Living With A Killer

Chapter Two

It was the next morning and Mary forced herself out of bed. Henry was still asleep. Alyssa jumped awake because she was excited to meet her friends today. "I need a different pair of shoes" she said to herself. Before she did she went downstairs for breakfast. Mary was in the kitchen already dressed, cooking pancakes. "Pancakes!" She said excitedly. Mary smiled. "They are nearly ready so go make sure your brother is up". Alyssa nodded and made her way upstairs. She knocked on peters closed door. "Peter you up? We got pancakes!" She called out. She heard the squeaking of his mattress springs. "Yeah I'm up" he replied. Alyssa went back downstairs. "He'll be down in a few" Alyssa told Mary, as she drowned her pancakes in maple syrup. Peter and Henry had both come down the stairs and sat at the table. "Pancakes are at the ready" Mary told them with a cheery tone.

Once Alyssa had finished her pancakes, she ran upstairs to get changed. She wore her new summer dress and had her blonde hair wavy. She applied the same makeup she had learnt yesterday. "Shoes. No shoes seem right" she complained. That's when she had the idea to borrow a pair of her mum's. Since everyone was downstairs. "I'll be quick and I'm sure she won't mind" she said to herself again as she crept into her parent's bedroom. She opened the huge left mirrored wardrobe door and saw her mum's clothes and shoes. After browsing for a while, she finally found the right pair. That's when she noticed a big black bag, shoved at the very back of the wardrobe. "What the-" she pulled out the bag and unzipped the top. Inside the bag was a stack of money, three passports, a change of clothes and car keys. "Alyssa!" She heard a voice call from behind her. Mary had come into the room. Alyssa turned to look at Mary. "What is this?!" She asked concerned. "You can't say anything. You just can't" Mary pleaded. "What is it mum?" She asked in a more serious tone. "It's a get away bag. Incase I ever consider leaving your father" Mary confessed. Alyssa looked at her more confused than upset. "Why would you leave him?" She asked calmly. "Alyssa.. your father isn't-" Mary was cut off by Henry entering the room. Alyssa quickly shoved the bag at the back of the wardrobe. "What's going on up here?" He asked. "I was just hoping to borrow a pair of mums shoes. I picked these ones" she said as she grabbed a pair of white trainers and took them into her room. Henry smiled at Mary and began to change out of his pyjamas. Mary went downstairs to clean up the breakfast remains.

Half an hour later a car pulled up outside and honked its horn. "It's for me!" Called out Alyssa. She ran down the stairs and ignored her mum saying bye. She was still made about her get away bag. Alyssa didn't know about the abuse. Mary thought she could patch things up with her later. Peter went into the garage to work on the car he'd recently found in a scrapyard. He liked to find old things and refurbish them. He got his big box of tools out and began to take the parts off the car. He used a crow bar to wedge the rusty door off and began to scrub it down.

Meanwhile Henry came downstairs and went into his office to work. He never spoke about his job but he made a lot of money from it. Every day he would sit and type on his laptop. The office had shelf's full of paperwork and boxes in it. He came out to get a drink. That's when he heard a loud clang come from the garage. He went to take a look. "Peter? You alright?" He asked. Peter stuck his thumb up in the air from behind the rusty car. "You want any help?" Asked Henry as he barged into the room to look at what he was working on. His foot accidentally kicked the crow bar across the room and it banged onto the car. "You know you shouldn't leave that there, it could really do some damage" he said as he picked it up. "Noted" replied Peter, not looking up from the door he was still working on. "Well I'll leave you be I guess" said Henry as he put the crowbar down and left the garage.

Meanwhile Alyssa was at a festival with her friends. She went to support her boyfriend, who was a performing act. He was part of a dance group, and they were quite talented and always on time. Alyssa and her friends sat on the field as they waited for the dance group to come on. Her best friend Olivia sat down next to her, while the others went to get snacks. "What's one your mind?" She asked. "How did you know?" Replied Alyssa. Olivia put her hand on Alyssa's shoulder and smiled. "I'm your best friend I just know these things". Alyssa let out a sigh. "I found something in my mums wardrobe and I haven't been able to get it out my head all day" she explained. "Woah. It's that type of thing. It's normal I found one of those toys in my mums drawer once" Olivia replied. "Ew what no! That's not what I found Olivia!" Replied Alyssa disgusted but she still laughed a little. "What was it then?" She asked. "I found a get away bag with everything you need to leave a country and practically start a new life. My mum said she made it because she wanted to leave dad, but she hasn't had the courage to" Alyssa told Olivia. It sounded worse out loud. "Oh.. but I thought they had such a strong marriage?" She asked. "So did I" replied Alyssa as she layed on her back to look up at the cloudy sky, tucking the sun away. "Maybe don't over think it. They could've just been in an argument and at the time your mum thought it was a good idea, but changed her mind and just shoved it to the back" suggested Olivia. "Yeah maybe" replied Alyssa. She felt a bit better. That's when the music started and her boyfriend's dance group came running out.

