Bad Boys Secret

Gone

River pulled into the gravel drive way. The sight of the house is enough to raise my anxiety.

Our house is always busy, constantly. The lack of vehicles riddling the drive increases my concern. Absentmindedly my hands rub against my legs trying to get rid of the moisture. River reached over grasping one of my shaking hands in his.

I look at River and he stops the car with his eyebrows scrunched up. It seems he is just as confused. I am anxious to go in there, but I'm too scared of what others will find if I'm not the first to see it.

The door of the house sits closed, surely like normal it's unlocked. Unlike normal, the door isnt constantly opening and closing with all the foot traffic we get in the house during the day. I wait for any normal chaotic behavior frequenting these grounds.

The calmness sends chills up my spine. The peaceful serenity came crashing down on me, they weren't here, they haven't been. No one has been here since we left for the banquet.

I slowly opened the car door and slid out of my seat. I pushed the door closed and walked to the front door. The loose gravel crunches under my feet until we reach the cement drive. I let my ears focus on the crunch to keep my mind at bay.

We stop at the door, my hands rest at my side leaving River to grasp the handle. River looked down at me before opening the door as if asking for permission. I grabbed his hand and laced my fingers with his. He tightly gripped mine and I realized I was shaking. I shake my head taking a deep breath, I step in.

The halls seem dauntingly quiet, there was no one in the building for a while. Not one person other than the two of us was in this general vicinity. I was right in my assumptions that no one had been here, the rooms sat untouched. Trash on the counter from that morning sat in the same place.

I walk further into the building I called a home without my main home components. My family, nowhere to be seen, my brother and sister weren't in the den or in any of the many safe rooms. My mom wasn't in the kitchen or playing the piano. My dad wasn't in the secret rooms in our basement or the office. Everything is too quiet, too empty.

I searched hard and long trying not to give up hope. Each hiding space, each room, every nook and cranny. River does not say a word, his whole demeanor told me he is empathetic, supportive. He follows me, just ready for me to crumble at any moment. I, myself awaited for my facade to fall, not yet I can't let go yet.

I stopped in my room and went through the room, the closet. The last room in the house was my room. They aren't here, they weren't.

Like a wave I realized that it won't be the same, it's just me. I stop turning into his open arms holding onto his jacket while pressing my face to his chest. River knelt down as I wrapped my arms around him silent tears falling.

"They are all dead!" I yelled into his chest, I felt the anger bubble inside of me. I wanted to punch kick hit, I want to tear Rivers father a freaking new one.

"I know." He whispered, he gave me a guilty look and I was confused but decided not to talk about it. His next action was picking me off the floor and carrying me. I didn't realize that we were in the car until he set me on the seat. I may have had my doubts about my father recently but that didn't mean I had no care for him. Though it is suspicious that once he starts acting weird we're attacked.

"What am I going to do?" I asked quietly with my eyes facing the floor of the car. I relied on my parents for everything. My father trained me, my mom helped me with advice and homework.

"We are going to leave this place and go somewhere to hide for a while. We will figure it out along the way. Meanwhile, I have something to tell you." River brushed a few hairs from my face, that guilty look returned and I sighed. I didn't like that he was hiding things from me but there was another big thing going on that was a pressing matter.