Shadow-Land by Heather Parsons (best books to read for teens .txt) 📕

two at a time and ran to her room. Finding it empty was not a bad thing. Travis was trying to think where could she be? He was walking as fast as he could without running to get to his room and see if she was in there. But as he passed his father's study, he heard something.

FOURTEEN:

Open Case

THE closer Travis was to the door of the study, the louder it was. Sounding more like someone was crying but also trying hard to hide it. He hesitated for a bit because it was his father's study and he's known to get emotional over the loss of a patient.

Not knowing if Travis could handle his father by himself right now, he decided to go back downstairs and get his mother. She's always been the comforting type for his father, knowing exactly when and how to get him calmed down. "Mom where did you go?" He walked into the kitchen but she wasn't in there. Making his way around to the garage, to see the car parked but still not seeing her. "MOM!!" He yelled, getting nervous that something had happened to her now.

"Travis what is it?" Her voice came from outside and he ran to where she was. "I know that look, somethings wrong. Isn't there? What is it?" Travis felt her hands on his shoulders, shaking him. There was something definitely wrong but he couldn't place it. Shaking his head to shake off the sudden feeling of loss.

"It's dad. There's something wrong. I don't know what it is, I couldn't go into his study but I did hear him crying." Travis whispered, the feeling he had just wasn't going away. Taking his mother's hand and leading her up the stairs and into the study. Travis stood there watching as she sat down beside him comforting.

"Phillip what's wrong? Sweetheart please tell me." Travis watched as she moved closer to him, placing her head on his shoulder and softly wiping away his tears. He dropped his hands from his face and Travis could see that he'd been crying for awhile now. The feeling he had only grew and he couldn't stand still. Pacing the room and waiting was hard enough but Travis didn't know what was wrong and something was telling him to stay and listen.

"She probably hates me now. I shouldn't have even said anything to her. I don't know what I was thinking." He sobbed into his mother's shoulder. It took Travis a minute to figure out just what his father had said and when he did, the feeling of loss was extreme.

"Travis what is it?" His mother asked looking at him now with sadness in her eyes. How does he explain how he feel? The longer Travis stood here thinking about it, the worst he felt.

"I don't know how to explain it, mom. Dad I need to know what you said to Sierra? It's important." Travis was now starring at the back of his head and fighting hard to keep his voice normal. His own tears were falling down his cheeks and his mother's arm stretched out to comfort him now but Travis didn't move. Shaking his head to her, he stood where he was.

"The police called this morning saying they reopened the case because they received a new lead. The new lead took them back to the suspect they originally thought had committed the crime. Sierra didn't understand why I was sad. She said shouldn't we be happy about this and then I could see her mind working. The one question I dreaded answering, is the one she asked. Who they suspected? I said his name and she blew up. Accusing me of taking the side of the police. She yelled and screamed at me then left the room. I've been in here since she left, thinking she would go to her room and calm down. But when I went in there to talk to her again, explain my reasons, she wasn't there. Travis I've searched the house and can't find her anywhere. I don't know where she is but I do want to apologize to her. I didn't mean anything by it, honestly." Travis watched in surprise, the conversation they'd had wasn't at all what he thought it would be. Wait a minute, he didn't say who they suspected and whoever it was, was the reason Sierra is upset. The only person he could think of was the one he really didn't want to.

"Dad is it Simon? Did the police get a call about Simon?" His arms started shaking and the anger he felt now was too much to just stand here and have what he has said confirmed. He knew if he didn't get out of this house soon, all hell would break loose. Running out of the room and straight for the front door. He needed to find Sierra and fast before something else happened.

Even though it was dark outside, Travis still searched the grounds. Running one way and then the other but coming up empty every time. There was a lot of ground to cover and he didn't know if he could do it on his own. He pulled his cell phone out and called Jake. Knowing he would help and do anything for Sierra. Travis knew he couldn't go wrong with him.

"Jake, I need your help. Sierra's in trouble." Travis knew this would get the response he wanted but he hated it just the same.

"What happened? Where is she?" Jake urgently spoke into the phone. Travis could hear his breathing getting harder just thinking about her. This is what Travis despised about Jake, his longing to be with her.

"Simon is what happened and to where she is. I don't know. That's where I need your help. She could be anywhere by now." Just thinking about the possibilities of where she could be, had him shaking even harder. Why did he have to leave her? He should have stayed and helped her through this. "Jake look down where you are and I'll look up here." Travis shut his phone before he could hear his reply. Not that Travis cared what he was going to say anyway.

After running around the grounds once more and checking everyplace Travis could, he took off towards the gate. If she left then the guard would know something. The rain started falling but this only made him run harder and when he reached the gate, he was breathless. Bending over to catch his breath before asking if he had seen Sierra leave. He opened his mouth several times but couldn't find the words.

"Did....Sierra....leave?" Travis said each word in between breaths. Starring at Ron's face to see if he held information that he could use, information that maybe he was trying to keep from him.

"Yes she left some time ago." Ron looked at him then turned around and looked around at the outside grounds.

"Did you talk to her? Did she say where she was going? Did you see which direction she went?" All this came out of his mouth quickly and without giving Ron a chance to answer them.

"I was going to talk to her but when I saw her face, and the tears I figured it best that I not. I opened the gate and she walked that way." The guard pointed in the direction of her house and without saying anything else, Travis too took off in that direction. He didn't want to waist anymore time talking about it, he couldn't see that doing him any good.

Travis ran to the gate surrounding her property and had to squint to see the house. It was as dark as the night was. Walking faster down the drive and seeing the house come into view. That's where he saw the front door and it was wide open. It took everything he had to enter that house again. He climbed the steps one at a time and listened. Having to make sure no one would sneak up on and scare the crap out of him. With no sounds coming from inside the house or outside, he picked up his foot and placed it over the threshold.

The sudden feeling of regret hit him hard, raising his hands to his chest as he felt his heart beat out of control. He hated this house as much as Sierra did, maybe even more but he couldn't think about that now. He had to fight with the memories of that fateful day even harder, pushing them further down and hoping they would not resurface.

Travis walked into the living room but all was quiet in there. Moving closer to the stairs now, he could hear the soft cries from someone upstairs. Thinking it was Sierra and hoping it was, he took the stairs three at a time. Stopping at the top of the stairs and looking down the hallway. First to the left and not seeing anything then to the right. That's where he saw her and his heart stopped. Seeing her kneeling in front of her parents room, sobbing. Had his heart broken. He moved slowly to where she was and sat down behind her. Reaching out slowly and wrapping his arms around her. He heard her cries and her breathing was labored but she let him hold her and didn't push or fight with him. He didn't look into the room, He didn't need to, all the memories were flooding back now and all he could see was the life changing decision someone had made.

FIFTEEN:

Simon

THE only thing Sierra could see in front of her was her entire world falling apart. The room looked the same as the day she found them. The walls covered in blood, as well as everything else. How could this be? The only thing that was missing from this was her parents bodies. She starred into the room, holding her breath and trying to focus on the scene in front of her. Her mind had shut down of possible answers to how this can be. She couldn't feel her fingers or toes, as she sat there.

Sierra made herself blink so she could focus on what exactly she was seeing. Reaching up to wipe away the tears, she caught sight of the body that laid there in front of her. Trying to push herself up to see who it was but not getting any response from her body what so ever. Exhaling and then taking a deep breath, she pushed herself up so the only thing touching the ground where her knees. The minute she saw who it was, was the minute her body collapsed again. "Simon, NO!!" He was in the exact same place her father had been, with the exact same stab wounds. She cried, letting go of everything. Falling against the door frame and not caring about