Hush. ° Taennie

Chapter twenty five

  When Taehyung left, I put chain on the door. I dragged the chair from the other side of the toom to thr door and placed it under the doorknob. I checked if shutters on the windows were closed. I didn't know if Shutters would stop Hwasa - I didn't know if she had anything against me either - but I figured it was better to play it safe. After few minutes of walking around the room, I tested the telephone on the night stand. There was still no noise of free line.

  My mom is going to kill me.

  I sneaked out behind her back and went to Mushroom town. How am I supposed to explain the whole situation? "I went to the motel with Taehyung"? I'll be happy if she forbbids me from going out until the end of school year. No. I'll be happy if she don't quit her job and doesn't sign up for Substitute teacher while looking for
permanent job nearby. Then we would have to sell our house and I would lost the only connection with my dad left.

  Lile fifteen minutes later I peeked out of key hole. Nothing but darkness. I released the door and as I was about to open them, lights started flickering behind me. I turned around, hoping to see Hwasa. The room was calm and  empty, but the electricity came back.

  The door opened with a loud creaking and I stepped into thr hallway. The rug was bloody red, placed in thr middle of hallway and spotted with unrecognisable dark traces. Color of walls was neutral, but it was painted badly and was peeling off.

  Above me, the sigh made of green Neok letters pointed to the exit. I followed the arrow down the hall and around the corner. Jeep stopped on the outside of the front door so I rushed out and jumped in the passenger seat.

  When Taehyung parked in front of my house, none of the lights were on. My stomach started hurting from guilt and I wondered if my mother is driving around looking for me. The rain stopped, and the fog pressed the wall paneling and hanged from the the bushes like Christmas decorations. Trees that were devorating the front porch were irreversibly distorted. Every house look unattractive without lights being on after the dark falls, but my house, with its mini slots instead of windows, sunked roof, collapsed porch and wild bramble, seemed okay.

  "Ill walk through the house", Taehyung said, quickly getting out.

  "You think Hwasa is inside?"

  He shook his head. "But it won't hurt to Check."

  I waited in the Jeep and some timr later Taehyung walkef out of front door. "Everything's clear", he said. "Ill drive to the school and come back here as soon as I check her office. Maybe she forgot something useful." He didn't sound convinced in that.

  I unbuckled my seat belt and ordered my legs to carry me quickly along the path. Turning the door knob, I heard Taehyung driving off the driveway. Boards on the porch screeched under my feet abd suddenly I felt huge lonlinest.

  Without turning on the lights, I sneaked through the house from room to room, starting with ground floor, and then upstairs. Taehyung checked the house, but it seemed that extra pair of eyes won't do any damage. After convincing myself there was no one hiding in the house , I wore jeans and black shirt with V cut. I found the emergency phone that mom kept in the kitchen and called her.

  She picked up after first ring. "Hello? Jennie? Is that you? Where are you? I was so worried!"

  I took a deel breath, praying for rhe right words, that would help me to get out of this situation.

  "So...what happened was....", I started with my honest and the most contrite voice.

  "All roads are floaded and they had to close them. I gad to go back and stay at a hotel - now im here. I wanted to call home, but ut seems like all the lines are unstable. I tried calling your phone, but you weren't picking up.