The Night Children

Chapter 7

Edited

The absence of Amber Harrington had the same impact on the town as a bolt of lightning striking a charred tree. She was always seen down the hallway with her long red hair and fair skin. She was a studious girl, one that never missed a day of school and only ever received distinctions in her work.

I now glanced towards her unoccupied seat, her missing figure providing me with a wave of uneasiness. I wasn't the only one looking in that directly either. Several cautious eyes stared down the front row seat, as if waiting for Amber to suddenly return.

I reverted my gaze to focus on Miss Steer who was currently writing equations on the board. However, my mind was elsewhere – the several new headlines, police reports and investigations in the news. Most of these reports involved a concerned officer voicing their worries, stating that 'If anyone knows of her whereabouts, please contact us immediately.'

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Aleena fidgeting, her eyebrows creased in deep thought. I knew what she was thinking. It was the thought that everyone had but were too afraid to voice.

Was Amber dead?

With several blizzards forecasted in upcoming weeks, I knew she wouldn't survive on her own outside. But she was a smart girl, one that would never do anything considered stupid. She wouldn't disappear without some sort of plan, in fact – she wouldn't disappear at all.

I blinked and forced myself to write down the equations on the board, shutting off my mind of the sinister thoughts that crept into my conscious. But the constant dread still settled deep into my chest, burying a hole in my heart so it resulted in skipping several beats.

Amber's case reminded me too much of my fathers. A part of me wondered if she was curled up under metres of snow, her lungs coated in snow, her screams muffled by the ice that crushed her windpipe.

I shivered and glanced back at Aleena. She looked up me and rose her eyebrows, but she didn't make a motion to comfort me. She never was a comforter. She was a doer. Emotions are for the over thinkers she would say.

I offered her a weak smile and her eyes glinted in return. That was as close as I was going to get to a smile from Aleena.

Although Amber was only reported missing Saturday night, the possibility that she had died on the first night was a major concept. I had heard whispers around the town, chatter in hushed voices exclaiming someone took her. They said maybe it was the same shadow who took my father from the woods. I knew they were wrong.

My father died eleven years ago in a blizzard. And that was that.

"Right."

My head shot up to Miss Steer's, along with practically everyone else's. She eyed the class off with her soft hazel eyes. I only just noticed how old she looked, a concentration wrinkle forming in-between her eyebrows.

She continued after gazing at the class. "I would be lying if I thought any of you are paying attention in this class." No one replied, they only stared emotionlessly towards her.

Miss Steer let out a sigh, her eyes flicking involuntarily to Ambers empty seat before flitting over to mine. "It's pointless trying to teach this lesson if all of you are distracted. You may do individual study for the rest of the lesson."
Nobody made a sound or a movement. It was like everyone was trapped in cement. Miss Steer openly frowned, her eyes darkening to a look of pity. She opened her mouth to say something but then a hand shot up from the corner of the room. I looked over to see a boy who always constantly talked during the lesson. I personally thought he was too involved in other people's business, his mouth quick to ask questions regarding any sensitive topic.