Read Gone (Parallel Trilogy, Book 1) for Free Online Page A

lived in our house very long. I could have made a mistake.
    Walking to the front door, I stepped outside and stood on the front porch. There was the green picket fence, just like I remembered it. I walked to the side of the house and saw Goldie’s favorite place to dig. I even saw her favorite toy mostly hidden under a bush.
    This is my house. But when did Mom and Dad buy the new furniture?
    I went back inside and headed up the stairs toward my bedroom and saw my closed bedroom door. Stopping in front of it, I hesitated, then turned the knob and pushed the door open. When I saw what was inside, my mouth fell open, my backpack slipped from my fingers, and I felt my knees go weak.
    My bedroom had been turned into a home gym. A treadmill, elliptical, and stationary bicycle lined up neatly in the middle of the room, all facing a wall-mounted television.
    “What the –“ I whispered. Upset and scared, I went to my parent’s room, but two steps in I stopped. Their furniture was all wrong—nothing I had seen before. Then I noticed the picture frames displayed on top of the dresser. Hurrying over, I quickly glanced at them, then picked one up.
    Breathless, I whispered, “Who the heck are you?”
    I gently set the frame next to the others and felt my world begin to crumble. I didn’t know one person in any of the pictures. Unreality pounded through me.
    What in the world is going on? Where is my family?
    Clearly they didn’t live in this house anymore. A distressing thought filled my mind. Had they moved out as soon as I’d left? I shook my head. No. Don’t be ridiculous. They couldn’t have moved out and had someone else move in that fast.
    Trying to push aside my utter bafflement, I tried to think about my survival. I wanted, no, needed, to find my family. But I didn’t know how long that would take and I knew from my recent experience in the woods that, at a minimum, I would need food and water.
    Trying not to look at the unwelcome furnishings, I left the bedroom and went straight to the kitchen. I flung open the pantry door and unzipped my backpack, putting a few bottles of water inside. I grabbed a box of crackers and a package of dried fruit and added them as well.
    “What do you think you’re doing?” a woman shrieked.
    I spun around, startled to see someone standing there. The woman stared at me and I knew that with my filthy clothes I must look frightening. “I was just looking for my family,” I managed to say.
    “In my pantry?”
    “Well, no. This house. It’s my house.”
    “I don’t think so,” she said, anger clear on her face. “It’s bought and paid for, thank you very much.” She stared at my feet. “And you’re tracking mud all through it.”
    I glanced at my shoes, then looked at her. “But when did you buy it? When did you move in?”
    “Weeks ago.”
    “But I was just here yesterday and you didn’t live here.”
    The woman looked at me like I had just gotten off the bus from crazy town.
    “I don’t know who you are,” she said. “But I live here now.”
    More confused than ever, I asked, “Do you know where the family went that used to live here?”
    “I have no idea. They are not my problem.”
    I noticed a look come across her face, almost like she felt guilty or something. Thinking I might ask the neighbors if they knew where my family had gone, I hefted my backpack onto one shoulder, grateful I had gotten a little bit of food.
    “Where do you think you’re going with that?” the woman asked, a look of fury on her face, as if I was stealing her heirloom jewels.
    “I’m going to find my family.” She stood between me and both the doorway to the living room and the back door through which I had originally come.
    “You may not take my food.”
    I noticed her fury was changing to distress.
    “Do you have any idea how long it took me to save all that up?” Her hands were on her hips and her jaw clenched as she spoke.
    I noticed she was pretty skinny and knew I could