Page 18 of One Night

Chapter eleven

Chozen

“Yo, bro. Can you stop checking out the chick next door?” My brother, Marcellus, says.

Reaching over, I grab a book from the shelf before tossing it at him. It misses him, causing it to fall to the ground. He laughs as he runs out of my room, closing the door behind him. Turning back towards her house, I see that she is carrying in some bags while she is talking.

I wonder what she does in that house all day.

It's like she never leaves, and I only see her occasionally, which piques my interest in her even more.

She must sense me looking at her,because she looks up at me.

We stare at each other for a few moments before she breaks eye contact and scurries up her porch and into her house.

There’s something about that girl that calls to me, but I can't quite figure out why. Ms Glorcia always mentioned a granddaughter, but she said she was in trouble anytime I asked her why she didn’t visit.

Grabbing my hoodie, I put it on before heading towards my door.

Just as I reach the door, I grab my knife from my table and tuck it into my jacket.

Closing and locking my door behind me so I can keep everyone out while I’m gone.

Then I head down the stairs and out the front door.

Walking around the back of the house, I find the cellar door.

Taking my knife out, I pick the lock and walk in.

Most people don’t know about this door unless Ms Glorcia told you about it.

I know this place like the back of my hand.

I've come through here more times than not, especially if my parents are fighting or if she locked herself out of the house.

Placing my hand on the wall, I follow it through until I reach the hidden panel by the wine.

Moving the board, I step in, putting the panel back into place, and walking along the corridor of the walls.

Reaching the panel behind the living room, I peek through the small hole in the wall.

I see the girl pacing back and forth. She isn’t speaking, and I wonder if this is what she does all the time.

I go to change positions so I have a better view, and the wood creaks.

Shit, I hope she didn’t hear me. I look up and see that she’s no longer pacing and is standing there.

After a few minutes, she walks out of the room, and I slowly follow along in the same direction.

Making sure to be as quiet as possible, I peek out from behind the cabinet in the kitchen.

She’s putting the groceries away and humming some song to herself.

Once she’s gotten everything put away, she pulls out a box from the freezer, opens it up, and places it in the microwave.

She seems pretty normal to me, and it makes me wonder what’s so troubling about her.

The microwave beeps, and she turns to open it, standing there for a few moments before putting it back inside.

After a few more moments, it beeps again, and she pulls it out before sitting at the table and eating.

Once she’s eaten, she cleans up and heads out of the room.

I start to head back down the hallway when I step on another loose floorboard.

Standing here, I wait and see if she’s heard me, but there’s no sight of her.

I take that as a sign that I’m in the clear.

If this keeps happening, I'm going to be caught.

Continuing through the walls, I need to hurry up, making sure I stay hidden.

Besides, I need to take my ass back home before I catch my brother in my room again.

I think he picks my locks, but I just can’t prove it yet.

I hear her and follow her voice until we reach a bedroom.

She’s pacing back and forth again, and I’m curious what makes her do this. .

“No, I’m fine, mother.” She says.

Is her mom here? I didn’t see anyone else move in with her. Maybe she’s in a different room than this one. She continues to pace and starts humming again. Just as I turn to leave, she starts talking again.

“I’m so sick of dealing with this shit. Night after night, and it never gets better.” She says, slowing down her pacing. “When will it end?”

She walks over and sits on the edge of the bed.

“Why did you leave me all this? Why did you come back into our lives?”

She starts to cry, holding her head in her hands.

She looks so broken, and I want to touch her, hold her, and comfort her.

She stands up, wiping her face, before she moves around the room.

She starts opening up the drawers, searching through them.

I move to get a better angle when the floorboards creak again. Fuck!

I watch as she slowly stands straight up, looking around the room.

“Mother, is that you? Did you need something?” She asks aloud, but there’s no answer.

She continues for a few moments before she finds what she’s been looking for, a set of keys.

She walks out of the room again, and I let out a sigh.

Why can’t she just stay still? These damn floors are going to give me away.

Carefully following back along the way I came, I hear something coming from the other side of the wall.

It sounds like someone is crying. Is it her again?

Moving closer so I can get a better look, I step on another board, causing a creak.

I close my eyes, and when I open them, I see a pair of icy blues looking back at me.

“There you are. I’ve been waiting on you, Chozen.”