by Jacque' Stoddard

Created on: August 11, 2008

Silent Homecoming

Ella walked into the house with the backpack slung over one shoulder, pulling out the elastics that held her braids in place. She grumbled over the way her father still insisted she wear braids to school everyday since her mother disappeared. It was his way of keeping her with them. He'd taken up the job of straightening the pictures on the walls and the doilies on the back of the long couch and chairs in the living room. There were many things her father did in his years of longing for his wife to return.

"I'm a big girl now." She whispered, expecting her father to be in ear shot as he was every afternoon.

Ella looked at the kitchen counter as she set her bag and elastics on the table. The counter was empty. A scowl overtook her ten year old face. Her father always had a snack laid out for her. He always greeted her within minutes of her walking into the house.

"Dad?" Ella said in a low tone.

Silence answered her, sending a chill up her small back. There were no footsteps. Nothing to say her dad was in the house. She looked at the clock to see if she'd gotten home early and then wondered if her father's car was in the driveway. Ella had been so busy talking to her friend Kate as they walked to the dividing line between their yards that she hadn't even looked for the car.

The house was still. It wasn't that she was afraid to be alone in the house, it was just odd that he hadn't greeted her yet. Her father would always be there for her when she arrived home from school. He'd take the time to look at her homework, ask if she understood it and offer help before he returned to the law office. Ella was comfortable being there alone, knowing he'd return at 5:30 on the dot to share dinner with her.

Ella said his name again as she walked over to look out the window for his car. When she saw the navy sedan parked in the open garage she breathed a sigh and went to the refrigerator to scan for a snack, thinking any moment he'd walk into the room. She closed the door and decided to go find out what he was up to.

She walked through the swinging door that led to the dining room and stopped when she saw the bookcase in the living room was leaning over the chair. Books strewn about the floor in front of it.

"Dad?" She called as she slowly walked through the dining room to the archway that joined it to the living room. "The bookcase fell." She whispered. "Dad. Can you please answer me?"

She heard a thud above her and looked over at the stairway as she walked

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