The Lovely Suicide Children

Chapter 48: A Cold Cold Amber

As the days past, Amber and I became more and more afraid. Robert's bones were running out quickly. So quick that Amber began trying to pick up little particles of bone dust off of the floor. It took her forever.

"It's no use," I had told her before I went to school. "we're running out."

Amber had yelled at me after I told her that. She begged me not to go to school. I just told her to stay in the circle on her bed until I got home. That's precisely what she did until I came back.

I dreaded coming home though. Shayla and my father were on very bad terms. From the time I walked into the house with my father, he began going off on Shayla. He argued about her wasting time, spending money, and not helping out around the house. She argued that the house was too big and that he should hire better service. I admit it was entertaining watching them yell at each other, but the bones were running out, so I wasn't so amused. I had my own issues.

After finishing my homework, I walked into her room. She had been holding the jar, looking at Robert's last pinches of bone dust. 

"I keep having bad dreams about them," she whispered. "They're going to get me."

I let out a long sigh. "You're no benefit to them."

"Yes, I am," she said quickly. "I'm a broken promise. I knew there would be consequences if she ever broke her promise. Why do you think she had to kill people and use their bones?"

She was right, I just didn't want to believe it. Part of me, maybe a lot of me knew Amber was in grave danger. "You'll be okay," I simply said. "We'll find a way through all of this. Okay?"

"But-"

"I'm serious," I gave her a reassuring smile. "Want to play something? Dolls?"

Before Amber could speak, we heard a door slam followed by Shayla yelling. I wish they would just divorce already. The arguments became excessive, and none of it benefited either of them. Again, another door slam but I knew it was the front door. That meant my dad left and Shayla was in the room somewhere.

"Let's go watch TV and-"

Amber shook her head before I could even finish my sentence. "We don't have enough bones to go downstairs."

"We're inside," I got up and grabbed her hand. She tried to pull away from me, but I was stronger. "We're just watching TV in the living room. They can't get in."

"You promise!?" Amber yelled in a way as if I had been hurting her.

"I promise," I laughed at her. Together we walked down the stairs and into the living room. I turned the channel, looking for a show to watch. "What do you want to watch?"

Amber shrugged. "I don't watch much TV."

To my joy, The Lion King as on. We had only missed maybe fifteen minutes of the movie, but that wasn't too bad." I went into the kitchen and made us some hot chocolate. When I was done, I gave her a cup and sat mine down beside the couch.

Amber and I sat close together, keeping quiet as we watched the movie. It was normal. It felt normal. However, something was off. Knowing we were no longer surrounded by the crushed bones created this eerie feeling. I found myself looking around, peering to my left and to my right for something that probably wasn't there. Amber had stayed calmer than me and was enjoying the movie.

Just then, three loud knocks coming from the door scared Amber and I. We looked at each other, thinking the worst. I sighed with relief when I remembered that dad had left. "Dad probably forgot the keys," I got up to answer the door. When I opened it, nothing but a freezing cold gust of air met my face. No one else was out there in the dark.

"What is it?" I heard Amber yell out.

I quickly closed the door then opened it one more time. "Dad?" I called out.

Nothing. No answer. 

Again, I closed the door and locked it. My hands began to tremble as my anxiety rose throughout my body. As soon as I thought something else would happen, it did. Another knock echoed throughout the house. Out of fear, Amber ran towards me but tripped before she could even make it out the living room. The  cup I had sat beside the couch tipped over and spilled...on its own

I ran over to help her, only to hear someone open the front door. I turned around, finding shadow figures gliding inside over the floor. I quickly turned to Amber, but I was too late to react to save her. Sunny held her had around Amber's neck, holding her in the air. The shadows walked passed me over to Sunny. They surrounded her, whispering things that echoed through the house. Alien words I could not fathom.

"Please don't hurt her," Sunny pleaded, her eyes on Amber.

The shadows raised their hands in the air. Sunny's hand pulsed while squeezing Amber neck. I watched in horror as Amber choked. Running towards her, I pushed passed the shadows and tried to grab her down. Amber's face quickly began turning purple.

"Stop! You're killing her!" I screamed, trying to pry Sunny's hand away.

Sunny's eyes stared at Amber, tears falling down. "It's not me!" She screamed.

The shadows continued as a strange gibberish of noise and sounds. It sounded like they were growling while trying to speak English at the same time. I tried my best to understand them, but it was too foreign. 

"Let her go!" I screamed again. "Please!"

The shadows vanished as soon as I said so, and so did Sunny. Amber floated in the air for a few seconds before falling to the ground in front of me. Eyes and mouth open, face purple with bulging blue veins. Her body was as cold as ice. There was no doubt about it. Amber was dead.

I didn't have time to act or cry. Someone was coming down the stairs. 

"What's all the scream-" I heard Shayla say.

I didn't look behind me. I held Amber, knowing I couldn't find a way out of this one.