Mystery

“What was that?” Lila wailed at us in the middle of our game of extreme hide and seek. “I don’t understand, there is no one else here but us…why would someone be here?” murmured Scarlet. Both parents worked late night shifts “ Where is Amber I haven’t seen her for like a whole hour??” stuttered a voice.  “She’s somewhere around here it’s just dark, she’s probably already asleep. She doesn’t do well with Mountain Dew.”   I tip toed through the maze of pillows and blankets that had not been picked up from the forts we built earlier. I neared the base of the speckle carpeted stairs, and took a minute to cope with a plan. I heard something, and it was not the house creaking, or the neighbors dog Biscuit screeching at the leaves that pass in the wind. I crawled hands and knees up to the twelfth step, trying to be extremely quiet. I laid my ear against the wall trying to hear something in the next room. Nothing. I crawled up three more steps to peak my head over the corner so I could try to sense movement in the darkness. My eyes started to adjust slightly, blinking. I shhh’d the girls downstairs with a serious eye. They immediately stopped mid-giggle, knowing something might be up. There! I hear it! Thuds of heavy footsteps marking their spot on the floor.  I calculated the sound, and I believe the thuds mean the unknown is in the kitchen on the wood floor, or the hallway to the northeast of me. Clang! The vase! my mom is going to be so mad! That was her favorite vase, it was from her great grandmother. It has sat on that coffee table literally longer than I have been alive. Wait. Now I know where the unknown is! I scampered up to my feet, and silently maneuvered the chair, the lamp, and other miscellaneous items I remember from when it was light outside, It would be awfully hard to do this in the dark. I tumble over to the light switch, and flip it. Brightness fills the room, blinding my eyes for a few seconds…they adjust. There is no one in sight. I search the perimeter nobody is here. I turn the light switch off and head back down stairs, not knowing what to think.

The next morning I woke up to the smell of sausage and pancakes.  Odd both my parents should be at work.  The rest of my friends were still sleeping because it was pretty early, so I headed upstairs to see who it was. I creeped into the kitchen to find my dad trying to flip a seven inch pancake. “Morning sweetie!”     “Hi dad, What are you doing at home?”  I questioned.   “I decided to call in sick so I could be home this morning to make you girls some breakfast, When I came home all the lights were off and you girls were silent so I didn’t want to wake you.  I went to my room but I couldn’t see in the dark and knocked moms vase off the table.  I didn’t wake you all did I? He explained. “Nope we were already passed out.” I lied.