A Troubles Paradise

Chapter 5

I sit there for a while longer, my head in my hands. I tell myself that I should be making my way off the roof but my body won't move, it's like I'm paralysed in my own thoughts.

It's only when I hear gun shots going off that I snap out of it and stand up, suddenly alert. I stick to the chimney trying to blend in, if they see me, I'm dead.

I search the ground looking for any movement, maybe if I can see where they are I can run the opposite direction and see if I can get help. But everything's too quiet, it's like they're leading up to something.

I decide that I can't see anything so I start making my way off the roof. I swing down from the veranda and land with a thump on my feet, ground shock hurts.

Im brushing the dust and dirt off my jeans when I see it. I try hide the fact that I've seen him so I don't turn around. His shadow gets closer and closer and I tense. I pretend to start walking then I spin around and jump on him knocking him to ground. I can't help but notice his broad shoulders and tall, muscular frame. If it were in other circumstances I'd have found him attractive, and it doesn't help when he has dark hair and stunning blue eyes.

He groans then freezes as I put my elbow against his neck. His eyes goes wide.

"I must suck if a tiny thing like you can knock me down." He smirks. This is so not funny.

"Who are you?" I demand, pressing harder into his neck.

"Okay okay," he coughs, "I'm Daniel and I say we start off by telling each other how we got locked outside on the brink of an invasion."

That doesn't convince me.

"How do I know that I can trust you?"

"Well I'm not a Trouble Walker, that has to count for something."

I nod and remove my arm from his neck and roll of him.

"What were you doing sneaking up on me? Hell, what are doing here in the first place?"

"Well I can't help it if my parents loved each other and decided to -" I cut him off with an annoyed look. I'm not in the mood for jokes right now.

"I'm serious, why are you here?"

"Well same as you, I got locked out of my house, and then decided there was nothing I could do to get back in so I went for a walk. And I was walking down the street when I saw you on the roof, and I guessed that you were probably locked out too. So I came over, miles well be with someone in the same situation as me than by myself."

"Oh" was all I could bring myself to say. I guess I should feel guilty for being relieved that I won't have to do this alone.

"So that's my story, what's yours?" Daniel asks.

"Uh yeah, that pretty much sums it up, I ran outside without thinking as my mum was activating lockdown, and I wanted to believe there was another way back inside so I thought the chimney, but as you can see, no luck there."

"Huh, well we better get moving if we want to stand a chance against those Trouble Walkers." He stands up and holds out his hand.

"We?" I grab his hand and he helps me up.

"Yup we're a team now, hmmm how does team awesome sound? Or team unbeatable?" I nudge him as if to say hurry up! "Wait, or how about team grumpy? That's would suit you much better." He laughs and nudges me back.

I roll my eyes. "I'm not in the mood." And I walk off, making my way round to the front of the house.

Without checking if he's following me I walk out onto the street and head for the mall. But before I even make it to the next house I'm yanked to the side and I trip into someone's garden.