Ellen Blake Destined To Return

04 - Wrong house

'Aaron! AARON!' screamed Ellen, as her brother ran into the kitchen and joined her by the sink.

Aaron was just as shocked as his sister to see someone other than his Nan in the house.

'What the hell are you doing?' Aaron shouted at the boy.

'Nan!' shouted Ellen, looking towards the hall door. 'Nan, quick!'

Despite being the only one with a weapon the boy appeared just as startled as the twins on discovering he wasn't alone and ran out of the back door shouting the name Keith.

'Are you all right?' Aaron asked Ellen. 'What was he doing? Do you think he was trying to steal something?'

Ellen was momentarily speechless.

'He ... had a knife. Did you see,' she spluttered. 'I was just so scared.'

'I wonder what he was doing here?'

Ellen shook her head not really knowing the boy's intentions but told Aaron what she had observed.

'He didn't look like he was stealing anything. He was just getting some bread.'

'Bread?'

'Yeah, he had the bread knife in one hand and a loaf in the other. He looked like he was slicing it on -'

Ellen suddenly clammed up and Aaron, who was looking over to where the boy had been standing, knew why.

'This isn't Nan's house,' Aaron whispered.

They looked around the room. It was exactly the same shape and size as their grandmother's kitchen but was furnished and decorated completely differently. The refrigerator and freezer, which usually stood in the corner, were replaced by a large wooden dresser with white crockery displayed on its shelves. Patterned wallpaper covered the walls. The units looked retro and the table was bigger with five chairs instead of the usual three.

'Oh my God!' panted Ellen. 'Have we run into the neighbour's house?'

'No! We can't have,' Aaron replied. 'There are only three houses on this bit of the lane and we definitely ran into the last one. I'm one hundred percent sure that we ran up her drive and not her neighbour's. Besides, they have little girls, next door.'

'We're in the wrong house. This isn't her kitchen. Oh God, this is so embarrassing. We've got to get out of here.'

Before the twins could make a move someone came down the stairs and in from the hall.

'What's all the noise about, Billy?' said a pretty young woman with big hazel eyes, dark brown hair with unfashionable waves and wearing a dress that Ellen would have considered someone much older would wear.

'KEITH! KEITH!' she screamed, on seeing the twins and froze in the doorway.

'Please, please calm down,' called Ellen, holding out a defensive hand. 'There's been a mistake. We're not here to hurt you.'

The young woman looked towards the back door and ran over to it as soon as she saw the large silhouetted shape of a man entering the house.

The man was far bigger than the boy. His features were hidden from the twins, as he stood with the light behind him.

Ellen wondered if he was Keith. She assumed he must be the step-father.

'Keith ... do something,' demanded the young woman, in hysterics.

But Keith did nothing, other than to swing a garden spade in front of him and hold it like a weapon. Billy had been peeping around his side, but dodged past him and stood next to the young woman. Once more he thrust his bread knife at the pair of sixteen year olds.