The things people will do to impress their friends, strangers and family is immense. We get this ambition when a friend comes over, to not show your true self, but instead we showoff. The things people do is serious, it could end in tragedy or even violence. That is what happened to me, my sister announced her childhood friend would be coming to the house that day. This day would be remembered in my present as i tell my story, and continue to be mounred in the future.

It was day like any other day, bright, ecstatic, and the sun was shining; however, things didn’t go as well as I had hoped they would go. I woke up in a haphazardly way, brushed my teeth until my gums blanketed in blood, made my bed like a prisoner of 10-years, and inhaled breakfast all before the 10:30 AM mark. Dad had already given me the typical speal about being lazy and waking up late, all in good fun however. It was July 2006, a Saturday. The day to change all days. I sat down on the computer chair just as I did every weekend morning, it was my weekend routine: game like a hardcore professional, eat like a 24 year old construction worker at lunch, and procrastinate like every teenager i know.

At 12:30 PM my sister, Gabee, announced she has a friend coming over for the day to “chill out.” At that age, I had no clue what that meant. Maybe it had something to do with the freezer? The second Gabee announced her  friend was coming over, I knew  who it was. Chandler Herget, one of the devil’s accomplice. When the devil’s minions got together, and no parents were around, trouble was bound to happen.

1:00 PM, the doorbell rang, chills ran up my spine. Every good thing I knew about Gabee wouldn’t matter anymore now that she was with Chandler. She became the bane of my existence. I was a slow and injured deer surrounded by a couple of hungry wild wolves, all I could do was hide. The devil and devil’s accomplice had not noticed me in the computer room. Thankfully, they headed downstairs to the basement. I carefully tip-toed to the door and shut it ever so quietly, praying they didn’t hear that.

A few hours passed and dinnertime was on the horizon, Thank god! Every time my desk chair squealed or screeched I stopped, not even breathing, as if I had seen a ghost. Those screeches in my head sounded like a jet taking off inside my house. I was getting hungry and thirsty, maybe eating would take my mind off the fear. I needed to devise a plan that would not attract attention and would provide good loot. This was my first mistake, I should have made a sandwich in the kitchen, but that didn’t sound rewarding. Unfortunately, the real prize was in the basement freezer, guarded by terrifying brutes who would chase anything they see or hear.

My plan was simple, sneak downstairs, past the brutes, and into the freezer room. All I had to do from there was getaway. Sneaking around and running fast were not an issue, at that age I was fast and quiet, an advantage of being small. It was time to go so I started my way down the basement stairs, it wasn’t until the last step that my foot landed on the edge of the stair and made a large creaking sound, I came to a complete halt and watched them as they watched their silly network shows about teen stars. The plan was going great until I reached the freezer room. The worst yet most simple thing had happened. I didn’t know what I wanted.

Every second that the freezer was open cold rushing air leaked outside and made a breeze. Chandler noticed the breeze and turned around to see me grabbing snacks. I was caught. I immediately raced upstairs knowing I would have better chances for a clean getaway in the kitchen around the island. The devil’s flew upstairs as if it were a hot pursuit. Gabee grabbed the wooden spoon, she knew that it hurt when you whacked someone with it. She knew that because of past experiences. My eyes and hands twitched at the sight of the wooden spoon trapped in Gabee’s death grip. by running around the island repeatedly I would always have one way to run if she blocked another exit. That was until Chandler blocked my getaway. It was make or break time. I could run through Chandler who was weaker than Gabee, or fight back when they lurk up to me and pounce. Fighting back would e useless against the two of them. I went for plan A. I charged towards Chandler, but then snagged by Gabee at the side and thrown onto the hard solid ground. WHACK! The wooden spoon struck my bareback hard. My nerves flooded with pain, I began to cry. Their laughter roared through the house like war horns. Flailing wildly, I was released by the devil’s grasp and ran towards the computer room, there I called my mom and told her what had happened.

Chandler left later that night and Gabee was grounded, I couldn’t help but act smug when I heard those treacherous hated words by the youth of today, “You’re grounded Gabee.” All that remained for the next week was the bruise on my back and awkward silences and looks that were exchanged when we were in the same room. Gabee was a devil in her own silent and creepy way.