DESPERATE

22

A few weeks ago, Kenzo was puzzled by Randall's absence. They had planned to rob another place for more money and food, but Randall never showed up at his shack. It was unlike him to back out of a risky scheme. Kenzo wondered if something had happened to his friend. He decided to look for the little man around the neighborhood.

As he walked by the house where they had stolen the laptop, he saw a crowd of people. They were handing out flyers of a missing man named Tom. He approached the distraught woman who seemed to be Tom's wife and offered his help. That was how he befriended Jordan and his family. Kenzo helped them with household chores and errands. He lied to them that he lived with his poor and frail grandmother, who was mean and cranky. He hated being home with her. That's why Jordan always asked him to sleep over and hang out at his place. Kenzo enjoyed his new surroundings and never thought of his lost friend Randall.

Randall was boiling with anger as he moved on to Gail’s room. It was pitch black. He found that strange. The little girl usually needed her Shrek night-light to fall asleep. He heard someone stirring in the bed. Gail was there, but Randall couldn't see anything. He noticed his peeping hole was blocked by a picture frame. Did she suspect him? He felt a chill and decided to visit his favorite gal, Dionah.

Dionah wasn't alone in her room. She was in bed with her boyfriend Vinny. Stupid naive girl. If only Dionah knew what Vinny was doing behind her back. The guy was nothing but a fuckboy. Randall didn't want to watch their make-out session and left.

Randall stormed off to his room, feeling no appetite or fatigue. He sat on his flat bed, seething with anger and plotting the ultimate revenge. He was not going to let this slide. This was the last straw.

Hel had enough of living in the shadows, trapped inside a wall. He longed for a normal life with the Andera, the family he secretly watched over for months. With Tom gone, he saw his chance to step in and fill the void. He was ready to come out of hiding and introduce himself. He knew they would be stunned at first, but he hoped they would eventually accept him and love him back. He had to plan this moment carefully.

Randall went to the basement and rummaged through the dusty boxes. He spotted one with a label that read: Tom's Box. Don't Touch. He smirked and lifted the lid without a second thought. Tom was long gone. Even his cursed spirit was trapped in that eerie cabin in the woods. Randall gasped at the sight of the ropes, zip ties, duct tapes, and bandanas inside the box. He snatched some of the kidnapper's tools and headed back to his room.

The sun was about to rise; he had no time to lose. He stuffed everything he needed in the Barbie backpack and gripped the loaded gun in his hand. He felt a sudden boost of self-assurance as he went to encounter the Andera family.

The house was quiet. No one was in the kitchen or the living room yet. They were late sleepers. Randall raided the fridge and devoured some ham, cheese, and a leftover egg salad. He gulped down the milk from the carton. I'm the master of this place. No one can stop me.

Randall searched the living room for something to make some noise. He finally found a purple plastic vuvuzela under the couch. This would do the trick to get them downstairs and in one place. Randall wanted to impress them before the big showdown. He went back to the kitchen and stripped off his clothes. He coated himself with flour from head to toe. He put his underwear back on and grabbed a jar of honey from the cupboard. He smeared some honey in his hair and spiked it up with his finger. For the finishing touch, he dabbed some strawberry jam on his lip and nose. He was ready.

He crouched behind the kitchen door, clutching a gun in his hand. He blew the vuvuzela with all his might, making a deafening noise. The whole house was jolted by the sound. One by one, everyone rushed downstairs.