2: TILL WE MEET AGAIN

A shrill scream came out of Alice's mouth when she noticed the red-eyed man's lifeless body.

"Shut up!" The man growled at Alice, afraid she would alert the neighbors.

 Alice trembled with fear, as she watched the man walk to the windows, he looked outside to see if her screams were heard.

He walked back to where the red-eyed man laid lifeless, and he began to drag the body.

Alice saw this as an opportunity to escape, she looked at the entrance door and back at the man. He was distracted with the lifeless body, she got up slowly and walked to the door. They finally arrived at the door and as she unlocked it, the man looked up at Alice, his look turning grim.

"You little bit*h!" He growled as he ran toward the door, Alice opened the door and ran out of the house before he could reach her.

She ran straight to the neighbor's house when she saw a car pulling up, the man couldn't follow her as he couldn't be seen.

Alice ran to the front of the car and before it could run her over it came to a screeching halt. She fell to the ground due to exhaustion, and the driver of the car came out quickly wide-eyed.

The man watched from the shadows as Alice carried Alice to his house. Alice glanced toward where he was and their eyes met for a second, she looked away quickly terrified...

“Joan!, “Joan” The man who almost ran over Alice, banged his the door, as he called out his wife’s name.

“I’m coming John, you don’t need to yell!” His wife said as she came down the Stairs yawing.

The man gazed curiously at Alice who was still trembling in his hands.. His wife unlocked the door and her eyes grew wide when she saw her husband carrying a little girl in his arms. “Oh, My God!” she exclaimed in surprise. “Isn’t she the little girl from Next Door” she added, staring at Alice.

“Yes, she came running to the front of my car. I almost ran her over,” came the man’s reply.

“Really? I don’t think her parents know she is out. Should we call the police?” The woman suggested.

“I don’t think so. I think I should let her parents know she is with us,” the man said, glancing at Alice.

“Why were you outside this late, dear?” He asked her curiously but got no reply. Alice just stared at him without uttering a word.

His eyes met with his wife’s and they both stared at Alice curiously.

"I should go now," said the man..

“Just be careful, John,” his wife said, and he nodded.

As the man was about to walk away, Alice’s little hands held his, and fresh tears started to roll down her cheeks.

“I will be back dear, don’t worry” he tried to assure Alice, as he removed her hands from his. She watched as the man walked out his front door and her sobbing increased. The woman tried to calm her, but it was useless as Alice was beyond terrified...

The man attempted to knock on Alice's front door, but it was already open.. “That’s odd,” he muttered to himself, as he walked into the dark house. “Vera!, Ezekiel!” He yelled out Alice’s parents’ names but got no reply. The man walked further into the house and as he was about to yell their name, he stepped on ‘something wet’. He reached down to touch it, but he couldn’t see what it was clearly. He looked around in the darkness as he tried to locate the light switch. The man finally located it and turned it on. As he turned around, his face became pale instantly.....

“What do you think happened here?” the police detective asked his partner as they stared at the gurry scene.

“I have no idea Jerry, but it looks like some kind of animal attacked them,” came his partner’s reply.

“What about the little girl, has she talked?” the man inquired curiously.

“No, not a word. I think all this has traumatized her. who wouldn’t be?” his partner said, shaking his head.

“Have you called the family members?” The police detective asked.

“I could only find one, the Wife’s sister”.

Megan drove her car in a hurry, her hands trembling on the steering wheel. Earlier, she got a call from the police about her sister. She arrived at the scene ten minutes later. Megan was in shock when she saw the police carrying two dead bodies out. A man walked towards where she was standing

“Are you Megan Steele” the man’s voice brought Megan out of her shocked state.

“Yes, I am. What’s going on? Where is my sister?” She asked the man, hoping what she was thinking wasn’t true.

“I’m sorry to inform you of your sister and her husband’s death,” the man said, looking down.

“No, no! No!” Megan screamed in disbelief. She tried to run inside the house, but the man stopped her.

“Let me go! I need to see Vera!” she screamed, breaking down in tears.

After a few minutes, Megan calmed down and asked about her niece, Alice.

“Is she alright? Where is she?” She asked.

The man gestured to the next house and Megan ran their quickly

They opened the door and saw her niece sitting down with no facial expression.

“Alice” Megan called out her name softly. She turned to see who was calling “aunt meg” and her tiny voice came. Megan hurried to the place where Alice was sitting and gave her a tight hug.

“It’s okay darling, everything is going to be fine,” she said, patting Alice’s head, as tears streamed down her face.....

The case went cold as no one could find any evidence or proof to pursue it further.. Megan tried to fight to reopen the case, but she couldn’t as there was no witness, only Alice, who hasn’t said a word since then. Megan brought Alice to stay with her.

“This is your new room” Megan opened the door to a room near hers. She waited for Alice’s response but got none. She sighed, walking out of the room.

Alice walked to her bed and sat down, her eyes scrutinizing the whole room. She walked to where her bag was and opened it, she took out a picture of her and her parents and warm tears rolled down her cheeks.

Someone stood behind her window in the darkness, he watched as Alice cried silently. "What a mysterious child, till we meet again" came the person's voice like a whisper, before he walked away into the dark night.