Zenon's Game Chapter 122

I need to move. I need to do something. Time has been rolling and I have not moved an inch. Instead, I'm having the longest conversation with myself in my head.

"Help," I squeaked.

Maybe a pigeon would've heard me. They have really good hearing, right?

Not the point.

I took three steps back and my legs felt like lead. Ooh boy, was I in trouble.

With shaky hands, I knelt to the ground and unzipped my bag. I rummaged for my phone while my eyes stayed fixed on the jersey and ultimately pulled it out. There was only one person I could think to call.

I just hoped he'd pick up.

The phone rang.

On the fourth ring, he picked up.

His voice breezed through the phone: "Changed your mind about knocking boots?"

I...

He could sense the tension on the call. "Candy? What's wrong?"

"There's..." I exhaled and tried again, "I..."

I don't know why the words weren't coming to me. I guess I was scared to verbalize what I was seeing. It would make it infinitely more real.

"Stay there. I'm coming over," he said and hung up.

Thank you.

I exhaled a sigh of relief. I felt better already knowing that Zenon was coming over. This situation had made me scared and vulnerable and I feel like he's a source of confidence and strength.

Then I remembered something.

Heidi was here.

I stood up and left the contents of my backpack sprawled across the hallway. My hands gripped the banister as I peered downstairs. Heidi was sitting on our green sofa, with her laptop on her lap and the TV on in front of her. Her hair was wet and wrapped in a towel on top of her head.

She was eating Cheetos.

"Um..." I coughed to clear my throat, "Heidi?"

She didn't respond. Her head bobbed and I realized that she had earphones in. With the sound of the TV and the music in her earphones, there was no way she would hear me.

The front door knocked – and I knew who that was. I was about to run downstairs when he realized that our front door was unlocked and strolled in.

Seeing Zenon at the hallway of our door sent the bag of Cheetos flying out of Heidi's hands. Her laptop flopped off her lap and onto the couch and she whipped her hair out of the towel.

I've never seen anyone react so quickly to anything before.

Zenon was taken aback. He kept his distance as he walked round the back of the couch and towards the staircase.

"Zenon Albert!" she exclaimed, following him around the back of the couch, "You're in our house! Do you want to stay for dinner? We can invite some of your-"

"Candy," Zenon exhaled, seeing me staring down at them from the second floor.

"Oh, wrong house," Heidi sighed sadly, "No Candy here."

We both ignored her as Zenon bolted up the stairs, two steps at a time. He wrapped his strong arms around me, and I buried my head into his chest, wishing, wishing that I never had to look up.

Being with Zenon was like a dream. Why did reality have to be this way?

"Candace? Zenon? What are you up to?" Heidi asked, running up the stairs after him.

Her music was playing in the background, so was the TV and whatever else she was doing. There was so much noise.

"Zenon," I whispered, and slowly raised my finger. I pointed at my door. My bedroom door, the room where I slept every night... was violated.

Zenon was staring intently at me, trying to understand what had made me this way. Just ten minutes ago, we had been laughing and kissing in the front seat of his car. Now...

He looked down at my finger and then followed where it was pointing to.

The. Blood. On. My. Doorknob.

"AHHHHHH!" A high-pitched scream startled us.

We both spun around, and Zenon's arm gripped me tighter. Who the-

Heidi was staring at my bedroom door, screaming an octave higher than eagle's screech.

So she didn't know then.

The jersey dripped blood. How much blood does this thing have? Will it ever stop dripping?! Each drop terrified me because it was one more drop out of someone's body...

"Please tell me that's ketchup," Heidi leaned against me, feeling very faint.

Oh yeah, she gets queasy around blood and needles.

Zenon let go of me and went towards it, "What the f-"

The door slammed against my bedroom wall as Zenon kicked it open. Both my sister and I jumped.

Zenon walked into the room without any fear. If anything, he looked p*ssed.

"Be careful," I warned, running forwards to help him.

There could be an axe-wielding murderer in my bedroom! Or a psychotic criminal hiding behind my stuffed animals. And he just strolls in-

"Candace!" my sister screamed.

Honestly, her screams are worse than a key scraping against a car.

I realized why she was screaming. I had just stepped into the pool of blood.

Oh! No, no! I hopped around, trying to shake my shoe off me without touching the blood. My sister looked even more queasy now and hurried towards the nearest window. She shoved it open and stuck her head out to breathe fresh air.

I hope she wasn't about to throw up.

"Axel Thomas," she exclaimed at something below. "Oh my god! Axel and a really old lady! Help!"

"Axel?" I looked at Zenon, scared for what that meant.

He stared back at me and took my hand. We both joined my sister at the window and peered out. I braced myself for what I was about to see.

Axel had been eating fries at the mall an hour ago and he wasn't wearing a jersey. This couldn't be his blood... not Axel.

"Axel," Zenon called out.