The Family (VOL. 1)

Chapter 7

The blood drained from my cheeks and before I even knew what I was doing, my feet were pounding across the dining room floor. I could feel my eyes widen and pulse quicken, my heart racing like a freight train as I flew into the foyer. Clutching the doorknob, my hands fumbled with the handle of the screen door. The deafening sound of Bubba's screeches echoed out behind me, growing louder and louder telling me he was coming closer.

I threw the door open and got a foot out on the porch, the path out of here and freedom in my sights. His presence was at my back, and his bulky arms coiled around my waist, lifting my feet from the floor. A piercing scream tore through my lips like a shard of glass as I flailed my arm and legs around, desperately trying to wiggle out of his hold.

"Let me go!" I screamed, clawing at his arms as he drug me back inside. The door fell closed right before my eyes, shutting me away from the outside world and in with this family of killers.

Loretta stormed to the doorway of the dining room with her hands on her hips, a deep shade of red sprawled across her face.

"Take her downstairs until she can learn to behave 'erself," she said, wagging her finger. The tone of her voice was surprisingly calm considering the look on her face.

Nubbins must have remained where he was, but that didn't stop him from cackling like a witch and shouting jests at me.

"You're all crazy!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

He tightened his grip and carried me back down the basement stairs. I clawed at him and ripped out handfuls of the thick dark hair covering his forearms. He cried out, dropping me on the concrete floor, groaning as he rubbed his battered arm.

Crawling across the floor, scrambling away like a spooked cat, I found a small niche between two bookshelves and wedged myself in the tight space, my knees pinned to my chest. He followed, dropping to his hands and knees and peering in at me.

I snapped my face away and buried my head in my knees. I couldn't stand to look at him anymore. All I could see now was the face of one of his terrified victims staring back at me and a possible foreshadowing of my eventual fate.

"Please don't h-hurt me," I begged.  "I-I don't w-anna die!" I could barely utter a word through the torrent of tears streaming down my face.

He shook his head violently back and forth, making his usual grunting sound.

"Safe," he signed then pointed his index finger at me. "You safe."

"Liar!" I yelled not caring about being on my best behavior anymore. "You kill people! You and your whole crazy family are murderers!"

A whimper slipped through his quivering lips, tears filled his eyes as if my words had actually hurt him. He's a liar! A murderer! I meant nothing to him; just another future bowl of soup for his maniac family.

His hand crept inside my hiding place, moving slowly, attempting to reaching out to touch me. I cried out hysterically and slapped him away, my body stuck in fight or fight mode and at that moment, I chose to fight.

Bubba jerked back, falling flat on his backside with a look of shock in his eyes. He rubbed the slightly reddened spot where I had struck him. A deep throaty growl emanated from his throat. He crawled back over, reaching out for me again. His whole demeanor had changed into one that filled me with horror.

I felt like a cornered mouse, frozen in fear just waiting for my predator to catch me.

I'm about to die, aren't I?

"Bubs, git up here and finish yer supper," Loretta called from the top of the stairs, her appearance a saving grace.

He paused and jerked his head towards the stairs then back to me as if he was debating whether or not to go.