Written By Suhani Khemka (Grade 9)
It was bright autumn afternoon. The scorching sun blazed down, the sea was calm and I could hear the dried maple leaves rustle. I was looking at the horizon as I walked back home from school. I had always been fascinated by how it seemed the world ended at the horizon, but one could never meet the horizon.
My home was a short walk away from my school. We had gotten our examination results and I was excited about showing them to my mother. Just as I was about to knock on the door, I noticed that it was slightly open, which was unusual. Even though the area had a clear record when it came to robbery and theft, my mother had always been very precise about always having the door locked. I went in and called out to my mother but I got no response. I wondered where she was, considering all shops were closed at the time. As I took a step forward I heard glass screech beneath my shoes. The floor was covered with shattered pieces of glass. That’s when I notice the back window broken. I could feel my body go numb with fear. My mother had never been a clumsy or angry person. The chances of the window being broken under normal circumstances were none.
Slowly I entered the main living room only to see the place in total disarray. The chairs were out of place, the sofa cushions lay on the floor, and the curtains draped the floor. The television screen had been shattered and the fragments of my mother’s favourite vase lay on the marble of the floor. It seemed as if someone threw the vase and it hit the television.
My head started spinning and I could not think of what to do next. I thought of calling my father, but he was out of town for business. That’s when the thought struck me for the first time. Business which I had no idea about. Business which I never inquired about. I had always thought he was a businessman. Fear rushed through my veins. Gathering all the strength left in me I got up to check the bedrooms. I kept calling out my mother’s name, but I got no response.
I rang her phone but to my dismay, I could hear it ring back. I located her phone hoping to get some clue in it. On unlocking the phone, I saw a message. Below my contact’s name, I saw a message, waiting to be sent. “Run”.
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