by C.M. Owens
“I love pizza,” I said. “My mom makes an awesome homemade taco pizza.”
She smiled. “Your mother lives with you?”
I nodded. I wanted to ask Shannon about hers but was afraid she’d tell me her mom had passed away or something. So I just changed the subject.
“So, can you come outside?” I asked, looking towards the sky. “It’s a beautiful spring day. Maybe we could go for a walk, or something?”
She looked down. “No. I’m not allowed to leave the house.”
“Seriously?”
When she raised her eyes, there were tears. “Yes. Listen, I have to go. My dad will be home soon.”
“Can I see you tomorrow?” I asked.
She smiled. “Sure. For a little while.”
“Good,” I smiled and backed away. “Same time?”
She nodded. “Yes, but Trent…”
“What?”
Her face became serious. “When my dad is home, please stay away.”
“Okay.”
“And…don’t use the binoculars.”
My face turned red. “Uh…”
She smiled. “It’s okay. I knew you were watching, but… so did he.”
I swallowed hard. “Sorry.”
She stepped forward, and before I knew what was happening, she kissed me lightly on the cheek. “Thanks for everything,” she whispered, pulling away. “Nobody has ever been this nice to me.”
“You’re welcome,” I said, sickened by the fact that I’d only given her food and she was grateful enough to kiss me.
“Tomorrow?” she asked. “My dad will be gone most of the day. I’ll open my bedroom window when it’s safe to come over.”
I smiled. “Okay, tomorrow, then.”
Chapter Four
I was so excited to see Shannon on Saturday, that I had a restless night’s sleep. When the sun began to rise, I gave up on it and went downstairs to eat.
“You’re up early for a Saturday,” said my mom, who’d just gotten home from working a third shift at the station.
“Couldn’t sleep.”
She sat across from me at the table and sighed. “Another child is missing. This time over in Boar Lake.”
My eyes widened. “Seriously? That’s only twenty minutes from here.”
She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. “Yep. Another child who’d just turned ten.”
“What?”
She opened her eyes. “Trent, remember to keep an eye on your brother until they catch this person.”
“Of course.”
She yawned and then stood up. “I’m going to bed. I’m exhausted.”
***
I paced through the house most of the day, waiting for Shannon to open her bedroom window. Finally, at one o’clock in the afternoon, she did.
“Don’t leave the house,” I told Ben, combing my dark hair. “I’ll be back later.”
“Why?” he whined. “I told Steve I’d come over later. He has this new video game I’ve been dying to try out.”
“Tough. Wait until mom wakes up so she can drive you.”
His eyes narrowed. “It’s because of those missing kids, isn’t it?”
“Something like that. Just promise me you won’t leave the house?”
“You know, they’re only taking kids on their tenth birthday.” His face paled. “I, um, I’m not turning ten until next Friday.”
“We just don’t want to take any chances.”
He swallowed hard. “You don’t think he’ll come for me, do you?”
“The kidnapper? No, I’m sure you’ll be fine. You’ll be with your dad on your birthday, anyway.”
He smiled. “Yeah and he’s rich, so he can keep me safe.”
“Being rich doesn’t always make you more responsible,” I said. “Not with kids, anyway.”
And especially not that tool. I didn’t care how much money he had, I still remembered the bruises on mom’s face after Jake’s drunken rages. He’d always be a jerk to me, no matter how much he’d supposedly changed.
“My dad will protect me,” he said.
I nodded. “Yeah, I’m sure you’ll be fine. Now, I have to places to be. Stay inside and don’t leave until mom wakes up and you talk to her.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Where are you going?”
“Across the street.”
He smiled. “You’re going to see that girl, aren’t you?”
I shrugged. “Yeah, so?”
“Aren’t you afraid of her dad?”
“No,” I lied. “He doesn’t scare me.”
His face darkened. “You should be.”
I burst out laughing. “God, you’re so dramatic, Ben.”
“No, I’ve been watching him. He’s up to no good. In fact, I think he might be the one taking the kids…”
I rolled my eyes. “You can’t be serious?”
“I saw him carrying a large duffel bag into his house last night. I think there may have been a body in it.”
“That’s insane,” I said. “Shannon’s dad isn’t a murderer.”
He folded his arms across his chest. “How do you know?”
I stared at him for a few seconds and then answered. “Because, she seems too normal to be living with a monster like that.”
He leaned forward. “Maybe she doesn’t know.”
“Quit doing this,” I said. “You’re being overly paranoid and freaking yourself out.”
“Fine, don’t believe me.”
I turned and walked away, wondering if I wasn’t being paranoid enough.
***
“Come in,” said Shannon, holding the door open.
“Okay.”
Today she was dressed in a white T-shirt and green shorts. Her silky red hair hung loosely down her back and I had an incredible urge to run my fingers through it.
“You must be Irish,” I said, staring at her green shorts.
She smiled. “Finally figured it out, huh?”
