by Barone, Cenz
Chapter 10 - The Madness Heard Outside
The fallout from Kenny's disclosure was interrupted at the sound of a loud bang heard outside. All within the lounge reacted to this noise, and this time it was unmistakably obvious what the source of the sound was, and the likely location of the sound. A car horn was blaring and the noise came from directly outside the house. This was not the usual noises they heard from outside the walls of the house but was instead eerily close. Everyone exchanged glances of hope and without a word all four ran towards the front door and peered through the gaps either in the door where the glass was or to the side. Cherie herself was peering through side window near the door.
“Look, someone is out there. I see someone!” said a hopeful Cherie as she saw a car whizz past the house through the side window of the door, her eyes focusing between the gaps of wood which they had earlier on boarded up against this area. Kenny was unable to see due to the peep hole where Cherie was near, even though he could hear the noise outside of the car. Kenny demanded “Wait, are they the police? Can you tell?”
Grant was peering through a window on the other side, a very small horizontal window and he replied to Kenny “I can’t tell. It’s too dark out there”. The car though zoomed off. Everyone became disappointed, the car itself was once moving around the streets outside the fleet of houses they were nestled within and now had gone. "What the hell is going on out there" said Elise. Her question was irrelevant at this point because the car came back and a loud crash was heard. The intensity of the crash made the group inside the house realise it was serious, despite them not being able to see the scale of it. The foursome were all dead silent, each could feel their own heartbeat, and the heavy breathing of those close to them. There was light coughing from outside which was soon followed by a cry, a man was shouting for help.
At this moment Grant was about to open the door when Cherie took hold of his arm and said worryingly “Are you sure you want to open the door” she asked him fearfully. Grant hesitated, Elise was quiet in the background watching him, and she had backtracked away from the door. Grant then looked at Kenny and Elise before addressing Cherie as he said "Cherie I am not sure about anything anymore. But if he is with the authorities, they need to know we are here. Maybe this is our only chance”. Kenny replied swiftly "I doubt he is with the authorities Grant, the guy out there is calling out for help. If he does not shut up he will draw those things over here".
Cherie pleaded her case by telling Grant in support of Kenny “We have the phones working. We can wait for someone to answer. That guy is not with the police, it is obvious” Cherie having to remind Grant they have already told of their location to a police station before it was cut out, Cherie added "We will keep trying, it does not matter though because we are safe here Grant". Grant was unable to let go of his sense of selflessness and went to open the door. Kenny did not like this nor did Cherie who raised her voice "Grant for fucks sake, don't do it". Grant was staring at both Kenny and Cherie, he turned to Elise for support but her silence made it obvious she sided with Kenny and Cherie. Grant though could not accept this as he said "If I did not do anything right now then that man outside will die, if I did not do anything for either of you” staring long and hard at Cherie and Kenny as he added “Neither of you would have been picked up by me in the van. Why should I turn my back on whoever that is?” Grant now looked at Kenny who moments before disclosed his shame at not being able to do more for others from his hotel room as he said “You are not the only one who could have done more for other people Kenny, I to could have but I did not” speaking of things neither knew about, except Elise. As Grant added “Just be thankful I did something for you, like I am going to do for that guy outside”.
Cherie and Kenny became reticent, knowing he was right. In one last effort to persuade him not to Kenny turned to Elise "Please tell him not to". Elise saw Grant and Cherie looked at her along with Cherie. Kenny still not able to shake off the fear, but it was understandable. Elise though took a neutral stance and said as she shook her head "It is not my place". Kenny answered her harshly "Yes it is, you are in this house along with us, what sense would it make if you risked it when help isn’t outside right now".
Elise pointed to the wood up against the windows "We are secure". Grant no longer wanting a discussion began to open the door, the draft of the wind entering inside and he took a deep breath and said "If anything happens it is my fault, none of you have to come out after me. Authorities or not out there, someone needs help”. Grant opened the door enough for him to leave and nervously looked ahead at the dark suburban road. And throughout the neighbourhood it was the same depressingly frightful site of darkness toppled off from the street lights which made the scene before Grant seem like it was moving in slow motion as the slow falling drizzling rain hit the ground from an angle. The windy breeze made it appear to Grant like a dream state, the weather had become harsher since he last ventured outside. The eerie site before him was interrupted as he heard the door slam shut behind him once he stepped outside the house. Kenny called out from the safety behind the front door “Sorry mate, I am not taking the risk for a stranger” Kenny despite all he disclosed was unable to do anything beyond looking out for himself, Cherie supported this but Grant asked himself why the hell he was risking himself despite is words of courage seconds before.
Once Kenny turned to face Elise and Cherie, Cherie looked relieved but Elise was visibly unimpressed considering Grant and Elise had picked up both Cherie and Kenny at differing times. Cherie was also conscious of this but both were just petrified. Elise herself could have gone out to but she did not have the stomach to do so in support of her work colleague. Instead the three remained near the door watching the outside through whatever gap would give them any view, but it was hard to see due to the smallness of the gap and the darkness outside, with its shades of streetlight.
