The Crowbar

Chapter 1 - Initially just another day

James, a 17 year old student, makes his way home after an exhausting last day at Asheville High School. Summer break awaits him as the increasingly hot sunshine hits his fair skin. The suburbs seem very quiet and peaceful. He finally reaches his house, walks past his friendly neighbor who is busy mowing his well-nourished lawn and gets out his key to the front door. 

Upon entering the house, he hears his slightly younger sister Sophia as well as his mother, baking a cake in the kitchen. It's for uncles' birthday party which they have been invited to about a week earlier. 

Stepping into the satisfactory smelling room, James wipes sweat off his forehead before saying hello. He talks about his last day at school and tiredly goes upstairs to his room to take a power nap. 

About half an hour later, after getting himself out of bed again, he heads downstairs to get ready for the party as mother and Sophia are getting dressed. Mother soon makes herself to the car, which is resting in the driveway, as the siblings are now putting on their shoes. "Hurry up or we will be late as usual", she tells them.

They are now sitting in the blazing hot car, driving to Uncles'. At some point throughout the ride, James cracks a joke that remind them about the birthday present they had forgotten at home, due to the hurry. "Ugh", goes his mom, realizing they will arrive even later this time. She turns down the music, playing from the car radio and gives uncle a call, apologizing for the inconvenient delay. 

Simultaneously, another problem arises. The car is almost out of fuel and needs to get filled up at the nearest gas station. Luckily, though, the gas station is just a couple of blocks away from home and the roads are rather empty. They arrive shortly and come to a stop at a pump. Waiting inside the car for mother to return after paying the gas money, James and Sophia text their friends to keep themselves busy. Some minutes pass and she finally returns to continue driving. "We need to drive faster mom, Dylan says they're starting to get impatient", says James. "Well I'm trying, ok? I don't want to cause any accident on top of all this stress. Besides, when have we not been late to uncles' parties? Your friend should know at this point", replies mom.

As they reach their house, James notices that the front door is wide open. Had they forgotten to close the door as well? "That can't be...", utters Sophia, noticing it as well. "I definitely shut it close and locked it". "Then why is the door open, Sophia? I can't take responsibility for everything, you know? I thought I could count on you", says mother in an angry tone.

Stressed out, they quickly head inside the house to get the birthday present, overlooking the fact that the door must have been forcefully broken open. "Didn't we put it on this table?", asks James. They can't seem to find it. "Let's check the kitchen counter", suggests Sophia. Mother hurriedly enters the kitchen before getting knocked out by a crowbar. It was a masked man in all black, seemingly having tried to install hidden cameras throughout the household.

Totally shocked and disturbed, James and his sister stand still as they watch blood spilling all over the floor. "Do not make a move or you will be next", whispers the man but James decides to escape through the open door anyway, grabbing his sister to run with him. The hearts of the young siblings are pounding immensely rapid. "Stop right where you are!", shouts the man but the two have already made it outside and are searching for a safe place to hide. The neighbor has finished mowing and head back inside so they make a run for his door as the man quickly bags the body and wipes away the blood to hide evidence.

James knocks on the neighbor's door frantically, since the bell does not work. "Help! Please open the door!", pleads Sophia in a shaky voice. "Hello? Anybody home? Please open the door!", continues James. After several attempts and no luck, James tells Sophia to follow him to a convenience store where they could take shelter. The man comes out of the house, carrying the body bag, which he were to hide in a dumpster and makes eye contact with the panicked siblings. Sophia starts screaming and follows James, who started sprinting.

"Take deep breaths, ok? I will dial 911 now", assures James his sister, on the way to the store, after getting too exhausted from sprinting. He grabs his phone out of his pocket and receives an anonymous message: "Tell anyone about your mom and you will deeply regret it, do you understand?" James shows Sophia the message, wondering how the man could have possibly gotten his number. "He has been stalking us! He was even installing cameras in our house!", cries Sophia, sickened. "What should we do now? Calling the cops doesn't seem like a smart choice, does it? Who knows what else this asshole is capable of", she adds, in a scared voice.

James replies to the anonymous message: "Who are you and what do you want?" He receives an answer shortly after but that's right before his phone dies. "No no, there wasn't enough time to read what the message said, the phone's dead!" states James. Consequently, he asks Sophia to call one of her friends on her sufficiently charged phone to ask whether they could come over and hide. Luckily, Sophia's phone did not receive any anonymous message. She calls up Jennifer, her best friend, and explains what just happened, in hopes of granting refuge at her place. "Run as fast as you can over to mine and avoid notifying the police, at least for now!" says Jennifer over her phone with a worried voice.

Sophia: "James, let's quickly get to my friend, I know where she lives so follow me!". The two continue sprinting, forgetting about the store and eventually make it to the house. Jennifer's front door opens before they reach it so they run inside, slamming the door shut behind them.  "Jen? Where are you?", asks Sophia, almost out of breath. They search for her in every single room but she doesn't seem to be there. "Didn't she just open the door for us?", asks James confused and worried. "Maybe she's upstairs, we haven't searched there yet", answers Sophia.

They head upstairs and enter Jennifer's room to see Jennifer tied up to a radiator and taped on her mouth. "Jen? what happened!?" weeps Sophia. As James unties her, the man from earlier steps into the room with the same crowbar. "I told you that you shouldn't tell anyone and you were unaware that I can trace your calls and addresses, too bad" airs the man in a mild tone. Jack replies with "What's your problem? What have we done to you to deserve this? I couldn't read your last message, since my phone died, I'm really sorry". The man: "Shut up and listen young man! Your mother left me years ago and do you know whose fault it is, James? Yours and Sophia's!". The man takes off his mask to reveal himself. "Dad? What have you turned into?", stutters James. "I'm a product of my environment, kid. Just like the society, my lack of responsibility for you two made Kim leave me and you know that! Now it's time for revenge", he replies. "We're sorry dad, we truly are. We know that we were a burden before mom left you but what does Jen have to do with it?", asks Sophia, frightened. "Don't call me dad and don't be sorry. I will end you either way and It's too late for an apology. Jen on the other hand needs to keep her mouth shut and not tell anyone about your mom, that's why she's now part of this"