Chapter 5A Short Walk

It didn't take very long for thoughts about my parents to surface again. What could I do? I didn't want them worrying all the time. But I couldn't tell them, either. If I just vanished, they'd look for me, missing persons, police. Not an option. I wondered for a moment if the creature... person... that took me had hurt them somehow. I didn't remember seeing light earlier.

I started walking back to my house when something else occurred to me. I could remember almost exactly where we'd walked. Walking back as if I'd known the neighborhood here for ages. It seemed my memory, just like the rest of my senses, had gotten a little extra jolt.

The walk didn't seem to be as long as before, now I walked with a purpose. It occurred to me that though the night was in full swing, the darkness hindered me not at all. I could see all as if the sun was shining. Well... It was different. But I could see in the shadows. See the shapes.

We arrived in our street. I got the feeling something was off, if only I could put my finger on the cause. Khuna followed me silently, unspeaking, leaving me to my thoughts.

She suddenly stood still, very alert. She looked at me. "What are you going to do?"

I looked back. "I don't know, see if they're alright. I can't tell them, they wouldn't believe me."

I walked closer to my house and noticed the lights were off. Even the one lighting the porch was off. That was odd. I continued until I was right at our front door. I reached into my pockets automatically. Oh... No keys with me.

It was fairly normal for me not to bring keys with me. My parents were always home before I came back from school, and the house would be open otherwise. Not the front door of course. So I headed around the back. It was there I also noticed the lights upstairs were off, as well as those in the kitchen. The garden seemed eerily quiet.

I continued to the back door, it was unlocked. I opened it slowly and silently. The hinges not making a sound, though I was half expecting them to creak. I stepped in the house and stood still.

It felt empty.

No sounds but those of the outside world. No footsteps, no breathing, no heartbeat but my own. I didn't believe it yet so I walked all around, turning some lights on out of habit. The flooding light surprised me a few times, but I got used to it.

The house was empty in a strange way. Nothing appeared to be out of place or missing. All the personal things were still there, pictures, necklaces, earrings. Even their clothes drawers and closets seemed just normal. A basket of recently washed clothes was standing upstairs like someone was about to fold them.

My room was untouched as well. Strange.

I went into my room and picked up a simple necklace. It was a citrine hanger on a black rope, with a cute sliding knot to tighten it. It always felt as if it was both old and new. I got it from a female friend whom I cared for very much. She gave it to me as a gift after she bought a similar, blue one for herself as well. This one was meant to give me energy, while hers gave her the calm I had. Though I lost contact with her, I treasured the necklace like I did her.

I put it around my neck, the orange stone contrasting my palish skin. I liked it.

Hearing someone step into the house through the back door made me come back to reality. I think it was Khuna. No heartbeat that I could hear, but her steps were audible this time. Did she want me to hear them?

I guess she did. I felt the anger rise. I rushed downstairs and glared at her. I wanted to be angry at her, she must have taken my parents!

"Where did you take them?" I yelled more than I asked.

She spoke softly as she looked me in the eyes. "I didn't."

She sounded so honest. As if she bared herself to me. It shut me up for a moment.

I spoke again, but softer. "Then who?"

She looked around and seemed to take it all in to make a weighed conclusion. "The one who turned you didn't. He probably would have killed them, to make you alone, disconnected." She spoke slowly. Still thinking. "They didn't rush but they didn't pack. Some things are still left here, but it's all cleaned up. No note either." She hesitated. "I.. honestly don't know."

Something didn't quite fit, but I didn't know what it was. Khuna was right. The kitchen wasn't a mess. Food was cleaned up. The house was left as if they'd gone to work or ready to receive visitors. Nice and clean, nothing special.

Where did that leave me?