Someone down the stairs was calling out, but she couldn't hear the words. Not over her own heartbeat and breathing. Plus that rush of adrenaline that sounded like rushing water in her ears.

Erin clutched Jackson tightly, but the moment her feet found the lower level of the house, someone shoved her. She let out a surprised yelp, and tried to catch herself. It was impossible with Jackson, and her feet hit something.

She crashed to the ground, landing hard on top of something, of someone! Jackson had landed near the couch, pulling himself up, shaking. "Erin!" he called out, causing her to realize the body she squashed wasn't Jackson's.

Erin screeched and tried moving away, kneeing and kicking and pushing at the person. Someone else spoke and then instantly there was light on them. She had moved away from the person on the floor, and when Jackson could see her, he rushed back into her arms. She held him tightly.

Were these the people who had been scaring them? "Who are you?" she demanded to know. The one with the phone introduced himself and explained the situation. "You were out running, in this?" she asked, referring to the storm. Likely story...

She glanced back to the man she'd pummeled into the floor. Their handyman? "No one here called for a handyman," she said, still very very suspicious. She pulled herself up, and pushed Jackson behind her. Normally a fall like that would have hurt her. Her knees, hands, something. But the boy on the ground had taken the worst of it for her, cushioning the fall. She would feel really bad about that later.

Her heart still raced. This pair was probably the cause of all that had gone on so far tonight. There were two men, and her and a child. She needed to think quickly. Too bad she didn't know this house well enough. "The Weirs will be home any second," she blurted. "And- I've called the police already," she lied, trying to scare them off.

((PrincessK - I'm thinking about what other character to add, who will save you. *nods* But only to give a false reassurance. He'll be a total baddie.))