Run
Will had been at a bar in London, attending the birthday party of one of his best friends. The only thing was, he had got a little bit carried away with the celebrating and spent all his money – including the money he needed to get a taxi home. He could have borrowed the money from one of his friends of course, but he was too embarrassed to ask. So he said his farewells and walked out into the night which, just his luck, was windy and rainy.
He walked along the high street, coat collar pulled up around ears that were already dripping wet. If he kept to the main roads, he would get home in about twenty five minutes, but if he took a short cut through some alleys that ran behind some houses, maybe in less than twenty. But the alleys were dark and a little creepy, even for a grown man like Will.
Just as he was considering this option though, a bus drove past him and through a deep puddle of water, which rose above him like a tidal wave before crashing down on top of him, soaking him from head to toe. He stood stunned for a moment, not able to believe he had gone from being bone dry to soaking wet in a matter of minutes. Feeling pretty sorry for himself, he grudgingly headed into the nearest alley. At least it would give him some protection from the now chillingly cold wind.
Will had walked through this network of alleys during the day, but never at night. He knew the general direction to go, but it was still unnerving walking with so little light to guide his way. Then, from somewhere behind him, he heard a gravelly voice.
“Run.” it said.
Will spun around and saw no-one. “Who said that?”
“Run.” the voice came again. It sounded to Will like the voice had come from around the corner he had just passed. He went back and looked around it with more than a little trepidation. But there was no-one there.
“Run!” The voice came again, louder this time and from the direction Will had just backtracked from. Now he was starting to be very afraid.
“Who is that? Show yourself! I know karate, so if you don’t stop messing with me, you’re gonna be in big trouble!” Will shouted into the night, lying through his teeth.
The gravelly voice began to laugh, a horrible sound that seemed to come from all around Will. Then the laugh stopped abruptly. “Run!” the voice screeched, sounding almost inhuman. Will could not bear to hold his ground anymore – he began to run. He hurtled straight ahead down one alley, then he took a left, then a right… which about ten metres in he realised led to a dead end. Cursing his luck, he turned to look behind himself. No-one was there. Was the man he’d heard even chasing him? Was he lying in wait somewhere to ambush him? The possibilities were terrifying, but there was one thing Will had no choice about: he would have to go back the way he had come.
Who – or what – is the owner of the strange voice? Or will that remain a mystery?
How will Will get away from him?
How can you create further tension in this story?