***
‘Hey that’s funny’ I thought ‘a million pounds.’ Oh yeah I better not ruin the story. Now where was I...?
***
I did not have my ears pierced. My mum wouldn’t allow it; it was even in her will. My dad was less strict, he didn’t care. As long as I was happy. But they weren’t here anymore. They had been killed. Years ago. Their car had mysteriously been blown up not even now, 16 years later, did anyone know why.
***
I got into the back of the car and Nick drove me to the funeral. I did not cry. There was nothing to cry about. I did not know my uncle. After the funeral I realised why this was so important. I realise why my Uncle Sam had turned up in a limo. Sam was a millionaire, more than that he was a multi million billionaire. He had more money than you could count, and he had left it all to me. I was now the richest person in the entire world. I was shocked. It did not fit. I got up as if going to the toilet but ran. I got out of the church and ran. I ran into the park over the wall and then stopped. I gasped to keep my breath.
Suddenly a hand grabbed me from behind. I tried to scream but it was clenched over my mouth holding it tightly shut. This could not be happening. The rough hands grabbed me a lifted me up. For one horrible second I thought I was going to be raped, But no, my hands where bound tightly behind me back as where my feet. I was then flung head first into a van. The door shut.
Blackness.
I was trapped inside a van with nothing. A movement in the dark caught my eye. Who was it, what was it. Something was inside the van with me. I was whacked hard on the back of the head and all of a sudden I was surrounded by light and then I remembered nothing...
The room was dark and I was bound roughly to a chair. I was unluckily facing away from the door so I could not see anyone come in or go out. A woman suddenly appeared from the right and sat down on the chair on front of me.
“My name is Jenny. I suppose you want to now why you have been kidnapped.” she said it snottily as if she came from a posh family.
“Durrrrrrr. Why wouldn’t I?” I spat back. Even though I sounded confident alarm bells started ringing in my head. Don’t make her angry, don’t make her angry. I breathed out slowly, trying to take in the whole situation.
“Well I suppose that is a stupid question.” She laughed, as if the whole situation was a joke. “It’s because of your uncle. We were once married and partners in his business. It did not last. I fired an employee because he was late; but I was thrown out for some reason or another. Later he told me, I was dumped he was through with me. He left me with nothing. I appealed to a court but I was refused. I lost what little money I had paying for the lawyer, but I thought I’ll get back at him. He’ll give me half of what I’m owed. So I attached a bomb to his brother’s car and KA BOOM! They where blown into iddy biddy pieces.” She burst out laughing again at this point, spit flew across the room showering me with saliva. It was disgusting she was obviously totally insane.
“What happened next?” I said trying keep her talking long enough to make her feel like my friend.
“Well he still refused to give me anything. So I dropped it I waited for 16 long years but then I struck. I shot him outside the orphanage with a shot gun. That’ll teach him the stupid slug. I thought yes! The money’s mine I’m rich! I’m rich! But no. the money came to you. An unimportant little orphan, a filthy loner. So I just knew I had to talk to you. Because I don’t want to kill you, I’ve had enough of that.” There was a pause. It felt like hours but it was really only a few seconds.” Well, what you think of my ingenious plan”
“I think you’re completely mental. You’re crazy; you’re absolutely out of it. You won’t get away with this.”
She laughed. ”That’s what they always say and in the end the baddie always does get away with it”. Jenny cut the bonds and walked out of the room slamming the door behind her. I got up I heard the key turn and then the door locked. I studied my surroundings. The light came from a small window right up high on a wall so I guessed I was in a basement. I banged on the glass nothing happened, there where bars on the other side I couldn’t get out even if I did smash the glass. I looked at the room. The eerie light cast half the room in shadows. There was a chipped basin opposite the door, a ripped Japanese screen, a double bed in the corner next to the window and a bucket.
“What the hell?” I said out loud. I walked over to the bucket in the bottom was a small layer of sand. “She can’t expect me to use that!” but she did. Later on the door opened and a plate with watery soup was thrust in. why does it always have to be disgusting. Why can’t they ever give you fish and chips or a nice Chinese takeaway? I picked up the plate and carefully drank my soup. Suddenly I needed to go. “Great, just great.” I picked up the bucket and put it behind the Japanese screen. I went. It was utterly foul. I lived this way for 3 days but the 4th day was different.
Again Jenny came in and asked me to give her the money, again I refused, but instead of walking out of the room she stayed, muttering strange words under her breath. What she did next was completely weird but I understood it later. She opened the door. Picked up a petrol can, poured half of it over her head and then walked out. Later on I could here a crackling upstairs. It was like a pair of giant hands scrunching up newspaper. Later smoke started coming under the door.
Fire?
Fire!
FIRE!!!!
“HELP! HELP! I’M GOING TO BE BURNED ALIVE!”I shouted and screamed as loud as I could. But no-one could here me. I was trapped in a burning building, there was no way out. Suddenly it hit me like a ten ton canon ball hitting me right in the stomach. I was going to die I would never see Nick, Susan, Richard, John, Hailey, Chloe, Andy, Padders the cat or anyone else again I was going to be burnt until all that remained was a huge pile of ash it was like a horror film gone wrong where it was true it was like a huge ceremonial fire oh my god what will happen to all that money I don’t have a will I never thought I would need one I was to young to die. TO YOUNG TO DIE! Well what is bloody happening then? I’m going to be burnt to a crisp like toast left in the toaster to long. If only I’d stayed at the funeral, if only my uncle had stayed away, if only... I thought what the hell is this going to do I’ve got to try and find away out. I looked around the only way out was the door. There was a fire behind it; so I looked around the only other was out was through the window but it was blocked. When out of the blue an axe head punched its head through the bars and through the glass, showering me with tiny glass crystals. Richard White suddenly stuck his head straight through
“Richard?” I said “what the hell are you doing here?”
“Lizzie, fancy seeing you down here. I thought you needed rescuing but if that’s not the case then I’ll be happy to leave you down there.”
“WHAT ARE YOU COMPLETELY BRAINLESS?! I’M STUCK IN A BURNING BUILDING, GET ME OUT QUICK!”
“Fine!” Richard replied
“He stepped back and stuck out his hand. As I reached out to grab it the door opened. I was half way out when jenny came running in she was screaming, her whole body was on fire she glanced around the room and suddenly caught sight of me. Richard noticed her too. He quickly heaved me up just as she started running towards me. I turned around and our eyes met, mine and Jenny’s, Victim and kidnapper, niece and wife, etc. I suddenly felt sorry for her. She was crying. Tears poured down her cheeks extinguishing the fire that surrounded her face. The building all of a sudden collapsed covering Jenny. I never forgot that last moment. Her desperate eyes. Calling for help and then wanting to kill me.
Richard told me to run. The building started to burn louder and louder. Smoke bellowed out of holes. We started running we were in the trees that surrounded the estate when suddenly the building blew up. Richard and I were thrown flat on the floor. Bits of rubble flew over our heads. Richard got on top of me trying to shield me from the heat and bits of roof tile falling around us like rain.
We sat in front of the police officer. Two ashen faced children with dirty clothes explaining over and over again what happened at number 14 palm tree drive, what happened to Jenny, Why we managed to get away. Later the police officer bought us to cups of coffee and doughnuts whilst the chief phoned up the orphanage and Richards parents.
***
I walked out thorough the police double doors. I took a deep breath of fresh air for the first time in ages. Then I got in the car and faced the day ahead…
