Running free

Katie Gardener POV:

"Honey, I need you to listen to me carefully-"

It's here. It's outside my house. It's going to kill me. I am going to die.

Those were the type of thoughts that raced through my brain as I bounded up my winding staircase.

Pinching my phone between my ear and my shoulder, I clambered around the kitchen, eyeing the knife set for my weapon of choice. "Yeah dad, I'm listening."

"Are you upstairs?"

I picked up a meat cleaver, and glanced at the door. "Yes. I'm currently holding a knife-"

BAM! The front door wall blasted open and a large something pounded through the opening.

My heart rate spiked and my breath hitched.

Correction- it's inside my house.

OHMYGOD, OHMYGOD, OHMYGOD!

Another crash had me dropping to my knees. I clutched the phone desperately. "Dad, whatever advice you need to tell me, say it now."

"Go to your room."

I squeezed my eyes shut in annoyance. My bedroom was the last door on the left in the hallway outside. This meant that I had to come outside of my food filled haven and walk down the hall—right in its line of vision. "I can't." I murmured weakly.

"You have to do this Kates. Trust me."

I grumbled a few curses before I grabbed the meat cleaver and edged my way towards the door.

"HERE, HERE LITTLE GIRL." It raged below and a cacophony of crashes and cracks echoed along the walls.

Tentatively, I peered through the kitchen door crack. "AAAAARRRRAAAH!"

Suddenly, a chair lodged itself into the kitchen wall next to me. Any bravery I had managed to muster diminished. My hands started to shake. Crap.

"C'mon Katie. You can do this." I whispered to myself. I stuffed my phone into my pocket and peered out the door, once again. There it was. The monster was sorting through the study. I could see its feet through the broken glass door.

Go. He won't see you. Just be quiet. Stay calm.

"Stay calm." I murmured to myself. "Quiet as a mouse, and you'll live." With slight reassurance, I slowly slid the door open.

CREEEAAAK.

I winced and held my breath. The silence was terrifying. Had it heard? A questioning mumble split through the house like a knife cutting through melted butter.

"AHH, AHH, AHHCHOO!" I watched from my corner as it continued to wreak havoc on the first floor. I sighed out in relief. Now, it's time for the fun.

I took a tentative step forward, and then another. My palms grew sweaty; I rubbed them on my jeans. I was nervous, nervous enough to get me killed.

"Stay calm, stay calm." I hopped around the broken wood and glass, looking back and forth from my feet to the study's glass doors.

Halfway there…

Something pulled on my jeans but I ignored it. Just keep going.

I took another step forward…big mistake.

I fell hard on the wooden floor with a loud thump and the cleaver slipped from my grasp. It managed to skid to the ledge before it disappeared over it. "No!" I heard myself whisper but it was too late. Clatter. Clink. I winced and my body tensed. Did it hear me fall? It surely must have heard the knife.

A small shudder rippled through the walls. The next one shook the floor. Yep, it heard it all right.

Get up, Katie get up!

I scrambled to my feet, and backed up against the wall.

"WHERE ARE YOU?" The thing came booming into the front entrance. At first glance, I thought it was an extremely large man. He had humanoid features, arms, legs, a head. Besides his 30 foot tall structure, he seemed like your average serial killer. Then he turned around. I stopped breathing. My blood froze.

This isn't possible. It cannot real. Where his eyes were supposed to be… No way.

"AAAAAAAGGGHHHHHH!" I awoke from my frozen daze and started to run.

CRASH! I sprinted through the mass of splintered wood and bounded through the corridor. I didn't dare look behind me. The lamp I had made for dad in my ceramics class today nearly nicked my heels. Pity, he would have liked it. I managed to slip into my room and slam the door shut. Breathing hard, I whipped out my phone. "Ok dad, I'm here. Now what?"

"Open your jewelry box."

I felt my eyebrows twitch. "What?"

"Trust me! Open your jewelry box and grab your mother's bracelet."

Confused and desperate, I walked over to the miniature wooden chest and opened it.