I rapped myself in the head with my knuckles. “Knock-knock, pudding-head.”
She laughed. “Are you Irish?”
“No, but Ben’s dad is. Full-blooded.”
She didn’t say anything as I followed her into the kitchen, which was surprisingly well-maintained and up-to-date for such an old house. Silver and black appliances, marbled counters, and dark, almond-stained cupboards. It didn’t look at all like I would have pictured.
“Are you hungry? I made some stew,” she said, lifting the cover from a metal pot sitting on the stove.
I inhaled and my stomach came to life. “It smells great. What’s in it?”
She stirred the pot. “Cabbage, ham, potatoes, corn, carrots, and some secret spices. It’s a recipe carried down through the generations in my family.”
“Did your mother teach you how to make this?”
Shannon’s hand froze in the pot. “No. I’ve never met my mother,” she whispered.
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
She turned to me. “It’s okay. Just be grateful for yours.”
“Did… your mother die?”
Her face darkened. “I don’t know.”
“Why?”
She raised two fingers to my lips to silence me. “Please, don’t ask me any more questions about my mother, okay?”
I nodded. “Sorry.”
Shannon walked over to a cupboard and pulled out two bowls. “It’s okay. Let’s eat, shall we?”
***
The stew was the best I’d ever had. While we ate, she asked me dozens of questions about school and McDonald’s.
“You must have heard of McDonald’s on television?”
“What’s that?” she asked.
My eyebrows shot up. “Television? Seriously, you don’t know?”
“I guess not.”
As I described what a television was, I started getting angry. This beautiful girl was sheltered beyond what seemed to be normal. I could understand not having a television or not eating fast food, but the fact that
he wouldn’t even let her outside for fresh air and sun was crazy.
“What do you do for fun?” I asked.
“I read.” Her eyes lit up. “We have a wonderful library with thousands of books.”
Now that was intriguing. “Can I see it?” I asked.
She smiled and stood up. “Of course, let’s go.”
I followed her down the hallway through several doorways until we entered a part of the house that literally took my breath away. With the finely carved capitals, cool antiques, and large fireplace, it looked like something out of an architectural magazine.
“How?” I asked, spinning around the dark-cedar library, trying to figure out if I was caught up in some kind of bizarre dream. “This just can’t be real.”
The massive, round room was lit up by skylights, and because of its size, the fact that it was located in this particular house was unexplainable. I mean, it was larger than the one at my high school!
And the books – there had to be tens of thousands. They lined the curved walls, and went up four levels, which you could access by using the winding spiral stairway.
She grabbed my hand. “Come with me.”
I nodded and let her drag me all the way to the very top. When we reached the highest level of the library, she showed me a doorway.
“What’s in there?” I asked.
“My bedroom.”
My heart began to race. She was inviting me into her bedroom. I’d never been in any girl’s bedroom before.
She opened the door and stepped inside.
I licked my lips. “Um.”
She turned back to me and held out her hand. “Come inside.”
“What if your dad finds out?”
“My dad isn’t here.”
“I…”
She smiled. “I just want to show you something. Don’t be nervous.”
“Okay.”
“Did you think I was going to try and seduce you or something?” she asked with a twinkle in her eyes.
I shook my head, vehemently. “No, no…not at all.”
Who was I kidding? Of course I’d hoped she would. From the look on her face, however, it wasn’t going to happen.
I stepped inside of her bedroom and was shocked, once again.
“Do you like it?” she asked, smiling.
I would if I was a five-year-old girl. Her bedroom walls were decorated with pink and green flowers, rainbows, and hearts. At the foot of her bed, which looked like an enormous princess carriage, sat an oversized white toy box with fairies painted along the outside.
“Wow, well, it’s interesting,” I said, staring in wonder at the shelves lined with china dolls, Barbies, and stuffed animals.
She opened up the toy box and pulled out a large ship. “What about this? Do you think boys like to play with things like this?”
I nodded, touching the sails on the toy. “Yeah, it’s pretty cool.”
She nodded. “Good. I want to make sure they’ll like it. It’s new.”
“Who would like it?”
Her hand flew up to her lips as if she’d said something wrong. “I...”
“What?” I asked.
She cleared her throat. “Nothing. Let’s go back to the library.”
“Okay,” I said, liking that idea. Her room was beginning to creep me out.
“I have a book I want you to see,” she said, closing the toy box. “It’s really beautiful.”
“Sure,” I said, turning towards the door. As I was about to walk out, a shiny glint of light caught the corner of my eye. I turned around and stared curiously. “What’s that?” I asked, pointing towards a large, black pot near her bedroom window.
“Oh,” she said, waving her hand. “Just a pot.”
It was then that I heard it.
Whispers.
“Do you hear that noise?” I asked.
Her eyes narrowed. “What?”
I took a step towards the pot and the sounds grew louder.
Shannon grabbed my arm. “Stay away from it,” she said.
The whispers stopped. “Why?”
