The Reanimators

Jonathan threw open the french windows and staggered out on to the back lawn, trailed by a billowing cloud of white dust from inside.

Trousers around his ankles, head and upper body drenched in a red fluid that looked very much like blood, his face a mask of abject horror.

He didn’t waste valuable breath on the scream that desperately wanted to escape his lungs, he merely shambled in blind terror towards the back gate.

“Hey Johnny! You okay there?” A dusky caramel voice asked.

Jonathan wiped enough of red fluid from his eyes to see his raven-haired next door neighbour, Mina, standing causally in his back yard with an expression of bemusement.

“Mina!?” He gasped. “Run there is a madman with an axe, like the one from all the rumours going around.”

“Don’t be silly Johnny. That can’t be true.” Mina smiled condescendingly.

“It’s true, I saw them! They’re in my house right now!”

“Can’t be. I made up all those rumours myself, isn’t that right Lucy?”

“Yuppers!”

Jonathan spun towards the second female voice behind him, as a dark hooded figure carrying an axe emerged from the smoke. He stood, jaw gapping, as the hood was tossed back to reveal Lucy, the bubbly-blonde from across the street, grinning with starry-eyed mischief.

“See? Nothing to get all amped up about.” Mina reassured him.

Jonathan was incredulous.

“You.. you... you... I almost had heart failure!”

“Good!” Lucy laughed as she happily bounced over to Mina’s side.

“You really had it coming to you after the your last prank.” Mina smirked as she wrapped a conspiratorial arm around Lucy’s shoulders.

And there it was, the latest chapter in the Great Hobbs Lane Prank War.

Jonathan, Mina and Lucy had lived as childhood friends on this road together all their lives. And though none of them could remember how it started, their prank war had been raging for many years.

The rules were simply; they took it in turns. The girls vs Jonathan. Although it was usually months between pranks, giving the next target ample time for their senses to be suitably lulled.

As they’d gotten older their pranks had only gotten more elaborate. Which was why Jonathan was now standing with his pants down, covered in baking soda and fake blood, trying to get his pounding heart under control.

“I am so going to get you back for this.” He grumbled.

“Looking forward to it, Jon-jon!” Lucy giggled.

“Oh! And Carrie called, she said she wanted her look back.” Mina quipped.