She stood motionless in the dark shadows, her heart pounding so hard she was sure he’d hear it. “Oh, Lord, make me invisible.” She prayed. He sounded like he was getting closer...closer. She wanted so desperately to run, but to where? She took a step back and cringed at the sound of a twig breaking under her foot, hoping he didn’t hear it. Instinctively, she began to run. Which direction didn’t matter. She could feel the pointy branches cutting into her arms and legs, but ignored the pain. The probing eyes of an owl watched the strange creature rush by, then turned to concentrate on the prey he was soon to make into a meal.
The next thing she knew, she was on the ground trying not to cry out from the pain that shot through her leg. She looked down, realizing she had hit her right knee on a rock. It was then she noticed the bloody scratches made by the undergrowth. Her ears perked up at the sound of footsteps that seemed to echo in the night. She held her breath for what seemed like an eternity.
Her knee began to throb, the pain becoming more intense as she slowly dragged herself to a nearby tree. Everything was silent as if the animals and insects were listening for him too. Then she felt icy cold hands close around her neck. She tried to scream, but there was no air. She turned to get a good look at him, but it was too dark. “Help me!” She tried to yell, but it wouldn’t come out. Some one was shaking her, but she couldn’t get him off.
She heard her name, “Carolyn!” She woke with a start, and looked up into her brother’s face.
She sat up quickly and looked at her surroundings. She saw that she had fallen asleep while watching “The Fugitive” with her brother Joe and a few good friends. The movie had just ended and everyone was about to leave.
“Are you alright?” A friend asked.
“Yes, I think so...just a bad dream is all.” But her heart was still racing.
She took a deep breath, then went to see her friends to the door. As they left, her parents walked in. Mr. and Mrs. Collins were well-known in their town. Both ran a successful family business, and had been used by God to lead many people to the Lord. Although both were in their mid-forties, neither looked a day over 30.
“Well, I think we’re going to turn in. Goodnight, children.” Mrs. Collins was the first to give her children a kiss goodnight. Mr. Collins followed and the two headed up to bed. Carolyn turned to look at her brother. He was so handsome, just like their father. Big hazel eyes, brown hair, tall and muscular, it was no wonder all of her friends were always asking about him. He was going to be twenty-two this year. Carolyn had just turned eighteen. She had the same brown hair, but had those rare blue eyes that were almost purple. Her thoughts were shattered when she heard two gun shots ring out.
On impulse, her brother grabbed her and pushed her into the next room, hiding behind the wall. They peaked around the corner, and were able to see someone running down the stairs, and out the front door, but couldn’t make out who it was. They stood there silently for a while, waiting.
“You alright?” Joe asked his shaking sister.
“I think so. Oh, Joe. You don’t think?” her hand flew to her mouth.
“Shhhh....”
When it seemed like no one else was in the house, they made their way slowly upstairs. Their parent’s bedroom door was slightly ajar. Carolyn followed her brother cautiously into the room, finding papers and clothes scattered all over the floor. Suddenly, without warning, she let out a yell and fell to the floor. Her shoulders shook with sobs. Joe quickly ran over. He stood there in shock, not knowing what to do. There lay their parents, in their own blood as it soaked into the rug. Carolyn came to her senses first.
“What are you standing there for, go call the police!!” she yelled, tears pouring down her face, “Oh, God, please, no!”
Joe couldn’t move. He seemed paralyzed. Carolyn got up, pushed Joe out of the way and ran to the phone. Soon after the police arrived.
“Now, can you tell me what happened?” Detective Sanders asked her. He flipped open a pad and took out his pen, saying, “Look, I know this is hard, but we need to know everything that took place before your parents were murdered.”
Carolyn sat on the couch with a tissue in her hand, her brother sat beside her almost in a trance. He seemed to be staring off into space. Carolyn prayed for wisdom.
