Followed

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

My dad reaches our drive way and pulls in. The grass is a vibrant green and looks as if it was cut sometime today. Surrounding the walkway are blooming flowers. Fuchsia and green and blue dance around my vision. Even at this time of night with the sky almost black, the beauty shines through. Landscaping is one of the things my parents take great pride in.

Cautiously, I walk towards the front door of my house. Tyler, one step ahead of me, reaches the door first and unlocks it. Stepping inside gives me an amazing feeling.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. My house has a distinct smell. Vanilla with hints of orange and lavender. It must be the air fresheners. By the time I slowly open my eyes, my brother is already rushing up the stairs to his room. A few seconds later my parents walk through the front door, and are standing behind me. Ignoring their presence I take slow steps around the house. It feels as if I haven't been there in ages.

The family photos on the wall are to much to handle. They tug on so many heart strings and memories. It's overwhelming to think that I could've lost all of this. A small piece of metal and the pull of a trigger could have resulted with me losing everything.

My family, my friends, my future. Trying hard to fight back tears, I look away from the pictures.

In the room behind the wall on which the photos hang, I hear a creak of the floorboards. "Tyler? Mom, Dad?" I call to my family with subtle fear in my voice. If this is some sort of prank, I find that this is a highly inappropriate time.

"Ya!" Shouts my brother. His voice comes from up stairs so I know he can't be behind the wall.

"Do you know where mom and dad are?" I ask.

"We're right here." Responds my mom standing in the kitchen down the hall. My dad is sitting on a chair beside her and waves in my general direction. His head is bowed down over the table. Clearly, he is focused on something. His reading glasses sit on his nose and I'm surprised at this. The only times he wares his glasses are when he is reading something important like the sports highlights in the newspaper or a post card or ....

"Dad, what do ya got there." I curiously ask, standing motionless in front of the wall.

"Bills." He says.

"Oh, okay" I reply. I had the feeling it was bills.

My heart beat slows, barely, and I decide to check out what happened behind the wall that made the floor creak. A pen lays on the counter beside me. Before lifting it up off the brown wooden surface, I remember the glass that I had in my pocket. A sharp shard would probably be more effective than a pen in a defense scenario.

I grasp the glass and flip on the hallway light switch. It takes a few seconds for my eyes to adjust. Bracing myself, I inch my way behind the wall. There's nothing unusual there.

It must've be my imagination.

I walk into the kitchen and slip the glass back into my pocket. My dad is still investigating the bills, and my mom remains standing. In front of her is our kitchen cabinet. Back and forth, she plucks out small items and drops them into a more fitting section.

Reorganizing...typical.

I look at my watch to see 11: 25 pm. It gets later and later by the moment so I decide to take a quick shower and go straight to bed. Walking up the stairs, I feel like I'm forgetting something. With nothing coming to mind the thought gets pushed away to live with all my other forgotten feelings and ideas at the back of my head.

I quickly hop in the shower and all the dirt that built up on my skin today, slowly washes away.

Never to be seen again, it disappears into the drain at my feet. My worries vanish with it. I can feel and smell the mist emitted off by the heat of the shower water. My nasal passage is open and I can breath so much easier. If only life was like a hot shower. Clear and stress free.

A few minutes later, I step out of the shower and my foot hits the tiled floor. Not expecting the cold, I jump slightly.

Eventually, my feet become used to the sensation. I quickly towel dry my long brown hair and put it into a messy braid. Crawling into bed, my head hits the pillow and I fall instantly asleep. My dreams are a whirlwind of colours, people and places and things that I don't recognize. Falling into a deeper and deeper sleep I let go of my dreams and allow the black of my inner eyelids to conceal me.

I wake up to the ear splitting sound of the telephone. I hear no movement and the ringing continues. My alarm clock flashes 5:47 am. Who could be calling at this time?

I force myself up and trudge to the nearest phone. Glancing at the caller ID, I jolt to my senses after reading what it depicts.

The call is coming from my cell phone.