The Odd Family's Book of Bedtime Stories

Who's in the House

Dean woke up to bright lights flashing in his room, blue and white. He could hear people talking loudly outside. Exhausted, he rolled over and looked at his alarm clock. The bright red numbers let him know it was early in the morning- too early for all this racket. Carefully climbing out of bed, Dean went to the window and peered out from behind the curtains.

He could see cops all over the place. They all wore thick vests that read 'POLICE' across the back. Some of them had dogs, all of them had flashlights. They were searching everywhere for someone or something. Even a helicopter- possibly two- flew overhead. A banging at the door made him jump but he went to investigate. A quick check let him know that a police officer was at the door. Dean disarmed his alarm system and cracked open the door.

"Hello, Sir." The police officer said, tipping his hat, "sorry to bother you so late."

"What's going on?" Dean asked. The cop looked over his shoulder and back to Dean.

"We have a dangerous suspect on the loose, Sir." The police officer replied, "we're going door to door to make sure everyone is safe. Are you alone in the home?" Dean nodded. "Are all your doors and windows locked?" Dean nodded again.

"And I have an alarm system." He offered.

"Good." The police officer said, "now, you make sure you lock the door behind you and arm that system, Sir. Don't answer the door for anyone without a badge. Understand? We'll let you know when it's safe again."

"Alright." Dean replied. As soon as the police officer was gone, Dean turned on the news and went back to the window to watch. He could see other neighbors silhouettes in the windows, doing the same thing. No one dared to come outside.

The news gave him more information, of course. A local killer who'd been appearing in the news lately was in the area. He'd escaped capture, killing two police officers, but they had him trapped in Dean's neighborhood. He had always thought he lived in a good neighborhood... almost cookie cutter, in fact. He was considering moving now.

Double checking his alarm system, windows, and doors, Dean headed to bed. He didn't think he would be seeing anything good anyway. It was too dark to see much and he was tired. Just in case, Dean locked his bedroom door as well. Pretty soon, he drifted back to sleep.

Dean woke suddenly to a crash. It sounded like one of his windows was breaking. He sat straight up, listening. Another crash a few moments later let him know someone was definitely in the house. He could hear his cellphone ringing in the bathroom and couldn't believe he'd forgotten it there. It was likely the alarm company calling to see if there was an emergency. It also meant he couldn't call the police. He listened to the brief silence outside. A light went over the bottom of his bedroom door- maybe a flashlight.

Then, the doorknob wiggled.

Panicked, Dean looked around. He had to find a way out. His room was a little high off the ground but the window was the only way. Prying it open quickly, Dean slipped through and landed on his back in the dirt. The blow knocked the breath out of him but Dean scrambled up anyway, eager to get away. Once he had reached the edge of his yard, he turned to see if he'd been followed and frowned.

The window below his bedroom window was shattered, obviously from the inside. Someone had come out through it. He looked up to the bedroom window to see several police officers looking at him. One shouted but it was too late. A man grabbed Dean from behind, putting a knife to his throat.

"You're gonna be my ticket out of here."