One Step Ahead

Worst I've Ever Seen

      "Yes! I finally got you, you slimy bastard!" Mike Donnelly whispered, his thumb rapidly working the video-game controller. "Now when Eric gets back, I might actually be able to beat him."

      Settling back in his chair, he glanced up at the clock, and nearly tumbled out when he saw that it read 1:50. "Oh, crap! Dad's gonna shoot me if he finds out I've been up this late on a school night!" He turned off the Playstation, and got up, preparing to go to bed. As he reached for the light switch, a sound caught his attention. "What the hell? Who'd be out there hollering this late?"

      Suddenly remembering an unusual occurrence from earlier in the evening, Mike flipped back the curtain to look outside. Glancing across the street at his best friend's house, he was startled to see someone in the front yard, lying in the grass. Pressing his face to the glass to get a better look, he was even more surprised to realize that he knew the individual. "Holy crap, that's Dee!"

      Giving in to his curiosity , he slid the window up and climbed out , glancing back briefly to be sure his parents hadn't heard, before sprinting across the street. As he made his way across the damp grass, he was startled to realize that his best friend's older sister was lying face-down in the grass, sobbing uncontrollably.

      "Hey, Dee, are you okay? Why are you crying?" Mike stood awkwardly, unsure what to do for the hysterical young woman. She lifted her head and spoke to him, but he understood only enough to make him feel uneasy. Spotting the phone in her back pocket, he snatched it up and dialed, doing the only thing he could think of at the moment.

      The phone rang several times before a sleepy voice said, "Whoizzit? Whaddya want?"

      "Dad, it's me."

      "Mike? Where the hell are you? You're supposed to be in bed!"

      The words nearly tumbled over each other as they passed his lips. "Dad, I'm outside, across the street. I heard something, so I came out to look, and Dee's out here on the lawn. I'm not sure about everything she's saying , cause she's freakin' out real bad, all cryin' and stuff, but I think she said that something's wrong with her mom."

      Instantly alert, and completely professional, his father responded. "Stay right where you are, I'll be there in just a second. Do not move, you got it?"

      "I get it, Dad."

      Kneeling awkwardly by the older girl, Mike reached out and patted her shoulder, unsure of what else he should do, until he saw his front door open, and both of his parents dash across the street. His dad was already talking on the phone, and carried his brother's hockey stick in his other hand.

      "Yeah, this is Captain Jason Donnelly, with LA County Fire Rescue. There's something going on at my neighbor's house, somebody may be sick or injured. The address is 723 Starling, and you'll also want to notify the PD, the homeowner is one of their detectives. I'm going in, to see if I can provide assistance."

      Momentarily turning his attention back to the others, he said "Kath, why don't you take Dee back to our house, until somebody gets here? Mike, go with your mom." He then bounded onto the porch and walked inside the darkened house.

      "Come on, sweetie, let's get you off of this wet grass," Mike heard his mother say, as she lifted the girl to a standing position. "Mike, come on."

      "Just a second, Mom. We should take Gandalf, too, so he doesn't get scared and run away when the ambulance comes."

      She looked at him disbelievingly, then sighed. "Fine. Go to the porch and call him. If he comes, bring him, but if you even think about setting foot in that house, you'll be grounded until you graduate!"