Chapter 28: The Alleyway

As Jack and Susan proceeded along the footpath toward home neither one looked at the other and neither one spoke. They were each totally lost in the world of their own private thoughts. They both had their heads down when they turned a corner to enter a 500 yard alleyway that led between the back section of a row of shops and a housing development. No sooner had they turned into that alleyway - a shortcut home that they had traversed many times before - when Susan popped her head up.

“What was that?” she said as she looked around then at Jack.

Jack didn’t look up but kept his dejected eyes focused on the ground and said, “What was what? I didn’t hear anything.”

They both carried on walking but Susan was suddenly much more alert to her surroundings than she had previously been. Eventually she spoke again.

“Do you get the feeling we are being followed?” she whispered quietly to Jack.

The nervousness in her voice got Jack’s attention. He looked up then at Susan and replied, “Now you come to mention it, yer! I have been hearing odd noises ever since we left the school grounds. I guess I have been so absorbed by what Principal Jordan said to us that I haven’t paid it any attention.”

As Jack said this Susan began to quicken her pace. There was still a good 400 yards left before they were clear of the alleyway and out in the open again. Jack quickened his pace in sympathy with Susan’s.

Susan was looking between the vertical fence palings that sectioned off the rear of the shops from the alleyway when she thought she saw something.

“I saw something” Susan said nervously. “I saw the shadow of a man or something dart between those dumpsters.”

Jack looked across to where Susan had been looking. He tried to sound confident but didn’t do very well. He said shakily, “It is more likely just a bunch of cats or a few unregistered dogs looking for scraps of food. This place is crawling with ‘em.”

Jack’s poor attempt at sounding confident just made them both quicken their pace even more. The end of the alleyway was only 200 yards away now but like a bad dream that 200 yards seemed like 200 miles!

Soon Susan and Jack were hearing bangs, crashes and footsteps from both sides of the alleyway. Those bangs, crashes and footsteps were keeping pace with them as they got closer and closer to the exit and to freedom and safety.

The end of the alleyway was now only 50 yards ahead. Jack and Susan were almost out of there. However, the bangs, crashes and footsteps they heard were now accompanied by shadowy figures moving along just over the fence on both sides of the alleyway.

Susan screamed when she heard a loud crash right behind her. Jack turned momentarily to see a hooded figure drop down from the fence then another and another. Three hooded figures were now coming along the alleyway behind them.

Jack grabbed Susan’s hand as he turned to face forward and just shouted, “RUN!!!”

Susan didn’t need to be told twice. She held Jack’s hand tightly as they both raced the last 20 yards of the alleyway at full pelt. They could both hear the footsteps behind them break into a run as well. Susan screamed loudly again when she felt some fingers touch the bare skin of her shoulder. The fear in her stomach caused more adrenalin to kick in and she found herself running faster and harder than she ever thought was possible.

Jack heard Susan’s scream from just behind him but he didn’t dare let go of her hand. Something in the pit of his stomach was beginning to fill with rage. He heard Susan scream again as he was about to spin around to confront their attackers when the alleyway ended. They were out!

They had come out onto the street with the beautiful sight of people and cars passing by in both directions ... but alas, not one police officer anywhere to be seen. Susan quickly pulled herself into Jack’s side puffing, panting and crying all at the same time. As soon as Jack felt Susan’s bare skin touch his bare skin he spun around but it was too late. All he saw were those same shadowy figures disappearing over the alleyway fence as they banged and crashed their way back to where ever they had come from.

Jack pulled Susan over to a secluded park bench across the street. There they held each other tightly until they thought they were both ready to carry on the rest of the way. There was only another mile or so to go once they got moving and in no time at all they had reached their street and the safety of their own home. As they walked through the front door they both realized that never before in their life had they appreciated the place so much as they did right now.