Thin beads of perspiration (sweat) ran down my ruddy (glowing) façade (face) (frontage). Horror (terror) (dreadfulness) wrapped up (gripped) my heart (soul) and I dreaded (feared) the mysterious (unknown) (unidentified) (mysterious). My parents had left (gone) (travelled) to visit my grandparents who lived a long way off. I had been left, lonely and desperate to guard (care for) (take care of) our chalet (cottage) (bungalow) (mansion). A loud bang that compounded the ambiance (atmosphere) (environment) (surrounding) was heard from nowhere. Dogs started barking, roosters crowing and even the bulls humming silently. The once tranquil (serene) (calm) (peaceful) (unruffled) environment (ambiance) (atmosphere) (environment) (surrounding) was now a babel of noise.

As I sat up on my couch (bed) (cot) (divan) (cradle), my heart went pit – a – pat. I afterward heard the plodding (trudging) (tramping) of heavy (weighty) (intense) footsteps. If it was not for my bravery (courage) (Valour) (guts), I would have die (passed away) (passed on) of shock and fear (panic) (alarm) (fright) (dread) (trepidation). I recollected the wise saying, “Cowards live longer but pass on (die) (pass away) a hundred times.” I had on no account (by no means), (in no way), (under no circumstances) considered myself a coward and I did not plan for any false (fake) (phony) (artificial) (forged) death (demise) (fatality) either. It was not long before I heard the footsteps die down (subside) (recede) at our door step.

I decided (made up my mind) (resolved) to hide away from the hoodlum (thug) (hooligan) (lout) (ruffian). With a burst (an explode) of energy, I jolted (jerked) (joggled) forward, dashed to the living room and took a vantage position (spot) (location) at the corner. With much ease, the door flew ajar. I quickly calculated and concluded the hoodlum (thug) (hooligan) (lout) (ruffian) (burglar) must have had a master key.

From my hideout (hideaway) (lair), the only sound that could be heard was my heart throbbing wildly against my chest (trunk) cavity. I could hear the hoodlum (thug) (hooligan) (lout) (ruffian) (burglar) humming tunefully and whistling wildly as a periodic (intermittent) (episodic) (sporadic) interception of his humming. He then proceeded (continued) (progressed) (carried on) to open the inner doors. My hands rested on a rod. With two hands I held it tightly because it was big and heavy.

Fidgeting (fiddling) (squirming) (jiggling) restlessly (twitchily) (agitatedly), I decided to dexterously (deftly) (adroitly) give the vandal his match. With the surreptitiousness (furtiveness) (stealth) of a stalking cat, I approached him from behind. My body was fidgeting (fiddling) (squirming) (jiggling) and the rod swinging viciously; as vicious as blood hounds. I skillfully aimed at his back and gave him one blow which was enough to and did send him horizontal (flat) (parallel to the ground).

At the switching on of the lights, I was astounded (thunderstruck) (flabbergasted) (astonished) (amazed). This was my old folk. I was frightened (scared) (terrified) (alarmed) (startled) (alarmed) (panicky) and fear touched my heart with cold fingers. My only luck (fortune) and hope (optimism) rested on the fact that I had not used a dagger (stiletto). He was not hurt, and after picking himself up, I told him how he had scared (frightened) (terrified) the hell out of me.