Never to be Seen

Chapter 14

Zayn slowly came to a stop as yet another cop pulled into the space in front of us.

"What happened here?" He spoke the words in my mind.

There was yellow police tape covering the whole road.

"Your apartment is just up the road, maybe we should park here and just walk?"

"Yeah" I was barely paying attention to what Zayn was saying.

We had passed my High School a couple blocks ago; I had walked this road countless times and I had never seen this many police cars here, ever.

"Zara" Zayn turned me to face him. "Don't talk to any police officers, not at all, okay? We could have 2 murders on our hands if we're not careful." He lightly squeezed my hand.

"I promise" I held out my pinkie as if I was actually in preschool.

He laughed and linked his finger with mine. He smiled at me once more before opening the door.

We got out of the car and Zayn reached for my hand as we made our way towards the police cars.

We walked along the outside of the police tape to get to my apartment. The sky had darkened significantly for just an afternoon.

Police lights illuminated the evening sky, casting a multicolored glow on my now visible apartment building.

"Why are there so many cops here?" I gasped as I realized the cop case we surrounding the whole perimeter of my own apartment building.

We walked toward the entrance and I saw many of my neighbors. Som were in tears and others looked furious.

"Stay here, I'll go ask someone" he tuned to go but then turned back. "And don't talk to any cops."

I rolled my eyes which only made him laugh. He turned on his heel and jogged towards the crowd.

I pulled Zayn's jacket tighter around me as the cold wind blew flakes of snow around the area. I let out a breath and watched a cloud of air form and disperse in front of me.

I watched as the women who lived in the apartment next to mine got on her knees and wept.

Watching her weep made my heart ache, there was nothing I could do from here behind the police tape.

Should I move up? I looked around in for Zayn but he was no where in sight.

I watched as more people piled out the front door of the building and most of them looked confused and angry.

But some of them looked scared and sad.

What was going on?

So many people were streaming out of the apartment building, was my grandmother in there among them?

I cop walked through the doors of the building leading an elderly couple out. I remember this couple, they lived on the first floor and they hardly left their apartment.

The cop walked past me without paying any attention that I was standing just a few feet away from the yellow crossing tape.

I turned my head slightly as he passed. I heard something roar on his belt, it sounded like "All Clear".

All clear?

They must have gotten every one out of the building, but where was my grandmother?

I couldn't wait any longer, I searched for Zayn one more time before climbing over the yellow police tape.

I started toward the crowd when someone pushed me aside. I turned toward the person but I saw that the person was quickly pushing a stretcher with a person inside a waiting ambulance.