Chapter 2 Mal Intent

Chapter 2 Mal Intent

"What time is it?" Kevin asked.

"Seven fifteen, its gonna be getting dark soon." Parker said, "Maybe we should light some candles. I mean like just one right now and then the rest later, when it gets really dark. Cause I am not staying up here in the pitch black."

"Alright, but we need to cover up the windows, I don't want them knowing we're up here." Mallory answered.

"Sweets sorry to burst your bubble but they know." Parker snapped, "They're just waiting." She went over and picked up some newspaper and started to tape it to the window.

"Waiting for what?" Mallory asked, peeling of her over shirt. I walked over to Kevin who was looking worse than before.

"Don't you get it, we're the bait, they know that Warren and Scotty went for help." Parker put the last piece of newspaper up and grabbed the candle, "Shit, no matches."

"Wait." Mallory said as Parker flung the candle across the attic floor, "There was a lighter on Mrs. Stat's night stand."

"So it might as well have been at your house cause I am not going down there." Parker spat.

"I will." I said and stood up.

"No, I'll do it." Mallory said, "I can get us food and water and that sewing kit I saw in the closet you were riffling through."

"Whoa Mal sweeties you don't have to do all that. I mean seriously what are we gonna do with a damn sewing kit? Fix the rips in my jeans?" Parker said stepping away from the window.

"Look Mr. Stat brought in a case of water and put it on the kitchen counter before he asked you two for help, and we need the sewing kit to patch up Kevin's cut. I can do that, I can do this." Mallory looked over at me and Parker.
"No way I'll go." I said.

"No, you’re the only one that can pull me up, and lower me down." Mallory said.

"What are you talking about just use the stairs like we've been--" I started
"We can't use the stairs. Think about it I go down stairs and you leave them down. Those people beat me to death and then come right up. It'll be safer if you lower me down and then I pass you the things. When you have everything let the stairs down and I'll come up." I looked Mallory in the eyes. She had her mind set.

"Fine." I said.

"This is crazy it’s only been two hours, I changed my mind I can sit in the dark." I went over to the attic entrance while Parker ranted, "Look Mallory what if something happens? You won't be able to get up here if the stairs are up."

"Neither will they, and I will. Trust me. Aaron won't let me fall." She smiled at me, as I opened the attic up. I looked down and waved her over. She walked to the edge sat down and grabbed my hands as I lowered her down. Her feet hit the ground a little louder than I wanted but she seemed unshaken.

"Get what you need and get back." I whispered, she nodded and headed for the stairs. I watched her disappear behind the wall.

"Kevin, oh my god Kevin are you okay?" Parker asked I stood up and walked over to the two of them. He looked bad.

"Fine, just tired." He said, "and cold." I grabbed Mallory's discarded over shirt and draped it over him.

"Hey," I heard Mallory whisper sharply. I walked over to the entrance, she lifted the 24 pack of water up and I grabbed it, placing it next to me.

"Come on." I said, reaching for her next.

"Wait." She nodded toward Mrs. Stat's room, and then went in.

"What’s happening?" Parker whispered.

"Shh." I hissed. Parker propped Kevin's head onto her lap.

Mallory came out of the bedroom and slid the lighter in her front pocket, the sewing kit in hand. She handed it to me, and I placed it next to the water. I looked back down, to see Mallory throw herself at the wall to dodge the axe that was coming down on her. She let out a scream and then sunk to the floor as the man slashed at the wall where she had just stood, the axe stuck in the wall he struggled to pull it free as Mallory jumped into the air grabbing hold of my arms, "Pull me up! Pull me up!" She screamed, I lifted quickly the axe got free from the wall and hit the attic entrance just as Mallory's feet had come up. I slammed the door shut.

"Shit." I said as I saw the axe chopped into the entrance, "Oh my God what do we do." I sputtered.

Parker stood up and rushed to the window, "Oh fuck, they're coming inside." Parker ran over to the entrance, Mallory grabbed the water and ripped open the plastic casing. The entrance was giving way quickly.

"That." I pointed to the full size mirror and ran over to it slid it over to the entrance and placed it over it. I heard the glass shatter, and then a screech of pain. The chopping had stopped, momentarily as Mallory started packing an old duffel bag with the water. I ran over to what looked like an old toy box and slid it over and on top of the what was becoming a barricade. Parker opened it promptly and started piling old weights from Mr. Stat's health crazed phase into the box, weighing it down. The chopping sound started again.

"Fuck!" Parker screamed. "What do we do? God I really don't want to die here." She ran over to Kevin, who looked like he was about to pass out. Mallory slid the sewing kit into an old lap top carrying case. She threw the duffel bag at Parker, and put the lap top case over her diagonally.

