my kids out in the garden; they shouldn’t see this…”
The bearded man grunted his approval. Fredrick wasted no time and hastily encouraged the girls out into the cool dark garden, grabbing their coats in front of the door.
Fred grabbed two watering cans and encouraged the girls to give the flowers a late night drink.
The accomplice followed Fred and the children outside, checking his gun was still in the holster.
The boss sneered, watching as the bald, medium built, tattooed man stood guard.
The bearded boss returned his attention to Sharon.
He aimed his gun and fired. The loud bang rang through the house.
Sharon screamed, jumping out of the way.
The man burst out laughing, and fired another shot.
Sharon screamed again, backing away from the gunman. She had to waste his bullets.\par
“You’re crazy!” she shrieked and ran for the stairs. The gunman followed her, jumping two stairs at a time.
Sharon rushed behind her bedroom door, pulling the scissors from her bathrobe pocket.\par
Her heart pounded. Her hands shook and her legs struggled to refrain from collapsing. \par
Seeing her shadow on the wall, the bearded, frumpy man fired another shot, missing her head by half an inch.
Screaming she backed herself into a corner. She shook, tears rolled down her face in terror. She had failed to keep her family safe. He grinned, aiming the gun again. He pulled the trigger. Closing her eyes tightly, she waited for death.
“Bollocks!” the man growled. She opened her eye, watching as he threw down his toyish gun and pulled out the Gluck.
Temporarily distracted, he checked to make sure his gun was loaded.
She slipped the knife out from her sock and aimed, and waited. Noticing movement, he straightened up with a menacing grin.
She took her shot, throwing the blade right at him. He screamed, holding the blade. Blood poured down his face, screaming as the blade embedded in his eye. Growling, in agonizing pain, he pulled the blade from his eye. He screamed again. Taking no chances, she dived for his gun and went back into her corner. He stared horrified; the eye ball had been torn from his socket.
“You bitch!” he snarled. “You’ll pay for that.”
Glaring at her, he suddenly realized that she had his gun. She aimed, and gave him an icy smile.
“You should have picked another house,” she told him, and pulled the trigger. The shot went wide, missing his head by a generous foot. The man laughed, mocking her. She adjusted her aim and pulled the trigger again. His laughter stopped abruptly and he slumped backward against the blood splattered wall.
The bullet had hit his head, a little left of the center.
Swallowing hard and shaking violently, she slowly approached the corpse and took the Gluck from his dead, slack hand.
Gaining her posture, her heart pounded against her chest. She descended down the stairs shakily, and headed for the garden.
The sunrise reflected through the misty garden windows.
The bald, tattooed accomplice watched as Fredrick and the girls admired the yellow and the white roses.
Sharon raised the Gluck and cleared her throat.
The man turned around, momentarily surprised. Seeing the Gluck, his surprise turned to horror.
He reached for his own weapon. Taking no chances, Sharon pulled the trigger. The loud bang broke the silence and frightened off the nearby birds. Fredrick jumped in alarm, immediately pulling the girls behind him.
The girls screamed and clinged to their father’s legs in terror.
The bald man opened his mouth, allowing a fountain of blood to pool out, joining with the blood pouring out of his throat.
He choked, coughing up blood as he tried to put pressure on the lethal wound. Sputtering, he collapsed to the floor, convulsing and then finally laid still. Swallowing hard, shaking violently, she hugged her family.
“Thank god, you three are unharmed. Listen, I’m likely to go to prison for killing those men. You will come visit me, won’t you?”
Fredrick nodded with a small smile. “You’re a heroine- course we will.”
The door opened behind them with a bang. Sharon spun around, Gluck still in hand.
It was the police. Relieved, she lowered her weapon.
“I’ve got to go now,” she said to Fredrick and her daughters.
The girls hugged their mum, planting a kiss on each cheek.
“Be good for your daddy.”
Finally turning her attention to the police, she shook her head sadly.
“You’re too late. Our captors are already dead. This one here was the accomplice, and the boss man is upstairs in the master bedroom.”
Without another word, Sharon led the police out of their home.
She arrived at the police station in handcuffs. The Gluck had been taken from her, and the forensic team had been called to go back to the house to collect the rest of the evidence.
The room was small and dank. The officers had allowed her to drink a small cup of tap water.
Slowly, she began to give her statement.
End
Kris Charles - Author 