“Do you think your homework is going to take a long time today

“Do you think your homework is going to take a long time today?”

Julie shook her head. “I doubt it. I only have a little math, hist-”

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK! KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

They glanced at the door, then back at each other with questioning looks as the insistent doorbell and knocking continued to fill the house.

“I wonder who that could be?” Mrs. Thorne said before she went toward the door. Julie heard the door open, followed by a gasp. “Goodness, Jill, what’s happened to you? Are you-”

“Please, just let me in!”

Julie rushed towards the door, spurred by her friend’s panicked voice. As she rounded the corner Jill ran into her.

“Jill! Are you okay?”

Jill threw herself into Julie’s arms, trembling like a leaf, tears trailing down her bloodied face. Julie exchanged a brief glance with her mom, who stared back with wide eyes.

BANG BANG BANG!

Jill gasped and whirled toward the door, face frozen in terror. Julie’s heart leapt into her throat, but she kept reassuring hands on Jill’s shoulders, offering what little comfort she had as Jill backpedaled into her.

“Julie! She’s got to hide. Now!”

Julie grabbed Jill’s hand and bolted toward the basement door. Julie darted down the stairs first, and jumped down the last few before sprinting across the basement to the new bedroom.

Just before Jill stepped down, she heard the front door bang open, and the sound of the angry voice of her father filled the house, paralyzing her by fear.

She snapped herself out of her stupor and began to rush down the stairs, shutting the basement door behind her. She lost her footing about five steps from the ground and fell, landing on her knees hard.

“Come on, Jill!”

Julie helped Jill to her feet and led her to the bedroom doors, doing her best to keep a quick pace despite Jill’s stumbling. She threw the doors open and ran through them, and Jill followed, closing them behind her.

“Come on, come on!” Julie urged, holding out her hand from inside the closet. Jill stumbled toward it and clenched Julie’s hand, and Julie helped pull her in before swiftly pulling the closet door shut.

The world was completely dark. The only thing the girls could hear was their panicked panting, and Mrs. Thorne in a shouting match with Mr. Hendrix.

“You can’t keep me from finding my girl!”

“I can keep you from searching my house! I’m warning you, I’ll call the cops!”

“Do I care? Step aside!”

The sound of scuffles filled the air until it separated into two distinct sets of footprints.

Mrs. Thorne’s muffled voice sounded almost directly above them. “Yes, I have an intruder in my house, 135 Oak Drive…”

Her voice faded as her footsteps carried closer towards the other set, and another shouting match ensued.

They suddenly heard a loud smack, followed by a tumble, as if something large hit something else. It was accompanied by a scream from Julie’s mother, but then, only one set of footprints was moving.

Julie gasped. “Dear God, no…”

A soft pair of hands slowly took hold of her arm. Julie placed her other hand on them. Julie swallowed hard. “It’ll be okay, Jill,” she whispered quietly.

The sound of quiet sobbing began to fill the small closet. “I wish I could be brave like you,” Jill admitted. “You were brave at the end of a gun. You’re brave now. I’ll never be like you.”

“That’s not true,” Julie replied. “You can have the same strength I have. It’s not from me- it’s from Jesus.”

“From… Jesus?” Jill repeated.

BANG!

Both girls jumped as the basement door burst open. Slow footsteps began to come down the stairs.

Jill’s hands on Julie’s arms began to clench tighter and tighter. “I can’t do it, Julie. I can’t. You don’t know what he’ll do to me.”

“Just be quiet, Jill, we’ll be okay,” Julie whispered.

“No, I won’t,” she said, voice shaking, hands trembling. “I can’t face him again. I can’t. Not after what he did to me. Not with what he’s going to do… he’s, he’s going to… to kill… me…”

Jill’s hands let go, and Julie heard a cacophony of bumps and rustles. “Jill! Jill?”

Jill didn’t respond.

Julie swiftly knelt and felt for Jill. She was lying on the floor, half slumped against the wall. Julie prayed her father hadn’t heard her fall.

Julie held her breath. She could hear rustling in the next room over, tapes hitting the ground, noises of Jill’s father’s reckless search.

Jill whimpered. Julie found her head and placed a gentle hand on the side of her face. “Jill!” she whispered. “Jill, you have to be quiet! You’re dad’s in the next room over!”

Jill gave a weak nod before sitting up. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“Don’t worry about-”

The bedroom doors banged open, and Jill gasped. Julie instinctively stood, bracing herself for the second her father opened the closet door.

They each stiffened as sounds filled the air, sounds of breaking glass, books being thrown, a lamp shattering. Bumps and thuds sounded like he picked up and overthrew the bed.

The footsteps slowly approached the closet door.

Julie swallowed hard, trying to subdue her pounding heart. She watched dark shadows block the light under the door. She swallowed hard and tried to subdue her pounding heart, forcing herself to be brave for the sake of terrified Jill.

The door flew open, and blinding light filled the closet. Julie threw herself out with her fists.

She hit him hard, but it he didn’t flinch. He grabbed her shirt and threw her aside.

“Ah. There you are.”

Jill screamed.

“Leave her alone!”

Julie jumped at him and tried to drag him away, but he was too strong for her. He jerked an elbow into her face.

“No!” Jill screamed as Julie fell to the floor. Her father reached for her.

“Freeze!”

Police flooded the room and grabbed his arms, slapping handcuffs on his wrists. He fought as some dragged him out and upstairs, screaming and cursing.

Other cops helped pick Julie and Jill up off the floor. Jill rushed to Julie and threw her arms around her, and Julie held her trembling form for a long, long time.