Above is the fresh new blog hop photo prompt we introduced last week! Below is my story that goes with it. Enjoy!

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Suzanne gripped the handle of the bedside table drawer and held her breath as she gave it a slow pull.

Please don’t squeak, please don’t squeak.

Sweat began to bead on her forehead as the drawer inched out.  It let out a low groan; Suzanne released a quick, nervous breath. Glancing out her window, the shadowed figure was still there but hadn’t moved his position.

What the hell is he doing? Please stay outside, she thought

Her mother had warned her about moving to the city, warned her something like this could happen. “Don’t go to sleep with the windows open,” she’d said, “they climb up the fire escape in the middle of the night and shimmy in through your window. It happened to Nancy’s daughter, you know.”

“Yeah, yeah Suzanne had retorted. “If it happens to one it must happen to all. I’ll be fine, Ma.”

Now here she was, 2:30 a.m. with a man outside her bedroom window trying to sneak in. Her cell phone was dead and she’d been too tired to look for the charger. Thankfully her older brother Joey had given her the small pistol as a housewarming present. “Just in case… you know,” he’d said.

“Sure. I get it. Thanks. It’s cute,” she’d said with a laugh.

Yeah, real cute. Where is it? Where is it? Panic was racing through her veins.

With the drawer open enough, the street light outside her window highlighted the butt of the silver pistol. Suzanne reached her hand in to grab the gun. Giving the window another glance, the shadowed man began turning towards Suzanne’s window. She placed a shaky finger on the trigger and took aim.

Outside, William stood on the fire escape trying to get the upper ladder to move down low enough for him climb to his own floor.

“Damn thing must be rusted stuck. I can’t believe I forgot my freakin’ key,” he grumbled to himself.

He turned to the window in front of him but couldn’t quite make out who or what might be inside from his angle.

“Crap. I hope whoever is in there is sleeping. Last thing I need is someone calling the cops thinking I’m an intruder or something,” he thought.

A sudden shot rang out through the night, a piercing pain invaded his belly. A woman’s frightened shriek was the last thing William heard before his world went dark.