1 CHAPTER CAMPING OUT DOOR
It was some unholy hour to Ryan when the constant banging noises woke him up from his heavy deep sleep. He couldn't decide which was more annoying the painful thumping in his head or the constant banging noise that woke him up. Clutching his head with both his hands Ryan slowly came to a sitting position trying not to tilt the world more than it already had. The hammering pain in his head refused to go away even though he reclined into the sofa lying his head on top of it.
The rhythmic banging started once again dying off quickly after a series of skull splitting blows. Ryan couldn't figure out where exactly the noise was coming from.
Was his neighbours upstairs having a party?...
No that couldn't be it. He could see the sun shining from the window right next to the kitchen sink.
What time was it?...
Ryan rummaged through mess in front of him trying to find his phone. He had passed out right there on the sofa last night while watching TV like usual.
Empty beer cans, chips packets, take outs and alcohol bottles littered the floor and the small table kept in front of the sofa.
He lifted the small ice bucket off the table which was now filled with water instead of ice. He started shifting everything off the table until he found his phone under the sofa by his leg. A new crack had made home on the top right corner of the phone with all the other old lines and cracks.
Probably must have got hit when it fell out of his pocket last night he thought.
He pressed the home button in the middle lighting the screen up. Proving that nothing had happened to the display. He squinted his eyes shut for a moment from the sudden brightness before opening and looking at the phone once again.
WEDNESDAY, 12 APRIL
6AM
It read. Ryan looked once more to confirm that he wasn't seeing things
6AM?? Who in their right minds were up at this bloody hour?!!
Once more the banging noises started, fuelling his anger close to the breaking point. He was going to rip this motherfucker up!.. By now Ryan was some what clear headed and he finally realized that the noises were not coming from upstairs but rather from his front door. Some one was definitely dying to see him and he'll make sure they definitely do.
Rising up from the sofa he made his way to the door thinking about all the ways in which he'll crush the person who is on the other side of the door. He put his eye to the peep hole by habit and saw that no one was outside. He twisted his head left and right trying to see to his maximum. But still he saw no one outside.
After letting out a audibly loud sigh Ryan made his way back to the sofa taking a seat on it. The TV was still running showing a stadium full of fans in their team jerseys cheering for their own teams and players with posters and banners. The basketball match that he had kept last night was replaced with a re-telecast of some other old match. He found the remote and switched the TV off only to hear the door banging once more.
Ryan half jumped off the sofa and almost ripped the door off its hinges opening the door.
"What the fuck---?!" He shouted into the empty corridor.
Hmmm….?
Ryan scratched his head looking left and right, but couldn't find anyone in the hallway.
Must have been one of those little brats from down the hall he thought as he closed the door.
But Ryan felt something blocking the door from being fully shut. When he pulled the door open to see what exactly it was. He found a small bag lying in between his door frame and door.
It was definitely one of that brats!..
Ryan kneeled down to take the small bag. It was a kids school bag with pictures of colourful ponies on it. The bag was definitely not empty because it weighted a ton. There was also a small blanket bundled next to it. Someone definitely had plans to camp out here outside his door. But unfortunately this place isn't so campers friendly.
Ryan tossed the bag inside before bending to reach for the blanket. The brat would definitely come for his stuff. And when he does Ryan would catch and whip his little ass before lighting these shit on fire right in front of him.
An evil glint came to his eye thinking about his super revenge plan. Suddenly he felt a movement with in the blanket. Ryan stopped in his track suddenly becoming super alert all his drowsiness gone. He had noticed that the blanket seemed unusually heavy when he lifted it up but didn't give it much thought as he was busy devising his evil plan.
Did he imagine that..? Had something really gotten inside the blanket..?
Ryan's apartment was in a rundown building in a poor neighbourhood. Most of the apartments in this area were small and dingy with little to no maintenance. It wouldn't be a surprise to see a rat or even a snake in the corridor or stairs. So Ryan was positively scared when he felt a light movement in the blanket once again.
What was it?... Could it be a stray cat? Or that rat which had made hole in Neil's shoe… Or is it something even more dangerous..? Ryan thought holding the blanket at an arms length
After a while when there was no further movement Ryan convinced himself that he had indeed imagined it. And continued into the house only for the blanket to move once more in his hands.
Ryan was sure that something was definitely inside the blanket and it sure was no bed bug. He tossed the blanket onto his sofa and ran inside his bedroom locking himself inside.
"Phone...Phone...? Where's my phone." He patted himself down trying to find his phone after the moment of panic had passed
He needed to call the police! Animal control? Fire force..? He need to call some one for help…
After patting himself down for the third time the facts finally dawned on Ryan
"Don't tell me..." Ryan sank down on to the floor holding onto his temple realising that he had left his phone on the sofa, outside after checking the time.
"Ok.. Ok.. I'll just grab it and run right back in.." He reasoned to himself getting up slowly from the floor. He ran his hands along his tried eyes towards the messy bob of hair on his head pulling them out of his face. He looked around his room once for anything that he could use, before opening the door slightly.
"Ok.. Ok..?" Ryan chanted to himself taking a calming breath before stepping out of the bedroom. He took a few small quite steps into the living room to check the bundle for any sort of movement before going into the kitchen area.
His apartment had an open kitchen structure meaning that the kitchen didn't look like a separate room but rather an extension of the living/dining area. Ryan frantically started going through all his cupboards and draws searching for a weapon to use. After going through several of them unsuccessfully, he finally managed to find wooden hanger from under his sink.
When did he--? Whatever it doesn't matter…
Ryan grabbed the hanger and made his way into the living room, careful not to make any sound. He tiptoed carefully scanning the litters for any sign of movement, fearing that the thing might have gotten out while he was in bedroom.
When he reached the table he slowly checked for his phone not making any sudden movements. In case the movement triggered an attack from whatever that was in the blanket. But when he couldn't find it there he was left with no other choice than checking under the blanket.
"Breath.. Breath… Its ok.. Its ok.." Ryan tried his best to pool all his strength into the hanger as he extended it to flip the blanket over.
He slowly inserted the hanger under the blanket and tried flipping it over only to fail miserably. The blanket was just so heavy. After 2 failed attempts he tried flipping it a third time only to open the fold that had the blanket folded in half, revealing a small brown fur ball sound asleep.
Ryan stood dumb struck his eyes not moving, hanger still lifting one half of the blanket as he stared at the small creature that had borrowed it self into the blanket. The small creature started moving around sensing the sudden loss of warmth which eventually caused the blanket to fall right off of Ryan's hanger. As soon as the blanket was back in its place the wiggly movement came to a slow stop.
Ryan was still standing star struck looking into blank space when faint snores stared coming out of the blanket. That got him out of his trance as he shook his head blinking a few times.
What did I--? What was that..?
Ryan crossed the table coming to stand in front of the sofa. He opened the blanket once again to confirm that he wasn't seeing things. But there it was, a small limp body of a child covered in the smallest fur coat Ryan had ever seen.…