"AAARRRRGH!" The house shook. My fingers trembled as I dumped the contents on my bedroom floor.

"Where is it, where is it?" I mumbled until a green diamond caught my eye. "Yes!" I slipped it onto my wrist and pressed the phone to my ear. "I got it, dad."

"Good. Now, you need to-"

SLAM!

"THERE YOU ARE!" The door to my bedroom fell to the ground and a massive hand grabbed my waist.

"DADDY!" The phone slipped from my grasp as I was lifted upwards, nearly hitting the chandelier in the process. My heart stopped; my breath grew short. This is it.

I pushed and tugged at his fingers, flailing my legs and wiggling my torso. I needed to distract him to…-what? Bide myself time for the inevitable? I might as well be dead now.

The Cyclops gave me a triumphant grin. "I FOUND YOU!" His face drew closer and I closed my eyes not wanting to look at him.

"WHO ARE YOUR PARENTS?"

I opened my eyes. What? "M-my parents?"

He nodded, his lip curling impatiently. "WHO ARE YOU, DEMIGOD?"

Demigod? Like Greek Mythology? "I am not a demigod."

"LIAR!" His fingers squeezed even tighter. Spots danced before my eyes. "No matter. I EAT!"

Something inside me broke right then, like a shot of adrenaline and confidence flushed through my body. "I don't think so." Not knowing any alternative, I bit down on his hand. Ew!

The monster wailed in pain and I felt his fingers loosen their grip on my waist. The air whooshed from my lungs as I tumbled from his grasp. I looked up to see that my hair danced in uniform streams of auburn like I had just been electrocuted or something.

Oh, I only wish I was given the chair. No, death by Cyclops was MUCH worse.

THUD. Ow.

I landed on my ankles before I began to roll. The second I hit the ground, pain erupted from my left leg and I went into major vertigo. Thank you youtube parkour videos. I kept rolling until I hit a wall. Slowly, I stood up using the wall for support. God, my leg! But I had to get outside. I wasn't safe here.

Meanwhile, the Cyclops glared menacingly at his finger. "YOU BIT ME! YOU WRETCHED GIRL!" He grabbed the nearest piece of furniture he could find, the closet door, and ripped it off its hinges.

I shuffled my way along the wall, willing his stare elsewhere. But it was no use. He turned and his nostrils flared. "YOU!"

"Me…" I laughed weakly. I'm dead.

I sank to the floor while the monster gave its triumphant gloat. "NO ONE CAN HIDE FROM ME!"

I placed my hands on the ground- Ouch! What the…?

Was it a splinter? Sharp glass?

I glanced down at my scratched wrist. The bracelet! But how…?

I didn't have time to think. I didn't have time to blink. The Cyclops was finished his victorious rant and his door was thrown to the side.

I pulled off the emeralds as he giggled with glee. "MEAL TIME!"

What did dad want me to do with this? Am I supposed to bargain it for my life? Not knowing what the hell I was supposed to do, I thrust it at the Cyclops. "HERE!"

The bracelet landed at his feet with a clink. The giant paused for a moment. Then he raised his foot up high and stomped on my last possession from my mum. I heard myself gasp and my throat closed up. Tears welled in my eyes. That monster.

He gave me a smirk. "OOPS-"

I clenched my eyes and clasped my hands together. Oh dear god, please make it as painless as possible when he tears me limb from limb. I solemnly swear that I was good to my neighbors…even Ms. Crout. Oh, and sorry for never praying at night but you see I just never had the time…

Wow, I know he's big and slow but… I opened my eyes. THUD. What the…

The Cyclops eyes widened as he slowly glanced down. A sharp point protruded from his chest.

"Owie." Another THUD. It was dead. I was alive.

Bewildered I looked up to see a tall man, in a grey suit with onyx black shoes. His burgundy tie was hanging loosely and the first few buttons of his pale blue shirt were undone. In his right hand, he held a sheath of a long sword and in the other, a chocolate brown briefcase. Dad.

"We need to talk."