The Robbery

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The flat was dark, strange shadows drifted across the walls as cars chased each other down the hill. Mitch moved carefully through the darkness. This was his home, he knew his way around the maze of fixtures and fittings without having to turn the lights on. Turning the lights on would only invite a plethora of unwanted guests; moths, midges and mosquitos, who were also looking for shelter from the oppressive heat outside. So Mitch guided himself through the dark using muscle memory like he had done so many times before. But tonight there was something different, something a little eerie about the flat, like maybe Mitch was not alone. The door had been locked when Mitch had come back from the pub and the flat was on the third floor so it was very doubtful someone had managed to break in. But Mitch had a sixth sense and Mitch’s sixth senses were rarely wrong. He stood still and listened for telltale sounds, but only noises were the cars in the street outside and a dog barking. But hang on, what was that creak? Was it a footstep? Was that a soft cough from the shadows?

‘It’s just your imagination,’ Mitch mumbled to himself. But he wouldn’t be happy until he’d closed the windows, switched the lights on and had a good look around.

He headed to the bedroom window, but before he could get there he crumpled to the floor.

Mitch had played rugby in his youth, broken arms, legs and heads in various accidents, been beaten up by hooligans in pub car parks but he’d never know pain like the pain he was in now. He guessed it had been a baseball bat across the shins. Perfectly placed to take him to the floor and take the wind out of his sails. He writhed in agony. He waited for the next blow, the killer blow. Or maybe his assailant would tie him up and do unspeakable things to him. He waited listening for sounds. Mitch’s father worked for a bank, maybe this was a hostage taking so they could rob the branch. Mitch had read about such things. His shins stung, his eyes filled with tears, he struggled to catch his breath. He lay still.  But no second blow came, there was no noise to suggest there were people in the room with him, just the sounds of the cars in the streets below. But if it wasn’t a madman or woman with a baseball bat what had taken his legs away so dramatically, so painfully? He dragged himself over to the wall and managed to reach up to turn the light on. The brightness stung his eyes; maybe his attacker would use his light blindness to attack again. But nothing. Mitch’s eyes looked around the room and saw the intruder staring silently at him. Mitch had completely forgotten about the mini trampoline he had bought and assembled earlier that day.

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