No Escape

A New Short Story

Dark Forest. Photo by Piotr Kurczynski on Pexels

Ben Watts was doing nothing important when he heard a rapid knock on his front door. He paused his Call of Duty multi-player gameplay and ran to the door, disturbed by violent tapping.

He could see from the window a familiar horrified face, trying to look in the darkened house on the bright summer day.

Ben opened it as his best friend Thomas Malarky ran in and yelled, “Shut the door.”

Thomas locked the door hurriedly as he clumsily looked outside and glared out to see if anyone or anything was following him.

“W-what’s wrong, man? What’re you doing here?” Ben asked, confused.

“Everything, man. You got keys to your dad’s armory?”

“What?”

“You told me, you did. Do you have it?”

“Why? What’s going on?”

“Alright, well, let’s get to your room and close the door. I don’t think they saw me come in here.”

“Bro, what… what’s happening?”

Thomas looked out Ben’s bedroom window. “It’s clear. I don’t think they saw me.”

“Who?”

Thomas continued to gaze out the window. “I can’t say.” Then he looked back at Ben, concerned with a look of horror.

“Why? Why can’t you? Tell me, man. Come on, we tell each other everything.”

“Not this. No, Ben. This is… is something else.” He looked down and started to shake.

“What?”

“We gotta run, OK? Far from this place.” He grabbed his gym bag out of his friend’s closet and threw it on his bed. “Pack. Don’t ask me why.”

“What do you mean? Run from what?”

“Just pack, Ben. Pack, come on. Do you trust me?”

“No.”

“If I tell you, they’ll be after you too.”

Ben’s heart dropped. He was speechless.

“And you’ll see them. You don’t wanna see them. Trust me.” Thomas said. “It’s how this works.”

Ben had no words. He quickly threw clothes in the bag without another word.

“I think this’ll only work if you do exactly as I say,” Thomas said as Ben zipped up his gym bag.

“Ok, w-what do you want me to do,” Ben asked.

“Run, and don’t think about anything else. Listen to everything I say to you, Ben. Can you do that?”

Ben simply nodded looking into Thomas’ green horrified eyes as sweat drenched his face.

“It’s hot outside. You got food? Let’s get some food. Stuff it in your bag.”

They flew down the stairs, opened the door, and froze mid-way down the steps as Ben’s sister, Abigail, stepped in looking down at her phone. She then stared at them, confused.

“Everything, OK? You look a little worried.”

“We’re fine, we were just…” Ben began.

“What?” Abigail said. “You look spooked.” As she closed the front door of the house, throwing her bag on the sofa, she put down her phone on the coffee table and stepped into the kitchen. “If you’re gonna do another prank call on Melissa, I’m gonna throw hands.”

“Nothing like that,” Ben assured her as they followed her.

Abigail opened the fridge to retrieve sandwich supplies. “Because next time that happens Mom and Dad are gonna flip and it won’t be me who gets in trouble like last time. That’s not happening, Ben, you got me?”

“Loud and clear,” Ben said as he put the canned cuisine from where Thomas was pulling them from the cabinets without Abigail noticing.

“Ugh, what? They closed the community pool?”

“Why?” Ben asked as Thomas glared at him, a look of sheer terror. Ben knew Thomas knew that he knew why school had been canceled.

As she glared from screen to sandwich, heated with rage, she said, “I don’t know. My coach texted us and said they’re canceling it for weather. Says a bad storm is coming. Ugh, we have championships coming up soon.”

“Oh, well, I guess we should… hh, probably… go,” Ben said as his best friend and he walked out hurriedly. Abby was consumed by the dreadful news.

They stopped right before the front door as Thomas whispered, “Ben, I’m sorry, I can’t tell you more.”

“You know about why they’re canceling school. Run? From what, Tom? Just tell me, this is stupid.”

“No, you promised me, man,” Thomas said. “But we still gotta do one thing, your dad’s gun. I need it.”

“What’re you gonna do with that?” Ben asked, accusingly. “No, I’m not gonna take my dad’s gun.”

“This is serious-”

“Taking my dad’s gun is serious! Don’t-”

“Hey!” Both turning around quickly, they saw Abigail staring at them, her arms akimbo. “What’re you doing? I swear you better not be doing anything stupid.”

“Can you stop butting into business that’s not yours,” Ben said, annoyed.

“You’re my business until 5 o’clock. When Mom and Dad come home I’m gonna tell them-”

“What? What’re you gonna tell them? We’re going! Come on, Tom.”

Abigail crossed her arms and remained quiet until they finally left in a hurry and the front door swung shut as she said, “Idiot.”