Souls Of The Innocent

Chapter Two: Where is Nora?

A scream echoed throughout the corridor and Amber sat up in bed with her face covered in beads of sweat, her heart twisted and sunk with nerves as she grabbed the bedsheet tightly. She felt like she couldn't breathe, the feeling you get when someone is grabbing you tightly by your neck making you gasp for air. All she wanted to do was curl up in a ball and wait for her parents to run into her bedroom like they have been doing for the past two weeks. Her mother flipped on the lights in her bedroom and rushed to her bedside.

" Amber! Are you ok honey?!", her mother asked anxiously as she knelt next to her bedside and grabbed her sweated hands tightly.

Amber's eyes remained on the shadow on the wall behind her mother, she squeezed her eye shut, tears rolled down her cheeks as she wished hard for this nightmare to be over. Dread swelled through her as she slowly raised her eyes yet again to find that the shadow was still there on the wall. She couldn't even utter a single word all she wanted was for that face to stop staring at her.For the past two weeks, she had been living her worst nightmare. If only it was a nightmare, one that when you open your eyes it slowly evaporates. What she had been experiencing the past weeks was nothing that anyone would wish even upon their worst enemies. Her nightmares didn't remain only an unpleasant dream, she would wake up and her nightmare will be staring at her straight in her face. Those little girls would be standing around her bed and even if she couldn't see their eyes they appeared to be looking towards her. Their hands would be reaching out to touch her and their stitched up mouth will be moving as if they wanted to say some to her ,eerie sounds which covered her whole body with goosebumps filled her ears. Then suddenly they would turn their head around looking in the direction of the bedroom door as if they were afraid of someone or something. They would walk backward and disappeared into the darkness of her room and then she would see her, the woman with long black hair which covered part of her face and every time that she had tried to get closer to her bed, her mother had walked in and stopped her from doing whatever she wanted to do to her. Amber’s life had turned into a horror movie which was on repeat every single day.

Howard came in with a glass of water and Amber slowly turned her gaze towards his hand which was handing her, her pills. This scene had been repeating itself over and over again for the past two weeks. Every night she would suffer the same nightmare, she would be waking up screaming and her parents would be rushing by her side. Amber had to start taking strong pills for anxiety and sleeping disorders so that she could try and live a normal life for the past two weeks. She couldn't erase that dreadful day from her mind, the day that everything in their once peaceful home turned upside down, and until they found out the truth nothing will be the same for them again and even if they do find the truth their lives had been scarred for life!

Two weeks ago...

Amber had waited for her little sister as she would usually do every Monday. Sitting down on the floor with her head leaned back against the wall, next to the lockers in the hallway which lead towards the dance studio. Nora had walked past her carrying her pink ballet bag with her name printed on there in gold letters. Nora turned and blew a kiss at her and Amber stuck her tongue out at her little sister mockingly and reminded her that she still owed her for what she had said this morning regarding Nathan. Her little sister had laughed and blew her another kiss and then ran down the corridor towards the dance studio. Amber had looked at her little sister and smiled, even though they were constantly at each other’s throat , she loves her little sister to bits even if at the moment she was being a total nightmare as she had entered her teenage rebel years .

Amber smiled as she slipped her wireless headphones over her ears, turned the volume up, and then grabbed her English literature book. She had no other choice but to start reading, as she would be getting home late today and there were more assignments for her to attend to. After twenty minutes into the book, Amber started feeling sleepy. She yawned and grabbed her water bottle hoping that a few sips will help to keep her awake. Her last class for the day was gym class and she was exhausted from running up and down a basketball court. Slowly exhaustion took a toll on her and she slowly drifted away in a deep sleep.

Her phone vibrating inside the pocket of her jeans startled her and Amber realized that she had fallen asleep in the school hallway. Embarrassment surrounded as she wondered how many students have walked up and down the hallway and saw her sleeping there and maybe even took pictures of her. She wouldn’t be surprised if she ended up as the picture of the “i***t of the week” on someone’s social media account .

" Great! How many people have walked past me seeing me sleeping here like an i***t !", she whispered as she checked her phone screen to see who was calling her and when she caught sight of the time she quickly grabbed her backpack and stood up.

