Sandy

by Deb Stratton

  I continued to walk quietly to the base of the stairs. I remained silent and looked up. I held tightly onto the railing and just listened. Nothing.

  Then I saw her. She was lying at the top of the stairs on the floor. She had collapsed. That must have been the noise that I had heard.

  I considered crawling up the stairs and over her to look for a door. I just couldn’t. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to whisper over to Liam. I was afraid that she would hear and wake up.

  I looked up at the window and pulled on the board. It was nailed on tightly. I wasn’t able to pull on it or rip it off.

  I sat down slowly on the bottom step and put my face in my hands. I needed to cry. I needed to feel sorry for myself and then get angry. I needed to find strength. I knew that I had to go up those stairs to save us. If I failed, we would all die in that basement.

  I always thought I was brave, but I wasn’t. This was proof of that. I went up one more step. Still nothing. I was able to get a closer look at her. I studied her face. Her face looked flattened. She must have fallen hard. I didn’t see any blood. There was no sign of her mouth opening to breathe. She just laid there.

  I went up one more step. Then

  another.

  I had six more to go to reach the top. I was shaking and so weak. I had the strongest feeling that I was going to become free if I could get past her and get to the door. I could really feel it.

  Her voice and face were haunting me. I kept hearing her voice in my head. I couldn’t shake it as I climbed one more step. I waited again. My legs were bruised and trembling. I rubbed them and wiped my eyes.

  I didn’t know quite what to do next. I was just a kid. I wanted my mom. I was so close but still so far from freedom and going home.

  I slid up onto the next step and then the next. I was three steps away from her body. I could see a coffee cup still in her hand. She was gripping it and it was

  cracked. That indicated to me that she had

  fallen hard.

  I was so close. I looked down the stairs and then back at her. I could see her kitchen and coffee maker. She had just made coffee. Next to the machine was a bowl of white powder. It looked like sugar, but I suddenly realized what she had done. She had possibly added her own poison to the coffee cup by mistake. It was the same white powder she had put on the cookies and in our food. It had to be.

  I was sure of it. She would only sleep for a few minutes to an hour depending on how much she put in there. If she took a large dose, then she could be unconscious for hours. Since I had no way of knowing I needed to get moving quickly.

  I slid to the side of her and scooted over near the counter. I grabbed the edge and stood up. I looked at the room well and

  saw the side door. I didn’t even have to go

  through the house to get out. I could just go right out of the kitchen door. I was scared to go. If she woke up and I was gone she may hurt the boys. Maybe even kill them like she did her husband. I was terrified to go out into the cold and leave them all.

  But I had to. I sat down and scooted over towards the door. I was even more afraid she would grab my legs and pull me down if she woke up and saw me. My legs were hurting and weak. I took my time and stayed as quiet as possible. I stopped with every breath I took. I still couldn’t see her breathing in or out. I didn’t know what to expect.

  Chapter Eight

  I found my way across the floor to the door. Of course, it was locked. Nothing could be easy. I stood to reach the deadbolt and turned it. Sandy didn’t move. I was grateful. I unlocked the door and went out. It was the first breath of fresh air I had taken in weeks.

  The neighborhood sounded very quiet. It wasn’t what I expected. There were no cars in the distance or people out looking for us. I expected to see more of that.

  I staggered through the yard and made

  it to the fence. The gate was open. I was so weak and tired. I made my way down the sidewalk and sat down to rest. I couldn’t make it to the house next door. I was too weak.

  I could see the lights on in the house and I gathered enough energy to make it to their door. I sat down once again and knocked. I banged on the bottom of the metal door. Nothing. It wasn’t how I had envisioned my great escape. I saw myself in slow motion running from the house into the arms of every person that had been searching for us. But there was no-one. Nobody. Nothing.

  I built up my strength from crying and begged for them to hear me and answer the door. I tried the door again and again. I continued beating on it with all that I had in me. Nothing. I was running out of time.

  What if she woke up and found me

  missing? I was scared and alone. Where was everyone? I was freezing and weak. I looked around for lights on in any of the nearby houses. I only have seen one with bright lights on in their front windows. It was a house that I had never been to. I would need to cross the street.

  I warmed up my arms by rubbing them and stood up. I made it to the street by stopping at each tree to rest. There was still no sign of cars driving on the road. I crossed the street slowly and made it to the other side. If anyone was to look out of their windows, they would surely notice me. The girl with no pants or shoes in the dead of late fall. Nobody was around. It was very odd to me. It was like our entire town had left. There was no-one.

  I felt like a zombie moving in slow motion. I was stuck in a horror scene from a movie and couldn’t find help.

