Lightning without Thunder

The Scythe

My second attempt to reach the window is even more difficult than the first. Every time my bare arms brush against the cold, frost-covered marble walls, I flinch, and my constant shiver from the cold doesn't help. However, after more than ten minutes of struggle, I am able to reach the window sill. I peek inside the room and notice the little girl has fallen asleep again. The stuffed dragon sits next to her pillow, as if watching over her. 

"Okay, my lovely viewers." I tell my phone. "All we have to do is carefully open the window and save the little girl. You may believe that saving children is not a particularly villainous act, but even villains have standards." 

"As you can see," I say, pointing my phone's camera at the window lock. "The majority of the window frame is made of wood and stone. Things for which my telekinesis is ineffective. The inside of the lock is made of a nonmagnetic material. So you'd think my abilities wouldn't work on this." 

I smile at the camera. "You would be mistaken. The lock's casing is made of steel. I don't have much to work with, but if I apply pressure correctly, I can break the lock open. " 

I brace myself and blast the lock from its hinges. 

I gasp as the window frame is blasted out of its hinges and lands on the ground, shattering the glass into a thousand pieces. 

The little girl snaps awake and looks over at the shattered glass, and then to me. She stares at me in terror, frozen. Her face is pale, and her eyes are wide open. 

I carefully take a step forward. "Don't worry." I say. "I'm here to save you. You don't need to be afraid." 

The girl leaps out of bed and rushes to the door. When she reaches the halfway point, she turns around and grabs the stuffed dragon sitting on her pillow. Then she runs towards the door again, this time reaching it. She opens the door and runs into the hallway. 

I sigh. "Please wait, kid; I'm not going to hurt you." I yell after the girl. 

I follow the girl into the hallway. The hallway is dark, and my eyes take a second to adjust to the darkness after leaving the moonlit bedroom. 

I stumble around blindly, uncertain about which way the girl went. 

"Ok, Marissa." I tell myself. "This did not go as planned. But everything is going to be okay. You're going to save the girl." 

I reach back into my pocket and pull out my cell phone. I turn on the flashlight, and I can finally see the hallway ahead of me. 

I also turn on the camera and begin recording. 

The hallway is surprisingly different from the bedroom. The floor is linoleum, and the walls are boring white plaster. I can only see a few metres ahead of me in both directions. I'm thinking about which way to go when the lights suddenly turn on and blind me. 

Mr. Miller is standing a few metres in front of me in his pyjamas. He is holding a massive shotgun and aiming it at me. The little girl is hiding behind him; I can see her head peeking out from behind his body. 

He moves forward. "What the hell were you doing in my niece's bedroom?" 

I stare at him, puzzled, shielding my eyes from the overhead lights with one hand while pointing my phone's camera at him with the other. 

"Uh. I ---" I start, not sure what to say. I am trying to make sense of the situation. 

"Is that your niece?" I finally blurt out. 

"Yes, she is my sister's daughter." He says. "She is staying here because my sister is in the hospital. Not that that is any of your business." 

He takes a step closer. "So let me ask you again. What the fuck are you doing in my house?"