Chapter: The Silence at Home
1301 Words
April 5, 2000
“MOM!” Ethan called out, dashing downstairs, his backpack slung carelessly over his shoulder. “What is it, Ethan?” came his mother’s voice from the kitchen.
“Where is my assignment file?” he asked, glancing around the hallway.
His mother didn’t even look up from her newspaper. “How should I know? Where did you leave it? It’s your file.”
After a few more moments of frantic searching, Ethan groaned, sitting down at the kitchen table. He’d never been good at keeping track of his things.
“I swear, I put it on my desk last night,” he said, trying to force down a mouthful of bagel.
His mom finally set her paper down and looked at him over the rim of her glasses. “Then, it must be there. Just look carefully, and you’ll find it.”
Ethan sighed dramatically, stretching his arms over his head. “I swear, something’s off in this house. Like, I feel like someone’s stealing our stuff when no one’s awake.”
His mother chuckled, shaking her head. “Yeah, sure. All they’re stealing is your homework in this place, right?” She raised her eyebrows at him, clearly amused by his exaggerated worries.
Ignoring her sarcasm, Ethan muttered, “It’s not just the homework, Mom. It’s my socks, your bracelet, and so many other things that went missing earlier this month.”
Sighing, his mother put down her paper with a slight frown. “Mr. Dramatic, will you check the sofa table? Your file’s probably sitting there.”
Ethan turned around and, sure enough, there it was. His file sat innocently on the sofa table, like it had been waiting for him all along. He grinned sheepishly and turned back to his mother. “That’s why you’re the best mom in the world,” he said, winking at her.
She smiled, shaking her head. “Stop buttering me up, you brat. And wear your shoes. I’ll drive you to school.”
Ethan quickly zipped his bag, grabbed the house keys, and slipped on his shoes. As he walked out the door and into the car, he noticed something strange—his father’s car was absent. He hadn’t seen his father around since the night before.
“Mom, where’s Dad?” Ethan asked, pulling the seatbelt across his chest. “I haven’t seen him at all today, not even at breakfast.”
His mother seemed to tense at his question, her fingers gripping the steering wheel a little tighter. A few moments of silence passed before she spoke.
“Your father came home late last night. That’s why you didn’t see him at the dining table,” she answered, her voice oddly controlled.
Ethan didn’t press her further, sensing the shift in the air. He just nodded, still feeling a little uneasy.
After a few minutes, his mom snapped him out of his thoughts. “Alright, kiddo. Your school’s here. Make sure you behave and have fun on your first day of high school.”
Ethan groaned, puffing his cheeks in embarrassment. “Geez, Mom, it sounds like you’re taking me to kindergarten.”
His mother chuckled softly, holding back a laugh. “Aww, I remember the first day I took you to kindergarten. You started crying, holding my legs and begging me not to let go. Your teacher had to pull you off me after thirty minutes.”
“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Ethan muttered, his face burning with embarrassment.
“Bye, Mom,” he said softly, planting a kiss on her cheek before stepping out of the car.
“Bye, baby,” she called, her voice warm as she drove away.
---
The day seemed to drag on for Ethan, but eventually, the final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. He gathered his things and headed out the doors, looking around for his mom. Usually, she was there waiting for him, but today, he didn’t spot her.
That was unusual.
He stood in the entrance, eyes scanning the parking lot. Where was she? She never forgot him. It wasn’t like her.
A hand on his shoulder made him jump. He turned to find his best friend, Lex, grinning widely at him.
“Dude, what’s with the confused face?” Lex asked, amusement in his voice.
Ethan smiled weakly and ruffled Lex’s hair, trying to act normal. “I don’t know. I was just wondering where my mom is. It’s weird. She’s usually here by now.”
Lex shrugged, unfazed. “She’s probably stuck in traffic or something. It’s not like the world’s ending.”
“Yeah, I guess,” Ethan said, still uneasy. But then Lex’s suggestion hit him.
“Just call her, dude,” he said, patting Ethan on the back.
Ethan froze. Why didn’t he think of that? He pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed his mom’s number. But to his surprise, the call didn’t go through. The screen read: The number you’re dialing is unreachable.
His heart skipped a beat.
That was weird. His mom’s phone was always on. What was going on?
He stared at the phone, confused.
“Now what?” he muttered.
“Hey, come with me. My mom can drop you off at your place,” Lex offered. The suggestion sounded simple enough, so Ethan agreed. Anything to get his mind off the strange situation.
The ride was mostly silent. They pulled up to Ethan’s house, and Lex’s mom waved before pulling away. But when Ethan stepped out of the car and looked up, his unease grew.
His mom’s car was parked in the driveway, but there was no sign of her. He walked up to the door, calling out, “MOM, I’M HOME!” but the house was silent.
He pushed the door open and stepped inside, slipping off his shoes as he always did.
The lights were off.
It was eerily quiet.
He called out again, “Mom?”
Nothing.
He flicked on the light switch, trying to push the creeping fear from his mind, but the house felt wrong.
The living room was empty. The TV was still on, but no one was watching it. He went into the kitchen, his heart racing. It was empty, but the oven was on, its heat radiating in the otherwise cold room.
He turned it off, his movements automatic, and then he went outside to the garden. Empty. Just a few cans of beer scattered across the grass.
Frustrated, he threw his bag to the floor and ran upstairs. The house felt colder now.
The lights upstairs were off too. He flicked on the switch, but the feeling of dread only deepened. He walked down the hallway, sniffing the air. Something didn’t smell right.
The smell was putrid, sharp, something he couldn’t quite place. His stomach churned, and his mind screamed that something was horribly wrong.
Then, as he reached his parents' bedroom, the door creaked open.
And there, in the dim light, he saw it.
His mother—his beautiful, warm, always-loving mother—lay on the floor, lifeless. The sight hit him like a brick wall. His knees buckled beneath him, and he gasped for breath, but no sound came.
His world shifted on its axis.
Ethan sank to his knees beside her, shaking her desperately, but she didn’t respond. Her once bright eyes were now dull, lifeless.
The silence was deafening.
His mother was gone.
He had no idea what to do, what had happened, or who had done this to her. His mind was spinning as he tried to make sense of the mess in front of him.
But nothing made sense.
This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.
And just like that, Ethan’s world had crumbled.
- Writer