  Then I heard a voice. I prayed it wasn’t one of the black-eyed children. It was from Liam. He was calling me from the yard. He had freed himself! He was moving more quickly than I was and came to me.

  “Liam! What are you doing?” I said.

  “I kept working on my wrist laces when I didn’t hear you any longer. I was able to get Junior untied and check on Sandy. She wasn’t breathing. She didn’t wake up again. She is gone.” he said.

  I felt sad for her. I don’t know why. I also felt very creeped out that I was near her. I had never been near anyone that had passed away. I wrapped my arms around him, and he lifted me up to carry me back.

  I hugged his neck tightly and thanked him over and over. We went back into the

  house and went down to help Junior. He was still not able to wake up. His bed was disgusting to touch and smell. He was laying in urine. I stayed with him while Liam went for help. He was stronger than I was. I agreed that it was for the best.

  I kept talking to Junior. I wanted him to know that I was there.

  I heard Liam upstairs banging around and he flew down the stairs.

  “I found our phones! I will call for help!” he said.

  At that moment it became quiet. We looked at each other and heard the door slam. The door at the top of the basement door had closed and it didn’t seem real. I had been out and looked for help. Nobody was around. Liam tried to power on his phone, and it was dead. He handed me mine and I held the power button

  down. It lit up and made a noise.

  It was trying to start up. I resembled a phone warrior from a commercial. I started crying and begged for the phone to stay on. It had 1% left on the battery. I dialed 911 quickly and as soon as dispatch answered the phone died.

  Maybe it was enough to just call to get help. Maybe they would be able to check the number or ping a location.

  I crouched down next to the bed and listened for any noise upstairs. Liam was working with Junior on getting him to get focused and awake. He tried to give him a sip of water. I wasn’t sure how long it would take to get him up and stable. If we could all get our strength, then we could overtake her. If it was her. Liam said she was dead. I am guessing that she wasn’t. If she was then the door wouldn’t have closed.

  She never came back down. I heard nothing. I tried powering on Junior’s phone. It was also dead. Unbelievable. I felt hopeless but knew that at least we were together and un-tied so we could make a new plan.

  I wasn’t fond of the idea, but we had to try something. We just couldn’t give up.


  My stomach burned for a moment and I stopped focusing on it when I noticed the smell. It was the smell of something burning. I couldn’t tell exactly what it could be. Then Liam stood up.

  “She’s burning down the house! We have to get that window open and get out of here!” he yelled.

  He ran to the window and started pulling on the wood. He grabbed a chair and began hitting it. I kept moving Junior’s head. I needed him to wake up

  fully. We needed to leave quickly.

  Liam began ripping at the wood trying to get the screws out. He was hitting it with everything he could find. He ran up the stairs and tried the door. He tried to kick the door and that resulted in him falling down the stairs.

  The sound of wood crackling and fire became louder. Smoke was creeping in through the wood floor cracks above us. The house was on fire. She wasn’t dead and was trying to hide the evidence of our kidnappings.

  Junior was so sick. I was still unable to get him to answer me. Liam stopped groaning at the foot of the stairs and started working at the window again. His fall was hard. He was hurt but too pumped up to stop trying.

  “PLEASE! PLEASE let us out of here! Oh please.” I cried.

  I was losing hope. I was scared and the fire was getting worse. Maybe we wouldn’t survive. Maybe this was the end of our story. I was sad that I would never see my mom again. I was sad for all of us and our families.

  I closed my eyes and hugged Junior. I held him tight and tried to keep the sheet over our faces to block the smoke. I kept thinking about my life. I was so very sad. I never believed things like this could ever happen to someone.

  Glass was breaking and things were falling upstairs. It was so loud. I could hear it getting louder and louder.

  The cinders started to fly. I watched the little orange balls fall through the cracks. It

  was getting closer. Liam was still banging at the plywood. He was able to pull one side off and was ripping at it.

  Something changed above us, and the ceiling began to crumble right above my old bed. Liam threw the wood across the room and ran to us. He helped me to the window and lifted me up. He went back and picked up Junior. They made it over to the wall and I pulled on Junior while Liam pushed him up. It was high and hard to get leverage. He was out. We both made it and Liam grabbed the window ledge to pull himself up.

  Just as he did the wood above caved in and pushed him to the floor. His arms were grabbing at anything he could find, and he became trapped under the wood. Junior laid on the ground next to me and the exterior walls were burning.

  Sirens were surrounding the neighborhood and help was coming. I called out Liam’s name. I begged him to answer.

  I couldn’t go back in. There was too much smoke. I cried for help. The rescue team pulled up and ran towards the house. I yelled out for help.

