Short Story
Mrs. Weaver
Language Arts 8
December 3,2012







The Medicine Of A Kidnapper







The fall evening of November was crisp and cool. The leaves were rustling in the wind. It was a quiet night in the small town of Maywood. There was a large house on the hill almost mansion-like; looming in front of the eerie trees. From the street, many can hear the sounds of tiny voices getting louder and louder as they come towards the large house. A tall girl was outlined by the setting sun. Rosy, 16, was walking home from school with Roxanne, 17, at her heels. As they come closer and closer to the large eerie house, Rosy started turning towards it as her friend followed the long winding sidewalk eventually leading her home.


“Hey, I’m home!”


No reply followed, so I started walking towards the kitchen; which was halfway down the hall. Suddenly, I hear a faint humming noise, as I get closer. The humming starts turning into a blending noise and I realize that my stepmom, Martha, is in the kitchen making some type of supper.


“Oh, hello my darling,” her voice was sweet and high like maple syrup.


“Hi.” I was so intrigued at one person can manage three pots, one toaster, and one blender all at the same time. It wasn’t even Thanksgiving and we now had enough food to feed an entire football team.


“How was school today?”


“Fine. Um… can Roxanne sleep over tonight?”


“No honey, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”


“What! Why?” As soon as I said it, I knew my tone was too high and had too much attitude.


“Don’t you speak to me that way!” Her maple syrup tone disappeared, but it was back like it never even left.


“What I mean is I can’t cook and watch Maggie at the same time.”


Maggie, who is seven and is related to Martha, is totally capable of taking care of herself.


“Why can’t Thomas take care of her?” He is also related to Martha
“He just likes being left alone.”


“Well, Roxanne and I have a project to do in science and we have to do our history report.” I lied. We do have a project to do in science, but we work on it alone and not in pairs.


“If it’s for homework, I believe it’s alright.”


I looked at the clock, it read five-o’clock. Dad would be home in two hours. As I passed the doorway leading into the living room, I see my stepbrother, Thomas watching the news. The headline read: “KIDNAPPER, BANDIT BROWN IS STILL ON THE LOOSE.”





“Sorry I’m late, I had to find my homework.” Roxanne held up a pile of crinkled papers and gave a sarcastic smile.


“You’re only fifteen minutes late! You said you’d be here at five-fifteen. Anyways, let’s go upstairs.”


I started towards the steps, expecting Roxanne to follow.


“Wait!”


“What’s wrong with you?”


“I haven’t been in your house since you and your dad moved in here.”


“It’s not much different than when you visited me while I was staying here two weekends ago.”


This time when I went up the stairs, she followed. We turned into the first room on the right. My bed was pushed against the far corner wall. My closet was across from that. My dresser was opposite from my bed, facing it. The window, next to my bed showed a picture perfect view of our little town.


“You can stick your bag front of my bed.”


“I heard from the grapevine that you went to the nurse today. What was wrong with you?”


Well, you’re right. I guess the sausage pizza didn’t agree with me.”


“Did you get sick?”


“Yes.”


“What did Mr. Robertson do for ya?”


“He let me drink milk and lie down.”


“No pills?”


“All out.”


“He should be more prepared. I bet he doesn’t even like us anyway. He’s always tired.”


“He’s older than us though.” I had to defend him; he probably doesn’t get much sleep anyways.


“What’s for supper?”


“I don’t know? Why don’t you ask Martha?” My tone was really sarcastic.
"I just asked. Why is your window opened?"
"It gets really stuffy in and I forgot to close it."
Roxanne's black strands that hung down from each black bun blew as she walked towards the window. Outside it smelled of leaves and apple pie as the sun set over the horizon.

Suddenly, I here a door slam.
"Hi dad!"
"Hi Mr. Andrew!"
"Hi girls!"
"What's for supper, Roxanne and I will eat upstairs."
"Chicken!" Martha answered.
"That’s chicken! Roxanne saluted as I followed her upstairs.
"Lights out when done!"
"Promise!"
Roxanne looked puzzled.
"This early on a Friday?"
"Dad wants the lights to be out early because of Bandit Brown on the loose."
"Kidnappers make everything less fun and spooky."
My voice turned into a whisper and I leaned closer towards my friend.
"Just between you and me, I have a baseball bat in the closet and many sharp objects that we can throw in my room. I anything happens will use that to protect ourselves with."
Roxanne gave me an unsure look.
"I'll just use my Kung Fu moves on him."
"Hi Ya!"
Knowing that Roxanne knows nothing of Kung Fu we both started laughing and ate our supper in silence.
Later, we washed our dishes, shut the lights out, and went to bed. Beside me on the floor, I could hear Roxanne snoring. I started to giggle a bit because that was pretty funny. So I rolled over on my side and eventually went to sleep.
I feel shaking. Am I dreaming? No? I feel hands, cold hands. Someone is shaking me.
"Rose, wake up. Oh-whoa Rosy please, please, please, wake up!
"I'm up."
"I hear noises downstairs, Rosy!"
"It's probably just dad, he's always finding a midnight snack."
"No, no, no...."
"Just then I hear a thud, thud. Boots, dad doesn't wear boots. Says they bring mud I the house. I sit up.
"Is this a joke? I remember last time I had you over and you snuck Willis in and scared me half to death."
"No, no, no. This is different. Oh no, oh no."
"Calm down, goodness."
"Rose, Bandit Brown!"
"Who?" I asked still being half asleep.
"The kidnapper, Bandit Brown. Do ya think?"
"Grab my baseball bat. Help me stick the dresser against the door."
I glanced at the clock on the wall 12:30. I then start pushing things silently off my dresser.
"Ready Rose? Okay. One....two....three....Lift!
"Roxanne, go back. Stick it against the doorknob and....and stop shaking!"
"We need a plan, Rose."
She looked at me. Her brown eyes showing determination, but were also scared.
"Right a plan. Grab my perfume and the hand sanitizer with the 99 percent alcohol. I have a plan."
I looked towards my right and grabbed my orange helmet.
"Stick this on Roxy."
"What about you?"
"I'm covered."

