Whispers [complete and non-edited]

Chapter 20

As the leaves rustled and flew across the sidewalk, Laehal started to grow self conscious. He was, after all, following a pile of leaves. What if someone saw him? Would they think he was weird? Would they try to investigate?

And where were the leaves taking him? Not home, that's for sure.

Suddenly, the leaves took a sharp turn into an alleyway. Laehal walked past it before he noticed the leaves had changed direction. He walked back to see that the leaves were hovering at the end of the alleyway. Not touching the ground. And not moving.

He walked towards the leaves cautiously. Why were they frozen in the air?

He stood behind the pile of leaves, looking out towards a small, green-walled house with peeling, yellow windowpanes. It wasn't much, what with the browning grass, and the broken sidewalk that was infested by weeds, and the slight sag to the wooden porch, but it struck a cord in Laehal's mind. Had he seen this house before?

Subconsciously, Laehal began to walk towards the house. He walked across the deserted road, out of the cramped alleyway, and away from the frozen pile of floating leaves. He walked onto the dying grass, he sidestepped the weeds infesting the cracks in the sidewalk, and he walked up the steps and onto the sagging porch.

He stood in front of the door, staring but not seeing, listening but not hearing, sniffing but not smelling, and most of all, touching but not feeling. He prodded at the little screen door. He prodded the rip in it near where the handle was.

He remembered it.

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"Where is he?"

"I don't know, I didn't see him come out."

The two exchanged a worried glance.

"Do you think he's still in there?" asked the girl.

The boy stared at the door. "I don't know. I-I mean there's no way to be sure."

Deeliah crossed her arms over her chest. "Well maybe he came out while we were checking out that banana slug."

"It's a possibility," Teriaj said with a shrug, "but I would have thought that he had at least looked around for us if he didn't immediately see us when he came out."

"You're right. Maybe he did look around though. Maybe he just couldn't find us anywhere."

"He would have walked right past us if he decided to head home without us."

"Good point," Deeliah said, "that's a very good point. And we would have seen him if he came this way. He must have gone--"

"The other way," Teriaj said for her. They both looked towards the parking lot of the school, which was on the opposite side of the school that they were on. They saw nothing but trees and houses.

Laehal was nowhere to be seen.

"Well, I don't know why he'd go that way," said Deeliah. "He doesn't know anyone that lives down that way. That I know of. From what I know, he's lived in his neighbourhood all his life."

"How do you know so much about him if you've just started talking to him?"

"We've been in the same class for a while now."

"Still--"

"Don't question it," Deeiah snapped at him.

Teriaj held up his hands. "Okay, okay. Don't get your--"

Deeliah put one finger on Teriaj's chest. She glared at him coldly. "Don't you dare say it," she seethed.

Teriaj gulped.

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How long had it been since school was let out?

Too long.

Wasn't it Friday? Shouldn't he be home by now?

Did he have something going on today?

Shayel threw herself at the calendar.

What day was today? Wasn't it Friday? When was the last time she changed the month?

She skimmed over all the Fridays. Nothing that Friday, dentist that Friday, nothing that Friday, dance that Friday.... Was she even reading the right month?

Was it before or after he had to go to the dentist? Had she already taken him?

And when was this dance? Or had it already happened?

She scanned the month. November, was it? Or was that wrong?

She collapsed onto the floor in a heap of cloth and skin and hair and began to cry.

What was she doing wrong?