Big Bear

In media res

We were all staring at the door in anticipation. Underneath the wooden planck, I only hoped would offer us protection, light shone into the room. Earlier we had closed the windows and put cardboard against them. Just precautions. 

The porch creaked. 

Next to me one of the two guys gasped. It had not been my imagination. Footsteps neared the door. From the sound of it, the person was heavier than I were. The wood protested as he or she moved forward. 

I bit my lip and hoped the person out there could not hear my heart beating in my chest. I knew to make absolutely no sound. Mon dieu, I was too scared to even move my eyes away from the door. Bless us that Andrew would not play the hero now.

Three knocks on the door. 

A hand, colder than the wooden floor, grasped my heart and squeezed. In the corner of my eye Andrew slowly rose from his seat. I tried to send him a message with my eyes, but he was too focused on the door. He was out of my reach. Michiel could have grabbed him and pulled him down. My eyes found the poor guy who had red cheeks and cried softly while holding Big Bear to his chest like a toddler would. 

"Andrew", I hissed between my teeth. The buffoon finally looked my way. His face was baffled and he must have jumped at the sound of my voice. Not so tough now, big boy?

"Dad?" A voice broke the silence. Andrew lost his balance and landed on the floor on his butt. "Dad, are you in there?" In any other situation I would have laughed and teased Andrew. Not in this one. 

The door clink started to rattle.

It was locked but who knew what the person carried with him. I crawled over to Andrew and his pompous butt. He might not have been my biggest idol, but if anyone in this room could fight... It was him. His brown eyes twinkled in the dark as he found my reaction amusing. Marie Berger did not need a fool like him, I had once mentioned. Scratch that I recalled it had been five times.

A sigh came from behind the door. 

"I know where you keep the spare key!" The man yelled. I really hoped he was bluffing. James never mentioned a son. The thought of James made me want to copy Michiel's behaviour. The door rattled once more. Andrew jumped up and waved his hand. I stared at him with big eyes. He pointed at the couch. I brought my hands up in question. He rolled his eyes and whispered "hide" to me. 

I obeyed him and hurried towards the couch. I closed my eyes and held onto the hem of my glittery shirt. The door opened with a creak. Someone yelled and something crashed a few seconds later. 

"Good heaven's!" 

I looked over the couch.

The scene before me gave me a deja vu. Andrew had thrown the unfamiliar man to the ground. He held one of James's ugly vases high above his head. He sat on the man as I had seen in action films. Was it the Mummy? James loved Egypt myths.

I hurried up, seeing the danger was on the ground and not moving. I looked through the door opening and saw the man had come alone. I quickly closed the door and sighed in relief. No man with a scar running down his face. 

"Who are you?" The intruder said. I looked at him and backed away. He had pulled his hands up in defense of the vase. Michiel chuckled on the background. He looked momentarily at our third scientist, before focusing his attention on me. His eyes were a combination of blue and green. His light brown hair was messy and hid his raised eyebrows. Or he had no eyebrows. From the looks of his stubble and stare, he was a couple of years older than I were.