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A Quiet Night

Night in the barn

By Karen QuinnPublished 3 years ago 5 min read
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Sometimes quiet isn’t always good

I sat on the crumbling roof of the old family barn at the furthest point away from our ranch. The sun was about to set, in a crimson orangey yellow that was like a burning inferno, against the grey-blue, tropical, dusk sky. The atmosphere was thick with a damp South American humidity that made beads of sweat trickle from my pores. I wiped my brow onto a cloth that I had as I continued to look at the amazing sunset. ‘How beautiful is this?’ I thought to myself. Looking around the ranch courtyard it was the perfect setting. Animal noises were sounding all around, as the animals were content and well looked after. It was all incredibly happy at the ranch with their ideal life, it was a blissful setting for everyone…

Suddenly sitting bolt upright, I heard a noise coming from the old barn underneath. The floor was creaking loudly with a noise that sounded like footsteps ‘creak, creak, creak’. It brought me into alert mode straight away, and I panicked. I could feel my breath quickening as I froze in fear momentarily, ‘What was that noise?’ I thought to myself. Anxiously I arose from my supine lying down position and crawled across the roof to the next level down. My heart was beating like a double bass drum as I approached the ledge and dropped as quietly as a ninja to the wooden banister feeling the smooth wood on my bare feet. I crouched and dropped myself onto the platform next to the balcony with a thud. Flattening myself against the wooden wall, the wood was hot from the sun on my bare arms, and I let out a small “ouch”. I caught myself as my breath quickened, and I visibly shook with fear.

I heard the floorboards creaking from inside of the barn. The crimson sun had started to go over the horizon, and the thick black darkness had started to creep in. The darkness grabbed at me like twisted black fingers, reaching and grabbing. I shuddered as a ripple of panic ran through my body from head to feet. The sound came again from inside the barn, as my heart lurched and a bead of sweat trickled down my forehead. Opening the door, I went inside to investigate.

The door creaked loudly as I opened it, ‘Damn I should’ve oiled that!’ I thought to myself, as I jumped backwards to hide from the outside light beaming into the deathly black barn. Turning quickly, I froze in petrifying, mortifying fear, and my blood ran cold. I saw a large dark human shaped figure in the corner of the barn. It was just an outline, but I froze as it looked at me with stone eyes. The figure rushed at me quickly, and it all happened in a blur. I turned to run, but what I believed was a man grabbed my arm hard enough to leave finger marks and instant bruises. With my other hand I reached out and grabbed the nearest thing which was a rake. It was just within distance, so I scrabbled with my fingers managing to get it within my grasp and I lashed out managing to hit him. He fell to the floor, and so I ran out of the door as fast as I could go, with the fear of God giving my legs strength.

As I ran, I looked back to check and see if the stranger was behind, I turned back around and ran straight into a cart containing hay that was blocking my path. The hay was strewn all over the floor, and in my hair. I lay there on the floor dazed and confused. I froze and my face turned ashen momentarily as I heard the footsteps echoing through the barn – ‘he was coming!’ I shook with adrenaline and went to move the cart, but it would not budge. I suddenly felt him pull my hair from behind as he dragged me backwards.

The dark figure got on top of me as I lay on the floor. His face was masked with a balaclava and his clothes were all in black. He smelled musty his breath had a tinge of alcohol and stale cigarette smoke. He pinned me down by my wrists, clasping both hand tighter and proceeded to bind me with ropes. The ropes burned into my skin they were so tight. When my hands were tied, he dragged me up and I tried to run but he dragged me back quickly hitting my face so hard that I saw stars.

I could feel my face swelling as the heat and blood rushed to the area of impact. He pushed me against one of the old beams in the barn. The impact echoed throughout the barn, an old crow squawked and flew out of the barn door abruptly. Some straw had fallen down and had disturbed it’s nest in the upper beams. As I watched the crow fly out, I wished that I were free just like that bird, but I knew that there was no hope for me now. I looked towards the man his eyes were cold, dark and unfeeling. He came towards me and reached for the blade and placed it on my skin threatingly. The blade felt cold against my skin, as it touched me, I felt my breathing quicken as I started to hyperventilate. The mask I just could not breathe…!

The blade struck my side below my rib cage, and I felt the coolness and searing pain through my side. Fire erupted burning everywhere, and the pain was unbearable shooting through every nerve ending in my body. Cold wet liquid ran down my leg drenching the nearby hay with the viscous crimson red. I struggled to breathe, and he struck again. I started coughing and spluttering as I choked on the liquid running up my throat. I could not catch my breath, I struggled as I coughed, the pain was burning, and everything went dizzy fading in and out. I coughed some more and there was just red viscous liquid pouring from my mouth. His face was pure joy, how could anyone take pleasure in doing this to someone? I felt the world spin as I fell to the floor with a thud. I felt consciousness leave me as the world spun violently and blackness struck…

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