Jackrabbit

• Caleb Broadbridge, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2016

“One second honey, I’m going to get a coffee with Jake. You want one?”
“No thanks, still pumped from the last one.” Mordecai returned a smile to his exquisite wife and son, Juliet and Jake. The sirens blared out happiness inducing music, which welcomed everyone to the fairgrounds. It was their anniversary, June 20th.
It was also the day they took his life away.

Crash! The coffee shop collapsed, crushing the patrons, sending out a cloud of dust. People screamed and ran. Everyone but Mordecai. His gaze was focused on two black-hooded figures. The men that caused it all. Hit by the wave, as if it were made of misery itself, he crumbled.

Sirens. Emergency ward. Doctor. Death.
“I’m sorry. There was nothing we could do.”
Mordecai died when he heard “sorry”. The words smashed him like a king hit, a death blow…

* * *

The final clues wouldn’t come and tap on his door, he had to chase them down. Staring at 17 pages, multiple locations, including various listings to “the cabin in the woods”, he heard his door creak open. A shadow flitted across the room. Whoever was in the room with him had been trained well. Mordecai pirouetted and stood face to face with a Nightstalker. Grunting, Jackrabbit removed the knife from his ally’s throat.
“You’ve never been the careless type, particularly when someone sneaks into your house, but jeez, I’ve never seen such speed.”, smiled Jacobi.
Mordecai’s response was blunt and simple.
“Well, did you find any leads to the cabin?”
“I managed to track the black box to Africa, East coast. We found them.”

* * *

The crunching gravel road brought Mordecai out of his slumber. They had been driving for two days now.
“You’re awake.” Abraham grinned, his white teeth a stark contrast against his midnight skin, though worry crept around the corners of his eyes. “Try to remain vigilant. This place isn’t safe for you.”

“Good luck, my friend!” shouted Abraham, as Mordecai’s boat slid into the ocean, slipping through the water like an agile snake.

* * *

A voice like shifting mountains bounced off the walls “We were there for one person, not the whole café. And now you’ve left the logbook for them to track.” His deep rumble filled the cabin.
“Relax, nobody ca-“ he howled as Mordecai rammed him through the wall.
Mordecai was on him in moments. A roar erupted like an exploding mountain. Once again Jackrabbit removed his knife from a man’s throat, this time, crimson with the blood of his family’s killer. When Mordecai advanced to properly greet the other man; however, he was gone…