The reason why Grant was taking this risk was deep in Grants subconscious as he alluded to when he argued with Kenny and Cherie before single-mindedly opening the front door. The office working epileptic he was felt like he himself had things to atone for. About a day before he and Elise picked up Kenny, he picked up a lorry driver and his son who he found in an industrial park, as he and Elise were looking for an escape out of Oxford. The father and son were hiding out in the industrial park and were very much desperate. Grant only stopped because he saw the tears in the young boy’s eye and the sheer horror on the father as they stood at the side of the road begging for someone to stop. Both had taken a chance when they saw the van Grant and Elise were in parked up in a car park within the large out of the way industrial park.
Grant had to stop himself from running when he saw people outside, and though he was thanked by the father for saving his life and saving his son, the father made overtures that he was in debt to Grant but not more than a few hours later Grant himself would be responsible for their demise. Grant was being way too hard on himself but he felt like if he was more courageous, and had a little more steel to his nerves then his cowardice would not have contributed to the father and son’s likely fate being grimmer than it could have been. Grant felt like his cowardice would eventually cost him someone else is life, notably someone he loves and cares for, like his wife Kirsten who he had yet to see since these surreal series of events had taken place.
He tried not to think about it but it was difficult not to, so Grant weirdly by throwing himself into this foolhardy rescue mission for the person outside the house who had called for help, readied himself for redemption, foolhardy or brave what did it matter. Fight or flight took over and Grant was fighting right now. There was no turning back now, even though he told himself how foolish he was. The glorified pencil pusher who was a highly qualified computer engineer and technician felt like he could potentially make amends. Even though he could take care of himself if he went by his training since a young child in martial arts, he nevertheless was met with a situation which was not of the norm with these vicious
murderous people. In truth he was just scared, but pushing himself on so he went. Grant moved towards the car which was about 10 yards on the other side of the road, all buckled up and static. The evidence of the recent crash was apparent, as smoke arose from the front of the buckled up car following its collision.
After a few more paces Grant reached the crashed car and behind the wheel of this small hatchback he saw the driver, who was a man with medium length blonde hair and looked in his 30s. The man was not shouting or calling at this point, but instead he laid there wiggling, trying to escape from the smash and clearly he was dazed from the impact. The man's determination to try and get out of the car meant he did not see Grant creeping up to the side. Grant could see two children strapped into their own seats by seatbelts in the back seats, those kids were dazed themselves from the smash into the stationary vehicle outside the houses on this middle class suburban street.
Then Grant seeing the top of the street dead quiet and bottom end of the street equally quiet made his way towards the car, he was almost within touching distance of the vehicle, and his footsteps were echoing louder at this point despite him trying to conceal his thudding steps. Then just as he reached the car, the driver noticed Grant approaching and immediately the once placid dazed driver aggressively shouted “Get the fuck back. Get away from us you cunt”. The man automatically thinking Grant was one of the crazy people who were attacking everyone one.
Grant not wishing to be seen as a threat spoke softly “Please relax. I am here to help”. The man not questioning what Grant said sighed in relief “Help! Oh thank God. I need a car, have you got one? This one is almost out of gas”. The man could tell Grant was not one of those things, for one he was speaking like a person and his skin colour as the man focused was normal. Grant observed the car the man was in and saw how damaged it was and said with a respectful whisper “This car is not just out of gas, this car is a write off sir". The man shouted "I did not ask you your opinion about this fucking car. I asked have you got a car. Well do you have a fucking car?" the man was brash and rude, but Grant could tell frightened which explained his manner.
Calmly Grant replied to the excitable man who seemed delirious from the crash "No. It is just a van. It’s in the lane behind the house I am hiding in. The van is not going to do you any good because...” before Grant could finish explaining the van was almost out of gas, he was interrupted as the man turned to the children and said hopefully “Okay kids. Come on Lucy and Bill come on boy let's get cracking, help your sister Bill. Get ready to move, we are going to a new car”. The two young children came out of the car holding their backpacks, barely able to move due to the impact and both were tired looking, as the young boy Grant deduced was Bill assisted Lucy his younger sister out of the vehicle, both were drained facially but they were listening dutifully to the command of their father.
Grant thought it would be best to explain to the man the van was low on petrol once they had all been brought into the house and it was not a car as the man assumed by not listening to Grant but a van, even though this was a mute point. Grant reasoned it was pointless arguing on the street. Grant though was conscious, whereas all his focus had been on the man that he ignored the other noises emitting from the car, which was not to do with the children who were groaning as they moved outside the vehicle from the hurt of the impact, clearly the children like their father had whiplash of some kind. Grant jumped a little, and he flinched and heard noises from the boot of the man's car, the noises were at this point streamed as loud thudding and banging which was seemingly building up in the last few seconds.
