Saraphina

Ch.1 The girl from the storm.

Xander;
I walked along the streets that were quickly filling with water. I kept my head down to stop the water from getting in my eyes. I looked at my rippled reflection in the puddle astonished at myself for looking so tired, I had no reason to be.

The rain fell slowly at first then, it fell in doldrums. It fell hard. Hard enough to cut through my skin and jacket. I felt sorry for anyone who had no shelter from this dreadful storm.

Lightning struck sending thunder rattling every thing in ear shot. I instantly thought of Leam. He was probably mad as Hell at me right now. Not only am I late, but I'm late during this horrible storm.

"I'm screwed," I reminded myself to stay cautious when approaching him. Leam's absolutely terrified of storms. He was probably at home trying to storm proof the house.

I felt sorry for my older brother. When Dad died about a year ago, he left me with him. He was the legal guardian of a 17-year-old when he only just 20.

I never told him that I felt sorry because I was left with him. He would tell me that I was crazy for feeling like this. That it was a honor that Dad trusted him to be responsible for his younger brother, but the way I saw it, I was his burden to bare. And a heavy burden too.

I dreaded what he would say when I walk inside. I was several hours past curfew. In this bad storm too. I was as good as dead.

I stormed up the steps that lead to the small, wooden porch. I took off my shoes, shivered and stepped inside.

I looked around for Leam, but he was no where in sight. Where is he? Maybe he isn't home yet, I thought as I pulled off my rain coat and threw my back pack on the floor next to the couch.

I went into the kitchen to get something to drink. I pulled on refrigerator door to find the sticky-note with Leam's neat hand writing saying ,"Xander, be home soon. At Greg's house, see u soon. Sorry, my phone's dead."

I tried to make it look like that I've been home for hours, while I waited for Leam to come home.

I messed up a few dishes, and I turned the TV on my favorite channel. Then I took a box of cereal and collapsed on the couch.

I tried not to be paranoid, but with everything that's been going on, it is hard not to be. Everyone at my school was advised to never stay alone for long. If we do, we may end up like the teens and kids who are missing or dead.

I remember when the problem began. I was about 12 years old, and my dad was still alive. It was all over the news. Two dead, four missing. My dad immediately called Leam and commanded that he came home. Leam told Dad to keep all the doors locked. And too make sure I was safe. And that he was on his way.

I still remember my dad's look, a look of terror. I tried to push the memory from my head, like a boomerang, they just come right back.

I was getting concerned. Leam hasn't came home yet, and it's like ten o'clock. He was never out this late. He probably got stuck in traffic, I told my self trying to calm down.

Suddenly, I heard a loud banging on the door. I jumped out of my skin. My heart was beating a million miles a minute.

Please be Leam with pizza, I'm starving to death, I thought jumping off of the couch and to the door. Trying to not be scared of my own shadow.