Gunshots rang through the kitchen as Andy fired at the goblins charging through the bigger window. Two of them took direct hits and fell back outside. A third smashed its way through the window over the kitchen sink and swiped at Ollie’s head. He twisted away, the goblin’s claws just missing his cheek.
“Go!” Ollie shouted at Andy. “Get them out of here! Now!”
Without hesitation, Andy grabbed Albert by the arm and pushed him through the door and into the living room. Ollie grabbed a few knives from the counter, shoving one in his boot, and a second in his belt. The third he jabbed into the shoulder of the goblin climbing in over the sink. The goblin screeched and swiped at his head. Ollie slapped the goblin’s arm out of the way and twisted the knife even further into the creature’s flesh, driving it back through the window until it fell onto the porch.
Another goblin leapt through the big window, landing on its belly on the small table nestled against the wall. It rolled off onto the floor and scrambled to its hands and feet, only to immediately be set upon by Tank and Bentley. The two dogs locked their jaws on each arm, yanking the goblin left and right as it shrieked in surprise. It tried to pull away, but the dogs refused to let it out of their grip. They dragged it across the floor, kicking and screaming, over toward their food bowls.
Ollie ignored the wrestling match behind him and opened the cabinets, tossing pots and pans onto the floor until he got his hands on a colander. Heavy footsteps thundered across the ceiling, and Ollie hoped that was Andy and Albert herding Wendy out of their room. The goblin finally managed to kick the dogs off his arms, and it stumbled into the living room, Tank and Bentley in hot pursuit. Two more goblins climbed in the other window, one of them sporting a gunshot wound in its chest. They snarled at Ollie and rushed forward, coming to a complete stop when he held up the colander. He waved it back and forth, their heads moving in tune to the motion, like cobras entranced by a snake charmer. He tossed it to the floor and the goblins immediately dove to the ground, fighting each other over who would get to hold it.
Ollie grabbed a cheese grater and a pot, then darted through the door on the other side of the kitchen, which led to a narrow hallway with the utility room on one side and the staircase at the far end. He ran through the utility room and out the door at the other end, another back door that opened out onto the side patio. He peeked around the edge of the house to see a dozen goblins streaming up the path to the back door. He raised his hand and got their attention.
“Hey! Idiots!”
They all stopped and a sea of yellow eyes locked on to him.
“Catch!” He tossed the cheese grater out onto the middle of the patio and half the goblins scrambled to get it.
“Get him!” came a roar from the hill. Ollie looked up to see Kranka charging down the path toward the house. In his zeal to see Ollie dead, the hobgoblin knocked a smaller goblin out of the way, sending him tumbling end over end and crashing into the fence. Cheese graters and colanders wouldn’t work on hobgoblins, so Ollie ran back through the utility room and down the hall, emerging into the living room from the opposite side. He heard shouting in the hallway upstairs, but saw no sign of Andy, Wendy, or Albert. He needed to get everyone out of the house. Tank and Bentley, who still had the first goblin in their jaws, mauled it relentlessly in front of the couch. He rushed over and grabbed its free leg. He dragged the struggling goblin across the room – along with the dogs – and out the front door. Once he had all three on the patio, he ran back into the living room and shut the door, content that the dogs would be safer out there.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
A loud crash in the kitchen told him that more goblins were inside the house. The door to the kitchen flew open, and a greenie with a broken nose scurried across the floor like an enraged orangutan, charging at Ollie. He waited for it to get just at the edge of his reach, then swung the pot still in his hand, connecting with the goblin’s chin. The goblin careened sideways, pirouetting onto the coffee table with a whump.
Ollie didn’t wait to see if it came to. He ran over to the other side of the living room, right as another came through the door, and smashed the pot on top of the goblin’s head. The goblin warbled and crumpled to the floor, holding its head. Ollie dropped the pot and reached for the baseball bat leaning against the wall.
Three more goblins barreled in, followed by Kranka, who had to duck to fit through the door frame. One goblin with a Mohawk of black hair rushed forward, and Ollie took a swing, hitting it solidly on the shoulder. It screeched at him as it retreated to a safe distance, clutching its arm. The other two goblins moved to the sides as Kranka stepped forward, his murderous eyes locked on Ollie.
Kranka growled, and Ollie backed up, spinning the bat in his hand. It didn’t hurt to let them know he could use it if they came for him. Another goblin burst through the kitchen door, and the two injured ones slowly got back to their feet in the presence of their boss, whose stature made the living room suddenly feel much, much smaller.
Ollie exhaled. This bat wouldn’t hold them all off. It would barely keep Kranka at bay.
Ollie flinched as gunshots rang out over his shoulder. The two closest goblins cried out as bullets struck them in the torso. Ollie ducked and dashed back to the stairs, where Andy hung over the railing, firing at everything in the room with green skin. Kranka charged, but took two bullets in the shoulder, staggering him. A couple of bullets hit the bay window at the far end of the room, shattering the glass.
The gun clicked a few times, and Andy hurriedly swapped in a fresh clip. The goblins used the pause to scatter for hiding places. Even Kranka retreated through the side door to hide in the kitchen.
Andy fumbled with his gun, but Ollie pushed him in the back.
“No time! Go!”
Andy ran up the stairs. Ollie followed, taking them two at a time until he reached the second floor. He was greeted by a surprised, and frantic, Wendy and Albert. Albert was ashen faced, while Wendy seemed thoroughly confused.
“Go back!” Ollie waved them back to the room. “There’s too many down there!”
Andy herded the older couple back to their room. The goblins downstairs made a huge racket on their way to follow them, turning over furniture, breaking dishes and glasses, hooting and hollering. If Kimmie ever made it back here, she’d be pissed about what they were doing to her house.
Once the others were back in the room, Ollie stood in the doorway.
“Check the window,” he told Andy. “If it looks safe, climb out onto the roof, jump down, get in your car and go.”
“Jump down?” Wendy said, clutching her handbag to her chest. Albert consoled her, putting his arm around her shoulders.
“What about you?” Andy asked. A chorus of footfalls finally thumped their way up the stairs.
Ollie reached for the door handle. “I’ll keep them busy out here.”