Into the Darkness

Chapter 1: Missing

"I can't believe he's gone. What the heck?" The phone rings endlessly as I make another dial.

I click the power button on my iPhone. Ughh..this is hopeless. I slouch in my bright yellow bean bag and sighing after every call I make for Jash to pick up. My stomach growls and I look down and frown.

"Best if I go find something to eat or else I will starve." I get up from my bean bag and head downstairs to the kitchen.

"What to eat. What to eat. Hmm...bacon!" I scrunched my face and shrugged, "I guess I will have that for the night and call it a day."

I washed the pan from lunch earlier and turned on the stove. Helplessly thinking over and over about where my dad had gone.

I wonder if he's okay. Ehh..I don't need to worry about him. He's a grown man. He can care for himself. Right?

The bacon sizzled as I went into deep thought, "he'll be alright."

My iPhone rings. I immediatly pour the oil out of the pan and place the bacon on a plate. I wiped my hands as I head over to the kitchen table to look at who the caller is. Unknown caller? I pick up and slowly lift the phone to my ear, "hello?"

The other voice on the line was scratchy and getting cut off, "Evelyn? Are you home?"

"Dad! Where the heck are you?! Why haven't you been picking up my phone calls?!" I grasp the phone tighter as I yell at him.

"Shh...keep it down. I'm not home so you have to fend for yourself."

"But..." I thought for a moment and ran towards our training room and to grab a dagger.

"Stay put. I will come and get you soon." Bunch of rustling in the background was cutting his voice out of the call, "I love you."

"Dad!" The phone delivered a long beep. The call had ended.

"Why?" My voice quivered and tears began to swell.

I looked across the training room and the mats were bloody. Something stung my back. Flinching, I ran to the hal and up the stairs and into the bathroom. What the? Scratches on my right upper shoulder? I'm the only one home. I glanced in caution for any signs of danger. I looked down and began to feel weary. I glanced in the mirror again and walked out while turning off the lights. I headed into my room and for some reason my room flooded with cold emptyness. Maybe its just the winter coming in early this season. I cuddled in my blankets and slowly closed my eyes shut in hopes of getting warmer.

My fingertips traced the sand. Leaving embeded marks like a motion. The sun was at the horizon. I dug into the sand. The warmth comforted me, but as I dug deeper the sand got hotter and I began to sweat. I was determined to dig deeper. As if there was an answer benethe it all. Thrashing at the sand with quick strikes wasn't helping the pain of the heat. It enhanced the temperurature. I began to slow down and slowly removed sand. Scoop by scoop it got cooler.
The sun was long gone. Leaving the sand blue and my hands pale. Still digging, I found my shoulder sting in pain like it did in the mirror. The mirror.

Flushed in pain and sweat, I woke. I looked around in furious pain to find something to cool my back off. It was stinging hot and it felt like a deep cut. I leapt out of bed and ran to the bathroom. The bright morning sun casted a shadow in the hallways now as I ran, trying not to make my footsteps heavy.

"Aghh!" I groaned in pain as I took off my clothes and hopped in the shower. The pain...so excrutiating. I turned on the cold faucet and relaxed in a sigh with my hair dripping with water.