She had already been on her way to Seattle for about 2 hours when she
looked up from her brother's file to look out the window. She noticed the
dark clouds begin to bunch up in the sky before her.
"Another storm," she thought to herself. She wasn't quite used to this snowy weather. Where she was from, the weather always seemed to be perfect.
She kept thinking about the way that her and her family once were. About how once she once used to be daddy's little girl and how Loui always loved to follow her around. She used to hate when he followed her around like a lost puppy. But now, nearly 6 years later, she missed him.
She continued to stare out the window as icy drops of rain began to pour on the windowsill. They quickly seemed to fade away with the train's speed. She turned back to look at the folder once again, thinking if she was ever going to see her little brother again.
A tear flowed from the corner of her eye and quickly ran down her cheek. She remembered that night of July when it happened.
****They were both looking out the window of her bedroom. They had been there for almost a half an hour, waiting for the black car to pull up on the drive way.
"Where'd they go again, Audrey?" a six year old asked.
"They went to this party at my aunt's," said a girl, who looked about 5 years older than he did. "They were supposed to be back an hour ago. It's already eleven."
"I hope they get here soon. Mommy's supposed to read me a story." He said with a sleepy yawn.
The girl looked down from the window, realizing how late it was. "I should probly' tuck you in. You know mom'l get angry if she sees you up this late." She said, pulling her brother off the window. "Come on,"
The girl suddenly stopped as she heard a chill scream coming from the kitchen. She paused and thought for a moment.
"Paula?" she yelled back. There was no answer. She suddenly turned back to look at Loui, who was looking at her with a frightened look.
"Stay here," she whispered at him. He quickly grasped her arm, denying to let go.
"Don't leave me here!" he cried.
"Shhh!" she whispered. "I'm just gonna go check on Paula real quick. I'll be back." She replied, pulling his arms off of her. She quietly sneaked out the door, tip-toe-ing her way to the spiral staircase. She remained silent, looking around curiously for any sign of their housekeeper. There was no one in sight. She continued to walk down the stairs as she stopped again.
"Paula?" she called out. There was no answer. She continued to walk, now in the hallway, towards the kitchen.
"Are you all right, Paula?" she called out again. The sound of dishes crashing on to the ground echoed through the silence of the house. The girl didn't move. Somehow, she knew something was wrong.
"Is she okay?" Loui called from the top of the stairs. Audrey looked up, trying to remain calm. She simply looked at him, her fear growing fiercer.
"Loui, go to bed." She told him. She tried to not let her fear overcome her expression so that he wouldn't get worried.
"But I don't want to go to bed!" he whined.
"Loui, just do It." she said, with a small tone of anger now. "I'll be right up with you," The boy yawned again. He refused to go, though. "Come with me!" he pleaded.
She looked at him, then back at the kitchen. A black figure quickly ran by inside the kitchen. She knew that wasn't Paula.
"Loui, run." She said, her eyes remaining on the kitchen's open door.
"What?" he asked her cluelessly.
She now turned back towards the stairs and began to run up them. As she ran, she tried to gain speed. But somehow, although she was running as fast as she could, it seemed as though she felt heavier and heavier, and loosing speed. She finally caught up to Loui and pulled him inside the room.
She turned to face him and noticed his eyes filled with a confused look. She stared at him, knowing how scared she had gotten him.
"What's going on?" he asked, nearly crying. She looked at him, knowing how frightened they both were, and hugged him. "Go in the closet." She told him.
"But I don't like the closet!" he said, now crying. She let go now, walked towards the closet and walked in with him. "Audrey, no!" he pleaded. She knew how scared he was, but it was probably their only hope now. She knew what was down there, and why they were there. She quickly covered his mouth and locked the door. "Be quiet." She whispered, trying hard to hold back her tears.
A moment passed before the door suddenly opened, making that squeaky screech it always did. She held her breath, trying not to move. Loui did the same.****
Stone like objects began to bounce off the train's sides and ceilings. She looked away from the window and around the train. No one seemed to notice the ice stones.
"They must be used to this stuff," she thought. Suddenly, they began to get slightly harder. The electricity was beginning to shut down now. Some people began to look up. She looked down at the folder and blinked her eyes. The lights suddenly went right back on again, just as if nothing had happened.
