Chapter Seven. . .
"All right," Steve said, the tone of his voice portraying frustration. "This is getting ridiculous. Dad, are there still flashlights in the kitchen drawer?"
"Yes, Steve, can you find them for us?"
"Sure, I think it's time we did some looking around," grumbled Steve. Before the lights went out, he could sense Amanda starting to worry, and wished that CJ and hadn't been at the house. It seemed they were all safe, but Steve sensed something was not right. This uninvited houseguest spelled trouble. Once he had the flashlights, he turned one on and passed the others to Mark, Amanda and Jesse.
"Steve, I'm going to phone around to as many neighbors as I can think of. I just want to make sure everyone is accounted for and that no one needs any help. Maybe someone knows something about Jennifer," said Mark.
"Amanda, you stay here too, with Dad and CJ. Jesse, you're with me," announced Steve. "We're going to take a look at the breaker box."
As the two men headed off downstairs, Amanda quietly spoke her concerns to Mark. "You know Mark, I think things might be safer if we just all stuck together until the weather clears enough to get some kind of backup or something."
"You try telling that to Steve," commented Mark. "The only thing he likes better than a good puzzle is solving it."
Amanda nodded. She had witnessed Steve's stubbornness on several occasions. She often admired the way he met challenges head-on.
"Besides," rationed Mark, "There's a chance that whomever is stumbling around here is in need of some help."
"You're right Mark, but I just can't shake this uneasy feeling."
Downstairs, Steve was feeling uneasy too. The breaker box was not only opened and all the switches turned off, but the whole thing was bashed up, making the quick fix of flipping the switches back on impossible.
"I can't believe this," moaned Steve. "Could anything else possibly go wrong?"
"Uh, Steve?" squeaked Jesse.
"What, Jess. . ." started Steve, But before he could turn around, a heavy flashlight came down on the back of his skull. The darkness was instantaneous.
"All right," Steve said, the tone of his voice portraying frustration. "This is getting ridiculous. Dad, are there still flashlights in the kitchen drawer?"
"Yes, Steve, can you find them for us?"
"Sure, I think it's time we did some looking around," grumbled Steve. Before the lights went out, he could sense Amanda starting to worry, and wished that CJ and hadn't been at the house. It seemed they were all safe, but Steve sensed something was not right. This uninvited houseguest spelled trouble. Once he had the flashlights, he turned one on and passed the others to Mark, Amanda and Jesse.
"Steve, I'm going to phone around to as many neighbors as I can think of. I just want to make sure everyone is accounted for and that no one needs any help. Maybe someone knows something about Jennifer," said Mark.
"Amanda, you stay here too, with Dad and CJ. Jesse, you're with me," announced Steve. "We're going to take a look at the breaker box."
As the two men headed off downstairs, Amanda quietly spoke her concerns to Mark. "You know Mark, I think things might be safer if we just all stuck together until the weather clears enough to get some kind of backup or something."
"You try telling that to Steve," commented Mark. "The only thing he likes better than a good puzzle is solving it."
Amanda nodded. She had witnessed Steve's stubbornness on several occasions. She often admired the way he met challenges head-on.
"Besides," rationed Mark, "There's a chance that whomever is stumbling around here is in need of some help."
"You're right Mark, but I just can't shake this uneasy feeling."
Downstairs, Steve was feeling uneasy too. The breaker box was not only opened and all the switches turned off, but the whole thing was bashed up, making the quick fix of flipping the switches back on impossible.
"I can't believe this," moaned Steve. "Could anything else possibly go wrong?"
"Uh, Steve?" squeaked Jesse.
"What, Jess. . ." started Steve, But before he could turn around, a heavy flashlight came down on the back of his skull. The darkness was instantaneous.