A Night Alone

A Night Alone(Matthew Haddad) 'KNOCK KNOCK'

"OK HONEY, YOUR DAD AND I ARE GOING OUT TO DINNER TONIGHT, SO MAKE SURE YOU LOCK UP, EAT WELL AND GO TO BED IF WE ARE LATE" SAID MY MOM PUTTING ON HER COAT AT THE DOOR. "YEAH YEAH, I GOT THIS" I SAID. "I LEFT SOME MONEY ON THE TABLE IF YOU WANT TO ORDER SOMETHING" SAID MY DAD GOING OUTSIDE. "LOVE YOU" SAID MY MOM KISSING MY FOREHEAD. THEN SHE LEFT. I WATCHED MY PARENTS CAR LEAVE THE DRIVEWAY AND DISAPPEAR DOWN THE STREET. I THEN SHUT THE DOOR AND LOCKED IT. I THEN WALKED INTO THE KITCHEN AND DIALED ROMANS PIZZA DELIVERY FROM THE WALL PHONE. AFTER I ORDERED THE PIZZA I WALKED OVER TO THE SITTING ROOM AND SWITCHED ON THE TV. IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE I HEARD INTENSE KNOCKING ON THE FRONT DOOR. I SLOWLY WALKED TO THE LONG WINDOW THAT WAS BESIDE THE DOOR, PULLED THE CURTAIN SLIGHTLY AND PEEPED OUT. IT WAS THE PIZZA DELIVERY GUY. SO I OPENED THE DOOR AND LET HIM IN. "NICE PLACE YOU GOT HERE" HE SAID. "THANKS" I REPLIED. "YOU ALONE?" HE ASKED IN A LOW TONE. I NODDED AND WALKED TOWARDS THE KITCHEN TO GET THE MONEY MY DAD HAD LEFT ME. BY THE TIME I GOT BACK, THE MAN WAS GONE AND THE FRONT DOOR WAS SHUT. "HELLO?!" I SHOUTED. BUT THERE WAS NO REPLY. I WALKED SLOWLY FURTHER INTO THE LIVING ROOM AND THEN HEARD SOMETHING BEHIND ME. I TURNED AROUND ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT THE PIZZA DELIVERY GUY WAS HOLDING ME AT GUN POINT. "SHUT UP" HE SAID STERNLY. I HAD NO INTENTION TO RUN BECAUSE I KNEW THE OUTCOME. I WAS THEN HIT ON MY HEAD, HARD, AND THE NEXT THING I KNEW I WOKE UP IN WHAT SEEMED TO BE A WAREHOUSE. THERE WAS HAY ALL AROUND AND THERE WERE NO WINDOWS. I SAT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HOUSE, TIED UP TO A CHAIR. MY HANDS WERE TIED BEHIND ME AND MY MOUTH WAS GAGGED WITH A WHITE CLOTH. IT WAS HOT AND SWEAT DRIPPED DOWN MY FACE. THEN, FOOTSTEPS WERE TO BE HEARD BEHIND ME. SLOW YET INTENSE. "IF YOU WANT TO GO BACK HOME, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS GIVE US YOUR PARENTS CONTACT NUMBER" CAME A GRUFF VOICE. THEN, SUDDENLY, THE CLOTH THAT GAGGED MY MOUTH WAS REMOVED. "WHY?" I ASKED AS SOON AS I CAUGHT MY BREATH. "NO QUESTIONS, ONLY ANSWERS" REPLIED THE VOICE. "FINE, IF YOU WANT THE NUMBER, TAKE IT DOWN, 0832353280." I SAID. I THEN HEARD BEEPS OF A CELL PHONE. "HI, IS THIS MR EVANS?" ASKED THE GRUFF VOICED MAN OVER THE PHONE BEHIND ME. "AH, YES. YOUR SON GAVE US THE RIGHT NUMBER... WHAT DO I MEAN? WELL, LET'S JUST PUT IT LIKE THIS, I'M HOLDING YOUR SON HOSTAGE AND I DEMAND 5 MILLION DOLLARS TO RELEASE HIM! WHAT'S THAT? YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME? OK THEN, JUST LISTEN TO YOUR LITTLE BOYS HELPLESS CRY'S." A HAND THEN APPEARED IN FRONT OF MY FACE HOLDING A CELL PHONE. I LOOKED TO THE SIDE FROM WHICH THE HAND APPEARED AND SAW THE SAME GUY WHO PREVIOUSLY HELD ME AT GUN POINT. "SCREAM" HE TOLD ME. I REFUSED TO DO IT. HE THEN SHOOK HIS HEAD, TOOK OUT A KNIFE AND WALKED BACK BEHIND ME. I THEN FELT A PIERCING PAIN AT THE BACK OF MY NECK AND I BEGAN TO SCREAM. "DID YOU HEAR THAT MR EVANS? WELL, SO YOU AGREE? OK THEN, BRING US THE 5 MILLION DOLLARS ALONE AND WE WILL SET JAKE FREE." CONTINUED THE VOICE. "YOU MONSTER, MY DAD WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU FOR THIS!" I SAID. ALL I HEARD WAS A SHORT LAUGH AND THEN A DOOR SHUT. AND ONCE AGAIN, I WAS ALONE. 'I HOPE EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE OK. MY PARENTS WILL BE REALLY MAD AT ME FOR BRINGING A STRANGER INTO THE HOUSE' I THOUGHT.

IT SEEMED LIKE HOURS WENT BY AND I WAS STILL ALONE. NOT A SOUND WAS TO BE HEARD AND I BEGAN TO WORRY. MY STOMACH RUMBLED WITH HUNGER. 'WHY AM I NOT FREE YET? ARE MY PARENTS ON THEIR WAY TO RESCUE ME? WHY CAN'T I HEAR POLICE SIRENS?' ALL THESE THOUGHTS FLOODED MY HEAD AS THE TIME PASSED BY. I ATTEMPTED MANY TIMES TO FREE MY HANDS FROM THE ROPES BEHIND ME, BUT ALL IN VAIN. THEY WERE TIED TOO TIGHT. I WAS ABSOLUTELY HELPLESS. THEN, SUDDENLY FROM BEHIND, THE DOOR BLASTED OPEN. A GUN WAS THEN BEING HELD AT MY HEAD. "YOUR DAD SAID HE IS ON HIS WAY, LET ME TELL YOU, IF HE HAS COMPANY, YOU'RE A GONER" SAID THE MAN. WE THEN WAITED IN SILENCE FOR A FEW MOMENTS. AND THEN FINALLY, THE NOISE OF A POLICE CHOPPER ABOVE THE WAREHOUSE WAS TO BE HEARD. "I WARNED YOU AND YOUR FATHER!" SAID THE MAN ANGRILY. A GUN TRIGGER WAS THE LAST THING I EVER HEARD...