Back at the house Mary was in the kitchen baking a cake to distract her from the overwhelming anxiety that was consuming her. She was so scared that Henry had seen the bag. He hadn't said anything yet so she assumed he didn't. However, she was still scared for what he would do to her if he did find it. Peter had been working on the car all day and even ate his lunch in the garage. All you could hear was the car engine sputtering and Peter getting cross with it. Mary went into the garage to give him a drink and check if he was okay.

After Alyssa's boyfriend had finished the dance he came over to greet her. He was very handsome. Perfect skin, hair and very fit body. He worked out a lot and really cared for Alyssa. The two of them were practically barbie and ken in the flesh. Alyssa, her friends and her boyfriend Jamie, went to find some food before it got dark. After rides, food, drinks and games the group got into the car and made drop offs to each house. The stars shone on the guiding road. The car was slowly approaching Alyssa's neighbourhood.

Inside the house, the evening had crept in. Mary went into the kitchen to pour herself a drink, next to the ironing board she'd forgotten to put away, and the iron left plugged in but the switch was off. Peter was still in the garage but he'd probably fallen asleep. Henry came down the stairs very slowly and quietly. He made his way into the kitchen and Mary greeted him. Henry ignored her and he slammed a bag onto the kitchen island. It was the get away bag she had packed. Mary felt a huge gulp of saliva build up. She was scared. "What is this Mary?" He asked in the calmest tone. The silence was so loud. "I um I've never seen it before" she lied. "DON'T LIE TO ME!" He yelled. Mary felt scared. Henry walked around the kitchen island, up to Mary. He grabbed hold of her arms tightly and began to sshake her. "You're NEVER leaving me. You understand? NEVER" he yelled in her face. "GET OFF" Mary screamed back. Henry looked disgusted she spoke to him that way. He slapped her round the face so hard she fell on the floor. That's when Henry looked at the doorway to the kitchen, and saw Alyssa standing there, witnessing her father hit her mother. "What are you doing to her?" She asked with a tear strolling down her cheek. "Nothing" Henry tried to lie. "I saw you" replied Alyssa. Alyssa went up and helped Mary to her feet. "Get away from my mother" she said up close to him. "How dare you speak to me like that" replied Henry. Alyssa looked down and saw the bag. She quickly figured out what was happening. "I didn't tell him I swear" said Alyssa to Mary. "You knew? YOU KNEW?" Screamed Henry. "YOUR A PAIR OF LYING BITCHES" he shouted as he picked up Mary's glass and launched it at the wall, shattering all over the place,barely missing Alyssa's head. "YOU COULD'VE HIT ME YOU PSYCHOPATH" she screamed at him. Henry grabbed Alyssa and began to hit her repeatedly. She screamed in pain. Mary screamed and quickly grabbed the iron off the side, snapping off the cord. She smashed it around Henry's head and he fell to the floor and wasn't moving. Alyssa and Mary looked at each other with relief and concern. Henry was not moving at all. "Is he..dead?" Asked Alyssa, slowly wiping the tears away. "I um. I'm not sure" replied Mary. That's when she slowly leant down to check for a pulse. Henry jumped back up and grabbed hold of Mary's arm. He pushed her into the cupboard and wrapped his hands around her throat. She couldn't breathe. Alyssa jumped on Henry to get him off her but he just pushed her onto the floor. Mary continued to gasp for breath and was hitting her hands in his shoulders. "I'll kill you, you lying bit-" Henry was cut off. A loud bone cracking noise was to be heard, as blood splattered all along the cupboard and on Mary and Alyssa. Henry hit his head on the kitchen island, leaving a blood stain and fell onto the floor. His skull was dented and blood started pooling out onto the kitchen floor.  Mary and Alyssa looked up to find Peter holding a crowbar in a batting position, with his face covered in blood too.