Paintball Practice

• Henry Morris, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2018

Jack slid under the table for cover. A paintball smashed one of the legs sending an explosion of pink paint. Bill cursed and loaded another shot. But this gave Jack just enough time to tip the table over giving him a protective wall from incoming ammunition. Bill squeezed off another shot, sending a splat of blue across the wooden wall about three metres behind Jack. Jack’s heart was racing as he bounced up over his cover and fired a shot at Bill’s head. Bill lunged out of the way and the paintball instead hit his leg.
Jack smirked and helped him up. They had built this paintball arena in the basement last Christmas. They pooled all their Christmas money to buy the walls, paint and guns for this place and now they came down every Sunday to play.
They heard thumping coming from the basement stairs. Bill’s mum Edna peered down. She looked much like Bill, emerald green eyes, black hair and a freckled face.
“You’re still here Jack?” she asked. “Come on it’s time to get home now.”
“See ya’ Jack,” said Bill.
“Beat you next Sunday,” replied Jack.
“Yeah right!” said Bill.
Jack walked down the street and he saw his house about three blocks away, he ran to the front door and pressed the electric doorbell. He waited to see his mother’s grey eyes and brown hair or his father’s hard and bearded face come out to greet him. But neither came. He had expected his mum, Anita, to welcome him in and make him a cheese toasty. Or even sometimes his father, David, to greet him and put on an old spy movie for them to watch. But today he found no one to open the door for him. He unlocked the door himself and looked to his left where he saw the same old antique table that always sat there and upon it read a note saying: 'Hi Jack we’re just at the shops be back soon. There’s a ham and cheese sandwich in the cupboard if you’re hungry. -Love from mum and dad.'
Jack didn’t feel hungry, he just wanted to go to his bedroom and watch some online videos. He walked in and lay on his bed. Jack had barely just started watching Top 10 Ping-Pong Ball Trick shots when he heard the doorbell ring. He paused the video and went downstairs, when he opened the large oak door he found no one behind it. ‘Knock and runners’ he thought to himself. He trudged up the stairs slowly then he heard a smash coming from his bedroom window.
Jack dashed up the stairs and leapt into his bedroom. He ran in and saw his window smashed with a climbing rope hanging outside of it. His green beanbag was torn open and he saw a scruffy man placing Jack’s I-pad into a large leather backpack. ‘Criminal’ Jack thought.
He ran.