Chained

Chapter 7

Seth and I didn't speak during the bus ride home after school. We just sat in our usual seats and looked anywhere but at each other letting the awkward silence build. He did however, waved goodbye when we got to his stop, but that was it. I sighed and slouched in my seat. Was he mad at me ore was he just worried? I could never understand how a guy's mind worked. 

When I got home I couldn't hear anyone at home, not even dad. I walked up stairs and put my bag in my room. I listened for dad; usually he would be humming or playing his guitar when I got home, but it was completely silent. Was dad even home? 

I walked over to his office and knocked on the door; nobody answered. I opened the door slowly to find the office empty. I walked inside to check behind the desk, just to be sure dad wasn't lying on the floor there, but dad wasn't there. As I looked around I found a note on his desk with my name on it. 

ZYRA, 

I figured you would come in here. I've gone out for a while. I'll be back soon.

Love, Dad

I sighed and looked around his office. It was a bit of a mess. Papers were covering his desk, and crumpled up sticky notes were sprinkled around his trash can. I shook my head and began to pick them up and threw them away. I got up to leave when my school picture was suddenly staring me in the face. I suddenly remembered the hidden picture behind it and I stared at my picture curiously. Who was that woman, and what did dad have to do with her? I then wondered if he had any more pictures of her. 

I looked towards the door cautiously. I was home alone, and in dad's office. This was the perfect opportunity to get to the bottom of this mystery woman, so I began searching. I wanted to see if Dad had anymore pictures, notes, or anything that was related to her. 

I searched Dad's papers, then I searched his drawers, I searched all over the room. All I found were rhyming books, blank pieces of paper, sticky note pads, and writing utensils. I didn't find anything abnormal, or anymore hidden pictures. Where else could have dad hid something? My eyes landed on the closet door. 

I walked over to it and opened it slowly. Only a couple of business suits, and some of mom's dresses hung inside. Mom probably hid them in here so that Alexa wouldn't try and modify them or something. I then reached up and searched for anything on the shelf. There were a couple shoes, and a shoe box. I reached for the shoe box and almost had some of mom's heals gauge my eyes out. 

I put her shoes back and opened the shoe box only to sigh in defeat. All that were in there were some of mom's old mixed tapes from her high school days. I even dug to the bottom of the box but where was nothing. I looked through the name of the tapes hoping to find something, but again I turned up empty handed. I sighed and put everything back. 

I sat down in Dad's chair and sighed feeling irritable. Where could they be? What if that picture was the only picture? I banged my head against the desk feeling like this whole thing was way over my head. Suddenly I heard a quiet sound. I coudln't place it, I don't think I had ever heard a sound like this before. I looked around the room to see what it was, but found nothing. I listened for any movement downstairs but there wasn't any. I shook my head and sighed. Maybe this was just all in my head.

I got up to leave but something under the desk caught my eye. It looked to be a piece of paper. I leaned over and picked it up flipping it over to see what it was. My eyes widened and my heart started racing. It was another picture of the woman. This time she was on a swing and she still had my paw printed blanket wrapped around her. Although when I looked at this picture closely, I saw how she placed her hand over her stomach. She was pregnant in this picture.