You promise?

Chapter 10

Alex

"Merry Christmas!" The cries of the people begin to fill the place, and the small gifts pile up on the tables. The house is already full, and it is still a few hours before midnight.

I find myself waiting for her to arrive. Always waiting for her to walk in the door.

People start to enter the house, excited about the few minutes until midnight.

I look at my cell phone one more time, seeing how in the last few hours, in between drinks, with much effort to type the right words as my eyes grow dull, I have filled her message box.

The number of calls also came in at a number I can't remember. As if someone else had played with my phone, and it wasn't me dialing every single number on his phone over and over again.

Something in me told me something was wrong, but the fear of it being true was too great to run out of the house to look for her.

Because that would scare her away, wouldn't it?

Despite all those weeks, she hasn't opened up at all, she evades my questions and pretends not to listen to me when she doesn't want to answer.

So going after her would make her run away more, wouldn't it?

Had the mention of a gift scared her that much?

Gifts were normal at this time of year. Many years ago, we exchanged gifts too, so why?

The shouting of people startles me. I look at the time and notice that those few minutes towards midnight have already become nonexistent.

The small box in my pocket seems heavier than ever.

Char

My knuckles are as white as my hands are on the door handle. Trying to keep it from opening. Even though the lock is on, the fear of hearing it open is stronger.

The sound of glass breaking downstairs makes me startle. My eyes don't close for fear of the dark, I force myself to keep them as open as possible. Always be alert for the sound of approaching footsteps.

I drop to the floor as silence reigns, my hands tremble, weak from the exertion of an amount of time I couldn't identify.

I look at my shattered room, my sheets on the floor, the drawers ripped off the nightstand, my computer on the floor, completely stretched out face up, the curtains torn, and water flooding everything little by little, coming from the broken pipe in the bathroom.

Two small, icy tears run down my cheeks as I watch as the moonlight is strong enough to illuminate part of my room.

My eyes open abruptly, startled as I become disoriented.

I groan as I feel a slight pain in my neck and back. I realize I'm still curled up in front of my door.

My clothes are wet, the water has come halfway across the room.

I stand up carefully, feeling my feet move the water.

I grab my computer, which has already been reached by the water, not bothering to try to revive it.

It's broken.

Everything in that room is.

I fumble in my front pants pockets for my cell phone, pulling it out, relieved to see that it hasn't gotten wet.

Dead.

I search with my eyes for my desk clock, finding it under the bed, about to be wet by the water that slowly walks over it.

Broken.

I sigh, dropping it.

The sound from outside my window stills me.

Red, blue and green lights invade my room.

The distant screams of people help me understand how much I have slept.

"It's already midnight." I whisper, feeling my chin start to twitch.

I let the air out in anguish, crawled to the door, completely soaking my pants, and grabbed the jacket, which is nothing more than a lump of wet cloth.

I search desperately in all the pockets until I find it.

The paper wrapped around the chocolate is completely torn.