Enders

Enders (12)

Train rides were long, but relaxing. When I found out I was going to be traveling by train, I hadn't been the most excited. But I was able to sleep in a car of my own without anyone bothering me, and without Kristie's snoring. So I was already enjoying myself.

The house I'd lived in with my parents wasn't very far from the DAU; just upstate. It was clear my parents didn't want to move too far away, but they didn't want to be close enough that a car ride would be something that could be doable every day.

Once I got to the station closest to my house, I got off the train and took a taxi, giving the driver the address. The ride felt like hours, but it couldn't have been more than twenty minutes. I paid the man and shuffled out of the car as quickly as I could, shouldering my duffle bag as I looked up at my childhood home before me.

It was snowy and cold outside, but I loved it. I'd always preferred the cold over the heat, so winter was a nice time for me. I was wrapped up in a scarf and beanie, enjoying the snow as it lightly flew against my face as I made my way to the house with the address I was given.

I don't know how long I stood in front of the house, just staring at it. I tried so hard to remember anything i could about the outside, but my mind was a blank. I must have spent most of my time indoors.

Finally, I began to make my way toward the front door. But as soon as I got in front of it, I froze. I had no idea what I was even supposed to do. Would I just ring the doorbell, bothering whoever lived there now with the information that I used to live there and wanted to look around? That was incredibly awkward. But what else was I supposed to do?

I rang the doorbell but got no response. I rang it once more, but the result was the same. There was no car in the driveway, so I should have expected as much. No one was home.

I probably should have just turned away and gave up, maybe come back later or another day, but I didn't want to. This was the closest I'd been to my parents in thirteen years. I didn't want to just walk away.

So when I reached for the doorknob, I wasn't even really thinking. If it was locked, I'd give up. If it wasn't, I'd go inside. I could have most likely gotten in pretty easily using my powers if the door was locked, but I wasn't going to resort to that.

To my surprised, the door was unlocked. It creaked as I opened it slowly, making my way inside. Closing the door behind me, I leaned against it and let out a long breath. This was probably a really bad idea, but I didn't even care.

I looked around the living room around me. In my broken hazy memories, I could remember how much the room still looked the same. I was surprised, since it'd been thirteen years since my parents and I had lived there.

When I heard scuffling across the room, I froze. I wasn't the one that should have been scared, since I was an intruder in someone else's house, but I still felt threatened. I immediately balled my hands into fists, ready to fight if I needed to.

I looked over to see an older woman staring back at me with wide eyes, and I immediately felt horrible. She looked as if she was in her sixties, and looked so utterly terrified over the fact that a strange teenage girl had just barged into her house for no apparent reason.

"I... I'm sorry," I apologized, realizing how creepy I must have looked just entering a stranger's house, even if the front door was unlocked. "I... I used to live here, and I just... I..."

I'd never been one that was good with words, and at that moment it was even worse. I didn't know if this was a someone who could be a threat or not; just because she was an older woman didn't mean anything.