The Nostalgia Diaries

Farther as they go

Rain fell heavily on Benjamin William's rooftop like arrows of God. The rain first started with a drizzle which lasted from noon till the night hours when it began to fall heavily as the night came by. People ran in panic, looking for a shade to protect themselves from the rain. Most of the residents who lived close to the beach never liked when the rain fell at night because of the strange sounds their rooftops made like the sound a rattlesnake made with the beads at the end of it tail before it attacked it prey.

Benjamin Williams barged into his daughter's bedroom and gently tapped her shoulders so she could wake up from her sleep.

"Dad" Aisha said in a sleepy voice as she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. Her long black curly hair was scattered on her head like a big ball of fur. Her small pointed nose was a bit pink because of the nasal congestion she suffered from the cold. She squinted her big vibrant blue eyes at her dad.

"Hey, my little Miss. Sunshine. You've got to stand up" Benjamin groaned.

"Why?" Aisha cried.

"We have to go, someone's coming, someone mean, very mean" Benjamin bent and carried Aisha from her bed and led her out of her room. "I have to get you away from him"

Aisha looked up at her father as she walked beside him. "Who are we running from, dad?" She asked curiously. "Is it the bogeyman?"

"No!"

"Is it the cookie monster?"

Benjamin didn't answer Aisha instead he placed his index finger on her lips for her to be quiet. He took her to the kitchen and shut the door lock hurriedly with his hands shaking nervously. He walked to the shelf where plates were kept and pushed it aside, revealing a big carved entrance on the wall that led to a secret tunnel.

Aisha's eyes widened as she stared at the huge hole carved on the wall that led into the tunnel. She thought the tunnel was dug by a giant mole. She shrieked when she heard someone bang the front door heavily.

"Dad, what's going on?" she asked.

Now Benjamin was breathing nervously with his mouth open. He turned and gently put Aisha in the tunnel then kissed her on her forehead.

The person banged the door more heavily and wobbled the doorknob, the door hinges made a disturbing sound that warned Benjamin the door would fall to the floor any minute.

"Dad, who's at the door?" Aisha cried.

"Aisha, you have to go. It's not safe here. Go" Benjamin cried.

Benjamin pushed Aisha into the tunnel and gestured at her to run as far possible. He stepped back and began shifting the shelf to its original position like he was a pirate hiding a treasure from other pirates. He was halfway into covering the entrance of the tunnel then Aisha stuck her left hand outside and grabbed her father's hand.
"Dad, please don't leave me out here all alone" Aisha cried soberly.

Benjamin squeezed Aisha's hand in his and looked at her eyes admiringly. "I love you so much, Aisha. You have to be strong". He let go of Aisha's hand and continued shifting the shelf until the front door finally broke open.

"I love you, dad" Aisha said aloud through the small crack of the entrance as it was being covered by the shelf.

The entrance of the tunnel wasn't closed completely. Aisha could still see from the tiny space that was left open by her father.

Benjamin let out a sigh of relief as he was glad Aisha was safe. His heart skipped a beat when he saw a masked man walk into his house. The man was armed with a shotgun. He reached out and grabbed a butcher knife on the cutlery table and walked slowly into the living room.