Just After Dusk - Part One

Andrew sighed as he leaned his back against the doorframe, trying to muffle his heavy breathing as the killer walked up the stairs, the floorboards creaking beneath his weight. Andrew clenched his eyes tightly closed and and gripped the doorframe so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His nails scraped against the wood, and he held his breath, fearing that the killer would find him by that simple sound.

His little brother, Tony, sat off to the left, just inside the room. Their elder brother Jeffrey was sitting against the wall, clutching his shoulder tightly, blood seeping through his fingers. His little sister Mika sat in Jeffrey's lap, her five-year-old face terrified. Tony was gripping her hand, trying to offer whatever consolation an eight-year-old could.

The killer stalked closer. Andrew tightened his hand on the knife he held in his hand, his heart hammering so loudly that he feared the killer would hear it and find them immediately. He had to be strong, for his brothers and sister. His elder step-sister, Tanya, hadn't been as lucky as they had, nor had the eldest son, Kevin. They'd been murdered with their parents downstairs during dinner.

Of course, that had been hours ago. Now, it was dark out, the sun exstinguished by the coming of the night, and the owls were hooting outside in the trees, and crickets were chirping just outside the house. Andrew knew that in the barn just forty-seven yards away mice were scrambling around, trying to gather whatever food they could without getting stepped on by the many horses that the family owned. He also knew that Ginger, one of their cats, would be out stalking the mice and having a great time while they were locked inside the house with a murderer.

He wished he'd stayed over at Timothy's house tonight. His step-brother had offered, but he'd declined, as he'd been feeling a bit under the weather these past few days. But still, if he'd gone, he wouldn't be here now, holding a knife, waiting for the killer to find him and the rest of his family.

But if he'd gone, he would have left his family to face this alone, and he knew that they wouldn't all be alive. After all, it was his doing that alerted the family that someone was nearby. He'd been sitting in the living room on one of the many wooden chairs in front of the fire, when something had caught his eye outside, in the light of the evening. A shadow had been moving about from bush to bush, from tree to tree, and he'd known that something wasn't right.

Thus his father had sent the four of them upstairs while he and his wife, his step-mom Carla, waited to face the visitor, whomever they may be. Tanya and Kevin had still been eating in the kitchen, having gotten home late from practice. His father, Ian, had been the first to go, and then Carla had gone. Shortly after, Andrew had listened to the footsteps as the killer moved toward the kitchen.

There was some rattling of pots and pans, and then a yell and a loud bang as Kevin went down. Next came Tanya; her scream still echoed in Andrew's ears.

"Kevin, no!" BANG! Her last scream of pain and sorrow had been exstinguished with the explosion from the gun.

Andrew shivered as he remembered it. "Andrew," Jeffrey softly whispered to him, gripping his shoulder tightly, blood seeping through the cracks between his fingers. "Get Mika and Tony and...get out of here. I'll hold him off."

Andrew's eyes widened as he shot a look at his brother. "Jeffrey...no," he whispered back. "I can't leave you here...please."

Jeffrey sighed heavily.

Tony's eyes widened suddenly, as did Mika's and Jeffrey's. Just as Andrew was about to ask what was wrong, a hand went around his mouth, and he found himself being pulled out of the room by strong arms that were locked around his chest. He brought his hands up and frantically clawed at the killer's arms, desperate to escape.

"Andy!" Mika's young voice cried out. He heard the sounds of her little feet pattering against the ground as she ran toward the door.

The killer laughed and brought his right hand up, the gun being tightly held in it. He aimed at the doorway, waiting for her to come out.

Andrew's eyes widened again. He shook his head and struggled to get the killer's hand off of his mouth so he could warn her. He pried his mouth open and bit down, hard, on the killer's hand. The killer yelped and shoved him aside, hard, forcing him to connect his head to the wall. His head spun, but he still called out, "Mika, no! Stay back!"

The gun fired. He yelped as something slammed into the wall just next to his right ear. Smoke filtered from the muzzle of the gun as the killer scowled down at him.

"Andrew!" came Tony's voice.

Andrew was too stunned to move, to speak and let his brother know that he was all right. The killer grabbed his arm and hauled him to his feet, snarling into his ear, "You're making this harder than it has to be."

Andrew was just about to stomp down on the killer's foot when Jeffrey's body suddenly slammed into them both, knocking them to the ground. Jeffrey pinned the killer down. "Andrew, the gun!" he said hurriedly. "The gun!"

Andrew looked and saw that the gun had slid just out of the killer's reach. He jumped to his feet and grabbed it, aiming it at the killer, his heart thumping loudly in his chest. The killer gave a malignant laugh, sending shivers through his spine.

Jeffrey yelped as he was kicked off of the killer and sent rolling into the wall. He jumped to his feet and glared as the killer got up as well. Andrew kept the gun aimed at the killer.

