Message in a Bottle

DNA (29)

Chapter 29

*Ciara's POV*

Jordan pulls to the side of the street, Mike's driveway is only a few yards away. The house lets off no light or sound, which makes me believe that no one is home. I take in a deep breath, I stare at the house while I fumble to find the car handle. I quietly open up the squeaky door, it must be a habit of mine; sneaking around. Anthony has confirmed that Mike is still at work, so there is nothing to worry about. Right?

"Front or back door?" Jordan asks, she pulls her sweatshirt tightly around her. I hesitate, trying to keep up with her fast pace.

"Back. It's always left unlocked." I answer, jogging around the side of the house with Jordan following. The grass looks like it hasn't been cut in a while, it tickles my ankles as I walk. I keep my eyes on my feet until I make it to the back door, it's covered in tape.

"Tape?" I ask aloud, pulling at the grey duct tape which helps keep the door shut. Jordan didn't reply, instead she began to tear all of the tape down. "What are you doing?" I almost scream. I catch myself, lowering my voice with hope that nobody heard me snap. "He'll know that we were here!" I whisper sternly.

"He's going to know either way. Now help me." She demands. I look sheepishly around the yard, everything looks deserted. Mason's swing set is covered in leaves from the trees that hung above the object. I uncross my arms and shake my head, beginning to help Jordan clear the door with the powerful tape.

A few minutes later, we were able to open up the screen door. I jiggle the handle on the wooden door, and at first the door seemed as if it was locked but then it opened up easily. I walk in, confused on what my eyes were consuming.

"Where is everything?" Jordan asks before I could say anything. The entire house is empty, there was absolutely nothing left. The walls were bare, the wallpaper torn off. I start to walk around, running to mine and Mike's old room.

Glass is smashed everywhere, pictures of Mike, Mason and I were scattered on the ground. Except one thing was changed, Mason's face was scribbled out of all the photographs. I gasp, picking one up from off the cold flooring. It's from the day Mason was born, I was laying in a hospital bed, holding a black, scribbled mess. At least that's what Mike had turned the lovely picture into, a nightmare.

Mike despised Mason, all because of my wrong-doing. I look up from the picture and onto the wall, the words, "I will always love you," were painted on the wall across from me. I stare at the words, the meaning sinking in more and more until I felt like I existed only out of my own body.

"He knew that we'd come," I said, grabbing Jordan's hand and pulling her out the back door. "And if he knew that we'd come, he won't let us leave..." I give her a helpless look before sprinting towards the car. I hear her heavy panting and footsteps behind me. Mike had people working for him. I know it for a fact.

We make it into the car, our hearts pounding. "Drive!" I shriek so loudly that I almost didn't hear the the garage door open. A black tinted vehicle pulls out, Jordan and I both cut our breathing short and I began furiously pounding on the dashboard. "Go!" I scream as Jordan forces the key into the ignition.

Jordan presses the gas and speeds down the road, the mysterious black car following closely behind. I get up out of my seat and look through the back window, trying to make out who was chasing us. I couldn't tell though, the road was too bumpy and the window's were too dark.

"Where did they come from?" Jordan yells. It felt like we were in a fictional horror movie or book, things like this don't happen in real life. But here I was, experiencing the terror first hand.