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Chapter Twenty-One
"I'm so tired," Colleen murmured as they entered their house. The group nodded in agreement.
"We have rehearsal in the morning," Nick mentioned.
Shannon thought for a moment. "Do you guys want to meet for lunch atSerenity tomorrow?" she asked.
Brian nodded. "Sounds cool."
"Okay, plans made." Morgan started walking towards the stairs after shemade the statement, Howie and AJ following. Brian kissed Ryan goodnight and followed with Shannon and Morgan.
Colleen watched them leave as she grabbed the stack of mail from the entryway table and started sifting through it when Kevin came up behind her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
"Are you sure you're okay after your fall?" He started rubbing her neck as Colleen leaned her head forward to give him better access, since her neck was extremely sore after her fall off her horse.
"I'm fine, just tired." She lifted her head and stepped forward, turning towards him and grabbed his arm. "Go to bed, you have a busy day tomorrow," she said as she gently shoved him in the direction of the stairs.
Kevin nodded and murmured goodnight as he kissed her gently on the forehead. He turned and walked away, leaving Colleen alone in the foyer.
She looked around her as she stretched and yawned, listening to the sounds of a quiet house. She sighed and sat down and started opening the mail, setting the stuff for Shannon and Morgan aside.
"Bills, bills, more bills." She looked disgustedly at the pink slips of paper and stacked them together, intending to get out her checkbook tomorrow and pay them. She stopped sorting as she came to an unmarked envelope and paused. There was no stamp or return address, just her name in block letters. She opened it, curiously and a white piece of paper fell out.
I'M HERE
Colleen stared at the short phrase as a chill ran up and down her spine. She looked around her, scanning the shadows and darkness, fearing that they would come to life suddenly. She reread the letter and then silently slid it back in its envelope, thinking furiously.
She bit back a scream, as the phone rang suddenly, breaking the silence of the house like a rock breaking the surface of a pond. She grabbed it hurriedly.
"Hello?" Silence was the only thing she heard.
"Who's there?" Colleen asked loudly, looking around her nervously.
No answer.
Colleen was close to tears now as she pleaded for the person to answer her.
"I'm here," a distorted voice answered suddenly. Colleen threw the phone away from her, backing away to the wall, staring at where the phone lay on the ground. She clutched her knees to her chest when she noticed she still held the letter. She quickly threw it across the room, as if by distancing herself from the letter, she would distance herself from the author. After a couple of minutes, she started calming down.
"It's probably the same kids who have been calling all week," she reasoned, trying to calm herself with a rational explanation. After a couple more minutes passed, she realized that was probably the answer and her nerves calmed down at the thought of a harmless joke.
Not really funny, but harmless, she thought. She got up and walked across the room, picking up the letter and slowly tore it up.
"Stupid kids." And she walked up the stairs to her bedroom.
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