Blue Moon (Colors of the Moon #1)

Chapter 9

I stood frozen in horror for a few heartbeats, unable to move. My brain refused to work; refused to acknowledge the sight in front of me.

What had once been an always spotless living room, was now the aftermath of a raging beast let loose. The furniture was knocked all over the place, the cupboards and shelves half opened, and random items scattered all over the floor.

My first thought was that we had been robbed. However, the fact that the TV was still resting close to its former place told me otherwise.

"Mom!" The shout reaped out of my throat. "Aiko! Dad!"

I bellowed out their names, not caring if I had just given away my location to anyone who might have still been present inside the house. All I needed to know was that my family was okay.

Without missing another heartbeat, I turned sideways and ran to the kitchen. The said room was in an even messier state. Spilled food and silverware were lying everywhere. A funny smell was coming from the fridge; one I never wanted to come closer to.

This time I didn't freeze. I stopped long enough to assess that the room was empty and then continued onward. I couldn't allow myself to think about the state of the house. Not until I found out where my family members were. Only then could I wonder what the hell happened here.

I ran through the entire first floor, looking into every room. Yet there wasn't a single sign of anyone present inside the house. Then after I finished with the last room, I rushed upstairs and began my search of the second floor.

Because it was the closest to the staircase, I ran straight into my parents' bedroom.

"Mom! Dad!"

Their bedroom looked just like the rest of the house. Clothes were lying everywhere and the furniture overturned. Whoever had done this, had been in a hurry.

I stood in the doorway for a few seconds and then ran over to the room at the other end of the hallway. The only other room I cared about right now.

It was the only room where the door was firmly shut. My hands shook when I grabbed the handle and pushed the door open. I expected to find the room in a similar mess as the rest of the house, but I wasn't prepared for this.

"Aiko!"

I staggered a couple of steps into the room and then sank onto my knees. My head was spinning and I could hear ringing inside my ears.

What had once been an aqua green bedsheet, was now covered with a red spatter. A dried brownish-red that couldn't be mistaken for anything other than what it was.

Blood.

Silent tears slid down my cheeks, while I tried to imagine what could have happened to cause a blood spatter like this. And especially across my younger sister's bed.

I didn't know how long I sat there crying, with my brain unable to comprehend anything. It could have been hours or days for all I cared.

The next thing I became aware of, was a soft hand brushing the hair off my face. It took me a few seconds to gather that the soft touch wasn't a part of my dream.

I opened my eyes to a frowning guy leaning over me. It took me a few extra seconds to connect the familiar face with a name. The sparks tingling my forehead helped speed things up.

Jared.

Only then I became aware of the position I was in. As far as I could remember, I had been sitting on the floor in Aiko's room. I was still inside the said room, however, now I was lying on the floor instead.