  “Lily?” the fireman said with disbelief.

  “Yes! It is me! Please help us! Liam is down in the basement through this window!” I said.

  He pulled Junior and I over towards the edge of the yard and called for help. He ran to the window and the EMTs came at us with bags and worried faces.

  I felt Sandy’s revenge as I laid on the ground. They took Junior away and I drifted off into my own thoughts. The

  oxygen mask was placed on my face. I heard voices and people all around me.

  I couldn’t breathe. I was sick. A woman straddled me and began pumping on my chest. I heard her voice and she kept saying my name. I felt my chest bone snap. I moved with each of her movements and had no idea what she was doing. Was I sick? Why was she doing this to me?

  I looked over to the fence line and saw the black-eyed boy. He was standing with his hands in his pockets. He was looking at me and smiling. I studied his face. I looked into his eyes. He was not the sign of doom that I had believed. He was a good omen not bad. Maybe he had been around for protection.

  Suddenly my breath came to me and I heard her yell.

  “We have a pulse. She is breathing. Let’s

  get her out of here.” she said.

  Chapter Nine

  NOVEMBER EVE

  The days passed by quickly. I had been out of the hospital for about two weeks. It was Halloween. Piper and I decided to go for a walk and watch the kids walk the streets in their costumes. That time of the year had always been my favorite. Piper’s braces were still glowing with Halloween colors. I had missed her smile.

  We talked every day about what had happened. Everyone wanted me to forget but I couldn’t. I was happy that I survived but felt guilty that I was the only one that did. I would’ve gladly given my life to let them have theirs again.

  Sandy’s house was gone. There was a memorial made on her lot from people that knew Liam and Junior. Even strangers came from all over to visit Hannibal and leave stuffed animals and balloons.

  I couldn’t go to the memorial. I still hadn’t returned to school. The sound of firetruck’s and the police made my stomach drop.

  People were beginning to stop asking me what had happened though. I wanted them all to forget and knew that I would never erase that memory from my head. Piper talked about it enough to encourage healing. We stayed closed and she filled me in on what had happened while I was gone.

  I was trying to become me again. The plain old girl that liked watching Urban Bigfoot. The same girl that liked kicking rocks on the way home from school.

  “You ok?” Piper said as we walked down the street.

  “Fine. I’m good. I just think maybe it’s time to go down to Sandy’s house.” I said.

  She rolled her eyes at me and raised her eyebrows.

  “Are you sure? Maybe you should go with your mom? That might be better.” she said.

  I just wanted to take a look. I felt that avoiding it was good for me at first. It was right at that moment that I realized I needed to go.

  “I’m just saying to think about it a little more. Let’s just enjoy this evening and watch the kids. Maybe tomorrow you and your Mom can go.” Piper said.

  I decided to go after we were done. I

  would go alone. Maybe that was for the best anyway. I sensed it made her nervous to be with me in that type of situation.

  I was good with that. We finished walking the streets and enjoying the evening. It was beautiful. The leaves were completely off the trees and they blew into the streets perfectly. The smell was amazing, and I would never forget it. I wanted to remember what it was like on that day and everyday thereafter.

  It felt different than last year. Like I wasn’t really there. It felt like I was watching my own life from above. Like a movie.

  And that’s when I let go. I wasn’t there. I was gone and didn’t survive. We were all gone.

  I was always good at faking it.

  What if everything around us — the people, the stars overhead, the ground beneath our feet, even our bodies and minds — were an elaborate illusion?

  I am completely fascinated by the paranormal. By the idea of the earth being a simulated world.

  I encourage you to question everything.

  Everything in our world will change in 2020.

  Virus epidemics

  Pandemics

  Paranormal Activity Increasing

  The skies changing

  The vision of the skies is where my focus lies. I watch the sky more often than I do anything else.

  There has been reports of two suns.

  Reports of a false moon.

  Flat earth.

  That we live in a dome.

  Reports of Aliens among us.

  Reports that Revelations is currently unfolding.

  What’s your thoughts?

  Maybe we are all gone

  Maybe none of us are here

  Maybe it is all a dream

  Maybe it is not real….

  Titles by Deb Stratton

  Urban Bigfoot

  Urban Bigfoot 2

  Urban Bigfoot Em’s Journal Book 3

  Urban Bigfoot 3 Book 4
/>   Urban Bigfoot 4 Book 5

  Urban Bigfoot 5 Book 6

  Urban Bigfoot 6 Book 7

  Urban Bigfoot Anniversary Edition

  3 Book Set

  ALIEN ZOO

  The Honey Cabin

  SANDY