Die Unknown: Chapter One

It was a soft call, clearly just informing but not persuading, that woke up Jay from his usual Saturday afternoon nap. It was her mother’s voice. She’s going to the market. He pushed the pillow off his chest and got up. He had to be a good son now.

Everything was yellow when he got out of the house. The kids rolling unused tires, teen couples secretly whispering under wide trees, fathers and mothers sitting on wooden stools not talking to each other. All was yellow, except maybe for the old ones. Where were they?

He closed his eyes, giving it a force. After counting to ten he slowly opened them. Everything’s color was back to normal.

“You’re leaving too?”

He looked back. Standing by the door was his little brother, crushing a teddy bear between his legs.

“We’ll be back soon. Just watch T.V. or invite your friends to play. Okay?”

“I’m scared. Grandma is here.”

“She’s not here. I have to go. Bye.”

His little brother Mark started to cry, pulled out the teddy bear from between his legs, hugged it, entered the house, and closed the door.

Mark was his grandma’s favorite grandchild. The teddy bear was a birthday gift from her. Since his grandma passed away two months ago, Mark wouldn’t leave the teddy bear. He said he always saw his grandma’s ghost staring at him all the time, and that she warned him not to lose the teddy bear because if he does, he will be dead too.