My Little Dove

Chapter 11

Teresa opened her eyes, the black smoke faded away slowly. She felt two bodies beside her, she looked side to side, Peter and Alexie.

"Where are we?" she asked, taking a few steps forward. They were standing under a huge willow tree and in front of her was a large stone house; one that looked strangely familiar. "My house," she said under her breath. She wanted to smile, she wanted to laugh, she wanted to run in and find Simon, but something wasn't right. Teresa didn't know what it was, something didn't sit right in her, as though a heavy load tugged at her heart. She turned to Peter and Alexie, "what are we doing here?" she asked. "Are you here to drop me off? To hide me here? Say; 'Oops we got the wrong person, you're no Alenthia.'"

Peter took a step forward at the house and no answer came from his mouth except, "Let's go."

Teresa turned and stared after him. Is he deaf? Teresa thought.

Alexie appeared at her side. "We're getting Simon," he said, leaning into her ear. "I don't know why, but Peter didn't want you to know where we were going until we were here."

"Simon," Teresa said under her breath. "Simon," she said louder. Her heart started to race. She took a few steps forward, then broke into a run. "Simon!" she yelled. Tears of joy were falling down her cheeks. Teresa past Peter in a rush of wind. She ran around the house and started up the steps. Once she reached the second step she froze in her tracks. The door to the house were open; one was hanging on by one top hinge and the other lay flat on the ground.

No. No. No. Was all Teresa thought. Are we too late? Simon!

"Simon!" she yelled, Teresa dashed into the mansion and stopped mid-step. Peter was behind her and Alexie behind him. They all stood there in silence, all stared into the house. The windows that Teresa could see were smashed, and glass lay sprinkled across the floor, like snow. There was blood on the floor, smeared and dotted on the dark wooden floor. Once she saw the blood her heart stopped.

What about Aunt? Or Uncle!?

"What the..." Alexie slowly walking into the house, glass broke under his feet. He looked to Peter. "I think someone beat us to him," he said quietly.

Teresa spun around. "No!" she said, pointing a finger in Alexie's face. "No! No one takes MY brother and gets away with it!" She looked intently into his eyes; still they looked warm and full of calmness.

Breath. She told herself. Breath. Calm down.

The blood on the floor wasn't helping her.

Peter walked in front of Teresa and put her hand down. "Shh," he said, hushing Teresa. "No need to get at each other's throats. For all we know the people that broke into this house might still be in it." He let go of Teresa's hand and walked ahead a few steps. "Alexie," he said turning, "you go to the right." He turned to Teresa, and said, "you go upstairs. I'm going to go down the left way. Meet back here in once you're done your search of the area. Try to move fast but be thorough, and quiet. We're looking for a little boy or Teresa's grandparents." With that Peter turned and set down the left hallway.

Teresa bounded up the stairs, trying with all her might to stay quiet and not call out for Simon.

Don't call. Don't call. She kept telling herself. Simon might be here, but the people who did this might also be.

Teresa reached the top of the stairs and opened every door, and searched every inch of the rooms. Finally, she reached the hall where the bedrooms were. She slowly opened Simon's door and peaked in as it creaked open. "Simon?" she called, quietly, "Simon, are you in here?" Teresa stepped into the room and moved toward the bed, then the desk, inside the closet, and behind the bookshelf. Each spot she searched no Simon, each spot she searched her heart began to race faster and faster and her head began to throb and spin, "Simon!" she yelled, desperate, "Simon where are you!" She fell to the floor. Everywhere she looked no Simon.