I sat on the end of my bed, flipping through an old yearbook. As I came to the athletic section, I couldn’t help but remember my high school experience. I loved the majority of high school, but track is what kept me grounded. I wasn’t the fastest but I could run. Most of my closest friends were made through track, so I have many reasons to appreciate the sport. When I first started my mom always came out to watch me but when my parents divorced, neither of them ever came to cheer me on again. I quickly looked up as I heard my bedroom door being pushed open. It was my mom, she had made dinner reservations but forgot I’d be here this weekend, so I get to stay home. I slammed the yearbook closed and threw it on my bed. Somehow my mom always seems to forget me, no matter how unforgettable I try to make myself. I laid back and stared into the fluorescent light, trying to keep the tears from coming out. The lights flickered and everything went dark.
I woke up with a killer headache, I guess I had fallen asleep. I stood up and put the yearbook back on the shelf, and glanced at the clock. It was 1:18 a.m., I looked out the window to see if my mom’s car had reappeared in the drive way, it hadn’t. I called her, once, twice, three times and still no answer. I called a fourth time and left a voice message.” Hey Mom, are you ever coming home? It’s getting pretty late and you have work tomorrow. Just call me back when you get this, or come home. Love you.” I picked up my shoes and set them by the door. My phone started ringing, And I ran to answer it.” Hello?” No response. “Hello? Mom?” Still nothing. I sat there and looked at the number which had called me. I could’ve sworn it was my mom’s number, but her contact name wasn’t showing up with it. I put the phone back to my ear and heard faint breathing,” Who is this?”
The breathing got louder. I started to panic, I ran to my door and locked it. The phone went dead, I clicked on the dial pad and started dialing 911, when all of a sudden, all three of my windows shattered. I ducked immediately and covered my face, I waited a few seconds and looked up, no one was there. I got to my feet and walked over to one of the windows, in the driveway was a dark brown pickup truck. I winced at the sound of knocking on my bedroom door. I slowly walked over to my closet and slid in. I crouched behind my box of shoes and covered my mouth. The knocking continued, It turned into banging. Tears welled up in my eyes and I blinked to clear my eyes. My bedroom door burst open and a short white man was now standing in my room, footsteps came from behind him and another man entered my room. The short one was unfamiliar, he had long black hair
and squinty brown eyes. The man behind him looked vaguely familiar. He was young, maybe a little older than me. He looked like he could be the son of the first man.
They both held crowbars, and the younger man had a gun tucked into his pants. They started walking around my room looking through everything and damaging a lot in the process. I couldn’t tell if they were looking for me or for something else. The older man flipped my bed, and started looking through all the books on my shelf. I held my breath as I saw the younger man walk towards the closet doors and stop. He opened the doors and looked straight at me. “Found her,” he said to the other man. It felt like my head being ripped off as he dragged me out of the closet. I screamed all the way down the stairs. The older man screamed at me to shut up but I just kept screaming. Everything went black but I was awake. I started to lose my breath, he had put a bag over my head. I kicked and kicked, I had hit something, I don’t know what.
The bag was pulled off my head, I opened my eyes and looked around. I was in the basement. I tried to get up but realized I was tied to the water tank. The younger man came down the stairs and I glared at him” What do you want?!” I screamed. He came closer, and I pulled my knees to my chest. “You know why we’re here right?”, he asked. “How would I know? I don’t even know you,” I responded. He pulled over a chair and sat down. I looked at him, waiting for a response. I heard the basement door open and the old man came bouncing down the stairs. “My parents will be home any second. I won’t tell, I promise.” They looked at each other and started laughing. The young man stood up and stepped closer, he pulled the gun from his pants and cocked it. “What parents?” he said as he pointed the gun to my head and pulled the trigger.
Everything went dark. I opened my eyes and the fluorescent lights blinded me for a few seconds before they adjusted and I sat up. It was just a dream. Or so I thought. I looked around and realized I was in a basement, just not my basement. As I stood up I was harshly pulled back down by a chain anchored to my wrists and ankles. I started to panic. Where am I? The basement door opened and a lady came down the stairs and looked at me. “Sweetie did you have another dream?” she asked me with a concerned look. “Who are you?” I asked. “Richard!” she called up the stairs. The young man came bolting down. “Richard,
she thinks we kidnapped her again,” she said to him. I gave her a confused look and looked to the man. “Oh Jeez, Penelope when is this going to stop?
We are your family. We did not kidnap you,” he said. “How did I get here? Why am I chained up? Where’s my mom?” I tugged on the chains to try to break lose. It was no use. The lady whispered to the man,” She isn’t falling for it, just put her back to sleep” The man stepped closer. “Penelope. You’re never leaving and your moms never going to find you. Get used to it and shut up.” I looked at him and tears welled in my eyes. A sharp pain was sent through my neck, I looked to the area and a needle stuck out of my neck. The old man had gotten me from behind. I couldn’t see straight and started feeling woozy. Everything went black. I woke up and looked at the clock on my nightstand. It was 1:18 a.m.