Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Home Alone

The noise was deafening, I had heard nothing like it before it my entire, slightly short, life. Always they appear then disappear as if was a ghost. I’ve always hated road works, especially when they wake you up on a weekday morning, something I had only experienced during school holidays. Due to my actions at school a couple of day’s exclusion was imminent.

The headmaster, Mr Brown, an old grumpy old man as ever been seen was a celebrity for his dark tattered waist coats and multicoloured bow ties and his grey wig. This was exclusive of his long moustache and small reading glasses. Whenever he told you off you had to contain your laughter otherwise you would receive further consequences. He wasn’t the type of guy who you would expect to be a headmaster he seemed too friendly and that his role as head teacher was an act which didn’t suit him. However, he still had influence over my mother who agreed with his idea of a couple of days off over the phone last night.

“Mum…” I muttered as I walked down the stairs. My feet padded down a step at a time, each step being cushioned by soft carpet; I felt a sudden deafening silence. I reached the bottom of the stairs my right arm still holding onto the banister. There was no reply except the joy that was that I was home alone for the majority of the day.
I skipped into the front room and sat down on the dark grey settee and grabbed the remote with my finger tips from the arm rest. It must have been my sister to leave the house last as she always places the remote on the arm chair instead of on top of the television which aggravates mum. This is one of the primary reasons we do it as mother likes to keep the place clean and tidy and if this tranquillity is disrupted she isn’t the most kind of person.
I press the well used red button while aiming it directly at the television. Nothing happens. I try again, still nothing. I grow suspicious I push myself out of my five minute comfort and gradually walk to the other end of the living room to investigate.

The thing about our living room is the shape and colour of it, the light brown walls in comparison with the slightly dark leather settees and arm chairs makes it slightly dull. But this is the required effect as the endless flowers and brightly coloured pictures make it a homely place.

“I don’t believe this.” I muttered as I look behind the television. “She’s hidden the plugs.” I said while sighing in disbelieve. My joy was short lived and was severely dampened when I looked in the cupboard underneath the television, where the games console in usually kept, there was nothing but complete darkness with the exception of the sunlight glaring through the windows attempting to bypass me and brighten the hole of darkness. I close the doors and turn around and stand up.

This was just the beginning as further exploration unveiled more missing plug sockets, all my games, DVDs, videos and virtually anything I would use as a source of entertainment to deter me from the reason behind such thorough deterrence. The note struck me like nothing I saw before. The fact that it was on yellow paper and placed in a position unavoidable: the fridge, that it made the words even more believable. It read: Daniel, there is some dinner in the fridge, I have taken the plugs to work and your homework is on the side, please get it done by the time I get home – about 3. See you soon, mum.
It had been expected, but not in combination of no plugs. I decided I may as well do my homework. But first I needed a shower.


There was a rattling sound coming from the door, sounds like someone is home as it was the sound of a key being placed in the lock. The time now was three thirty and I had just about finished my homework which I had eventually got around to. This was another strange experience I usually do my homework in the evening after I get back from school, usually about four o’clock. Not before I get home and in min-afternoon.

“Hi honey, how was your day?” She asked with her usual joyous tone.
“Not to bad, I couldn’t find the plugs.” I commented.
“I knew the TV would be the first place you’d go so I had to make you get on with your homework. Speaking of which how is it going?” She asked.
I picked up my pencil and replied, “I’m almost done just a couple more questions to do.”
She placed her hand in her bag and produced a set of plugs.
“Well as a reward you can watch TV for a while, but only when you’ve finished your homework.” She stated with a smile.

This gave me a burst of energy and I leapt out of the chair and hugged her in thanks. In addition before she had left the room I had decided I had finished and was watching ‘The Boy’ before I realised. This was my favourite programme and it involved a boy living in an alternative reality without knowing. I always thought that if I was Harry, the main character, then it would be such a cool way to live.
This particular episode began with Harry just finishing homework after being suspended from school; which I thought was slightly ironic. When it finished I realised there was something strange in that when he went to bed he awoke to a bright light in the corner of his bedroom, much like I did the night before.
After the credits came up it states ‘Not based on any true events or people, if it is it isn’t intentional’.
“Yeh right” I said to myself. I gave it a quick chuckle and proceeded to turn the channel over and watch television until bed time or I was called for tea.



It appeared again, but slightly bigger than last night. It came from the far corner of the bedroom not far from the wardrobe. I couldn’t understand it, there are no other lights in the bedroom and there all switched off. I thought about ‘The Boy’ and how our lives overlapped. Eventually I totally forgot and was dreaming in minutes.