Night From Hell

• Jordan Johnston, Grade 9
• Short Story
• 2012

It had taken a few hours but I was finally ready for my family night out. Most of the time was spent on deciding what to wear but I had finally chosen a red, floor-length gown that gathered at the waist.

When the doorbell rang signalling that the limo was here I turned go meet my family and boyfriend downstairs. I had gotten half-way out the door when the power went out because of the raging thunderstorm occurring.

As I carefully eased the rest of my way down the carpeted hallway I heard a familiar voice downstairs but it wasn’t my boyfriend’s or dad’s. It sounded angry and stern, like it was giving orders but I couldn’t make out what was being said because of the thunder outside. I had a very bad feeling about the voice but I kept making my way to the stairs.

Just as I got around the corner, several gunshots went off and I heard the ear-piercing screams of my family. Even though I couldn’t see anything I knew it was bad. Then the lightning struck.

On the ground below I saw the bloody bodies of my parents, sister and boyfriend. Standing over them was someone wearing faded blue jeans and a black hoodie.

I treaded lightly down the stairs so when the next flash of lightning came I would see their face but instead the power came back on and I found myself staring into the eyes of my ex-boyfriend.
“I thought you were in prison” I managed to say in a very shocked voice.
“No prison could keep me from you” he said too sweetly as he stepped jealously around my boyfriend’s dead body.
I had frozen to my place on the stairs but when he started ascending the steps towards me that I turned and sprinted into my room, slamming and locking the door after me.
“You can’t run from me Renee!” Grant shouted as he pounded his fists against the door. When that didn’t work he started slamming his foot into the door.
I needed to escape so forgetting about the rain pelting down outside I ran through the French doors leading to my balcony. Closing the doors behind me I took my high heels off, stepped over the railing and descended the metal ladder. After jumping off the last rung I escaped into the woods.
“Renee! Come back!” Grant roared from the balcony before coming down the steps. Not long after I could hear him chasing after me.
Lightning brightened my path as I stumbled through the rain and freezing gusts of wind. I was completely drenched and covered in mud when I reached the edge of the cliff. I paused for a second trying to think of another option but ran out of time as Grant reached the end of the trees.
Closing my eyes I leaped off the cliff and plummeted into the churning black swells of the dark sea below.