Deadly Hallows [Complete]

Chapter 19: Midwinter's Night

I was curled up in a ball under my comforter with my phone lighting the room around me as I played a game on my phone. To be honest I wasn't  sure why I was still awake except for the fact that I wasn't tired. It was past midnight because John and my parents had gone to bed, and now the house was silent; it was eerie and I hated it. It reminded me of every horror movie I had ever seen. I was just waiting for the killer to make a step and cause the slightest sound in the house to make me paranoid.

There was nothing but silence, but occasionally I'd hear a sound that made me want to look around my room, and shine a light into every dark corner. I knew no one was in the house, but you could never be one hundred percent sure. I had just settled underneath my covers again when a loud creak, as if our front door was opening, met my ears. I froze. I wanted to get up and look around, but at the same time I'd rather get my dad to do it. I waited in an intense silence, waiting to see if I heard anything else when my phone buzzed loudly on the night stand beside me. Luckily, I had held back the scream or my whole house would be up. I needed to stop watching horror movies. 

I glanced down at the screen to see Mason calling me. Not again. Does this boy ever sleep?

Despite my thoughts, I clicked the answer button and held the phone to my ear. I couldn't just let it ring and pretend to be asleep. What if he had found something else? "Mason?" I answered, sitting up as I started to get out of bed. I had a feeling we were going to have another night time meeting. He rarely called me unless it was something important, and even then he mostly would just text me. 

"Hey, can you come outside?" His voice was steady and calm. At least it wasn't something as Earth-shattering as the news last time had been. When he called to drop the bomb on me about us sharing a half sibling he was in a panic. He spoke fast and seemed to rush in order to get me outside.

"I'll be right there." 

I stepped out of bed and quickly put on my shoes. Then I picked up a jacket from my dresser chair to keep out the chill of the cold October air. In less than a week the temperature had dropped drastically from being humid, to being crisp. I wish it would go back to being warm. After I was ready, I walked slowly to my door and was quiet as I exited the room and entered the hallway. Even though I was sure that everyone was asleep, I scanned the halls just for good measure before proceeding toward the staircase. I had gotten through this once before, and I hoped I could do it again.

I made my way quietly down the hallway and descended the stairs, making sure to skip the ones that squeaked again and eventually sliding down the banister, which I hadn't done since I was six. When I reached the front door, I pulled it open slowly and once again spotted Mason instantly. He was standing in the same spot in my yard as he was last time, except this time he wasn't holding anything. He was wearing a black coat, and nervously running his fingers through his hair. Something was wrong.

 I stepped out into the cold and shut the door behind me. He didn't move when I came out, so I went to join him in the yard. My body was shaking, but not from the cold. I was nervous about whatever information he had found out this time. I just hoped it wouldn't break us.

I took a deep breath to prepare myself for what was to come before I asked, "What did you find?" I stepped closer to him. 

Mason raised his eyes from where they had been looking at the ground and stared into my eyes. He shrugged, as if he wasn't willing to speak. I could see that he was having an inner debate with himself, but he seemed almost haunted as if worried about something. "I didn't find anything."

I frowned, not at the fact that he hadn't found anything, but in confusion that he had come all the way here at such a late hour to tell me he hadn't found anything. I was happy that he didn't have any more information, but also not. The more information that we had, the sooner we could go to the police and prove that Sophie hadn't committed suicide. "Then why are you here?" I asked curiously. I hadn't intended for my words to come out as rudely as they had, but he didn't seem to be affected by them. I glanced down at my cell phone, pressing the home button. When the screen lit up it told me we were standing outside my house at 1:12 in the morning for nothing.