Chapter 6
Cody was off the bed faster than the blink of an eye. He grabbed his jeans and pulled them on as he left his room. Phoebe followed him down the stairs.
"What's wrong?" she asked, feeling stupid as she realized Cody wouldn't know.
"I'm not sure," he said as he leaped off the last few steps left.
Phoebe heard Maria scream once more and she heard an unfamiliar, hoarse voice.
"Mom?" Cody yelled. He looked around and sprinted into the kitchen.
Phoebe ran after him but stopped when she saw an unfamiliar person. She could tell it was a male. He was dressed in black and looked about 6'3. His face was covered with a black mask.
The intruder was trying to get a hold of something. Phoebe squinted and saw that there was a small black pouch in Maria's hands. The man was trying to snatch it off Maria. Maria's face was smudged with blood.
Cody ran up to the strange man and grabbed him from the back of his neck. The man let out a little scream before letting go of Maria. Cody turned the man around and kneed him in the guts. The man grunted with pain. Cody lifted his fist and punched the man's nose. Phoebe heard the bones shatter. Cody lifted the man up and body slammed him hard. The stranger coughed out blood through the mouth hole of the mask. Cody kicked him hard. The man grabbed Cody's foot and pulled one of his socks off. The unknown person then pushed Cody away and he stumbled two steps back. In that time, the trespasser got up and headed towards the window. Cody sprinted after him. Cody grabbed the man's shirt and pulled him back. Cody kicked the man again and again until his body lay still on the ground.
Shock was written all over Phoebe's face. Her hands were covering her mouth which was wide open. Cody looked at Phoebe and all the anger in his eyes disappeared.
"Guess you're not the only one who took self-defense classes," he said, trying to make a joke.
"Mom? Are you all right?" he asked as he rushed up to his mom.
"Don't worry, it's just a small cut. The man wanted to get my...jewelry," Maria explained.
"Jewelry? All this over a bunch of rings?" Cody asked in disbelief.
"They were the gold ones your father gave to me," Maria said but her eyes were trying to say something else. Cody apprehended.
"Oh," was all he said.
Just then the front door came crushing in. Phoebe looked back and saw a man in his late twenties. He had a baseball bat. The man frantically looked around.
"Is everything all right? I heard screaming," the man said as his gaze fell on Phoebe. "Oh, don't worry. I got her!"
The man ran towards Phoebe with the baseball bat. He had dark hair and dark eyes. Phoebe shrieked. As the man came closer, Phoebe kicked the baseball bat out of his hand.
"No, you don't!" he yelled and grabbed Phoebe's neck.
Phoebe screamed. The man had his arms wrapped around Phoebe's neck. He was trying to strangle her.
"This here, is a peaceful neighbourhood! We don't want you criminals breaking in!" he yelled as he pushed Phoebe onto the ground, hard.
Cody looked amused. He was trying to hold back his laughter but he couldn't anymore. He cracked up when he saw his neighbour strangling Phoebe. He found it funny and didn't want to interfere.
Pain surged through Phoebe's body as her head came in contact with the cold tiles. She heard Cody laughing and Maria telling him to shut up and help her. Cody was literally rolling on the floor laughing his head off. Cody stopped laughing as soon as he saw the man grab the baseball bat.
