The House

Althaia

I could feel myself growing more anxious the closer we were. The gun tucked behind my back did little to ease my nerves.

What if something were to happen, even in broad daylight? What if someone was still there, keeping an eye on the house, hoping someone would return to finish what they had started? But they weren’t after me. They were after my mother, and they got what they wanted.

The idea of having to use the gun to defend myself didn’t sit well, but I knew it was a necessary precaution. I was not a killer; the trauma of what I had done still haunted me. The image of the man’s bloodied face lingered in my mind.

I took a deep breath, forcing down the rising nausea.

“Hey… Hey, you’re going to be fine.” Michael glanced at me and took my hand in his as I kept tapping my hand against my thigh in uneasiness.

“I don’t know… I’m starting to think it’s a mistake. What if something happens?” I rambled on, sharing my fears with him instead of keeping them to myself.

“I w