She quickly dried out the tear and tried to close her eyes. She wanted to get away from everything now.
"Another storm," she thought to herself. She wasn't quite used to this snowy weather. Where she was from, the weather always seemed to be perfect.
She kept thinking about the way that her and her family once were. About how once she once used to be daddy's little girl and how Loui always loved to follow her around. She used to hate when he followed her around like a lost puppy. But now, nearly 6 years later, she missed him.
She continued to stare out the window as icy drops of rain began to pour on the windowsill. They quickly seemed to fade away with the train's speed. She turned back to look at the folder once again, thinking if she was ever going to see her little brother again.
A tear flowed from the corner of her eye and quickly ran down her cheek. She remembered that night of July when it happened.
****They were both looking out the window of her bedroom. They had been there for almost a half an hour, waiting for the black car to pull up on the drive way.
"Where'd they go again, Audrey?" a six year old asked.
"They went to this party at my aunt's," said a girl, who looked about 5 years older than he did. "They were supposed to be back an hour ago. It's already eleven."
"I hope they get here soon. Mommy's supposed to read me a story." He said with a sleepy yawn.
The girl looked down from the window, realizing how late it was. "I should probly' tuck you in. You know mom'l get angry if she sees you up this late." She said, pulling her brother off the window. "Come on,"
The girl suddenly stopped as she heard a chill scream coming from the kitchen. She paused and thought for a moment.
"Paula?" she yelled back. There was no answer. She suddenly turned back to look at Loui, who was looking at her with a frightened look.
"Stay here," she whispered at him. He quickly grasped her arm, denying to let go.
"Don't leave me here!" he cried.
"Shhh!" she whispered. "I'm just gonna go check on Paula real quick. I'll be back." She replied, pulling his arms off of her. She quietly sneaked out the door, tip-toe-ing her way to the spiral staircase. She remained silent, looking around curiously for any sign of their housekeeper. There was no one in sight. She continued to walk down the stairs as she stopped again.
"Paula?" she called out. There was no answer. She continued to walk, now in the hallway, towards the kitchen.
"Are you all right, Paula?" she called out again. The sound of dishes crashing on to the ground echoed through the silence of the house. The girl didn't move. Somehow, she knew something was wrong.
"Is she okay?" Loui called from the top of the stairs. Audrey looked up, trying to remain calm. She simply looked at him, her fear growing fiercer.
"Loui, go to bed." She told him. She tried to not let her fear overcome her expression so that he wouldn't get worried.
"But I don't want to go to bed!" he whined.
"Loui, just do It." she said, with a small tone of anger now. "I'll be right up with you," The boy yawned again. He refused to go, though. "Come with me!" he pleaded.
She looked at him, then back at the kitchen. A black figure quickly ran by inside the kitchen. She knew that wasn't Paula.
"Loui, run." She said, her eyes remaining on the kitchen's open door.
"What?" he asked her cluelessly.
She now turned back towards the stairs and began to run up them. As she ran, she tried to gain speed. But somehow, although she was running as fast as she could, it seemed as though she felt heavier and heavier, and loosing speed. She finally caught up to Loui and pulled him inside the room.
She turned to face him and noticed his eyes filled with a confused look. She stared at him, knowing how scared she had gotten him.
"What's going on?" he asked, nearly crying. She looked at him, knowing how frightened they both were, and hugged him. "Go in the closet." She told him.
"But I don't like the closet!" he said, now crying. She let go now, walked towards the closet and walked in with him. "Audrey, no!" he pleaded. She knew how scared he was, but it was probably their only hope now. She knew what was down there, and why they were there. She quickly covered his mouth and locked the door. "Be quiet." She whispered, trying hard to hold back her tears.
A moment passed before the door suddenly opened, making that squeaky screech it always did. She held her breath, trying not to move. Loui did the same.****
Stone like objects began to bounce off the train's sides and ceilings. She looked away from the window and around the train. No one seemed to notice the ice stones.
"They must be used to this stuff," she thought. Suddenly, they began to get slightly harder. The electricity was beginning to shut down now. Some people began to look up. She looked down at the folder and blinked her eyes. The lights suddenly went right back on again, just as if nothing had happened.
She quickly dried out the tear and tried to close her eyes. She wanted to get away from everything now.