I am super excited to participate in this Flash Fiction Chain hosted by Jithin of PhoTrablogger. The following nine parts are inspired by the above image.

Character List :

Maggy: 19 year old Granddaughter of the Owner of the House

Robert: 27 year old House Cook

Steve: Fifty-something House Caretaker

Grandpa: Owner of the House (Dead and Bejeweled, Sacrificed as an experiment by Frank Somerset)

Frank Somerset: Mad Scientist and Maggy’s Grandfather

Nita: Narrator

Recommendation:

Read all the other nine parts before venturing this part.

Part 1 : Written by Sweety

Part 2 : Written by Travelling Hat

Part 3 : Written by Saya

Part 4 : Written by Kelvin Moses

Part 5 : Written by Sona

Part 6 : Written by Manvi

Part 7 : Written by Austin

Part 8 : Written by Wandering Story Teller

Part 9 : Written at will by Rashmi

Now onto Part 10

“What happen next?” Nita’s cousin asked eagerly as she looked out the window, rain had begun to fall outside. Nita was pausing the story both for dramatic effect and the fact that she had no idea what happened next. She had no clue her hyper cousins would be so into the story.

She cleared her throat loudly, inhaled a deep breath, reached deep into her mind and continued…

Maggy smiled in her sleep. She rolled over and could feel the roughness of the hay. Her eyes burst opened and she bolted up, suddenly remembering everything from the previous night and how she’d come to be nestled among these hay. She glanced around and realized she was in the barn about two miles from the mansion.

Rob’s arms stretched high up in the air, his t-shirt pulled up revealing his lean abdomen. “Good morning.” Maggy said.

Rob turned around, a little startled, and smiled brilliantly. “Good morning to you too.”

“What’s for breakfast?” He blinked. “Oops, forgot.” She covered her mouth and giggled. It didn’t take long before they both burst into laughter.

Snap…

Their laughter ended abruptly when they heard that. Maggy gasped. “What was that?”

Rob pulled her up from the pile of hay they’ve been sleeping on. “Come on.” Quietly, they made their way to the back of the barn and hid themselves behind a thick stack of hay.

Footsteps entered the barn, sets of footsteps, Maggy could differentiate. She was sure she knew who they belonged to but she needed reassurance. She turned to Rob with pleading eyes. Can you see who it is? Her look told him. He nodded and slowly inched forward to get a look at the intruders. When he did, he immediately sprang back. Maggy opened her mouth. Is it them? She was going to ask but Rob threw his hand over her mouth. “Shh,” he whispered quietly and guided her out the back door.

The moment they’re out, Rob pulled his hand from her mouth and they broke off in a sprint. Rob was a quick runner but Maggy, on the other hand, was running out of breath. At the bottom of the hill, Maggy stopped, her hands rested on her knees. She panted. “Rob…wait.”

Ahead, Rob continued running but he soon realized Maggy was no longer behind him. Maggy? He thought, stopped, and looked back. Maggy was at least a hundred yards behind. She was kneeling on the grass, panting. His eyes shifted from her to something in the distance. Two figures stumbling toward her. Good lord, he thought. They’re coming.

Maggy stared at him as his expression quickly shifted to anxious and worried. He waved his arm frantically, motioning her to go toward him quickly.

Maggy turned around and gasped. Frank and Steve were staggering quickly toward her. She turned back to Rob who was already jogging toward her. She was caught in the middle. She picked her up and began jogging toward Rob but her legs were like jelly. Jeez, pick it up, won’t ya. She urged her legs.

Her stomach growled from hunger and her heart pounded in her ears both from panic and exhaustion. She stretched her hand toward him but when they were just a finger away, she felt a triple sting in the small of her back. The remaining strength in her legs suddenly felt completely drained as everything before her swirled. Her knees fell on the grass as her eyelids drooped.

Faintly before the darkness gave way, she saw Rob fell to his knees as well, the end of three red darts stuck out of his left shoulder.

Look for the conclusion: James