Thin beads of perspiration

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 .............