Glass // Calum Hood

Chapter 3

I woke up back in my room, the events of last night playing in my head. Had the house really been broken into and the guy disappeared before my eyes? I didn't really know what to do. If I called the cops they wouldn't believe me, I'd be locked in the nearest asylum.

I decided to head downstairs and check it out. Repeating the same process of last night, creeping slowly down the stairs and making my way to the dining room door. Once again, I had to put all my weight behind it.

This house really didn't like me.

The door opened with a loud creak, my worst fears were confirmed instantly. There on the floor laid a smashed glass, I crouched down next to it and stared at it. What was I meant to do? My parents wouldn't believe me but it's not like that cared anyway. I was constantly left to fend for myself for weeks in houses, I dropped out of school to help them, losing friends and the little bit of social life I had and, in return they had left me on my own. I began to sweep up the glass and saw similarities in the glass to my life, broken and smashed like me and my parents. It could never for fill its purpose anymore, me being a teenage I'm meant to rebel and defy my parents but, I simply do as they tell me. Knowing I'd never have the same life.

I heard my phone bleep up stairs, knowing it was probably my parents. I decided to leave it, I went back upstairs and got dressed heading out to get breakfast.

I drove pointlessly around town, the place seemed dead there was hardly anyone around. I stopped at a traffic light and looked around, most of the stores were closed down and boarded up. A mother was hurriedly dragging her child through the streets, obviously wanting to get to her distinction quickly. The child looked into my car window and tugged on her mothers arm, I gave a small wave but the woman quickly dragged the young girl into the shadows of the nearest doorway. This town really confused me.

I eventually found a little diner on the outskirts of the town. I quickly found myself a seat and ordered, I was greeted by a familiar face. "Hello." Ashton smiled.

"Hi." I returned the smile.

"It seems like you're following me around." He winked.

"I can't help it you seem to work for most of the food joints." I laughed.

Ashton laughed. "Can I take your order then?"

I ordered and Ashton walked off. My food quickly arrived and Ashton sat across from me and made small talk, but he seemed nervous. "I finish in a bit, so last nights offer is still open." He smirked.

"Uh, I guess I'll come round later." I laughed. I quickly finished my food and made my way out of the diner. I needed to find shops to get stuff for the house.

I found a street of shops after driving round for what seemed like hours, and quickly picked up what I needed. Eventually after finding my way through the maze of streets, I found myself back on my road. The house looked so beat down compared to the others, the more I looked at it the more it reminded me of a sad old person. I don't know why, the windows cracked and tired looking, the old yellow blinds reminding me of the sagging eyelids. The old, broken wood on the house reminding me of the hundreds of wrinkles across their faces. Tiles were smashed and missing in several places on the roof and several different colours which seem like the bald patched on someone's head.

I walked up the beaten down path taking in the garden, which basically consisted of mud and weeds. The house seemed to creak and groan in the wind, almost rejecting my approach. I decided I didn't want to fight with the front door after looking at the garden and made my way round the back. The garden was large but a complete mess, there was no grass it was fully concreted but it was cracked and weeds were popping through at occasional points.