"We are not dying in this attic. Warren is coming with help and I will be damned if he finds us dead. We just need to think." Mallory said, and looked around the attic. I ran over to the window, and slid it open. I climbed out onto the roof. I stood up and went over to the edge of the roof looking at the distance between this house and the one next door. We couldn't jump it. It was to far. I ran back over to the window, and got back into the attic, I had to get my friends out of here I had stayed to protect them and I was gonna do that. I looked at where I had found the mirror and smiled. "What?" Mallory asked.

"Mallory give me a hand with this." I said and cleared a path to the ladder that had been hidden behind cardboard boxes of junk. "Help me get it on the roof." I said, but it wasn't fitting through the window. "Shit." I throw the ladder to the floor as I saw the toy chest start to wobble.

"Seriously." Mallory said frustrated, "We can make it fit." Mallory said.

"Fuck. I can make it fit." Parker grabbed a weight from the chest and threw it at the window shattering it, "Come on. Do whatever you have to do." Parker went back to Kevin and started to drag him across the attic floor toward the window, while Mallory and I got the ladder on the roof. I stood it up and propped it onto the next door roof, forming a very unstable bridge.

"I'll go first." Mallory said and stood in front of the ladder, she took a deep breath and then knelt down on her hands and knees and started to crawl across. She looked nervous and her hands were shaking with every inch she took forward. I went over to the window and grabbed the duffel bag Parker handed to me. I slid it onto the roof and then helped her lift Kevin out of the window and onto the roof with me. She stepped out to join us next. When I turned to see Mallory's progress, she had made it across, and looked as if she might throw up.
I handed the water to Parker, "You’re next." I could hear the toy chest starting to move.

"No, I am not leaving Kevin." She said and knelt down beside him. I pulled her up.

"I will drag him across. But I need you to go." I nearly shoved her onto the ladder. She looked back at Kevin.

"Go." He moaned out and slumped onto the roof, trying to stay conscious. Parker nodded turned to the ladder and started to work her way across it the same way Mallory had. When she got half way across, she threw the water onto the roof, lost her balance and fell. I watched her hit the ground hard. She yelped in pain and tried to stand slowly. Mallory raced to the edge of the roof and looked down at her friend. Parker looked up at the ladder and then over at Courtney's house. She at least had made it into the neighbor’s yard. I grabbed Kevin by the scuff of his shirt and pulled him to the ladder. I got on first straddling it and placing him between my legs, with one hand I pulled us forward on the ladder; with the other I made sure he dragged with me. The ladder wobbled under our continuously shifting weight. I watched Parker limp over to a window that had been left open. She pushed the screen in and suddenly a hand reached out at her grabbing a hold of her blonde hair. She screamed and was pulled into the house, by four hands. Mallory reached over and helped me onto the roof as the ladder fell to the ground. We reached for Kevin snatching a hold of his arm, and Mallory grabbing his leg. We pulled him up. Mallory went over to a window.

"People are in the house they pulled in Parker." I said as she knelt down to try to open it. The window sprung open Mallory leapt back in shock as Parker stuck her head out the window.

"Come on." She said and waved us in. We passed her the water and then Kevin, and some guy helped her bring him to a queen-sized bed. Mallory climbed in next and then me. I closed the window, and looked at the guy who had helped Parker. I sized him up. He was tall and since it was dark I couldn't make out much else.

"Parker get the candles out of the duffel bag." Mallory lifted up Kevin's shirt and then tore it in half.

"We have candles lit downstairs." The stranger spoke, his voice was thick with a Spanish accent. He left the room and tore down the stairs. Mallory pulled the lighter out of her pocket and placed it on the night stand, then took the sewing kit out of the carrying case.

"The candles aren't here." Parker said, I saw that she had emptied out the entire bag.

"We forgot them." I said and looked back at the house. "Shit." I cursed.
The stranger appeared at the door then, "If we can get him down stairs you can help him in the bathroom there are no windows so you can turn the light on." Mallory nodded. I walked over to the bed and lifted Kevin's arms while the stranger carried his legs. When we reached down stairs, we opened the bathroom door, it was small, we laid Kevin on a sheet that had been laid down on the floor. Mallory came down the stairs with the lighter and sewing kit. Kevin was now officially passed out, as she entered the small bathroom and closed the door. Parker and I stood outside the bathroom, looking at the stranger. "What are your names?" he finally asked, after what seemed like five minutes of awkwardness.

"Oh I'm sorry . . . I'm Parker. This is Aaron." She forced a smile, as I noticed the candle light coming from the kitchen.

"I'm Alessandro, my wife is in the kitchen we should join her." I nodded and followed him into the kitchen where Alessandro's wife was boiling water on the stove.

She looked over at us and smiled, "Hello."

I waved nervously and Parker walked over to the table and sat down, "Isabella, this is Parker and Erin."

"Aaron." I corrected. He turned to me and nodded.

"Aaron." He said and walked over to her.

"I was going to make some dinner, do you want something?" she asked and we accepted.