Blue flashes of light shone through the gaps in the boarded up windows, offering momentary illumination. The storm outside was getting worse. The rain was battering the side of the house. It sounded like someone was throwing pebbles at the abandoned building. Upstairs she could hear the children giggling, as they played in the back bedroom. It was then that a scent caught her nose. It was a foreign smell. It was a smell that meant danger. Ellen spun to face the boarded up bay windows. Shadowy figures were moving around the front of the house. ‘Oh no,’ she gasped. Ellen charged out the living room and into the hallway. The front door burst open, spraying broken wood everywhere. Wide eyes looked at the hooded figure holding the handgun. Lightning crackled across the horizon. Ellen made a split second decision. She had to lead them away from the children. She had to get them out of the house. Three gunshots echoed through the house, as Ellen sprinted down the hallway into the kitchen.
