Tap… Tap…Tap… Tap…
Jane’s breathing was erratic as she listened to the thunderous steps of her tormentors from her vantage point. The booming steps could not be heard to the outside world but to Jane they were loud and clear. Currently she was curled up into a ball, with her arms hugging herself tightly and her knees pulled up to her chest, hiding under a small table in the foyer of her previous safe haven. Her body rocked back and forth slowly in an attempt to comfort herself, though she knew she would find little solace in the steady movement.
She heard the steps pause directly above her head and she froze, holding her breath incase the foreign ears could pick up her heavy panting. The pounding steps soon began again and they moved along the full hallway upstairs. She silently let out a huge breath but didn’t continue her rocking. She was afraid that when she had initially frozen she may have settled on a loose or rotted board that would groan beneath her weight. She did not want to risk detection for just a small sliver of comfort.
The deafening footsteps continued to the end of the hall quickly and stopped suddenly. A shiver found it’s way down her spine despite the suffocating warmth of the room. Jane was petrified. She knew that behind that last door of the hallway, where the footsteps had paused, a young boy of about 7 years of age with dark hair and light eyes was resting peacefully under brand new spiderman sheets. A tear escaped down Jane’s cheek as she considered the possibility of the attackers finding her baby boy.
She had not thought it would ever come so far, that they would come to her home, but she still should have prepared Mikey for this day. She should have taught him how to sense imminent danger or shown him where to hide, but she had failed to do so. Jane could see him in her mind, one hand under his stack of pillows and the other sprawled across his bed towards the window on the back wall of his tiny room. He was probably dreaming about going to the Fair like he always wanted. Jane smiled at the thought that Mikey was in another world with his dreams and not frozen in fear like his mother. For now, the cynical voice in Jane’s mind commented.
She heard a small squeak come from the floorboards of what Jane knew to be her son’s room, no doubt from the small child shifting in his bed, and a scream fought to exit her throat. Stay still Mikey, she wanted to yell loud so he would hear her and do her bidding. She held it in, just barely, because she knew that if she made a sound they would find not only her, but Mikey too. He still has a chance, Jane told herself. Her tears continued to flow, staining her face and gathering on her top lip, but she was silent. She was silent for Mikey’s sake.
More thunder met Jane’s ears and she heard her tormentors turn and walk to the heavily carpeted staircase and she breathed in relief. A bitter smile found it’s way onto her face and she almost wished she could laugh at the irony of relishing her attackers path towards her. Anything for Mikey. The staircase held 16 steps and Jane counted each one as her attackers descended them.
1… 2… 3…4… and so on.
When a heavy foot slammed onto the hardwood paneling of the first floor Jane resumed the rocking motion she had given up before. At that moment in time, Jane didn’t care if she was heard, she needed consolation, even as little as the swaying motion offered, and this was the only way she knew to get it. However, luck seemed to be on Jane’s side because none of the worn boards beneath her small frame made the slightest sound.
Sending her focus back onto her attackers she heard their footsteps moving away from herself and towards the back of the house. Jane closed her eyes in relief and let her mind absorb the idea that she and Mikey might just be safe. This time, the cynical voice was back. Jane chose not to ponder that thought for very long, instead she just pressed her head back into the wall and tried to calm her breathing now that she felt safe.
