Read Online Gone (Parallel Trilogy, Book 1) by Christine Kersey - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Christine Kersey
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my hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath.
Suddenly I noticed that the sun had gone down while I’d been napping, and it was nearly dark. Surprisingly, it didn’t seem chilly—and that wasn’t just because I’d been running. I’d slept without wearing my jacket and when I’d woken I hadn’t felt cold.
That’s really odd, I thought. Last night it had snowed a good foot, but today I hadn’t seen any snow and it didn’t even feel cold.
I made my way back to the bench where I’d left my pillow-jacket, glad I still had that at least. Silently cursing the two boys who had stolen all my other possessions, I reached the bench where I’d taken my nap and found my jacket, still bunched up like a pillow. Sitting again, I thought about what was in my backpack. My wallet had been in there with all of my money. All twenty dollars, or whatever I had left after the bus trip and lunch. Now I would have no way to buy anything.
Anger at the two boys washed over me and I shook my head, feeling helpless to do anything about it. What could I do, call the police? They would want to know who I was and what I was doing sleeping in the park. Of course I wouldn’t have to say I’d been sleeping, but I knew going to the police was a non-starter. What if that was who Mrs. Donaldson had been talking to on the phone? Had she given them my name? I frowned, knowing I would have to work this out on my own.
I leaned my head back and looked through the tree branches at the stars that blinked in the sky. My number one priority was to find my family. I believed once I found them, everything would be okay. But how could I find them? If I could just get online, surely I could figure out some way to track them down. Where could I find a computer?
The image of Rochelle’s empty house filled my mind.
They must have a computer, I thought. Plus if I can get inside it would be a safe place to spend the night.
I glanced around the now-deserted park. The thought of spending the night out here, by myself, made me shudder. Last night in the hut was bad enough, but out here in the open, anyone could show up and attack me. I’d already been robbed by two pre-pubescent boys. I didn’t want to imagine who else could be lurking about in the dark.
Suddenly feeling the need to get to a safe place, I stood and put my jacket on, even though it wasn’t cold; I wanted to keep my hands free in case I had to protect myself. I knew I was probably being paranoid, but when I remembered waking up to those two boys stealing my backpack right out of my hands, and then imagined who could be hiding behind the trees in the dark right this very second, I felt thoroughly freaked out.
Looking around in the dark, trying to convince myself that the shadows were just that, shadows, I hurried toward the corner that led to Rochelle’s house, happy to be leaving the park behind. When I could see Mrs. Donaldson’s house I slowed, worried that she would see me. I just knew if she saw me she would call the police. Hadn’t she been telling them (or whoever was on the phone) that I’d been “skulking about” and telling “wild stories”. Of course she would call the police if she saw me.
Thankful now for the darkness, I crossed the street so that I could stay as far away from Mrs. Donaldson’s house as possible. Though there were street lamps, none were near Rochelle’s house so I hoped I could get to her house unseen. As I made my way down the street I stayed close to the houses I passed and away from the street. It was a risk—what if someone saw me “skulking about”? But what really worried me was the thought of Mrs. Donaldson seeing me.
“I hate my life,” I muttered as I got closer to my destination.
A moment later I was across the street from Mrs. Donaldson’s house. Glancing in that direction, I willed myself to be invisible and hoped she wasn’t the type to randomly look out her front window. Walking as fast as I could, I made it past her house and
Suddenly I noticed that the sun had gone down while I’d been napping, and it was nearly dark. Surprisingly, it didn’t seem chilly—and that wasn’t just because I’d been running. I’d slept without wearing my jacket and when I’d woken I hadn’t felt cold.
That’s really odd, I thought. Last night it had snowed a good foot, but today I hadn’t seen any snow and it didn’t even feel cold.
I made my way back to the bench where I’d left my pillow-jacket, glad I still had that at least. Silently cursing the two boys who had stolen all my other possessions, I reached the bench where I’d taken my nap and found my jacket, still bunched up like a pillow. Sitting again, I thought about what was in my backpack. My wallet had been in there with all of my money. All twenty dollars, or whatever I had left after the bus trip and lunch. Now I would have no way to buy anything.
Anger at the two boys washed over me and I shook my head, feeling helpless to do anything about it. What could I do, call the police? They would want to know who I was and what I was doing sleeping in the park. Of course I wouldn’t have to say I’d been sleeping, but I knew going to the police was a non-starter. What if that was who Mrs. Donaldson had been talking to on the phone? Had she given them my name? I frowned, knowing I would have to work this out on my own.
I leaned my head back and looked through the tree branches at the stars that blinked in the sky. My number one priority was to find my family. I believed once I found them, everything would be okay. But how could I find them? If I could just get online, surely I could figure out some way to track them down. Where could I find a computer?
The image of Rochelle’s empty house filled my mind.
They must have a computer, I thought. Plus if I can get inside it would be a safe place to spend the night.
I glanced around the now-deserted park. The thought of spending the night out here, by myself, made me shudder. Last night in the hut was bad enough, but out here in the open, anyone could show up and attack me. I’d already been robbed by two pre-pubescent boys. I didn’t want to imagine who else could be lurking about in the dark.
Suddenly feeling the need to get to a safe place, I stood and put my jacket on, even though it wasn’t cold; I wanted to keep my hands free in case I had to protect myself. I knew I was probably being paranoid, but when I remembered waking up to those two boys stealing my backpack right out of my hands, and then imagined who could be hiding behind the trees in the dark right this very second, I felt thoroughly freaked out.
Looking around in the dark, trying to convince myself that the shadows were just that, shadows, I hurried toward the corner that led to Rochelle’s house, happy to be leaving the park behind. When I could see Mrs. Donaldson’s house I slowed, worried that she would see me. I just knew if she saw me she would call the police. Hadn’t she been telling them (or whoever was on the phone) that I’d been “skulking about” and telling “wild stories”. Of course she would call the police if she saw me.
Thankful now for the darkness, I crossed the street so that I could stay as far away from Mrs. Donaldson’s house as possible. Though there were street lamps, none were near Rochelle’s house so I hoped I could get to her house unseen. As I made my way down the street I stayed close to the houses I passed and away from the street. It was a risk—what if someone saw me “skulking about”? But what really worried me was the thought of Mrs. Donaldson seeing me.
“I hate my life,” I muttered as I got closer to my destination.
A moment later I was across the street from Mrs. Donaldson’s house. Glancing in that direction, I willed myself to be invisible and hoped she wasn’t the type to randomly look out her front window. Walking as fast as I could, I made it past her house and
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