“Joe, and I and a few good friends stayed up to watch a movie. My parents arrived home just as my friends were leaving. They said goodnight, walked up to their bedroom, and that’s when we heard the two gun shots.” She tried to sound calm, but her voice was very shaky, “we saw someone run out the front door, but couldn’t make out who it was. We waited a few minutes to hear if anyone else was in the house. When all was silent, we went upstairs into our parent’s bedroom, and.....” She took a deep breath, “And that’s when we realized that.....” She couldn’t finish, her voice choked with sobs. Sanders now turned his attention to Joe.
“Could I ask you some questions?” He looked at the detective, then back at the floor.
“You were with your sister when this happened?” Joe shook his head yes.
“Did you see what the intruder looked like?” No.
“Would you please look at me! Hey, I’m talking to you!”
Joe stood up angrily, “Look, my parents were just murdered! I don’t need you or anyone else bombarding me with questions!” He had his finger pointed in Sanders’ face.
“Don’t you dare raise your voice with me! You just better sit and calm yourself down!” Joe glared at him, then plopped down on the couch, his arms folded in defiance.
They were taken to the station for more questioning, where they sat in a small room that was dimly lit by one single bulb. All Carolyn could think was this case was getting stranger and stranger, as if out of a movie. Sanders and another detective sat across from them, another policeman standing guard at the door.
“Can you explain that again? If your father died, your uncle would take over his business, but you and your sister would inherit everything else? The money, over a million dollars, the cars, plus the insurance?” the other detective asked.
“That’s correct.” Carolyn answered, a bit more calmly.
“What about the house? Do you get that to?” Sanders said this time.
“Yes.” Her brow creasing in confusion.
“So you’re both pretty well off. You’ll live pretty well without your parents.”
“Are you saying we killed our parents?! You’re crazy, all of you!” Joe jumped up, pounding his fist against the table.
“Sit down! We’re not accusing you of anything.” The other one yelled.
“Yeah, well you’re sure implying it!”
“We have to suspect everyone until we find the real murderer.”
“Just like the fugitive, you accuse the relatives! Well, were just going to have to prove you wrong!” Carolyn jumped in this time, her purple eyes flashing fire.
“That was a movie, kid, this is real life!” Sanders smirked.
“I am not a kid.” She took a deep breath, “Besides, we loved our parents so very much.” Tears formed in her eyes again.
“I don’t care if you’re angels!!” he was beginning to get frustrated, “Phil, take them home, and keep watch over them!”
“Yes, sir.” the officer replied, walking over and grabbing the two “suspects” by the arms.
“Wait a minute!” they tried to pull away, “We’re going to be prisoners in our own home?” Carolyn couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“Look, we have to take every precaution we can. If you did it, if your brother did it, if your dog did it....”
“We don’t have a dog.” Joe interrupted.
“Don’t get smart with me! Get them out of here!”
***
It was around five-thirty that same morning when they got together to think. Neither had gotten much sleep.
“Joe, we have to find out who did this. We have to get out of here, somehow.”
They were sitting in Carolyn’s bedroom, trying to figure out a way of escaping. It was the only way they could prove their innocence.
“Yeah, how? Phil, or whatever his name is, is sitting right downstairs. He won’t let anything get past him.”
“I don’t know how, but we have to figure out a way.” She paused, in deep thought, “Wait a minute...Joe, remember how we used to go down the laundry chute as kids?”
“The laundry chute? There’s no way we could fit!”
“I said as kids Joe...I know we’d never fit, but if we create a distraction...”
“Right, down the laundry chute.” A smile spread across Joe’s face.
***
Phil was dozing on the couch watching an old detective movie, his feet propped comfortably on the coffee table. He jerked upright when he heard the noise from the laundry chute. He grabbed his gun and ran up the stairs and into Carolyn’s room, finding it empty. He ran back down only to hear the screeching of tires on the gravel driveway. He ran outside and saw Carolyn and her brother racing away in the family car. Seeing that he had been had, he went back inside, called Sanders and reported, “Sir, we’ve got two fugitives on the loose.”
***
“We have to go to Uncle Henry’s house!” Carolyn yelled. They had been driving around for what seemed like hours, wondering what to do and where to go.
“No, that will be the first place they’ll look.” Joe told her.
“Then where do we go?”
“I don’t know.” Joe sighed, “How about we pray.”
