Once Walked With Dragons
Chapter Sixteen

By sunset, they reached their home.

‘Is your ride home always this rough?’ Deryck asked.

‘Lately.’ Jonathan said.

‘At least we’re home now.’ Joseph added.

‘Yeah.’ Alexander said with a smile.

Keara kept staring at the house. The sun had barely started setting. Why wasn’t anyone outside?

‘Something’s not right.’ Keara mumbled.

Michael looked at her.

‘Where are the kids? It’s too early for them to be inside already.’ Keara said again.

Michael realized what Keara was saying. Usually by this time, his son was already sitting in the saddle with him, riding towards the house.

‘You feel that?’ Joseph asked.

‘Someone was here.’ Keara said and urged Legacy into a slow run.

The others followed her. Keara climbed off Legacy just as he came to a stop and ran into the house, shouting, ‘Mom!? Dad!? Anyone!?’

Everyone ran into the house, going up the stairs, calling everyone’s name they could think of.

Keara found no one in the house, so she headed to the back door. She slowly took a few steps outside, but couldn’t get herself to move any further. Her eyes started to fill with tears.

‘Keara, I can’t replace anyone.’ Joseph stated as he came running through the back door. He stopped in his tracks a few steps behind her, ‘Oh no.’

The others shortly followed. Michael, Alexander and Jonathan ran to their families lying motionless on the forest floor. Each one of them unable to contain their tears and rage. Hoping they would still be alive.