The Lake House

Chapter 3

I stood in front of Pete's house. Their car was not in its usual spot on the drive way. A shiver made its way down my spine as I was trying to think of what might be going on. I knocked on the front door several times but there was no sound. Turning the knob I found that it was locked. I went around the back of their house and found the key under the pot plant where they keep the key for emergencies. I had no idea what I was doing, but I had to figure out why Pete rang me and then hung up.

The all familiar and welcoming front hall now seemed like a walk to an electric chair. I didn't know what I was expecting to find, but I needed to know who made that call. My phone buzzed in my pocket. With shaking hands I retrieved it from my pocket and saw a similar caller ID as I did just a few minutes ago. I froze. Someone's calling me from within the house I am in right now, but something told me it wasn't Pete.

I answered my phone. "Hello?"

I said it unsure of what the response may be.

Click. The line went dead again.

I knew that they keep their home phone in the next room to my left. I swallowed hard as I took a step forward, my legs feeling like jelly. The tiles were cold under my bare feet. I didn't think to take shoes, as I left home in such a hurry. I suddenly remembered that I didn't tell my parents where I was going, I don't even know if they know that I've left the house. The house was perfectly lit by the afternoon sun, but the emptiness still gave me a bit of an uncomfortable feeling.

I reached the door frame of the office, where the home phone should be sitting untouched on the desk. Just one more step forward and a turn to the left and all my questions will be answered, I thought.