Shameless Chapter Twenty Eight

I raced home with a rock in my stomach, feeling warning bells ringing in my ears. Where is Jonah? 

The sidewalks of Jonah's neighborhood ran past me in colorful blurs as I stomped faster to his house. Maybe he is just sick, the Voice sings in my head. Maybe it's right...but I can't afford to take the chance. 

When Jonah's crisp white two story home comes into view, I push faster, almost out of air, I skip up the doorsteps and ring the bell. After what seemed like an hour, the door opens and there stands Jonah's grandmother. 

"Is Jonah home?!" I try to keep my panic out of my voice, but it leaks through the cracks. Jonah's grandmother scratches her white hair and bites her chapped lower lip, "Sorry, dear. He isn't home. He should be back-" 

"Thanks!" I shout, already leaving, running back to my house. 

Where are you Jonah? 

*              *               * 

"MOM!" I scream, kicking open the door. I scan the kitchen, but the house is quiet, empty....abandoned. "Mom?" I ask, a little quieter, stepping cautiously inside. Nothing. 

"Cyrus?" Nothing. 

My blood starts pumping so fast I can feel the pulse in every cell of my body, my heart is beating so fast I can hear the thud thud thud as if it's blaring through the speakers. 

My ears on alert, I stand in the quiet house. Dead silent. 

Something isn't right. 

For a few minutes, I stand frozen, listening.  

Then the tapping starts. 

Low, soft, barely audible, but I'm so focused on the sound it seems to be blaring in my ears. 

Tap. 

Tap.

Tap. 

I inch forward, my shoes making the smallest of squeaks against the kitchen tile. 

Tap. 

Tap.

Tap. 

As I reach the corner where the kitchen turns to the hall, I catch the sight of a shadow. 

Tap. 

Tap.

Tap. 

As the shadow moves I make up the form, the slope of the muscles in the shoulders, the outline of the face. 

I'm about to shout the name of the person when they speak before me. 

"Hello, Clara." 

I see the outline of an arm hitting me on the head and then...

Nothing. 

Reviews

[Horizon K.]

Woah! Great chapter, with the usual high tension you do so well. So curious what is going on!

[The Fallen]

:O WHAT JUST HAPPENED!!!!!! OMG OMG MORE ASAP!!!!! WHO HIT HER, AND WHERE IS JONAH!!!! >.< TO MANY QUESTIONS YET TO BE ANSWERED!!!