"Make one wrong move," Jeffrey snarled, "And I'll tell him to shoot."

The killer laughed. "You do that. But if you do, then you'll never learn where Megan is."

Andrew eyed the killer.

"And Elizabeth and Martha and Mary and-"

"Okay!" Jeffrey snapped. "You've made your point."

"Kill me, and they die too. I'm to meet up with my accomplice or at least call within the next hour, or they die."

Andrew frowned. Megan, Mary, and Elizabeth were their cousins, and Martha was their aunt. They couldn't just let them die, he knew. But what could they do? They couldn't let this killer get the upper hand, or they'd all die.

"You're bluffing," said Jeffrey, eyes narrowed.

The killer shrugged. "Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. How can you know for sure?"

"Andrew," Jeffrey said, his eyes not once leaving the killer, "shoot him in the foot."

"...What?" questioned Andrew, not sure if he'd heard right.

"The foot!" Jeffrey snapped. "Shoot him in the foot!"

Andrew nodded and complied, taking careful aim and firing at the killer's right foot. The killer yelped as blood sprayed up, and gripped his foot as he hopped on the other one.

"Have you no heart?" the killer questioned.

"Have you?" asked Jeffrey.

"Andy, Andy!" Mika cried as she ran out of the room, rushing to Andrew's side, clutching at his arm. "You're okay!"

Andrew nodded. "Erm, yeah."

Tony came out next, looking nervous. "What do we do?" he asked shyly.

Andrew looked at Jeffrey. "Well?" he questioned, raising a delicate brow.

Jeffrey glared at the killer. "He cut the phone lines. Tie him up in the basement."

'Easier said than done,' Andrew thought, but went to doing what Jeffrey asked. He handed the gun to his elder brother and scurried to his room ro grab a rope.

He heard a yelp out in the hallway, and pokedh is head out of his room to see that Jeffrey was down, gasping for breath, the gun lightly clasped in his right hand. The killer bent down next to it while Mika hid behind Tony, who was standing beside Jeffrey. The killer pried the gun from Jeffrey's hand.

Jeffrey tried to fight back, but the killer threw his leg out and kicked him in the side. Jeffrey's breath left him in a rush, and the killer pried the gun from his hands. The killer's hood nearly fell back from his head, but he quickly fixed it before it could show his face. He looked at Jeffrey and aimed the gun at his heart.

"No!" Andrew cried, and practically flew down the hallway. "Leave him alone!"

The gun turned toward him. "Say goodbye," the killer said, and Andrew knew from the tone of his voice that he was smirking beneath the hood. His finger wrapped around the trigger.

"No!" Jeffrey whispered, and knocked the killer over just as the gun fired. The bullet shot through the air and flew just over Andrew's head. Andrew held his breath for a moment, then let it out slowly as he continued down the hall.

The killer growled and got to his feet. Jeffrey wrestled the gun away from him, though Andrew knew it was a struggle.

The killer laughed. "Think you've won, have you? I'll take at least one of you with me." Without warning, something whizzed through the air and struck Andrew in the shoulder. He hissed and pulled it out. At the same time, Jeffrey fired the gun and shot the killer clean in the chest, before he threw the gun down and hurried over to Andrew.

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking his little brother over. Mika and Tony shuffled over as well.

"Yeah..." Andrew murmured. "I think so." he held out the dart that had hit him. "Wonder what this was all about?"

Jeffrey frowned but said nothing. "C'mon, we've gotta get out of here." He grabbed Andrew's arm and led him around the body, Andrew leading Tony, who was leading Mika. They made it down the stairs and darted out of the house, hurrying to the stables.

Jeffrey threw the barn door open and started collecting three saddles.

"You think Tony can ride?" Andrew asked.

Jeffrey looked at Tony. "Dad taught you, right?"

Tony nodded slowly. "Yeah...he did. I don't know that much though."

"Enought to ride, right?"

"Yeah."

"Good." he moved to a horse and saddled it up, then moved to two others and did the same. He moved toward a tackle box and pried it open. "Dad always left money in here." he pulled out a few bucks. "This isn't going to last long at all."

"I know," Andrew sighed. "But...we'll get through."

Jeffrey grunted in response and grabbed a few bags of feed, tying them to the saddles. "Okay, Mika rides with me. Andrew, take Koni, he likes you."

Andrew nodded and hopped onto the caramel colored stallion after he unlocked the stall. He grabbed the reins a bit nervously.

"Tony, take Makina, she's friendly and easy to handle," said Jeffrey.

Tony nodded and did as he was told.

"Mika and I will take Sanji. He's old, but friendly and wise." he grabbed Mika and lifted her onto the horse before he got on himself, wrapped his arms around Mika to grab the reins. With a determined expression, he said, "Let's go."