The Day They Disappeared

Chapter 10

I opened my front door quietly and crept past my dad who was passed out on the couch. From upstairs I heard my mom's loud snoring. I made my way up the stairs and into the bathroom. I shut the door as quietly as I could but the old hinges creaked as it closed. I flicked on the light and stared at my reflection in the mirror.

I looked like a mess. My hair was was knotted and messy, my eyes were puffy and bloodshot, and the left side of my face was home to a long, wet smear of red from the corner of my eye to my cheekbone. I turned on the faucet and cleaned off my hands. The thick, dark red substance that covered my fingertips and palms mixed with the warm water and became thin and watery as it slipped down the drain. I reached a clean, wet hand up to wipe away the red smear on my face and again washed my hands.

After drying my hands, I reached behind the soap dish and retrieved my hairbrush. I tugged it through my knotted hair and winced as it passed through the tangled bits. I then picked out the clumps of blonde hair from the brush and tossed them in the small wastebasket by the toilet.

I pulled off my heavy sweater. It was black which meant that nobody could make out the stains on it but I knew that they were there. They were still wet and seeping through onto my pale skin. I would have to wash the sweater as soon as possible so it wouldn't smell. I didn't want my favorite sweater to be ruined. I planned on wearing it again once the hot weather passed and the autumn started up again.

I'm not quite sure why I chose to wear the black sweater tonight. It's very humid and I was definitely sweating the entire time. My job is very grueling and tough. I should have worn something lighter. Oh well, can't do anything about it now. My work is already done.

I finished stripping and turned to the shower. I pulled the curtains open and stepped in. I switched on the hot water and waited for it to heat up completely before I stepped underneath the stream of water and pulled the shower curtain closed.

I let the piping hot water erase all traces of my work. I smelled of sweat, old perfume, and something else that I couldn't quite put my finger on. I turned to watch the drain as it swallowed the the mixture of hot water, dirt, and dark red. It was so hypnotizing. I watched in a trance-like state as the water swirl down the drain until it ran clear. Then I shut off the shower head and stepped out.

The mirror was fogged up so I wiped a section of it clear and stared at my reflection. I looked so clean. I was happy to have all of that filth off of my body.

My small hand reached up to toy with the gold chain that hung around my neck. It was so pretty. The gold 'D' that hung from the delicate chain was so intricate and shiny. It made me wish my name started with that letter so I could show it off without being questioned. I wonder why my parents never got me anything so beautiful. Maybe they didn't love me. I'm not quite sure but I guess it doesn't really matter because I have this necklace now. It's nice because I don't have to worry about showing it off to anybody and then worry about whether or not it'll get stolen from me. I can just admire it in my own private time.

I smiled as I admired the little golden necklace. I looked back up at my reflection and smiled as I whispered, "Thanks, Danielle. The necklace looks better on me anyway."