Chapter 6: The Guests Who Weren’t Welcome Anymore
By Wednesday, Sarah and Michael had no choice but to leave.
They had spent two nights sleeping on air mattresses in the empty house, using old towels as blankets and eating whatever food was left in the pantry. The electricity was still on, but the Wi-Fi had been disconnected. The silence of the house made every small sound feel louder.
Michael spent most of Tuesday making phone calls. He tried old friends, distant relatives, even a few coworkers. No one offered them a place to stay for more than a few days. Word had already spread about what happened. People were uncomfortable getting involved.
On Wednesday morning, they finally packed what little they had left into Michael’s car and drove away.
I watched through the security cameras as they loaded the last few boxes. Sarah stood in the driveway for a long time, staring at the house. She looked smaller than I remembered. Michael kept checking his phone, probably hoping someone would reply to one of his desperate messages.
They didn’t take much. Most of the furniture had been mine. The things they had bought during their time in the house were few and inexpensive. In the end, everything they owned fit into the trunk and backseat of one car.
Before they drove off, Michael turned and looked directly at one of the cameras. He knew I was watching.
He didn’t wave. He didn’t smile. He simply stared for several seconds before getting into the car and driving away.
I turned off the camera feed and closed my laptop.
May you like
They were gone.
But the damage they had caused wasn’t over yet.
