Bang!

The noise sounded outside, coming from the garden.

Bang!

I sit up, looking about me as I wake up from an unexpected nap. My heart speeds up, trying to grasp what's going on.

Are those gunshots? No way. Maybe a car tire exploded or something?

I rub my eyes and sneak to the window, peeking from behind the curtain. Nothing. The garden is empty. I guess the noise came from the neighbor's garden.

Maybe if I look from the back window?

Curiosity is stronger than survival instinct sometimes. That's why they say, "curiosity killed the cat". I need to know what's happening, I can't help it. My friends call me 'Snoopy' for a good reason.

It'd be really cool if I catch an awesome video and upload it on YouTube or something.

I stride to grab my iPhone and...

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Holy chips!" I jump, startled, but getting more and more eager to watch.

What the hell is going on? This must be big!

A rush of adrenaline pumps through my body as I hear screeching tires scream in the distance.

My parents may say things like "Reckless," Or "Seeking danger" about my headstrong tendencies, but I think I'll take my chances. It's a rare opportunity of an adventure in this sleepy, domesticated town. That's what I convince myself when I sneak out of the back door. It's perfect that my parents aren't home. They're the real "danger" compared to whatever is happening outside.

Weird. It's suddenly too quiet. Not a single sound. Not a single person looking out of the door as if nobody heard anything. It's late afternoon but it's still not sundown yet.

What's wrong? Has everyone gone deaf?

Scurrying across the backyard, I take cover behind trees to have a good look at the area.

A roar of a speeding engine vrooms from the the end of the road, getting closer and closer. I take a peek from my hiding place and glimpse a sleek black van, pulling over in front of the empty house next door. Before it stops completely, the four doors open at once and four hulky men leap outside. Everything about them is dark; black suits, hats, sunglasses, holding terrifyingly huge guns. They stride to the door, break into the house as if it's made of cookie dough, and disappear inside.

Holy crab cakes! Terrorists? Is it one of those shootings? But no! Terrorists don't wear suits and hats. These guys look like Mafiosos in gangster movies!

I love gangster movies!

My hands shake from the excitement, holding my phone while creeping behind another tree, nearer to the attacked house. I'm stupid and reckless, and everything, but I have to try to record this. Even if I had to get into the house.

Should I call the police?

I sneer at the thought. I guess half of the folks must've called 911 already. They're probably on their way.

I'm cool, I assure myself, just to egg myself on to do this. Nobody is going to see me any way.

Circling around the house, I find an open window on a lower level and a wooden ladder placed on the wall. How convenient!

Getting inside was too easy. A minute later I'm in some kind of laundry room. I barely see anything in the dim light but it's safer this way.

Muffled cries, low grunts and clattering noises come from inside the house. I inch closer to the door, iPhone in hand and I press record just in case. For a second, I realize that what I'm doing is illegal. I'm trespassing on someone's property.

Oh, whatever. I can pretend I'm drunk, or lost, or mentally ill or something. But no one is going to see me any way. I can be sneaky as a cat.

"Who da hell are you?"

A gruff, throaty voice asks me and I flinch, stumbling back and dropping my phone on the floor.

"And what da hell ya think you're doing here?"

I walk backwards while the giant guy creeps forward. He has a black mask on, and a striped shirt under his black blazer. He looks familiar. Like one of the beagle boys.

"I- I... I was just... looking for my cat!"

"You don't say." The giant guy chokes a guttural chuckle, strides to jerk my arm and I feel something cold poking my cheek. "Walk inside. Now!"

My knees begin to buckle when I realize it was the tip of his gun on my face. "S-sir... Please... I..."

"Shush now, kid! You're in a lot of trouble."

This time I feel real fear shaking me to the core as I wobble inside, dragged by a mobster and a gun on my face. I am reckless and stupid and I admit it. I have no idea what to do now but to obey.

But something really seems familiar about this guy... It's not the beagle boys. I think I know him from somewhere.

The giant guy pushes me in the middle of a living room. The other three men in black stood there, fanning out and holding their hands behind their backs. Someone is tied up and lying on the couch with a black bag on his or her face.

Oh my God, is that a dead guy?

I feel faint now. I'm panicking and my breath is short. I'm going to die. They'll probably kill me "because I know too much." That's what they do in that kind of movies.

"This kid was snooping around in the house," my captor yelled with his exaggerated gruffness. "What d'ya say we should do with him?"

One of his men raised his hand in a theatrical way. "I say..." And he stepped forward.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KEVIN!!!!"

My jaw drops and I almost drool like an idiot when all of the men take off their hats and masks and I see my family. My older brother, my best friend and my uncle. The rest of my family and friends suddenly storm in from a side door with party hats and balloons screaming. "SURPRISE!"

My mom holds a birthday cake, a concerned look on her face but she's smiling at me encouragingly.

The dead guy on the couch giggles and reveals my sister's freckly face.

Someone pats on my shoulder and I whirl to see my dad grinning from ear to ear. "Gotcha." Dad winks. "Happy birthday, punk."

Dad is the giant guy who caught me.

"You... You all... pranked me?" My voice trembles. I stare with wide eyes at the commotion. The laughs, the hugs, the "happy birthdays" and the fist bumps.

I've been punked! Big time!

I almost cry, but I'm too happy that I'll live and to know my family remembered my birthday.

"Why did you do this, guys?" I ask, still not over the shock as I slump on the sofa next to mom and dad.

"Well, we wanted to give you a memorable birthday party." Mom smiled and ruffled my hair.

"And we wanted it to be educational. Something to make you remember to think twice before you act," dad continued. "You're going to college soon and we don't want to be worried."

"Yeah. Thanks for the lesson." I roll my eyes and sink into the sofa, pulling my parents into a violent group hug. "I think now is a good time to tell you. I'm not going to college. I'm gonna go to Europe and join the Mafia. Those guys are awesome!"

I laugh hysterically. My parents turn to look at me with a shocked expression on their faces.

"I'm kidding! I'm kidding!"

Not!

******

This story was written for the contest prompt by Skipper_019

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