It was obvious to Grant that it was someone banging from within the boot, so he asked the man nervously, who was trying to ease himself up from the front seat “Who is in the boot?” instantly the man replied to Grant’s question “My wife, she tried to attack me. I am trying to get her to a hospital. I think she has lost her mind. It is understandable with all that is happening, but you have to help me move her, she is really sick but I have tied her up”. Grant then heard the growls from the boot and he began to realise that the wife of the man in the boot was not a woman who had lost her mind but likely one of those things, so Grant strongly objected and said, trying to whisper to not have the children hear him "No I won't help you move her. Are you out of your mind? She is one of those things”.
The man became angry and shouted “No she is not. Fuck you! You have not even seen her. She is my wife, she is just under stress. Do you think I do not know my own wife? What the fuck is wrong with you” Grant was floored at this man's attitude, was he serious or was he still befuddled from the car crash. Grant then asked himself why the man was travelling with his kids with his wife trapped in the boot. He must be serious. The man looked like he was going to strike Grant, Grant was cautious of the man's look and he was prepared to defend himself if the man went to strike him. But then the children were sniffling, as though readying to cry. And the man turned to them and said to his whimpering children who were beginning to shake, as they stood there outside the smashed car. The man conscious he let his temper get the best of him in front of children, pleaded with his kids in a loving way “It is okay. Do not worry. Daddy is just trying to get us all safe. We are going to go with this man to his van and mommy is coming with us. We will be a family together, just hold on”. The man glared a look of disgust at Grant as he stubbornly walked towards the boot of the car, as though blaming Grant for making his children upset.
Grant pleaded, no longer conscious of offending the sensibilities of the man's terrified children "Mister, do not open that fucking boot. Do you hear me?” Grant raised his voice but the man yelled over the boot with his hand near the button to open it. The man snarled “She is my fucking wife. She is also tied up, she just needs to relax. Maybe we can get her something to drink to calm her. She loves whisky, so do you have any whisky in the house?" Grant thought to himself what the fuck is this guy on about, the man waited for Grant to approach him to assist him in moving his wife but Grant glanced at the man shaking his head indicating he would not be approaching the boot. And then his children who were standing there looking completely lost and confused seemed nervous about their father opening the boot, like they knew something was not right.
Begging the man Grant said "Please do not open it. Think of your kids!" the man leaning over the boot grunted and said defensively "My kids and my wife are all I think about. Now help me for fucks sake". Grant shook his head once more and was readying for whatever would appear from within the boot, how he wished he had Kenny’s hunting rifle Grant thought to himself. The man now stated annoyed "Fine, you won't help me. I will do it my fucking self. Just make sure your van is ready when we get to it" so now the man recalled what Grant originally said, it was a van not a car, but again Grant was being petty as he saw the man was now trying to take charge but it was all from insecurity. Grant turned back to the house he had come from and the door was still shut but he knew those within were watching. He wondered how much they could see from where he was and if they could hear this conversation he was having. Grant knew he could not let this man bring his wife who was one of those things inside, so he felt nervous and shaky, he had no means to control this situation, and he was aware of those other people maybe stalking the streets, watching this commotion they were making and being attracted to it.
The man kept pressing the button but it did not work, so he cursed once more and then went into his pocket and took out a key, he straight away placed the key into the lock of the boot and said aggressively "I will help her. Fucking people, nobody helps anyone anymore. That is the problem with the world today". The guy was out of his wits and Grant decided he had to step in and he thought about the kids and approached the man going to move his hands away from the boot "Mister don't be fucking..." Grant had said but was interrupted as the man pushed Grant back to stop him from coming closer to the boot. The man became physically aggressive as he pushed Grant back again and even swung his fist which missed Gran
t who dodged it.
The man shouted at Grant “Stay the fuck away from me you little prick, I will break your neck if you come closer”. Grant moved back away from the man, he did not wish to attack the man yet but he was about to pounce, it was just that the man's children put him off doing so. Grant knew he could not reason with him so he tried one more time, no longer risking being struck “Mister. If you open that trunk she will kill us all. Listen to her groaning, listen to her. Are you going to endanger your kids, have you seen what is happening out there people are getting sick and attacking people" the groans were louder from within the boot at this point and she was growing more aggressive banging from within as though excited from the arguments taking place outside the boot. Grant could not believe this and then he said "Think of your children. Do you want her to kill her children, your children” he had to keep emphasising the children even though he did not know this family.
The man was outraged Grant could be so bold as to keep saying this in front of his kids, so he shouted coming towards Grant, as Grant backed away a few paces. The man seethed "Fuck you saying that with my kid’s right here. She loves our children, she will never hurt them. She is just sick, that is all. You hear me you prick. She is sick!” Grant now shouted in reply "Open your eyes, everyone is sick out here. Look at what the sick people are doing". The man stopped for a moment as if considering what Grant was saying but through the man's own desperation and manic state of mind he stubbornly stated "To hell with you. She is sick" the man in denial it seemed.
