Sitting all alone sipping on her chilled root beer, Natalie watched her favourite music channel.
English short story.
Sitting all alone sipping on her chilled root beer, Natalie watched her favourite music channel. The lights were off and the volume low as she was babysitting her little sister, who was fast asleep in the dead of the night.
Natalie was staring at the TV in a gaze, like a tiger watching it's prey until it falls into it's trap; eyes fixed, yet the slightest movement or sound could trigger an upheaval.
She was disturbed by the alarm of the microwave, and with a slight groan, she rested her can and lifted herself off the deep-set couch, which sprang back once she had left. Arriving back, munching at her salted popcorn she sat back into her seat that once again sunk down. With a sigh of relief she gazed at the television screen. She munched away and took another sip of her root beer, which was not very cold anymore. She was disturbed once again by the sound of the phone; she couldn't be bothered to answer it, however she knew it would awaken her sister.
With a depressed attitude she answered,
"Yes?"
"Hello dear how are you?" It was her mother.
"Fine," she replied with a distorted voice as she shoved another handful of popcorn in her mouth.
"Is Bianca asleep?"
"Yes," once again using a miserable tone.
"Well dear, we will be back in a few hours, if your father ever decides to stop talking with everyone he sees."
"I don't mind, take as long as you want," this time with a much more civil manner, as she knew full well, that the longer her parents were away the better.
"Okay darling take care, remember don't stay up too late!"
After hearing the dialling tone, she slammed down the receiver and got out of her seat, which took a while as it had sunk too far down. With the bowl of popcorn in her hand, she headed for the kitchen. She refilled it vigorously until it was in a mountainous shape, where one slight jolt would set off an avalanche of popcorn. With a rather slow yet forceful tug she opened the refrigerator door and pulled off another can of root beer.
Entering the ...
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"Okay darling take care, remember don't stay up too late!"
After hearing the dialling tone, she slammed down the receiver and got out of her seat, which took a while as it had sunk too far down. With the bowl of popcorn in her hand, she headed for the kitchen. She refilled it vigorously until it was in a mountainous shape, where one slight jolt would set off an avalanche of popcorn. With a rather slow yet forceful tug she opened the refrigerator door and pulled off another can of root beer.
Entering the living room she placed the items on the table beside her. While taking her seat, the phone rang again.
"Hello," She said with convivial speech. There was a pause for a few seconds.
"There is a man walking down your road." The anonymous voice whispered. "Whatever!" She replied, and put the receiver down harshly, clearly annoyed by the anonymous prankster.
Natalie sat there snug on the sofa, slippers off, knees up and kept lightly grinding away at her popcorn that was still at an adequate level. A few minutes later, after being wedged securely into her MTV program, she was again interrupted by another phone call. Although she had very high feelings that is was the anonymous prankster she decided to answer it.
"Hello." She said abruptly.
"Sorry to bother you again dear," her mother said, hardly in a sympathetic approach,
"I had forgotten to tell you, that I have left you a few slices of pizza from yesterday's meal, it's on the top shelf of the fridge, if you begin to become a little hungry that is."
Natalie sighed,
"Yeah, thanks mum."
"Is every thing all right dear?" Her mum asked in a concerned voice.
"Yeah...everything's fine." She replied, still mentally immovable from her program.
"Good, call me if you need to. Okay...bye"
"Wait!" She shouted, not realising Bianca was sleeping.
"What?"
"A man just called, and pranked us, for a joke I think."
"That happens all the time, don't worry about it."
"Okay, I'll try. What shall I do if he calls again?"
"Then...threaten him, say you'll call the police...that usually works."
"All right then, I guess I'll see you later." She put down the receiver. Leaving her program, she set off once again, this time to check on Bianca. As she got up from her seat she glanced at the clock it was a quarter past eleven. As she ascended up the rather steep staircase, which creaked on every footstep taken, she yawned profoundly and stretched her arms wide out as if she was reaching back for her root beer and popcorn.
She approached the final step when the phone rang again. She ran through the landing into her parents' room and answered the phone, which lay on the bedside table.
"Hello." She said with a gasp for some air.
"There is a man outside your house." It was once again the anonymous prankster.
"Listen, you better stop, or...I'll...I'll call the police!" She said at full volume, not caring the slightest about Bianca, who was sleeping in the room opposite.
"There is a man outside your living room window." He said gloomily yet softly.
"Please, just leave me alone or I...I really will call the police." Her voice was now breaking down and emotions were getting to her, she was getting scared. She didn't know whether to put the phone down and check if there really was somebody outside or whether she should stay and hope that this was just a sick joke.
The prankster was laughing sadistically. Tears started to form in Natalie's eyes, as something silently crept up behind her. Too terrified to turn around she closed them and whispered,
"Please, I told you to leave me alone!" The tears were now running down her cheeks.
"Why are you crying?" It was Bianca; she had awoken to the noise.
"Oh, nothing." She had turned around now and was wiping her tears with one hand as the other was still on the receiver. How could Natalie tell her what was really happening.
"How, very comforting," the anonymous man remarked sarcastically. "There is now a man inside your house."
"Oh, SHUT UP WILL YOU!" She screamed. Disturbed by the uproar, Bianca also started to break out a cry.
Natalie slammed down the receiver and grabbed hold of her. She hugged and calmed her down; she wiped the tears from her eyes and told her that everything was going to be okay. Natalie had now turned from being a lazy slouch to a caring mother like figure. Bianca ran into her room switched on the light with a sharp snap and opened cupboard, which made a dragging groan as she forcefully slid it out.
Meanwhile Natalie, in a panic shut all the windows and doors. She desperately looked for her car keys in her room but she couldn't find them. She was planning to leave the house and take off with Bianca to one of her friend's house. She opened her wardrobe and quickly changed from her slippers to her trainers.
Returning back to Bianca's room, the cupboard door was open but she had disappeared. Natalie checked all the rooms carefully and there was no sign of her. She shouted her name but there was no reply. Natalie started panicking even more now and was breaking down into tears,
"Bianca!" She shouted, running down the stairs. There was still no reply. She searched everywhere except the living room, not bearing in mind what the anonymous prankster had said, nor wondering about whether he was even in the house. Natalie was determined to find her sister no matter whatever happens. She entered the living room via the kitchen and searched under tables and curtains. It was silent as ever except for Natalie trying to catch her breath, until she realised. Before coming upstairs to check on her sister, she remembered her can of root beer being on the table and her precipitous bowl of popcorn along side it. And most of all her MTV music channel on the top twenty countdown, all was gone, maybe it was Bianca cleaning up, so that things were tidy before they left, however Natalie knew it was a situation where there was no precious time to lose. The anonymous prankster was inside the house.
Miran Patel 10SM English coursework 4 AC
