Atlanta

Chapter 1

The rain had been drilling down on the double glazed windows, leaving long twisty lines between the thick dusty covering for hours. The wind howled between each building, screaming like a murder was occurring. The roads were flooded in murky rain puddles, and each soaking car that drove down them left a trail of sparkling water that glistened with the full moons reflection. The garden was drowning and vanishing under the brown mud tinted rainwater.

It was late in the evening, around eleven O'clock, The house was motionless; My parents were watching some sort of silly television programme, my siblings making their way to bed while I studied hard on my GCSE work. The only noise that could be heard was the horrendous weather outside.  My life was about to become a whirlpool of unanswered questions, and I didn't even know it!

"Kian, I want to tell you something." My youngest brother asked, clawing at my navy coloured pull over shirt. His emerald green eyes gazed up at me full of mysterious thoughts. He must have been on his way to bed and needed to tell me something before he went.

"Um, sure but be quick I need to finish this topic revision." I said pulling the black Biro out of my mouth and placing it on the glossy wooden desk in front of me. I turned around on the chair, it's wheels made a strange screeching sound. My feet had some old comfy trainers on, they left a muddy mark on the floor as I slammed them into the carpet to stop the chair moving.

"I just saw a shadow outside the window in the rain, d'you think it was a ghost?" He asked, a frown crossing his pale face, his dark eyebrows moulded into opposite diagonal lines. I could almost hear his heart beating faster in his chest behind his teddy patterned pyjamas, He tightened the grip he had on my jumper, his pink lips trembling slightly.

"Don't be silly, It was probably just a fox or something looking for shelter, now look you should be in bed, quick night night." I said pointing at the door. I watched until he disappeared down the hallway into his bedroom, the whole house fell silent again. I picked up the Biro, searching my head desperately for more ideas I began to write down a sentence.

His hands began to shake violently as he slipped them under the filthy  blanket, a merge of dust and grubs formed a gigantic puffy cloud as he raised it. Old cobwebs tangled around his fingers.

I sighed wondering what I could write next, then I remembered my brothers words "I just saw a shadow" I could write something about a shadow! I thought of his frightened face I decided to make it sound as scary as possible. While I wrote about  a frightening shadow, I was totally unaware that these were the last words I would probably ever say to my little brother again.

It was about half eleven, when I was suddenly interrupted from the on going work I had been writing. I had seen it in movies, and heard about it at school, but never had I experienced hard pebbles being whacked into my bedroom window. I hopped off the squeaky chair and creeped across the squashed dark carpet, I dived onto my Iron Man bed covers, causing the mattress to spring about like liquid being sloshed about in a container. Once I was next to my window I fiddled with the window handle, my palms now sweaty with anticipation and curiosity, a strange feeling began to emerge in the pit of my stomach.

I pushed the window open, a avalanche of icy raindrops invaded my face, the cool air zoomed into my bedroom stealing away all the heat the radiators had made. Fighting against the stormy weather outside I hung my head down to the driveway below. Indeed I saw what I didn't expect to see - A dark figure lured in the garden.

"Oh My God!"

I pulled myself away from the door, my heard pounding. I dropped still onto my bed. My brother was right! A figure was outside. Closing my eyes I began to try and picture the image I had just seen, A figure, a human was standing outside drenched in rain. I couldn't tell if it was a female or male, but it was a person.

Slowly dragging myself up to the open window I peered out again, The figure was still there, even though I was up high I could see the person shaking, they moved their hidden hands up and down their cloaked arms. I couldn't leave them there to freeze could I?

"Hey, you!" I called, My warm breath leaving a cloud in the air, which was stolen away by the wind, speeding like a bullet. The figure barely flinched. "I'm coming down!" I yelled back.

I grabbed the window and pulled it shut, Breathing heavily I jumped off my bed and sped down the floral hallway, my footprints echoing loudly in my old mucky trainers. I stormed past the living room, a small glow came from under the closed door, my parents quietly mumbling to each other. I skidded to the front door. I paused. The door rattled against the terrible weather outside. Hesitantly I brought my shaky hands to the lock, Slowly I pulled it back, with each movement the howling wind seemed to become louder, my heart began thumping faster, I could hear my blood circulating through my head. A sick feeling over took me. Then all of a sudden I flung the door open.

A similar feeling to when I opened my window met me, except this time ten times worse. By the time I wiped my face from the rivulets of water that had slammed into me from my face I was able to see the figure closely. It appeared to be dressed in a long droopy velvet cloak like coat, It had some ebony leather gloves, I squinted to see their face, but It was shaded by the gigantic charcoal hood.

"Um, excuse me? Hey there?" I asked, my voice croaked, it sounded quiet, I doubt they even heard it after it was snatched away by the wind. "Come here! Can you hear me? Its horrible out here c'mon over!" I called again, this time they reacted.

Very slowly they shifted their body, like a robot in need of some oil, their arms flipped down into a stiff line against their hips. The strange boots they were wearing squelched in the flooded muddy grass, they didn't stop until they were on the doorstep level with me. They were within inches of my body, I could reach out and touched them If I so wished. I breathed in deeply and exhaled, my body flinched, sensing the presence of the stranger on my door.

"..Hi.." I finally managed to choke out. I watched as they lifted their stiff arms up to the hood of the coat, their leather gloves tightly grabbed it, then within a split second they yanked it down, it fell against their shoulders revealing to me their true identity.

****

Hey there! I'm sorry this isn't the best start, but I might come back later and edit a little. Anyway I really hope you enjoyed this first part, I apologize for any stupid grammar mistakes and stuff, but thanks for reading. Leave some comments below if you wish and have a great day :) :)

Big thanks to JustThatOtherShadow for the lovely cover!