Bitesize 4.2

Got rubbish shifts so no update tomorrow folks.
Bitesize 4.2

There were a few possibilities Ed was expecting to see. But a fairly bland, largely unused front room whose sole features were a large battered sofa and a huge dress mirror was not one of them. But the normality of the room was immediately shattered by the ever familiar shimmering surface of the dress mirror. Ed raised his gun, pointing it at the watery surface and behind him Katia did the same. For a few seconds neither moved. Ed didn't take his eyes off the mirror's surface. He didn't know if he was watching it out of caution or because he couldn't look away. He took a couple of tentative steps closer, the gun still trained squarely at the mirror's centre. There was nothing visible within the surface, just the rippling sea of silver. He took one more step, looking closer. He raised his foot to take one more step but then suddenly the mirror's surface broke. Even as Ed leapt back, something whizzed past him. His gaze followed its path as it hit the floor and came to a stop. A nondescript cardboard box, covered in parcel tape. Ed trained his gun on the box and glanced back at the mirror. The surface was still and solid once more. He looked over at Katia then at the box again. Two distinct possibilities ran through his mind. Either Crowley was sending them some form of communication or...
It was the or. The box began to beep, slowly, methodically, one beep per second. Both Ed and Katia knew what it meant immediately. They turned and ran, pushing Grace's bulk through the door, back into the dining room, then the kitchen. Grace must have realised their eagerness to leave and she kicked the kitchen door clean off its hinges and charged outside. The three ran, not changing direction, across the back garden and across the rusted railway tracks. Ed subconsciously positioned himself behind Katia as they ran. They'd barely cleared the tracks when the explosion happened. Perhaps Ed had seen too many movies. He fully expected to hear a cinematic sound effect and be launched through the air like a stuntman. What he actually heard was a loud pop and then silence and a feeling like being hit in the back with a burning sledgehammer. The air left his lungs, he lost his footing and as he felt the hot air engulf him he fell to the floor, smacking his face hard into the grass.


The next thing Ed knew he was being shaken awake roughly. He felt genuinely tired and opened his eyes groggily. Katia's face looked down at him, full of concern.
"Are you ok, Ed?"
Her voice sounded faint and Ed put a finger in his ear and wiggled it.
"I dunno... I guess so."
He sat up, his head swimming and he clutched it, trying to will the world stable once more.
"Grace?"
"She's fine Ed. We need to get out of here. Can you walk?"
"Of course I can walk." he said, pulling himself to his feet. He felt a little unsteady but managed to stand up.
"Christ my back hurts..."
Katia pointed at a lump of debris on the ground that once formed part of the brickwork of the house wall.
"That hit me?" he asked.
"I think so, ya. Come on, let's get back. I'll drive."
Ed looked around and saw the remains of the house. Apart from the ring of debris encircling it it kinda looked like it had simply collapsed. Here and there small fires burned away, but most of the place was dust and chunks of brickwork.
"How long was I out?"
"Not long." said Katia. She tugged his hand and he followed her. Beside him was Grace, a little girl once more. Still a little wobbly he let the two women lead him toward the car and he slid into the back seat and lay down. Katia got behind the wheel and gunned the engine. She reversed, then swung the car around in a 180 degree spin before accelerating off down the road. Ed groaned as they went over a bump and clutched his aching back.