GHOST SQUAD

CHAPTER 6- DAGGER

"The pancakes are ready!" Shouted Ela, in a cheerful tone.

Tristan gently pulled away from Alice. "We're coming!" He shouted. "I better get fresh!" He said hurriedly, not meeting Alice's eyes. Before she could say anything, he disappeared into the bathroom. The shower running from the bathroom told her that he would be long.

Alice stood up. Not knowing what else to do, she started tidying up his bed. She had come with the intention of starting a new life with Tristan even if that had meant letting Knave go, the guy who she perhaps loved.

 However, Alice had been taken aback by how maturely Tristan had handled the situation. It melted her heart. She had caught the look of hurt that had passed on his face when she had told him she did not feel the same way for him, even though he had been quick to hide it. It only made her hate herself more. What was she doing?

Alice looked around his room. Like her, he hadn't decorated his room much. There was a chair and a huge desk placed right opposite his bed, filled with books and papers. There was also a pair of car keys. The only thing which was placed so carefully, that Alice knew it was for his new job. Also, Tristan did not own a car.

Similar to his whole house, his room was amber too. Except for the part of the wall where their pictures hung. That part she and Tristan had painted green themselves. Alice's favourite colour. Tristan had done that just to see a smile on her face. The memory brought tears to her eyes. She quickly looked away. How long had Tristan been in love with her?

The bathroom door opened and Tristan entered the bedroom. Alice smiled at him. He looked like a little kid with his damp and messy hair. He had chosen a white shirt and cargo pants, which made him look much smarter.

Tristan offered her a small smile before throwing his wet towel on the bed, much to the annoyance of Alice. 'Boys!' She thought, as she picked up the towel and hung it on his chair. Tristan chuckled, and Alice felt a small spark of happiness.

"Shall we?" He asked, opening his bedroom door to leave.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" She asked.

Tristan looked confused. "What?" He asked curiously. She indicated his arm. "Oh!" He said, offering her his arm.

Alice looked at him. "Tristan, I will never leave you!" She assured. He looked surprised for a minute, but then nodded as if satisfied.

Tristan cleared his throat. "But if you do not come now, I will surely leave you!" He said in a light tone.

 Alice laughed, and looped her arm through his.

Alice returned from Tristan's house just after dinner, as decided the day before. Tristan had offered her a thousand times to help with finding Knave, but Alice had refused. Even though Tristan had pretended as if everything was fine, she knew he was badly hurt. She felt terrible that she was the reason behind it. 

The least Alice could do was save him some pain. The only problem she had now, was how to find Knave.

Her mom had not returned yet, which meant she would most likely be gone for the whole night. That was good, since Alice could find Knave without any disturbance. She walked up to her room and closed the door. The air suddenly felt chilly. Alice closed her eyes and tried to picture Knave.

"Knave?" She called out.

There was no response. Alice opened her eyes and looked around. There was no one. She tried calling his name a few times, until she finally gave up. Disappointed, she sat on her bed, feeling like an idiot.

"This is going to be hard!" She whispered to herself.

A loud noise snapped her out of her misery. Alice bolted to her feet. Her throat felt dry. What if someone had broken into her house? She did not even have a cell phone to contact anyone. 

Slowly, she walked up to her bedroom door and opened it. Her heart felt as if it would break out of her chest, as she peered outside. Thankfully, she saw no one.

'Perhaps it's the wind!' Alice thought.

She was about to close her door, when the noise came again. It was as if something had fallen. Alice swallowed hard and stepped through the door. The sound seemed to have come from her mother's room. As she made her way, she looked around in alarm. The house was eerily quiet.

After a few frightening steps, Alice found herself opening her mother's bedroom door. As she entered the room, she felt as if she stepped through a whole new world. She always felt uncomfortable in her mother's room. The one place which was alien to her.

Alice looked around and found the huge clock, that always hung above the bathroom door, on the floor. She ran towards it and crouched down. As she picked it up, she realized it was way heavier than it looked. She quickly examined it and to her relief, found it undamaged.

As Alice turned the clock over, she realized there was something odd about it. Instinctively, she threw the clock hard on the ground, somewhat surprised to see the clock remain intact. However, a small object had broken free of the clock, and now lay next to it. As she got a closer look, she realized it was a dagger. 

What made Alice sick, was that there was some dried blood on its tip. Swallowing hard, she picked up the dagger, inspecting it. A sudden image appeared in her mind. It was Alice, standing in her bloody nightgown. Horrified, she let go of the dagger. The same dagger she had been stabbed with.

Alice stumbled back in shock. A thousand images swarm around her mind, accompanied by the voices of several loved ones. She ran out of the room as fast as she could. She made her way to her bedroom, and shut the door with a bang.

 Alice curled in on herself, trying her best to stop the voices. Her head was spinning so hard that it made her crazy. She felt as if she were slowly drowning in the turmoil of her mind. Not knowing what else to do, she gave a loud shriek. Everything was quiet once again.

Disoriented, Alice tried to stand up. Her knees buckled and she fell hard on the ground, losing consciousness.