Finding Kingsley

Chapter 2

The car was silent as we drove away from the hospital. My head still killed but I felt better than I did a few days ago. I looked out the window as the Georgia hills rolled by. Apparently after what happened on the boat, we all washed up unconscious on some beach in Florida. Mason and Logan didn't have many injuries, just some cuts and bruises but I had taken a serious blow to the head. A couple who lived on that beach found us and rushed to the nearest hospital.

"How're you doing Pey?" I looked up at the sound of Masons voice.

"Okay.. Are we going home?" The question strengthened the tension in the air.

"Yeah." His voice broke slightly as he spoke. The silence continued after that until Logan finally turned on the radio. I laid my head against the window as a single tear slid down my face. Eventually I fell asleep to an Adele song.

"Peyton," someone shook my shoulder. "Peyton wake up."

My eyes flew open and I nearly screamed until I saw it was only Logan.

"We're home.."

I got out of the car and followed my brothers up the rock pathway to our house. The sun was just setting to my right.The evening light cast dark shadows on the large house. Logan opened the door and walked inside, Mason and I trailing behind. We walked through the door but stopped short, almost crashing into Logan.

"Dude walk inside before you take-" Mason stopped short once he saw what was inside.

The house was trashed. Paintings and pictures broken and crooked on the wall. The couch pillows were all over the living room. Books and papers littered the floor.

"What the hell.." The voice behind me moved over to the kitchen. The lights were broken and the cupboards hung open. Mason opened a drawer and found a lighter.

"Where are the candles?"

"Cupboard to the left of the fridge..." I mumbled as he rummaged through the drawer looking for a candle. I walked hesitantly into the house. Kneeling down I picked up a shattered picture of my family. We were in the Bahamas that summer, the year before Mason went back to his second year of college. Logan had his arms around Mason and I, as our parents stood to our sides.

"I wish we could go back.." Logan appeared next to me.

"Me too.." I sniffled.

"Peyton," Logan wrapped me in his arms and rubbed my back. "I'm sorry for snapping at you that day." He said softly.

I just hugged him back, nudging my face further in to his shirt. Mason came around the corner holding a small candle. He gave us a small smile which faded quickly. Just then there was a knock on the door. Mason looked at us before carefully walking over to the door. Before he could open it, we heard a mans voice.

"Kids, I know you're in there. We need to talk."

Mason open the door slowly. Standing on our mahogany porch was an elderly man dressed in a suit.

We all sighed.

"Hello Mr. Lockhart." Mason reached out his hand.

"Mason!" Our long time neighbor shook his hand. He nodded to Logan and I, then looked around. Sadness came over his face.

"I, uh, read about your parents in the paper. I'm so sorry for your loss," He said quietly. "Will you be having a funeral?"

I hadn't even thought about a funeral..

"Our fathers assistant is working out the details." Answered Mason.

Mr. Lockhart nodded. "Oh, your mother gave this to me before you left." He proceeded to pull a white envelope from a pocket inside of his suit.