Running out of time

Chapter 1. Ben

I closed  my eyes and tried to picture myself scaling Mount Everest, the wind rifling through my hair and the cold touching my cheeks. It was perfect. I wondered if dad had ever done that, I had never properly met him, he died on one of his adventures when my mum was pregnant with my brother, I was only three at the time. RING* RING* ahh the sweet sound of the bell after the last lesson of the day until the summer holidays are over with and I go to college. Hoping off my seat I sauntered  through the classroom door with the rest of  the eager students, ready to go home.

Striding through the park with my bag slung over one shoulder, I imagined that the park had turned into jungle with the tiny toddlers as the fierce animals, yes, that's exactly what they would be.

I jumped from a rock into the side of the walls of the small Fennè's cafe and bounced back onto a smaller patch of grass. I was pretending I was escaping from a large group of crocodiles.  Now that, is what we call "living the dream" because that is my dream. And I will never let go of it. My dad was lucky enough to do this for a living and so will I, I'm going to make sure of that.

I swung round a few bends before returning at my front door. I couldn't be bothered to fetch my keys from my bag so I knocked on the door. No answer. I knocked again, this time longer and louder, hoping someone would here me. I listened for a reply. Nothing. Damnit! What was going on? Mum should be home by now, and so should my little bro, Jake.

I walked to the side of my house and banged fiercely on the window, using my bag as a stepping stone so that I could push the window further towards me as the window has unusually been left ajar. 

Yelling "I'm home!" into the window didn't help either. Where the hell is everyone! I was so surprised I double checked the date in my phone, the 16th of June, what it was this morning.  As there wasn't anybody home is have to let myself in for once. Fishing around for my keys, I screeched DAMN IT! Flinging my bag across the front garden, I held my head on my hands. I didn't have my keys, my family weren't home. What the hell was I gonna do?!

Remembering that I had a phone I called mum. And every time, it went to the answering machine. Then I tried Jake, but those calls were futile as he never picks up anyway.

Right, my last frickin' resort. My horrible neighbour, Mrs Marrols. She was as big as a car and as loud as a trumpet at full volume, however, for some stupid reason, my mum left our spare keys with her! Perhaps it was because Mrs Marrols was nice to her after dad died. To be honest, I Bet she was only nice because she knew that she could torment mum's kids (jake and I)  after we were old enough to throw a football into her back garden.

Urgh! This turned out to be the worst day of all of my summer holidays yet! But hey, let's see how it goes, it can only get better, right?