To Kill A Mockingbird

He heard a catcall

Arthur was about to take a sip from the cup he was holding when he stopped midway to his mouth. He saw a flash. He stared out into the dark. There it was again. He squinted his eyes and then he heard it. A catcall.

'Ah. The children.' They came into view.

The girl turned back and shouted something and stood still a bit before continuing on their walk. He took a sip from the cup as he peered at them from the darkness of his kitchen. He liked them. Respectable. He sometimes left them little gifts in the tree stump before it was cemented. He was hurt by that. Why would they do that? 

Probably because he was a retard. His father told him that. In fact, he often called Arthur that. But it worked out for him as he wasn't sent to jail because of it. Instead he was locked away beneath the courthouse. 

Or maybe that was because he was white?

He was scared of the outside world now...being indoors for fifteen years would do that to a person. He never ventured out except maybe at night when everyone was in bed. That's why he could see in the dark so well.

Having made up his mind already to watch them until they were indoors, he finished the rest of the contents in the cup and placed it in the sink. He became alert when he noticed a movement behind them. He squinted his eyes just as the children stopped walking as if sensing something too.

Arthur felt his heart leaped out of his chest in fright as he saw a man running towards them! 

He heard the boy shout out, "Run, Scout run...run!"

The girl took one step forward and fell ...Arthur was out of his house in a flash running with all his might towards them as fast as his weak body would go.

'Please don't be too late...' Arthur silently prayed as he saw the man on top of the struggling boy. He heard the child scream before he became motionles. The man kicked him before turning towards the girl, who had ran straight into him trying to save her brother. He recognized the face. 

'Bob Ewell.' He was a not a good man.

By the time Arthur reached them, the man was already strangling the girl in a body grip. The girl looked petrified, her eyes wide like  saucers. Arthur fisted him across his face and he immediately dropped the girl in surprise almost falling over.

Before he could catch his breath Arthur kicked him followed by another one to his head while he stumbled from the first one. On the floor they struggled until the man stopped moving. It was then he got the metal-like smell in the air and felt the stickiness on his body. 

Blood.

A familiar smell that plagued him.

He coughed violently, sobbing as he staggered against a tree.

"Jem?"

He heard the little girl call.