" What it's nearly 5?! Damn they nearly locked me inside here !", she shouted as she got up from the floor and rushed down the hallway towards the dance studio. She found it weird that her sister had not come out of her dance class since the class should have ended since 4.30 pm. She walked up to the glass door of the studio and she noticed that the place was dark, which meant there wasn't anyone inside. She rushed out of school and found the security guard patrolling outside and she ran up to him.

" Excuse me Sir?", she shouted and the man turned and looked at her.

" How can I help you young lady?", he asked with a smile.

" Did you happen to see at what time the students left the dance studio...Mr.Greenwood ?", she asked as she stared at his security guard badge pinned on the right side of his light blue shirt.

" The last batch of students left around 4.35 pm, they must have been from the dance studio since some of the girls were carrying their ballet shoes in their hands ", the man explained.

Amber thanked the security guard, she glanced at her watch and hurried towards the bus stop with the hope that she will catch a bus as soon as possible. Her father would usually be home around six, so she would have to get there before him. The good thing was that, the school wasn’t far from their home, the school bus takes twenty five minutes , but the public bus usually takes a little longer. Amber knew that if she reaches home after her dad does, Nora would have the time to tell a novel about her to their father. Nora always wanted to show her parents that she was more responsible than her older sister and that she didn't need a chaperone to look after her when she goes out with her friends. This was one of those great opportunities for her to paint the picture of her being the worst sister ever.

Probably that's why dad is calling me! She will pay for this.. she probably took a picture of me sleeping there and sent it to dad ...or mum complaining about how Amber is irresponsible, Amber said to herself as reached the bus stop and anxiously glanced down the road praying that she would see a bus coming in her direction. Her phone rang and she checked the screen, it was her father again. Amber slowly pushed her phone inside her pocket and silently counted in her head until the phone stopped ringing. She didn't dare call her father back, because she knew that Nora had painted a picture of her being so irresponsible that her father would give her an earful over the phone for not looking after her innocent little sister. Then, she will get another dose of " you have to be more responsible" talk from her mother and she didn't need those kinds of negative vibes on a Monday night. She smiled when she noticed the bus coming towards the bus stop and the destination sign on the left side of the bus indicated that she could take it even if she would have to walk a bit to get to her house, as the bus stops at the bus stop close to the intersection road which linked her neighborhood and another one.

Amber ran down the street that leads to her home. She kept checking her watch and she paused to breathe when she noticed that she wasn't far from her home. It was five minutes after six and she was surprised to see that it looked like there was no one home. As she walked up the driveway, she narrowed her eyebrows as she glanced towards the aluminum wooden sliding doors which opened up on the porch. She wondered why those doors were still closed at this time. She climbed up the stairs which lead to the porch and walked towards the kitchen door. Amber reached for her house key from inside her backpack pocket and unlocked the door. As she pushed open the door she expected her sister to jump out from somewhere inside the house trying to spook her, but instead as she flipped on the lights, she was welcomed by complete silence.

" Nora I'm home. Stop playing games...", Amber shouted as she walked towards the sitting room.

She switched on the lights in the sitting room and the lights flickered twice and then stopped. Amber switched it off and switched it on again, this time there was no flickering.

" I'm sure dad just changed those bulbs", Amber whispered as she took out her phone to call Nora. As she glanced at the clock hanging on the wall in the sitting room, she caught sight of what looked like the shadow of someone standing behind her. Her heart skipped a beat and she nearly dropped her cellphone as goosebumps covered her entire body.

" Very funny Nora! You can come out now!", Amber shouted and this time one could feel the annoyance in her voice.

Amber didn't like it when Nora play those what she would call " stupid games " on her. Amber walked towards the house phone since she saw the answering machine button was flashing.

" You have two new messages".

" Amber please pick up your phone when I call you. Girls, I'll be home a little later than usual. Amber, please call for take-outs, you know what we like and I'll see you ladies later.

Love you"

The first message was from her father and she was surprised when she heard the answering machine announcing that the second message was from her little sister's number. She walked closer towards the answering machine and she tried to listen, but she heard nothing but what sounded like someone breathing softly. The house phone rang and she jumped, she picked it up and her father was on the other side of the line.

" Honey, you must have gotten the message. I tried calling you earlier but you didn't answer and Nora's phone has been off for the past three hours. I wonder why we gave you girls cellphones", her dad said.

" Her phone is off but.. she ..", Amber was saying when her father interrupted her. She glanced at the answering machine with narrowed eyebrows.

Her phone is off but she left a message on the answering machine like thirty minutes ago...Amber silently said to herself.

