The Silence

Chapter 1

I didn't know if it was the dimly lit, porous hallway or the numbness that accompanied the loud cries of Mother, but I did know that it was time to leave. I looked over to the corner where my bookbag always laid. I'd packed it once we first moved here for this exact reason. I knew I wouldn't be here long, especially since I'm older than I was before. Swinging my feet off the side of the bed, I lowered myself onto the floor, feeling the coldness of the wood penetrate my thin, ankle high socks. I slipped on my shoes and picked up the bag, preparing to make a break for it. My room was on the second floor, so I had to somehow sneak past him.

I listened to hear... nothing. Her cries had stopped. I let out a sigh of relief. I thought that it had stopped. My breath caught in my throat when I heard the ominous footsteps, slowly making their way up the stairs and down the hallway. And then... right to my bedroom door. I held my breath as the doorknob began to raddle. The flimsy lock was no use for the aggressive, middle-aged man trying to force it. I couldn't breathe when he stopped trying. My ear pressed against the door, I listened and tried to hone in on him. He was blocking me somehow. I could not focus on his vibrations like I could everyone else's. Did he know?

Just then, the door was kicked down. Chunks of wood splintered and flew into the air as an energy field involuntarily formed around me. He, the roommate, walked in. The field went down as I charged into the occupied doorway. Luckily, the action caught him off guard, so I was able to get past. I could only breathe again once I was out the door. My mom stood in the kitchen, smiling at me, as I slammed it shut behind me. The smile was not returned, instead, my eyes started to water, knowing that we'd probably never see each other again. She didn't know about me. All she knew, was that it was no coincidence that the roommate moved in with us. Something was up, and the both of us had yet to figure it out.

My course of action was to first go to my secret friend, Claire's, house. She was only secret because she knew what was going on... and she related to it somehow. While I've told her my dreadful secret, she refuses to tell me hers. I guess that's alright with me, seeing as I understand how nerve-wracking it is to tell something like this to someone. I reached my hand out to knock on her smooth, red door. Her mother answered and let me inside, but not before handing me an old envelope. Walking over to the couch, I opened it. It read "Dream of Misery. Use your head!"

I looked at her mother questioningly. She just winked as Claire walked down the stairs. "Oh good, you're here! We've got to leave, now." Claire demanded.

"What do you mean? I came here because-" I attempted to explain.

She grabbed my hand and pulled me up, interrupting. "I know. I know. They know about us. About fifty miles east is where we will meet a truck."

I followed her... a bit psyched out. "How... why?"

She grabbed a backpack of her own and we walked outside. "The- the news! They told me I think." she laughed nervously. A truck, driving slowly down the street, came into view. "Gosh darn it, Laine! You have a car! We would've had more time had you driven!" she scolded.

I laughed, unknowingly, but she pulled me to the side and into the woods, where she started running. "C'mon!" she yelled back to me.