Chasing the Shrew

Help!!

Jenny was playing on the swings when she noticed a serene-looking man watching her from behind the fence. She smiled politely and waved. The man looked startled and looked around him before he pointed to himself tilting his head as if asking a question. Jenny giggled and nodded. The man smiled and waved gently.

Jenny looked around and saw Peter playing robots with the other boys. He would always nag at her like an adult; so annoying. She ambled over to the fence to the older man, “Hello Grandpa! My name is Jenny! I am five years old! You look nice, want to be my friend?”

The older man chuckled, “Hello, Jenny. Yes, I would like to be your friend.”

Jenny smiled and they stuck her index finger through the wire mesh and hooked his finger in a little handshake.

“I can’t play with you today but if you come to the park tomorrow at 9 we can play till lunchtime.”

“Which park?”

Jenny thought for a long time, “The one next to my house. It has a big dog statue in the middle and lots of apple trees nearby.”

“Okay, I will try to meet you tomorrow.”

Before Jenny could talk more she heard Peter yell, “Jenny!!! Come back here! Don’t talk to strangers!!”

Jenny pouted, “I have to go Grandpa. 9 tomorrow! Don’t be late! I will wait for you at the swings,” she hurried off.

The man watched her scurry across the yard back to the playground and noticed the blond boy glaring at him. He smirked, what a smart boy.

***

The next day, Jenny was antsy but wouldn’t tell anyone why she was so excited to go out. She had begged incessantly until Amelia agreed that she could go out to play for an hour. DS offered to take the children out for a walk at the park. As soon as they ate and brushed their teeth, Jenny grabbed DS’s hand and dragged him out the door with Peter trailing leisurely behind.

When they got to the park she looked left and right eagerly.

“Uncle, what time is it?”

DS looked down at his watch, “9:10 am why?”

Jenny looked like she was about to cry. It was ten minutes past their agreed-upon time. Her new friend must have left after waiting for so long. She sluggishly walked to the swings and sat down with her head hung low. She was the picture of misery.

Peter found her sudden change in mood suspicious. He walked over and sat in the swing next to her, “What’s wrong?”

She muttered, “Nothing…”

Peter was about to dig more until he noticed a man wearing a face mask closing in on them. He grabbed Jenny’s hand and dragged her along as he ran screaming towards DS.

“UNCLE!!!!!”

DS was sitting on a bench. When he heard Peter scream, he looked up from his cellphone to see the two little kids running towards him followed by a masked man. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw another two men closing in from the sides. He quickly leaped into action and ran towards the kids.

“GET DOWN!”

Peter pulled Jenny down into a squat and they felt a gust of wind fly over their heads as DS landed a flying kick to the man’s face knocking him out cold. DS assessed his surroundings quickly to take into account who was closer. He didn’t know how many more assailants were hiding. With two kids in the line of fire, he had to end the fight quickly. The two men slowed down when they saw the first man KO’ed in one swift move and decided to edge in closer as a single unit, encircling the trio. DS had his arms up in a ready stance.

“Kids, don’t be scared. Hide behind uncle.”

Peter picked up a stick and shoved his sister behind him, “Jenny, hide behind me!”

DS kept the two men in sight but he shouted at the kids, “Don’t help! If you see an opening, I want you to run home as fast as you can!”

“I can help, uncle! You’re outnumbered.”

DS shouted angrily, “What did uncle always say!? ‘Don’t be a hero! Be a bear! Climb a tree and disappear!’”

Peter started tearing up, DS was family and he didn’t want to leave his uncle behind. The men got out knives and started brandishing them menacingly, “Just hand us the kids and you can leave unharmed.”

DS glared at them and dashed up towards one, the two men were well-trained and immediately attacked. One lunged for the children but DS sidestepped and stuck his body up against the attacker then brought his elbow up in a swift arc right to the attacker’s temple. In a fluid motion, DS whipped around, grabbed the man’s arm, and flung him over his shoulder driving the man down into the ground with a nauseating crunch.

“RUN,” DS roared at the kids.

They ran as fast as they could leaving DS to fight the remaining kidnapper. Jenny saw a familiar figure in the parking lot and she screamed, “HELP!!!! GRANDPA HELP!!”

Ripping away from Peter she ran towards her friend. Hope glimmered in her little eyes as she ran with outstretched hands. Then the air exploded with a sharp bang.

Peter screamed.

***

Amelia felt her eye twitch. She closed her eyes and palmed them gently; was it eyestrain? It wouldn’t stop twitching and she had a bad feeling something had happened. She stood up suddenly and ran to the door. Heaven forbid…

The moment she opened the door she heard a gunshot in the distance. Her eyes widened as she stood rooted on the spot. What the… it came from the park!! Coming to her senses she scrambled out the door and started running without shoes, her eyes stinging with tears.

“No, my babies no!!!”

She screamed thinking about all the possibilities. Did she piss Dustin off so much that he would kill her children? Why was she so stupid!? With Dustin trying to claim ownership of her children, she should have kept them hidden away at home. She ran towards the park full speed, numb to the pain of her ripped feet.

Then a second gunshot rang through the air, then a third. Amelia felt like every gunshot was carving into her soul. She gasped as she ran, fighting the urge to faint. There was still hope… they could be okay. Please be okay.