" I'm coming home and I am bringing the take-outs. Hope you haven't called yet.. anyway I'll see you girls in a bit.. your mum is heading home now as well.. bye", her father hung up and Amber put the phone down.

She took out her cellphone and dialed Nora's number and she was surprised that her sister's phone was indeed off.

" She always charges her phone, it can't be off!... Where is she?! Could something have happened to her!!", Amber whispered as she glanced at the photograph of her and her little sister hanging on the wall in the sitting room. She started to worry and she felt like crying as she watched her sister's smiling face in that photo. It was unlike Nora not to be home at this time of the day and for her phone to be off.

She hurried upstairs to her sister's bedroom, she read the sign on her door.

" If your name is Amber, do not come in!"

She smiled as she knocked softly on the bedroom door,

" Nora stop playing games now!", she shouted and only her voice echoed in the house.

She turned the door handle and it opened, her bedroom was pitch dark and Amber reached for the light switch and switched on the lights.She screamed at the top of her voice when something fluffy jumped on her,

" Oscar! How did you get in here?!", she said as she hugged the frightened British shorthair cat.

She felt Oscar's heart was beating as fast as hers.

" I scared you didn't I", She said as she softly caressed his fluffy soft fur and tried to put him down but the cat held on tightly to her and even scratched her in the process.

" Ouch! What's wrong buddy!?", she asked softly and the cat looked at her in the face and meowed loudly as if he was asking her to get out of that room. Amber noticed that he kept looking towards the wardrobe, she meowed and hissed louder each time and it was scaring her as Oscar was usually the lazy and quiet type of cat. Amber quickly walked out of Nora's bedroom, closed the door, and hurried downstairs. She grabbed her phone on the kitchen counter as she put Oscar on the floor who quickly ran towards the opened door and disappeared out into the garden.

" Oh gosh! Now I have to go chase after a cat!", Amber mumbled as she dialed Eva's number.

" Hello", she heard her sister's best friend on the other side of the line.

" Hi, Eva it's me, Amber. I'm just checking.. is Nora with you ?", she hesitated a bit before asking.

" No! Actually I've been trying to call her.. she didn't even show up for dance class!", her words made Amber's heart missed a beat and she almost dropped the phone.

How could this be?! Her sister had walked past her, blew her a kiss swinging her ballet bag, and walked down the corridor towards the dance studio! She wasn't crazy or drugged, she saw her sister making her way to her dance class.

" Hey, Amber... Are you still there?!", she heard Eva asking.

" Yes. Eva, I'll call you back...thanks", she hurried and hung up the phone.

She started to panic as her heart pounded inside her chest, she paced the sitting room not knowing what to do. She kept breathing in and out, as she tried to understand the madness that was going on.

At the same time a car pulled up outside in the front yard, she hurried to the front door hoping that all of this was just a bad joke that her sister was with her mum or dad and she would walk in telling her she pranked her or something. Anything will do, anything that her sister wanted to tell her, even call her names if she wanted to, as long as she would walk through that front door!

Her mother walked in and Amber looked behind her and she almost burst into tears when she noticed her mother was alone. Her mother noticed straight away the look of fear and worry on her older daughter's face and she had to ask her what was the matter.

Present-day...

Amber sat up in bed remembering everything over again. She remembered the instant she had walked up to her mother and told her that she thinks that Nora was missing. Her mother had held on tightly to the kitchen counter as she told her everything that had happened. She remembered how she had sat there crying her eyes out as police cars pulled up outside their home. She remembered her mother crying hysterically and her father calling everyone he might think of who might have seen Nora. The strangest thing that had left everyone gobsmacked was when a police officer came in carrying Nora's pink ballet bag in a police evidence bag. She told them that next to her bag, the police officers who were on the school sight had found a bunch of red roses stained with some sort of black liquid which they had put in another evidence bag.

Amber had sat down perplexed about everything that was going on. The police kept asking her the same questions and she had repeated over and over again that she had seen Nora walking down the corridor to her dance class and remembered the kiss she had blown at her. Since that day, Amber had not been at peace. She had continuously blamed herself for the disappearance of her little sister and every night she would have the same nightmare. But last night something else had crawled in her nightmare and she could still see her face as she had opened her eyes staring at her with her eyes pleading her to help her, and she swore that she had even heard her whimpering! It was her little sister ... Nora...