HALLOWEEN - INFERNO

Chapter Nineteen

Laurie's eyes remained fixed on The Shape as he slowly climbed the stairs with his eyes locked on the pair as they backed away up the stairs. Karen was crying and backing herself up, she almost slipped but Laurie held her tight and she cried out and clawed at Laurie. They reached the top and Laurie spun Karen away from the stairs and Laurie grabbed the framed picture from the wall and chucked it down at The Shape where it smashed against the front of his mask, he groaned and stumbled back slightly but still pushed onwards.

"God, leave us alone!" Karen cried as she grabbed various items and began throwing them down the stairs. "Leave us alone!", near a doorway was a small table with a pot plant on it. Karen grabbed the plant first and chucked it down where it shattered against him which knocked him backwards. Then she shoved the table down there. It bounced down and began lodged, blocking him for a few moments while Laurie grabbed her and ran off towards the entrance to the attic.

The attic doorway was like all the others. It opened and revealed a small flight of stairs that curved up into the roof. They hurried up and Laurie slammed the door shut behind them as she heard shuffling on the stair case as he chucked objects back around to get up. They hurried up into the roof and looked around before chucking more boxes down to block the stairs. Laurie ran across the floor and approached the window and tried forcing it open. It wouldn't budge.

Karen just watched, tears in her eyes as nothing but fear took control of her.

The door opened and items could be heard crashing down. Another flash of lightning pierced the glass windows as the rain washed down them and gave a glow to the attic. Laurie grabbed a chair and spun it into the window where it shattered and sent glass raining out into the night where it slid down the roof and became wedged within the gutters. Laurie looked out and then looked back at Karen who was backing away from The Shape who was climbing the stairs and throwing debris all around.

Karen screamed again as he emerged from the pile of boxes and broken glass. Laurie ran over, grabbed Karen and pulled her to the window. Karen held onto the frame as her mother pushed her out. She turned and looked at her. "Go, I'll be right behind you" Laurie said. Karen let out a cry as she looked down as another crack of thunder rolled across the dark sky. Her clothes were soaked in seconds, the rain was heavy and fierce.

Laurie turned and looked at Michael before reaching to her belt and removing her blade and holding it out by her side.

"Hello, Michael".

The Shape watched her with his knife also by his side. She could hear the air circulating through the air holes of the mask, making her shiver.

"I knew you'd come for me sooner or later. What took you so long?"

Laurie looked at him closely and then glanced back to Karen and nodded softly. Karen's eyes were wide as her mother then charged towards The Shape with her blade raised. It was a swift strike, her blade sliced along his arm and exposed his skin. He groaned, swung his arm around but Laurie ducked down and shoved him back where he tripped over a box and landed with a thud. The storm outside continued, another flash of light revealed him sitting up and looking directly at her. She backed away from The Shape who stood up and walked towards her, the darkness of the room sheltering his appearance but Laurie locked onto him, not letting him out of sight for a second.

Laurie approached the window where the wind was howling inwards, her hair blew around as she faced down The Shape. He reached for her and grabbed her shoulders, she stabbed at his chest and felt the blade sink into his chest. He groaned and fell backwards and clutched the wound as Laurie followed Karen and climbed out onto the roof.

The wind was strong and powerful, the rain felt like tiny knives striking their skin as they climbed onto the roof of the house. Laurie kept her hand on the frame as she guided Karen around to the side of the arch way where the attic window was. They looked up at the climb in front of them, water was rushing down like a powerful river. On the other side of the roof where Karen's bedroom was was a balcony, if they got to that side they could jump back down, get inside and escape onto the streets but they needed to survive this climb first.