Last night

What? what? what is it? Alarm? Mobile? Clock? It's ten past midnight. Where's the light. The phone.

"....." (Dad)

"WHAT!?!.......IS HE STILL THERE!?.....WE'RE COMING OVER!"

(Mum) "Do you want Rich to come with you?"

"Rich, there's someone in nanny's house. You better go with dad"

I was in one of those states where it felt like I was awake, but really, I was still half asleep. I knew what to do though. A burst of adrenaline. Someones in nanny's house at this time of night. This isn't looking pretty. Before I knew where I was I had whipped some trousers on, ran out of my bedroom,

WAIT

a weapon. If nanny's being attacked I'll need some help. I flipped the weights off my barbells, the first thing I saw. I put the metal end peg back on and ran down the stairs with my metal bar. Grabbed my shoes, the phone rang again, everyone was up now. On the way to the car I heard Rachel say "Yes, hold on! they're on their way!"

Forget safe driving, Dad bombed it to nanny's. I started to wake up and realise what was happening. Oh God. What might happen! I saw the kitchen knife that Dad had brought with him. This was happening!

We screeched to a stop at the old people's bungalows on crow lane. Dad turned the headlights off. I told him "Lock the door, don't forget"... He forgot.

I've walked faster before, but I was nervous! Dad ran up to the door, I followed, looking round at the bins and other houses on the way. He could be anywhere.

The door was open, we stormed in. "MUM!??!". I started looking round the rooms. Nanny had locked herself in the toilet. She came rushing out and jumped at Dad. I had never seen her in such a state. Crying, shaking, petrified. I carried on looking round. There was a brick on the floor in the middle of a mess of broken glass. In Nanny's bedroom! It was like something you see in the movies. Where was he? Is he still here? He could come from anywhere! The whole situation was emphasised by how I had just got up, how it was the middle of the night and everything was silent except my Dad shouting and Nanny crying. We went outside, he was nowhere to be seen. He had gone.

The next door neighbour came round, also and elderly woman living on her own in this lonely, venerable housing area. She was also in a terrible state. Could barely breathe. She called the warden and had to go as she had left her door open. I didn't see her for the rest of the night.



The thief had been lurking round the house for a while, Nanny told us. She had seen torch light out the front. She went to her bedroom at the back of the tiny bungalow, her curtains and small window were open. She went to close the window, and as she drew the curtains she saw a shadow outside. She went to walk to the hall and screamed as she heard a brick smashing through her double glazed bedroom window. She turned and saw a tall man, early twenties climbing into her bedroom. Terrified, she struggled to run out of the room, pulled the warden cord and ran outside the front door. She screamed. But in the quiet, old peoples housing area, no one came to help.

The thief grabbed the handbag from her bed and was gone, back out of the window. Nanny called the first number she could think of and that's how I woke up last night at ten minutes past midnight.



The police came. The warden. My auntie and cousin. Someone else. And the police said that CSI were coming too. I made Nanny a tea, and my auntie gave her some tablet and sugar.

They thought they found blood, but it turned out to be a berry! God knows how he made it through those shards of glass without drawing blood. They found a foot print in the end. I doubt they'll find him.

Dad took me home at about one. I walked out of the door with my metal bar. The policeman said to me "What are you doing with that bar?" I turned round, smiled, and said
"Just in case"