Killer Child

Chapter 5 - Otto

My breath came out in gasps, my legs were as heavy as lead and now Gary was catching up. Desperately, I cried for help.

"No one's going to help you Otto." Gary laughed, wielding his razor-sharp knife in the air.

Suddenly, I heard River's voice calling me. I ran in the direction of her voice but came up to a dead end. Slowly, I turned to face Gary.

"Why didn't you do it, Otto? Why didn't you just kill her when you had the chance?" Gary jeered. He then advanced on me, growing with every step he took until he was right in front of me. I gulped and pressed up against the brick wall which separated me from freedom.

"You were so close, but now you must pay for the mistake you made..." He roared in laughter and brought the knife to my face. I screamed and screamed and screamed...

Then I woke up, covered in sweat and still screaming.

I clamped my hand to my mouth and stared wildly around me. The rising sun's rays filled the room, making the calming white walls shine. I took deep breaths, trying to slow my racing heart down. Once it had gone to its usual pace, I yawned and stretched, taking in my surroundings.

River's parents and let me stay in their spare room, and even provided me with clothes. They'd asked what'd happened to me and I quickly said that I'd been bitten by a stray dog and luckily they did't question it. River's Mum had checked my bandages and was happy to say that they looked clean and complimented River. Her cheeks went bright red and I had to stifle a laugh. They then gave me some food and then let me rest. Rubbing my eyes, I glanced at the clock on my bedside table. 9 am. I laid down and tried to get some sleep, but the worry of having the nightmare again over took me so reluctantly, I slid out of the warm, cozy bed and padded downstairs. I couldn't believe how big their house was! They had 3 flights of stairs, with at least half a dozen bedrooms, and even their own library! I walked into the living room and stared out of the window, to the spot where I had first met River. That seemed ages ago, but it was only yesterday.

Suddenly, I heard the fridge door slam and someone yawn. Curious to see who it was, I strode into the kitchen and found River - in her dressing gown and fluffy purple slippers - carrying an some bread, butter and ham to the table.

"Morning." I announced, making River jump out of her skin and nearly drop everything she was holding.

"Otto!" She gasped. "Don't do that!"

"Sorry." I said, trying to keep a straight face. But it didn't work and I burst out laughing. "What are you doing?"

"Making breakfast, what does it look like?" She huffed, but her face softened. "Want some?"

"Yeah, ok."

10 minutes later, me and River were sitting in the living room, eating ham sandwiches.

"Do you often get up this earlier?" I asked, tearing the crust off my bread.

"Usually. I like to try and get up early to see Acorn." She replied, taking a huge bite out of sandwich. I watched her until she felt my stare and looked at me. "What?"

"Oh, nothing, Who's Acorn?" I asked, feeling my face go hot.

"A squirrel. He comes into the garden every morning to--- Hey, there he is!" River blurted out, nearly sending her plate flying as she pointed out into the garden. As I watched, a beautiful squirrel clambered down a tree, it's silver fur shining in the sun.

"Wow, I've never seen a squirrel before." I gasped.

We watched it for a few minutes as it hopped around on the grass, ocasionally stopping to dig in the grass or stare at a passing bird. I felt completely relaxed, until I saw somthing that made my blood run cold.

It was Gary. And he had a shotgun...