She looked at me and smiled. I had three hats on that barely fit my head. I may look ridiculous but I'm protected. Over my thinking I could hear Roxanne's teeth chattering like a bug but I wasn't scared. Not at all. Suddenly, I see my bed hanging out the window."
"What are you doing?"
"Making an escape route. I thought that if you plan doesn't work we'll climb out the window."
"You can't expect that, that'll work. He'll cut the sheet."
"Oh well, I'd rather have a broken bone than die."
"Wait Roxanne, listen."
The pounding had stopped, but then I hear a loud shriek followed by a bang.
"Roxanne, you okay. Oh gosh, why? How? How did you fall out of the window?"
"No worries, landed on the the pillow and blankets that I was holding. I guess I leaned too far out of the window while I was tying another sheet on the rope. Don't expect me to come in the house though with that thing inside your house. I'll wait by the tree until morning."
What a friend I have! She falls out of the window and won't even try to come in the house and help me out!

The pounding was back, I could hear it. Well if he's not coming in here, I'll go out there. I pushed my dresser away from the door and began to open it. I'm not scared. I am not scared. I may be stupid, but I'm not scared.

I peeked down the stairs. I see a shadow; I know I saw a shadow. My mind may be playing tricks on me. No, I did see a shadow. Walk legs, walk! Down the steps. Be ready. Use the baseball bat if needed. Where is my baseball bat? Oh no, I left it in my room. I'm not going back to get it or should I? No, get the broom in the closet.

Get that instead. Hurry, hurry, open the closet door, before he comes! Go! Go! Go! Grab it good.

Now, where is he? Living room, check the living room. There, something moved. Oh goodness! I'm so stupid, oh no! Run legs, run! Try and catch him. To the kitchen. Oh, I never noticed how dark this house is. I should have a light on. No, he'll find me instead, keep the lights off.

Just then I let out a terrible scream. How didn't anyone hear me? They sleep very soundly or that wasn't loud at all.

"There's a hand on my shoulder and it's not mine. "I whispered to myself musically.

Not thinking, I closed my eyes and swung the broom. I hit something and opened my eyes. Uh-oh, wrong target. Lying on the ground was Thomas. Well, he'll be asleep until morning, I thought to myself.

"You stay right there, okay? I'll catch the intruder."

Why am I thinking to someone that's asleep? I'm losing it. Just then I see a movement out of the corner of my eye. I turned around, if only I hadn't turned around. I wouldn’t have seen a figure standing in front of the television with a stone-cold expression on his face. I didn't move, thinking maybe he hadn't seen me. Just as I thought it, he started coming towards. I dashed for the door, but he was much faster and grabbed my free arm. So I started batting him with the broom eventually using the pointed end. I dropped the broom and whacked him with a book on the head. I then ran outside afraid to turn around and fall. Then falling asleep.

"Rosalind, wake up."

Roxanne was shaking me.

"I saw a guy run past here when you fell. I guess he didn't see you."

"Did you go after him? What time is it?

"Three-thirty in the morning and yes, I hit him with the baseball bat and knocked him on the ground. Out cold. Now help me tie him up to the tree, I got rope before you got up."

"Who was he anyways?"

"You look for yourself."

"Our school nurse, but he lives right down the street from here. Wow."

Roxanne just kept nodding her head.

"Awesome we caught him! Lets tie him up and wake up the others. Then we'll..."

"Then we'll go sleep Rosy and see what the morning brings."

We ran in the house and woke everyone up. Roxanne and I ran into my room. I could hear Martha say,"Oh goodness what do we do with him?" I didn't hear dad's reply, but before I drifted to sleep, I heard the faint sound of a police siren gradually coming closer to the house. I heard the clock chime four and decided to save the rest of my thinking for tomorrow morning. I knew I'd be asked too many questions in the morning to think about all of this right now.