27 / 156
29
Outside
My throat was dry, and I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach. I
closed the door, and immediately the sound of the rain ceased to just
a quiet patter. There was a chance, just a small chance, that she
hadn’t left the house. That she was merely playing a game, laughing
at me from her hiding spot. I dashed between rooms, poking my
head past every door, checking under beds and inside wardrobes.
But I couldn’t find her. Slowly, I walked back to the last place I’d
seen her. The paper she had been drawing on was still there, but
there was something wrong…
My heart was beating strongly against my chest. In two short
strides I had reached the piece of paper. Taking a deep breath, I
looked at it.
She had drawn a picture of a girl. She had the same green eyes as
herself, and she had the same dark hair. The girl was standing in the
rain, and she had her arm to the side, as if she was waving.
I fainted.
The crayons scattered around the floor bounced into corners as
my head hit the ground.
She had left.
‘
7