Beauty in the Ashes

When we returned—clothes and hair mused, but completely satisfied—the party had grown even larger. It seemed like everyone in our senior class was in attendance.

People wanted to talk and congratulate me on the game. I smiled and nodded—but honestly, I didn’t really care. Football was fun, but it wasn’t my whole life.

I sat down on the ground, beer in hand, with Leah between my legs. Her head rested against my chest.

When the sun started to peek above the edge of the lake, we all knew it was time to leave.

I said goodbye to Leah, giving her a long lingering kiss. Tonight had been good and I wasn’t ready to let her walk away just yet.

“Come on, Lover Boy,” Kyle pried me away from her lips.

I laughed, calling to Leah, “See you later?”

She nodded, her cheeks flushed with happiness.

Kyle dropped me off at the same spot he’d been waiting for me earlier.

I walked slowly towards my house, my head bowed.

When I finally looked up, ready to cut across the side yard to the back, so I could get back to my room, I noticed that the front door was slightly ajar.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.

Oh, shit.

My parents had woken up and found me gone. I was in so much trouble it wasn’t even funny.

I swallowed thickly, my heart pumping in my chest as I made my way up the front steps into the house. There would be no point trying to sneak in. I had been caught and I had to face this.

When I pushed open the front door I was surprised to find the house in disarray. Drawers were open, lights smashed, and our belongings strewn about everywhere.

“What. The. Hell,” I gasped.

My heart raced even faster.

Something bad had happened. It looked like someone had broken in and tried to rob us.

I walked to the back of the house, to the kitchen, expecting to find my mom and dad there calling the police, but it was empty.

“Mom!” I called. “Dad!”

Silence greeted me.

Maybe they had run to the neighbors’ house? Or were at the police station? Or—?

Something told me that neither of those things had happened.

Dread settled over me, sliding through my body like toxic sludge.

I swallowed thickly, heading for the main staircase.

I took the steps slowly and came to a standstill when I reached the top.

Blood.

Blood everywhere.

My shoes were growing damp with it.