The Lost One

Chapter 8

"Hey Liam!" a woman shouts from what sounds like the kitchen as we walk in the house.

Sure enough, we walk into the kitchen and see a woman in her 40s cooking tacos.

"Liam who's the girl?" she asks.

"This is Febe," he replies.

"Hi, Febe! I'm Liam's mom." She extends her hand out and I shake it. She then returns to her cooking.

"We can go up to my room," he tells me as we are walking down the hallway. We climb the staircase and he pushes a door open.

The room is small and has blue walls. The bed is flushed against the left wall and the headboard touched the back wall.

Liam walks into his room and sits on his bed. I notice a desk chair adjacent to where he is sitting and take a seat.

I look around the room again. There are shelves lining the walls with several trophies for track and field. There are also many medals for swimming.

"You played a lot of sports?" I ask.

"Yeah, not too much any more but I used to," he answers.

"Well what do you do now?" I ask.

"I play some instruments, take some lessons, stuff like that."

"Really? What do you play?"

"Well, guitar and piano mostly," he replies looking embarrassed.

"Me too," I say. I smile at the thought that we both have this in common.

"Hey, so I have some video games down stairs if your interested," he tells me.

"Yeah, that sounds like fun!"

>>>

Two hours later I am laughing on the couch after celebrating my win at Mario Cart.

"I beat you, I beat you," I sing.

I calm down and click on my phone.

The time reads 7:34. I guess I was here later than I thought.

"Hey, I should really get going," I tell Liam.

"Yeah," he replies, "My mom is on the phone for work right now so I can take you home."

"Okay."

>>>

I sit in the passenger seat, using my arm to prop up my head. I look out the window and stare out at the countryside.

We finally near my neighborhood when I notice a bright light in the distance. I sit up straighter and lean forward to get a better look.

233

235

237

239

I read the addresses off of each house as we near the blazing light.

241

243

Only two more addresses until my house...

245

247...

We pull up near address 247, and notice the house next door in burning flames.

My house.

I look at the driveway and notice my dads car parked there, amongst the fire.

I pull the car door open and rush towards the scene, but before I can get far, two strong arms hold me back.

"Liam! Let me go! He's in there!" I shout.

"No, Febe, there is nothing you can do!"

I fall to my knees as I watch the fire grow bigger. Liam picks me up with his arm under my back and another under my knees.

I cry into his chest as he takes me away from

My house.

My dad.

My life.