Soul Survivor

Chapter 6

The hall looks almost as it always has done, if you ignore the carpet which is covered in dirt. I turn back towards the fallen door and reach under it for a pair of shoes. My hands find some and retrieve them. Perfect - a pair of thin ballet flats - lightweight and reliable. I keep them in hand and head for the kitchen. It's deserted. Although I haven't eaten for a while so I grab a bread roll from the cupboard and take a few gulps of water from the tap, making sure to avoid the fragments of glass on the floor.

I then take a trip around the lounge. Nothing. All I discover are some broken ornaments and lighting. There's an eerie light coming from the windows of the conservatory. Cautiously, I pace towards the french doors. Condensation from my breath fogs up the glass and I draw a target on the window. Using my jumper sleeve, I wipe off the remaining fog and peer into the garden. My heart stops. A shiver jolts my entire body.

A dark figure is standing in the garden. Static. I cannot make out any particular features - just a blank silhouette.

I double-take, rubbing my eyes. When I look back, it's gone. My eyes flit everywhere around the garden, looking for the figure. It's gone.

I better go. Forget I saw anything. Before I get too paranoid.

Time to check out upstairs. I tread step by step to the landing. Two or three of the family photos have fallen down. My soul feels heavy at the sight of our cracked faces on the floor. I pick one out of its case for safekeeping.

My heart pounds at my chest, trying to break free. I'm nervous as to what I will find. Especially after what happened to Dexter. He saw his parents dead bodies sprawled across the kitchen floor, adorned with bullet holes.

My quivering knees reach the top of the stairs. First, I check my older brothers bedroom. I take a deep breath. It's almost untouched. Relief spreads down my legs and they stop shaking. His bed is made and his computer is switched off: exactly how he left it. No sign of bullet holes in the walls.

Next is my parents' room. The windows are broken, just like in the classrooms at school. However, other than a few dents in the cream coloured walls, everything is fine. Maybe whatever it was only attacked downstairs. I sigh.

My sister lives in a different part of the country because she attends university. Still, I check her bedroom just in case. The pale purple bedroom is spotless - as usual.

I step into the landing for a moment. "Hello...?" I raise my voice. No reply. Nobody is even here. I wonder where they are.