chapter 3

He set the house on fire and it’s moving toward the back where my room is.

I dialed 911.

“911 what’s your emergency.”

“My name is Amanda Amara Thompson. I am 18 years old and my parents were killed by the man who kidnapped those four children ten years ago, and now he has set my house on fire to draw me out. By the time dispatch will get to my house the man will have me and my house will be nothing but rubble. Please find me. I’ll try to leave a trail to follow. Find Dr. Oliver Valero and tell him what happened. Send him and the rest of the family I have left away from this place.”

“Ma’am we can help you. Dispatch will be there in five minutes.”

“It’s too late.” I hung up.

I haven’t thrown any of my knives and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t know that I’m proficient in knife throwing and fighting with knives.

I put on my boots and a sweatshirt to cover the daggers on my arms and the throwing knives at my ankles. I take a breath. I can’t kill him, yet I must save the others if they are still alive. It’s been ten years and I still haven’t given up on them.

The fire was already on this side of the house. And it’s at the end of the stairs. I need to jump out the window. So, I did, and I rolled when I hit the ground to prevent myself from breaking any bones.

“Took you long enough.” He pulled me off the ground. “You know this game has been fun. I’m glad you can play it with me.”

“Now that you have me what are you going to do.”

“Just walk Amanda Amara Thompson. That is your name, right?”

“You stole my file out of my dad’s office.”

“I did. You started going to that school in second grade. Your Dad worked there for ten years. You had a few minor offenses.”

“Retaliation to bullying.”

“Am I going to have to listen to you talk about my school life this whole walk? And where are we going?”

“To the lab.”

“The Lab?”

“We’ll be there soon.”

The walk was silent. It gave me time to think. In the back of my mind, I was trying to count the steps that we took. I lost count eventually and the path became ragged. I tried to leave a path for the police to follow, but I ran out of stuff and I wasn’t going to leave my knives behind.

Maybe they won’t give up. My grandparents are out there, and they love me dearly and Oliver, the first boyfriend I have ever had, only lasted about 15 minutes, but still, he cares for me. I know he won’t give up. I won’t be out here too long.

Suddenly I notice that the man was no longer next to me. I was out in the open, alone in the exact middle of a small circular grassy area surrounded by trees.

“Hello, anyone out there?” I felt like I was being watched by something.

I heard a twig snap. There something out there. It was completely dark except for the light of the full moon. I should have grabbed my flashlight. I heard another twig snap. I turned toward the sound. Then another twig snapped on the other side of me. Then one snapped behind me and then one in front. I crouched down in the tall grass. I kept my body still and I listened to the world around me. There was a growling noise and then the sound of feet quickly moving and stepping on twigs all around me. I heard screams coming from every direction. They all ran and bumped into each other and fell on top of me.

I tried to stand up but with four bodies on top of you can’t really do much. One by one they all got off me. I stood up. The four of them looked at me.

“Amanda?” One of the girls said. Her hair was full of leaves. Her body was lean but curvy. Her face was full of dirt.

“I’m sorry who are you?” I said.

“Amanda it’s me, Sarah.”

“Sarah? OH, MY GOD! Sarah!” I hugged her. “You guys are alive. Where have you been all this time?”

“In these woods fighting for our lives.” One of the guys said.

“Tyler?” I touched his face.

“Yeah.”

“I missed you guys.”

“How’s life been?”

“It’s been not so great. The man killed my family and grandpa died hating me. “

“Wow,” Brad said.

“Awe, I love reunions. I really do. But it's time for us to play a game. Oh, I do love games, don’t you?” the man voice surrounded us, but he was nowhere to be seen.

“Why are you doing this?” I looked around. “I don’t want to play a game.”

“Oh, come on it will be fun I promise.” The man said.

“I don’t want to play, I want to go home.”

“You don’t have a home. You’re an orphan. Oh! Yay! I can adopt you. Awe I can have another daughter. You can call me daddy whenever you like.”

“Never.”

“Fine have it your way but I would have taken great care of you.”

“You killed my family. How would you feel if someone killed yours?”

“That sounds fun wanna kill my parents. Let’s go! Oh, wait they are already dead. I killed them years ago and hid the body. Shh, don’t tell anyone.” He laughs.

“I should have screamed that day.”

“But you didn’t”

“I was scared.”

“You were clinging onto dearest daddy.”

“I’m going to kill you.”

“Oh, that sounds fun. What is life after death? Is there life after death? Or do I just die? Let’s think about that one. Ah, who cares I go where I go.”

“You’re going to suffer.”

“Talkative today, aren’t we? Well, are you ready to see the lab.”

“No.”

“Well, what about the rest of you? No? Oh, well here it is anyway.”

The ground opened beneath us. We fell down a metal tube the lead us to a room. We all fell on top of each other. I was on top this time. I stood up and looked around. We were in a glass box. Caged like animals. There was no way out that I could see.”

“What just happened?” Sarah asked.

“Welcome to the lab.”