Kyle pointed down the hallway they had just walked from, while Josh pointed ahead of them. A painful tightness emanated from the center of their chest and abdomen as both essentially tried to move in opposite directions. Kyle was trying to lean in the direction he pointed in, to physically signal his brother. However at nearly the same time, Josh raised his foot from the ground to take a step towards the right. He had thought that Kyle was still waiting for him to think of a suitable place to hide.
For a few fractions of a second, only Kyle's leg supported their weight. Those brief moments were all that was needed for them to lose their tedious balance. The brothers began to fall towards the ground on Josh's side. Kyle yelped in surprise as he was dragged down to the ground.
Josh braced his arm, but was unable to catch them. Josh's shoulder and hip slammed into the tile flooring and Kyle's head bonked into the right side of his temple. "What the fuck Kyle!" Josh exclaimed as they managed rolling onto their back.
Kyle was stunned for a moment, confused in how they fell to the ground. But, his confusion turned to anger at his brother's accusing tone. "That wasn't my fault!" He would have used a few choice words, but he forced himself to refocus on the task at hand. Arguing further would only make things worse. "Forget it! We need to get up and hide!"
Josh grunted, but resisted arguing further. “Your right.” Just like before, the brothers verbalized each step of their movements, so the other knew when to shift weight or move a limb. With the desire not to be seen by their father, they moved to a standing position faster than previously.
Once on their two feet, the brothers again attempted to move in opposite directions. This time however, they managed not to tumble to the ground. “Where are you going?” Kyle demanded. “The bathroom is the best spot. If Dad comes looking, one of us can pretend to be on the toilet.”
“And what if Dad wants to talk to one of us and waits for us to get out?” Josh questioned. “We can hide behind the curtains, and then he will think no one is home.”
“What if someone sees us through the window?” Kyle retorted, but he was already following Josh’s lead to the living room. Being locked in a battle of wills would guaranteed them being caught by their father.
“Just come on, faster.” Josh urged as they made their way down the hall. As they passed the front door, the knob began to jingle. Their dad was just outside, and about to unlock the door. They barely slipped behind one of the curtains of the front-facing windows before their father stepped inside.
“Kyle, Josh.” The brothers heard their father call their names. “I forgot my cell phone. Is it upstairs?” Their father spoke as he walked around the first story. He went into the living room, searching for his device and walked passed them. “Never mind, I found it… if anyone is here? Must be out.” Their father spoke to himself. Less than a minute later, their father exited the house and locked the door.
Josh and Kyle held their breath until they heard the puttering of their father’s car leave the driveway. “That was close.” Kyle said, wiping his brow.