The Break-In: A Short Story Essay
The Break-In was originally written by Zach Stearns for his school newspaper. It was published in The Knight Times and received widespread acclaim. It received three sequels, all of which were published in The Knight Times. While there have been seven parts written, only the first four will ever be released to the public. The final chapter will probably never be revealed to anyone and this first chapter will probably be the only one ever released on HubPages.
The Break-In
Hannah was so happy she was finally going to have an entire weekend to herself. She decided to get on her laptop and finish her homework. Her desk was overlooking her window, so she had a decent view of the street. She heard something loud outside. She pulled the blinds aside and looked out.
A black van stopped outside Hannah’s window. She watched in confusion as three black-suited men hopped out of the vehicle. Two of the men ran around to the back of it, while the other one walked towards the house. She instinctively reached for her phone, which she always kept to the left of her desk. It wasn’t there. She realized she must have left it in on the kitchen counter.
Hannah was about to run downstairs and grab it when she heard a large bang downstairs, followed by footsteps in the house. They were in. Hannah spent a few of her precious seconds contemplating what she could do. Her bedroom was on the third floor, so she didn’t have the option of jumping out. The way she saw it, there was only one thing that could work.
She quietly closed her door and then dove under her bed. She heard footsteps. People were walking up the steps. There was no lock on Hannah’s door, so the men in black could very easily get in.
The door creaked as it was being opened. Men with black shoes entered and walked around the room. Hannah was holding her breath, trying not to be heard by the intruders. That’s when she heard a voice.
“Peter told us the girl was home alone in this house. We have to grab her and go.”
Everyone dispersed except for the man who had spoken. He searched the closet, looking behind her clothes. He then began to kneel. Slowly he bent down to look under the bed. Hannah saw his chest, and then shortly thereafter his chin was visible. That’s when a miracle happened. There was a crash in the next room. The man got up and ran out of Hannah’s room. This was Hannah’s chance. She slid open her window slowly and then carefully got out to the ledge in a sitting position.
Her house was oddly constructed so that the first-floor roof extruded from the main building. The roof of the first floor was about a five- meter jump from her current position. It was a risky thing to do, but what choice did she have? She could either jump and risk breaking her legs on the ground or get taken by these men.
Hannah reached her hands up and grabbed the gutters, pulling herself up into a standstill. She wasn’t going to be able to get a running start, but she would have to gain some momentum. She got her legs ready to propel herself into the jump. That’s when she heard footsteps behind her. A man started to say something, but she forced herself to jump before she could hear what he had to say for himself.
Hannah was midair when she realized that she hadn’t gained enough momentum. She wasn’t going to make it. Hannah reached her hands up, grabbing for the gutter of the first floor. She caught it, but there was no way it would hold her weight. It held her for a few seconds, creaking, before the screws broke and it fell. Hannah knew something was wrong with her leg as soon as she landed, but she didn’t have the time to fret over it. She got herself up and limped off into the distance, hoping she wasn’t being followed.
