Chapter 5 Where are they?

Diana woke up with her heart pounding in her chest. Looking at the window, she saw the sunlight streaming inside her room. The lights were still on. She felt a little better.

Getting up from the bed, she went to take a shower. When she was done, she returned to her room and tried to make sense of the events from last night. She was still a little afraid, but with the daylight outside she felt more like her old self.

Getting down the stairs she went to the kitchen for her breakfast. While munching on her toast, she decided going back to Florin's house. If anything, she wanted to see if everything was fine there.

After finishing with eating and doing the dishes, finally her father entered the kitchen. Upstairs, she heard water running. It must be her mother taking a shower.

Her father smiled embarassed when he saw her in the kitchen.

"How are you, kiddo? Do you feel better? What happened last night? You seemed terrified when you got in..."

"I'm fine dad. No need to worry about it."

"Are you sure? Because we can talk if there's something troubling you."

"Ok, dad...we'll talk. But now, i'd like to go see Florin's parents. They could need someone to talk to, too..."

"Well, ok. But remember to come back before noon. You've promissed you'll visit your grandma. Me and your mom thought you'll need a break from all the bad memories lately. What do you think about this?"

"Ok, dad. Whatever you say. What aboout you and mom? Will you stay at grandma, too?"

"Well, about that... Me and your mom would like to go on a vacation, just the two of us..."

"Oh! Ok! Now it feels more like you'd want to get rid of me, dad... The visit to grandma is just an excuse, right?"

"Well, he-he-he!... Something like that! Are you mad?"

"Actually, not really! It could work just fine... I needed some change of scenery after what happened..."

"So, do you agree? ..."

"Yeah, dad! As soon as I'm done at Flo... Ehm! His house, I'm back and we'll go to grandma. Then, you and mom are free to roam the world..."

"Thanks, honey!"

His father came closer and gave her a hug, kissing her forehead...

"Off you go now, kiddo... Remember, back by noon!"

"Yeah, dad! I'll be back by then!"

Then, she went back to her room, got her phone and, after a thought, the little cross and her slingshot and some ammunition. Just to be safe! Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and be empty handed again. She put them in her purse and she was ready to leave.

Twenty minutes later, she was in front of Florin's house. Everything was silent. She looked at the posts and saw the light bulbs were dark.

"It looks like they burned out."

Then, she went and knocked on the door. But, after a couple of seconds of waiting, there was no answer from inside. She knocked again. Silence again. There seemed to be nobody home. She tried to think where they could be. At work? No. They son just died. Nobody hurries back to work in that situation. Were they still asleep? Not likely. Usually by 6 a.m. they were up. Could they have gone back to the cemetery?

She got her phone out of her purse and called Florin's mom's number. The dialing ring sounded, but she didn't answer. Diana let it ring for half a minute then hung up. Tried looking through the window inside the kitchen, but it was dark inside. She saw no sign of movement. Then, she decided to let it go and return home. An hour later, she was on her way to grandma with her parents, but a lingering thought was nagging at the back of her mind. Could the incident from last night and his parents' absence be related?

Back at Florin's house in the dark kitchen, the flickering light from a phone dispelled some of the darkness rithmically. The door leading to the cellar was open.

Down there, if the light would be on, someone could see three bodies lying on the ground side by side. There were a man, a woman and, between the two of them, was the body of a teenage boy. They were lying there, with their eyes closed. Everyone of them was completely silent, even their breaths could not be heard.

And they looked like they were sleeping...