The Explosion

Chapter 8

Gary hated himself for just sitting there. For just doing nothing while he could hear the crying and the pleas of the girl upstairs. Of Samantha Hartbridge. He had tried; honest, he had. But he had been caught by Daniel. He could hear her crying, then, as well. Little did he know that

Daniel had just finished at that point. He'd dialled 999 but Daniel had crept up behind him and pressed the 'hang up' button the second the call got through. That was probably the most terrifying moment of Gary Pitcher's life. He was spun violently around and felt his airways get sharply blocked off by Daniel's strong hand. He'd been warned by both Daniel's physical and verbal abuse and didn't want that to happen again. It was selfish – he knew that – but he was just too much of a wimp. Gary tried to block out the cries but he couldn't. It had been so much easier when he had been drinking and laughing with the other boys but they weren't here now and it was just him. Just him. He had to do something. He couldn't let Daniel do this anymore.

Daniel heard a loud crash ring out from downstairs and snapped his head in the direction of the door. He couldn't hear anything else over the sobbing of Sam, his girlfriend. She was his girlfriend and she always would be. No matter what stunts she tried to pull. He swiftly sat up causing an ear-piercing scream from Sam as he leant on her left leg. "Don't worry, babe." He whispered into her ear after he bounced to his feet. "I'll be right back." The fear in her eyes angered him. She should love him like he loved her. He did so much for her – so much – and he got nothing in return. Like right now, for example, he was just trying to have a good time but she just had to ruin it by crying and begging for him to let her go. Stupid girl. Daniel took a deep breath and headed out of the room to investigate the loud noise.

Gary's heart was thudding so hard that he was genuinely scared that Daniel would hear it. His footsteps creaked on the wooden stairs and Gary would have to be tactful if he wanted to get this right. If he didn't... he could die. "Hello?" Daniel's voice rang out. "Gary? Is someone here?" He would be able to see him soon. At least, if I die, I'll have tried. He thought to himself as he readied up to strike. Daniel's head was already tilted left, away from Gary, to where the smashed bottle of wine was dangerously scattered across the floor. "What-" But Daniel didn't get to finish his sentence due to a sharp point stabbing through his back. "Argh!" He roared, turning to face Gary as the blade was removed and then stabbed again through his front side. His legs buckled as Gary removed the blade yet again. Move while he's down. He thought to himself as he started running up the stairs and into Daniel's room.

Sam's terrified blue eyes, red from crying, stared at him in confusion but she acted quickly as Gary threw her his large hoodie that he had been wearing. It now had some blood marks on but she didn't really care; better that than naked. The hoodie reached down to near the top of her thighs and, as soon as it was on, Gary tucked his hand under her arms and they hobbled out of the room at amazing (and painful) speed. It was only when they reached the bottom of the stairs that she saw what Gary had done. Daniel was knelt down on the floor, clutching a bleeding hole on his left side and she could see another one on the right of his back. She didn't have any time to react as Gary rushed them out of the front door and kicked it shut in an attempt slow Daniel down if he came after them. "Thank you." Sam said, between gasps. "I really appreciate-" She was cut off by a grunt from Gary as something was snatched out of his hand – a knife – and it was plunged into Gary's shoulder. "Run!" Gary screamed silently, and Sam did. She would be no use to him – if she stayed, his work will have been for nothing. There was a thump from behind her and pained breaths got closer and closer. She knew fully well that they weren't Gary's. She heard grunt behind her and recognised it; Daniel was about to attack. Sam hobble-skipped to the right into a dark alleyway just as she saw Daniel lunge forwards and stumble – the bloody knife held high. He turned back and stared right into her eyes. He didn't just look psychotic anymore. He looked murderous. He hobbled over and placed his face right against hers, nose to nose, and said, "This is for being such a bitch." He took a step back and raised up the knife with both hands – obviously in pain – and brought the knife down with force. Sam only had time to think, No! Before the knife would have plunged excruciatingly into her chest. Would have. But it didn't. Why? Sam opened her eyes to see Daniel's face twisted by sheer terror. Daniel. Scared. What? That was when she realised that she couldn't see Daniels bottom half and that he was being dragged away. But by what? Some sort of dark mist had wrapped itself around him in a sort of coil and was pulling him deeper into the alleyway. He started screaming but the sound was muffled when the mist made its way into his mouth and nose, choking him. That was when the most terrifying thing happened. Half a dozen sets of red eyes suddenly flicked open and seeped towards him. Dark, wispy hand wrapped around Daniel's struggling body and seemed to encase him. The mist suddenly seemed to dissolve back into the shadows in a large clump and Daniel was gone.

What the hell was that? Sam's mind screeched. She felt rooted to the spot. The shadows looked like normal shadows again and the knife was at her feet, where Daniel must have accidentally dropped it. Her brain forced itself to think straight and the thought that was most demanding right now was Gary. Sam bolted back down the short stretch of street to Gary as fast as she could. He wasn't looking too good. "Gary!" She cried, as she awkwardly knelt down to examine his wound. His grey T-shirt had a pretty large stain on the back right shoulder and he was groaning in pain and laid in an odd position. When he saw Sam, he looked up at her and gasped, "I'm sorry." And then Gary closed his eyes.

*

Lily, Zoe and Max had made in to the town centre. "So, this is where everyone is!" Zoe exclaimed; now knowing while the streets were so quiet. There were some large groups, some small groups, and some people in pairs or on their own. They had to squeeze past a few people but they managed to get over and inside the garage. It wasn't huge but it was big enough to hold a fair number of cars. "Do you know where he will be?" Lily asked. Max nodded and headed past other men into another room where there was a small, red car, seemingly in repair. Max walked silently to the right and along a straight wall and to where the front of the car was. Lily and Zoe stopped halfway, respecting that he might want to do this on his own. "Dad." He whispered, choking up. The car looked like it had been bashed around a bit but otherwise seemingly unharmed. His dad, however, lay limp on the hard floor, his hand was wide as though he had been holding something and his eyes were still open. His loving, brown eyes left lifeless. Max's mind ran through all of the amazing memories they had together and Max didn't know what to do. His dad was in his work uniform as he usually was. He wore his uniform proudly and Max loved him for it. Max just wanted to hold him. To have his dad hug him back like he used to. But his dad was never going to hug him back. He couldn't stop the tears from coming. They started spilling out of his eyes and in the end, he didn't bother trying to hold them back. He was going to mourn for his dad and he was going to cry. His dad meant the world to him; he was Max's role model. It was now that Max realised that he had sunk to his knees and he felt an arm on his shoulder. He looked up to see Lily there and then realised that Zoe was on the other side. He tried to deliver a grateful smile but he just couldn't do it. Max was surprised by how well Zoe was keeping it together. She seemed almost fine but he knew she wasn't. He could see it in her eyes and Max was pretty sure that when they found her mum, she wouldn't be keeping it together quite as well. Max, like both Zoe and Lily had done, heaved his dad over to the wall and sat him up. "Okay." He said bleakly and he stood up slowly, still looking at his dad. "We can go now."