Locked Heart
Chapter Seven - Caleb
Caleb slammed her hand down on her ringing alarm clock, moaning slightly. Not today. She felt too…muggy to go to school. Her gut felt hollow, and her heart throbbed momentarily for just two days ago. When things had been absolutely normal.
She turned over onto her stomach, hugging her pillow, before reluctantly getting up and shifting out into the hallway. Her grandmother was already up, shuffling out of the bathroom with her cast on.
“Oh, dear, you look terrible.” The old woman sighed apologetically. “Why don’t you take a break from school and work for today?”
Caleb wasn’t one to complain. She needed the break, any way, but she was already up, and didn’t want to go back to sleep. She hadn’t had any nightmares yet, but she didn’t want to risk it.
After helping her grandmother down the stairs and made both of them some nice tea, the woman fell asleep in her armchair, the TV still flickering images in the dim light of the morning.
Caleb hadn’t even realized she picked up the phone until she had it pressed against her ear, listening to the loud ringing.
“Hello?” The familiar voice made her suck in her breath happily.
“Mom.” The word came out a hoarse whisper.
“Callie! Oh, sweetypie! You’re alright! Greg told me, he told me everything, and I’m so sorry! Me and your father, we would be there by now, but we’re caught up in so much stuff ourselves and-“
“Mom.” Caleb said again, and the other line went silent. “It’s alright. I’m alright. Granny explained…most things to me, and so did Gregory. I’m just kind of…well, I’m sort of…”
“Confused. Scared.” Her mother answered for her. “Look, honey, Greg will protect you and your grandmother. Just please trust Greg, and the people he introduces you to…” Her mother went on, but Caleb’s attention turned to the TV. The news reporter was saying something about a murder. Caleb grabbed the remote and turned the TV up slightly.
“…With two, what appears to be, needle marks on the neck. Police will give no other information about the homicide until further notice. On other news…”
“Callie? Caleb? Sweety, are you still there?” Caleb snapped back to attention, realizing she was staring at the TV with her mouth slightly open. She snapped it shut, slamming the phone down on the receiver just as there was a knock on her door. Her gaze snapped to the window, and she ran over, peering out. The boy. The boy was on her front door step.
Her breath caught at the back of her throat, and she quickly drew the curtains together. The door was still locked from last night, thank god. She gazed out into the hall, before running past the front door and into the kitchen, shivers running down her spine as she did so. She closed and locked the windows in the kitchen, and then the dining room. Oh god, oh god.
The knocking ceased. She stood in the dining room doorway, holding her breath. At a loud bang, something that sounded like metal being thrown against the door, her knees gave out from under her and she sank to the ground, covering her face with her hands. This was so unreal. It couldn’t be happening. Wake up, wake up!
There was another bang, and then another, before it abruptly ended. She realized her nose was running, and she wiped it on her sleeve angrily. Where was Gregory? Wasn’t he supposed to be protecting her? Where was her…
“Granny!” She squeaked. She had closed the curtains, but she hadn’t locked the window! She jumped up, darting into the living room. Her grandmother was awake, staying perfectly still. She looked over sharply as Caleb came running in. The girl quickly slid her hands between the curtains and slammed the lock down on the window.
“Dear, it’s alright, he left.” Her grandmother said quietly. Caleb glanced at her, wiping her nose again.
“How do you know?” She whispered, but before the woman could answer, Caleb rushed over and hugged her. “Oh please, please, this can’t be happening.” She whimpered. “What am I supposed to do?” She relaxed slightly when she felt her grandmother brush her hair gently.
“You just have to take care of the locket.” The old lady whispered. Caleb’s hand automatically lifted and touched the lump under her shirt. The house fell absolutely silent, and her grandmother continued stroking her hair as they both sat there, not sure what else to expect.
Caleb jumped when there was loud banging on the door. “This is Greg! Are you alright?!” came the voice from outside.
She turned over onto her stomach, hugging her pillow, before reluctantly getting up and shifting out into the hallway. Her grandmother was already up, shuffling out of the bathroom with her cast on.
“Oh, dear, you look terrible.” The old woman sighed apologetically. “Why don’t you take a break from school and work for today?”
Caleb wasn’t one to complain. She needed the break, any way, but she was already up, and didn’t want to go back to sleep. She hadn’t had any nightmares yet, but she didn’t want to risk it.
After helping her grandmother down the stairs and made both of them some nice tea, the woman fell asleep in her armchair, the TV still flickering images in the dim light of the morning.
Caleb hadn’t even realized she picked up the phone until she had it pressed against her ear, listening to the loud ringing.
“Hello?” The familiar voice made her suck in her breath happily.
“Mom.” The word came out a hoarse whisper.
“Callie! Oh, sweetypie! You’re alright! Greg told me, he told me everything, and I’m so sorry! Me and your father, we would be there by now, but we’re caught up in so much stuff ourselves and-“
“Mom.” Caleb said again, and the other line went silent. “It’s alright. I’m alright. Granny explained…most things to me, and so did Gregory. I’m just kind of…well, I’m sort of…”
“Confused. Scared.” Her mother answered for her. “Look, honey, Greg will protect you and your grandmother. Just please trust Greg, and the people he introduces you to…” Her mother went on, but Caleb’s attention turned to the TV. The news reporter was saying something about a murder. Caleb grabbed the remote and turned the TV up slightly.
“…With two, what appears to be, needle marks on the neck. Police will give no other information about the homicide until further notice. On other news…”
“Callie? Caleb? Sweety, are you still there?” Caleb snapped back to attention, realizing she was staring at the TV with her mouth slightly open. She snapped it shut, slamming the phone down on the receiver just as there was a knock on her door. Her gaze snapped to the window, and she ran over, peering out. The boy. The boy was on her front door step.
Her breath caught at the back of her throat, and she quickly drew the curtains together. The door was still locked from last night, thank god. She gazed out into the hall, before running past the front door and into the kitchen, shivers running down her spine as she did so. She closed and locked the windows in the kitchen, and then the dining room. Oh god, oh god.
The knocking ceased. She stood in the dining room doorway, holding her breath. At a loud bang, something that sounded like metal being thrown against the door, her knees gave out from under her and she sank to the ground, covering her face with her hands. This was so unreal. It couldn’t be happening. Wake up, wake up!
There was another bang, and then another, before it abruptly ended. She realized her nose was running, and she wiped it on her sleeve angrily. Where was Gregory? Wasn’t he supposed to be protecting her? Where was her…
“Granny!” She squeaked. She had closed the curtains, but she hadn’t locked the window! She jumped up, darting into the living room. Her grandmother was awake, staying perfectly still. She looked over sharply as Caleb came running in. The girl quickly slid her hands between the curtains and slammed the lock down on the window.
“Dear, it’s alright, he left.” Her grandmother said quietly. Caleb glanced at her, wiping her nose again.
“How do you know?” She whispered, but before the woman could answer, Caleb rushed over and hugged her. “Oh please, please, this can’t be happening.” She whimpered. “What am I supposed to do?” She relaxed slightly when she felt her grandmother brush her hair gently.
“You just have to take care of the locket.” The old lady whispered. Caleb’s hand automatically lifted and touched the lump under her shirt. The house fell absolutely silent, and her grandmother continued stroking her hair as they both sat there, not sure what else to expect.
Caleb jumped when there was loud banging on the door. “This is Greg! Are you alright?!” came the voice from outside.