After school, I got the file from Mr. Bellamy’s office and with two hands I carried it to Skye’s house, my back arching under the weight. Resting peacefully atop the stack was the mask and gloves I bought (with my orphan welfare money, mind you) and carried it to Skye’s house. I was glad my school was right next to the residential area she stayed at because I couldn’t imagine just how bad it was for my back to be carrying a file the size of a briefcase down 3 blocks.

3 blocks of the same looking, white picket fence, standardised houses that probably cost way more than they were worth. All the while trying to wring out answers from that goddamn bracelet.

“I thought you were supposed to help me,” I said. “The silent treatment is not helping. It’s just being a dick.”

Only silence. No silver glow, the only response I got was silence from the purple bead I got from Violetta.

On my way to Skye’s house, I thought about just how much changed within the 4 years I’ve been ‘away’. The city I was in 4 years in the future could’ve been a whole other country. For one, most of the residential area I was in had been cleared out in favour of a new mall and the convenience stops I wanted to get my mask and gloves from would only pop into existence two years later.

The design of the houses, though. That remained the same. Two storey houses with black tiled rooves, white paint, garage and a path that cut through the centre of a small, trimmed lawns, hell, even each houses mailbox were clear. The only distinguishing features between houses was the plot number in bright golden colours. I stared at the numbers to make sure I was going in the right direction. Skye’s house number was 333 and I had just passed 321 so I was on the right track.

“329, 330,” I muttered to myself. “331, 332…”

When compared to the houses, surrounding it, Skye’s stuck out like a sore thumb. The lawn hadn’t been trimmed in days, looking like uncombed hair. Poking out from the grass, jabbed in haphazard locations were red “KEEP OUT” and  yellow “CAUTION: BIOHAZARD” signs that were beginning to fade like the paint on the house. The metal of the garage door was starting to rust and the mailbox in the corner was looked as if were vomiting out the papers stuffed into its tiny mouth. A tiny pile of parcels and files with my school’s logo in the centre were piled at the side of the door and that’s where I assumed I was supposed to place my giant stack of homework also.

I took a deep breath. I put the file on the pavement, slipping on my gloves and putting on my mask before opening the picket gate.

The gate creaked on its hinges. I looked down and noticed the walkway to the house was slowly being eaten away by the grass. It was chipped and I almost found myself tripping over it a few times. I climbed up the stairs and rung the bell. It chimed. I waited a few minutes before ringing it again.

“Hello,” I said, my voice muffled by the mask. “Is anyone there?”

I waited a while before knocking.

“Hello,” I said. “I’m April Anji, I’m a classmate of yours. I’m here to deliver some homework.”

I tapped my feet. “I’m pretty sure you got the call from Mr. Bellamy.”

I sighed. “If you don’t respond I’m going to just leave it on the side here.”

There was a gust of wind. The papers in my file fluttered, I could hear the grass rustle and much to my surprise the door groaned open into a dusty, dark house pushed open by the wind.

“Um Skye,” I called out, my voice echoing in the house. “Your door’s open.”

No response except the darkness, the only light being what filtered through the door lighting up the doorway revealing a staircase to my right and a rusted hand sanitiser dispenser on the left, the pink liquid dripping out the weary spray bottle.

“I’m coming in,” I said. “I’ll uh, put your papers by the stairs. Do you even hear me…”

I stepped in making sure the door stayed open as I looked around the house. The passageway in front of me lead to what looked like a living room, I made out small shadowy lumps that looked like furniture. On my left was a kitchen, fridges were unmistakable no matter how creepy the house. On my right was a doorway that looked like it led to the garage and before that, a staircase. I walked towards the staircase, calling out to Skye.

“Hello, Skye,” I said. “I’m not sure if you’re around but I’ll be putting your homework down here. I seriously hope I didn’t just step into an empty house.”

I put the homework down by the stairs and turned to the doorway. But just as I was about to leave, and I mean just then, there was another gust of wind and the door slammed shut, the noise echoing loudly throughout the house, leaving me in pitch black darkness.

No Biggy, I thought. I’ll just open the door.

I grabbed the handle and tried to pull it open, but the door was stuck. Just then, Mr. Silver flashed on for a brief second showing me that the door was rusted on its hinges.

Don’t you just hate coincidences?

…

So here I was, stuck in a house where someone had an infectious disease, protected only by a face mask and some gloves. Not to mention I had no idea how the disease spread. I couldn’t touch anything lest I get sick and to make matters worse, I had no phone to call anyone for help.

“Hello Skye,” I said. “Mr. and Mrs. Butters. Anyone! Can you please help me out, I’m kinda stuck here!”

I took a few steps before calling out again. “I’m not a thief or a robber or anything. I just came here to give your daughter some homework.”

I paced around the passageway in circles while the wind whistled on outside.

“Hey,” I hissed, tapping my friendship bracelet. “A little light would be nice right about now, asshole.”

He didn’t respond. I let out a stifled groan.

I didn’t know how long I waited but after a few minutes I heard a door groan open upstairs.

“HELLO!” I yelled out, walking towards the stairs. “Sorry for all the noise. I’m your classmate April, I was asked by the school to bring you your homework. The door just closed and…”

No response. All I heard were the stairs creaking.

“Hello,” I said, my voice lowering. “Look I know how shady that sounds, but I really was sent by the school, I have the homework here. You just need to open the door and I’ll be off.”

The creaking got louder and louder.

“Are… am I talking to a ghost,” I said, letting out a laugh. “I’m sorry it’s just you’re awfully silent and…”

Just then, Mr. Silver went on. The sudden burst of light startled both me and the person who was climbing down the stairs. She let out a cute yelp and stumbled down the stairs.  The baseball bat she was holding almost hit me in the forehead causing me to step back just as the girl landed on me.

Don’t you just love coincidences?

Cause the girl that landed on me was a stunner. It didn’t matter that I was straight, her curly, waist length blonde hair was so long it made me want to run my fingers through it. She had a pair of beautiful blue eyes that matched her name, eyes, that even in the darkness shined like the moon. The features on her face were delicate from her cute nose to small lips. I wanted to run my fingers over the gentle curve her eyebrows made over her eyes and her eyelashes… I was jealous but more than that…

“I love you,” I said, pulling down my mask and turning her head to face me. “I love you so much. I want to marry you and we’ll have our honeymoon in Venice, we’ll see the sunset on the beach and…”

Just then the door swung open, but I didn’t care for the interruption. I wanted her and her alone.

“Harper,” she said calmly as if this was just a daily occurrence. But how could my love be just a daily occurrence, it was transcendent, beautiful. I would move continents just for her. I would say my vows a thousand times over just…

“We really need to get the door checked,” Harper said. Another woman. And what was with this ‘we’? It was only me and Skye. The rest of the world didn’t matter. Only she did. This Harper better not…

Harper went into the kitchen and just as our lips were about to touch, just as the deal was about to be sealed, I felt a sharp pain in my arm.

“What the hell did…”

My vision was hazy and through my hazy vision I saw Harper, a stout looking woman holding what looked like a syringe in her left hand.

“Anaesthetic,” she said but her brusque voice was far away. “Will give me enough time to administer the vaccine.”

Even through the thick haze I could hear Skye’s beautiful voice. “Did you really have to do that?”

“No,” Harper said. “But it was funny…”

That was the last thing I heard before sleep overcame my body.