#Chapter 16: Shattered Hopes

Celeste “Bye!” Fiona said, waving as she walked up the steps to her house. “See you tomorrow; and don’t forget to pack your gym clothes!” “I won’t,” I replied with a smile. I watched my friend disappear inside her house, and then headed down the street toward my own house. It wasn’t a long walk—just a few blocks. The rush of the day's accomplishments was still coursing through me when I pushed open the door to our shared home. But that high vanished the moment my gaze landed on the scene before me. “Jack!” I screamed, my voice echoing through the hallways. But I was met with only silence. Laid out in front of me was a trail of cornflower blue fabric. Each piece had been shredded and painstaking laid out in an obvious path leading up the stairs. Tears flowed freely as I slowly and shakily followed the path that had been left for me. With each step, my legs felt heavier, my soul felt more crushed. The trail disappeared under my bedroom d