Fade: Chapter Six

Chapter Six1

It was time to go home. I had to call the police, talk to my mother. Something. I couldn’t just wait there and end up like that . . . animal. I glanced around, and upon finding the white gate I took a deep breath and ran forward. I wanted to at least escape the stench of the dead animal’s carcass.2

The fence had a pad lock on it, but luckily it wasn’t as terribly large fence to begin with. I laid the rigged knife down on the other side of the fence and hoisted my self over the pointed planks of wood. I landed on the other side and brushed my legs off as I picked back up the knife.3

The road was empty. Unlike last time, not even the ghostly yellow lights were glaring out–that would have been a good thing had it not been so dark.4

I wiped my forehead off with the end of my right sleeve, the left one covered in dirty and dust. I swallowed hard and decided to run back home as fast as possible.5

There were no other fences to bar me from my house, just some trees and shrubs. By the time I reached our patio I almost collapsed with relief, it seemed just as I had left it.6

Except . . . the door was locked. I sighed. I was still too scared to really come to terms with it, and I was panicking. I wanted to get home, inside. I smacked the glass doors with my fist, knocking wildly without any concern for them breaking or cracking.7

“MOM! Open up! It’s me!” I yelled as I pounded harder. “It’s me Melissa! Please, open the door!” I wiped my eyes and pounded until I fell to my knees crying again. “...open the door . . . ” I sobbed into my hands, letting the knife fall to the patio’s floor.8

Still, no one came.9

I regained some ounce of composure and looked around. I wanted to avoid breaking the glass doors, for fear of being injured, so I decided to go around front. Before I could however, something shiny caught the corner of my eye. I picked up the steak knife and turned around to the small table nearby.10

There was something shining on the table, so I picked it up and held it close to my face. I was able to see–even in the darkness–that it was a police badge. 11

Mayborne Police12

At first I wondered if that meant the police were nearby . . . but then I remembered the odd picture in the Thatcher’s house. The two policemen knocking on my patio door to no avail. I didn’t know what it meant, but I left the badge there and ran off the patio in order to try the front door. I made sure to go around the opposite side of the Thatcher’s afraid to even get close to the house again.13

I shook my head and slumped against the door. Locked. 14

Are you asleep? I thought to myself, wondering where my mother was. She could have been asleep . . . but even she would get out of bed if she heard all the pounding I did on the doors.15

I turned around and glanced up at the large hill. The hill and the highway seemed visible from almost any angle, or position in the nearby area. I could still see some trucks and cars zooming passed, their lights trailing like fire in the darkness.16

I...have to get up there. I thought to myself as I clenched the knife in my hand. If I was able to flag someone down . . . they might be able to take me into the city or . . . something. Anything.17

I took a deep breath and reached into my pocket. So many things made no sense. I couldn’t understand any of it, not really, but when I pulled the small rag-doll out of my pocket I could almost feel something besides fear. I wasn’t sure what I felt though, and its button eyes couldn’t tell me that.18

I glanced back up at the hill and nodded, I gently pushed the doll into my pocket and held the knife in my hand. I felt like a fool, but there wasn’t any time to feel like that. I started to run for the hill and the highway.19