Darkness In The Alley Tonight

• Kelly Stuart, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2009

The tiny mouse scampered from its hiding place behing the bin, across the empty road and into a dark, narrow alley that was unknown to the people in the town. It scurried around, searching desperately for a box or a rock or maybe a gap in the paving to hide in or behind. But there was nothing.
Suddenly, the mouse froze. Its whiskers twitched with fear and it turned to see a figure, a man, swaying from side to side, his shuffling, staggering steps carrying him little way across the passage.
Finally, the man stopped in front of the mouse. He had a gun in one hand and a knife in the other. His unbuttoned, blue and black checkered shirt stained with blood.
The man looked down at the frightened mouse, snorted and moved on. The mouse relaxed. It had been spared!
The mouse hurried out of the alley, squeaking with relief that it was not dead...yet. It ran back to its old home behind the bin. It was not going to move house tonight.
And still the man walked on, at a slow but steady pace, his mind set on on getting to her.
To kill her.