Before the Darkest Storm

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"Stay here!" Seb ordered as he stepped away from me.

The jolt of the scream was still echoing through me as I stared up at him in awe.

"I'm not staying here! I'm coming with you." I told him and headed towards the door. I barely made it past him before he grabbed my upper arm and pulled me back.

His face was taut, no emotion visible.

"Fine! Stay close behind me." He marched out the door, and almost jogged down the hallway, and the stairs. His long strides were hard to keep up with, especially in four inch heels. I tried to use the railing on the stairs to keep me from falling, but that only made me slower so I quickly took my heels off and ran after him.

There was no sound downstairs, it was too quiet. I followed Seb around as he checked the various rooms downstairs. We finally arrived in the great room where we show the chairs over thrown, my dad's precious antiques broken, and then I saw it. A drop of blood on the creamy rug.

"Oh my god!" I exclaimed and frantically ran towards the kitchen. I didn't know why, but I was drawn towards it on instinct.

"Ana! Stop!" the voice was calling behind me. But I couldn't. I just rushed into the kitchen and saw Carrie near the sink with a few gauzes beside her.

"Carrie!" I couldn't believe how calm she looked, as if nothing had happened.

"Ana." She said with a smile, and pointed to the gauze, asking me to help her. Then she looked past me.

"There you are. You should call the police and tell them we have had another break-in." She told him, without even flinching.

I turned to Seb, but his face didn't betray any emotion that he was feeling. "Are you okay?" he asked Carrie, as he came towards her.

I looked at the cut on her arm, and almost sighed in relief. It was a nasty cut, but it didn't look very deep, and physically the rest of her looked okay.

"I'm fine, just this cut on my arm." She said shooing away Seb's searching gaze.

"I want to take you to the hospital." He told her, as I finished placing the gauze in place. I was surprised that I managed to place the gauze on her so steadily when I was feeling anything but inside.

"Don't be silly! I am fine! I just want you to call the police so I can tell them what happened." Carrie walked past us, and sat down at a barstool near the island in the kitchen.

Seb frowned, I could see the lines on his forehead as he tried to control his feelings. He pulled out his phone and swiftly spoke to officer on the other side.

"Carrie, what happened?" he asked gently when he hung up the phone.

She sighed before meeting his eyes. "I came out to get some water, when I heard some ruckus in the great room. I thought it was one of you and wanted to say good night." She turned towards me now. "But when I went in there I saw that everything was a mess, and someone was trying to pull open the drawers of those antique side tables. I think they heard me come, because they turned and froze for a second. Then before I knew it they shoved me towards that beautiful Russian sculpture and rushed out the door. The sculpture broke, and a piece cut my hand." She looked pointedly at Seb. "Now before you ask, I didn't see their face, they had a ski mask on. But I turned the cameras on, so they should be caught on tape."

I felt fear run through me. Much like the night of the first break-in, but this time it was even worst, because Carrie got hurt. I felt tears fill my eyes, and I tried to blink them away, but I wasn't quick enough and Carrie noticed.