She bit her lower lip. “You can’t touch them.”
“Touch what?” I asked, wondering why she was suddenly trembling.
She sighed and then released my arm. That’s when the whispers started again.
“Tell me you don’t hear that?”
Shannon’s eyes filled with tears.
I looked down and that’s when I noticed them.
The gold coins.
“Are these real? “ I asked, sticking my hand into the pot. I pulled out a coin and rubbed my finger over it.
“Put that down!” she hollered.
I stared at her incredulously and dropped the coin back into the pot. “Shannon, settle down.”
Her face seemed to crumple before my eyes. “You must never touch, them, Trent,” she said, tears running down her cheeks. “They could get hurt.”
I touched her shoulder. “Shannon, it’s okay. They’re just coins.”
She shook her head. “No, I have to protect them.”
“Is it really gold?” I asked. There had to have been hundreds of coins.
She didn’t answer the question, instead she grabbed my wrist and squeezed. “A child should be kept closest to the heart,” she whispered, her eyes shining brightly. “Do not squander what is innocent to gratify that which is wicked.”
“What?”
She released my arm. “Go, you must go now. I’ve made a horrible mistake.”
“Shannon –”
Pushing me out of her bedroom, she said, “Quickly. We must get you out of here before he returns. If he catches you…”
I stopped in my tracks and turned back to her. “Wait, what are you so afraid of?” I asked. “Does your father hurt you?”
She shook her head. “No, never. But if he catches you here, he’ll kill you.”
Chapter Five
That night I sat in my bedroom and stared out the window towards Shannon’s house. I couldn’t stop thinking about her warning. Was her father dangerous and would he actually kill someone?
“Trent?”
I turned to my mother, who was standing in the doorway. “Yeah.”
“I’m leaving for work.”
I looked at the clock, it was almost ten-thirty at night. “Okay.”
“Could you do me a favor and crush all of those cans in the garage? I forgot that I’d promised to give them to Mr. Schneider and he’s stopping by in the morning to pick them up.”
“Sure.”
“Are you okay?” she asked.
I stretched my legs out and yawned. “I’m fine, why?”
“You’ve been sitting here in the dark for the last couple of hours, staring across the street at the O’Darby house.”
I smiled. “You noticed?”
“Yeah, several times. What’s going on?”
I shook my head. “Nothing. Just have some things on my mind.”
She put a hand on my shoulder. “Honey, if you ever want to talk…”
“I’m fine, mom.”
“But…”
“Seriously,” I said. “I’m fine.”
She sighed. “Okay. I’ll be home in the morning. Keep the doors locked when you’re sleeping, and if you need anything, call me.”
“Yep.”
After she left, I checked on Ben, who was sleeping. I then closed his bedroom door, grabbed my iPod, and headed out towards the garage.
“Crap,” I said, staring at the large box of cans that needed to be crushed. There had to be almost two-hundred. My mom and her diet soda.
I pulled the box closer to the can-crusher on the wall, plugged in my iPod speakers, and began crushing. After the first fifty or so, I started getting thirsty and walked over to the mini-refrigerator in the corner of the garage. As I bent down, the music stopped playing.
I groaned.
Cheap-ass speakers.
I reached for the bottle of water when I heard a loud mewling
noise coming from outside. Thinking it was a cat, I walked outside and looked around.
Nothing.
Sighing, I turned to go back into the garage when I heard a choked sob, coming from across the street. I ran back into the garage and grabbed a hammer, then stepped back outside.
Only fools investigate trouble without a weapon. Not me, hell no. I wasn’t going to be a victim.
A flash of light near O’Darby’s garage caught my attention. Seconds later, Mr. O’Darby himself stepped from around the back of the garage and went inside.
My heart started pounding when I thought of the way he’d glared at me the other night, through his daughter’s window. The malevolence in those eerie eyes still gave me the chills. And the way they’d glowed, what was up with that?
I needed to watch this guy. Shannon had basically admitted he was dangerous. Was it possible that he really was responsible for those missing children and that Ben was right? Crap, what if he was right?
Trying to stay calm, I moved towards the shadow of the bushes in our yard, which actually gave me a better view of O’Darby’s garage, and crouched down. After a short time, Mr. O’Darby stepped out of the garage, mumbling to himself, clearly upset.
“Fools,” he growled, pacing back and forth.
Fools?
After walking back and forth several times, he disappeared into his garage once more. This time I noticed flashes of light coming from his garage.
What in the heck was he doing in there?
There were windows on the other side of his garage, away from the door. If I could get to those windows before he stepped back out of the garage, I could see inside.
Before I could work up enough courage, he stepped back outside of the garage, this time struggling with a large army-green duffel bag.
It was bigger than he was and I imagined him to be four-and-a-half feet tall.
After a few more seconds of struggling, he set it down and began dragging it towards the house. When he reached the steps to the porch and began pulling it up, I heard a strangled cry.
Shit, it was coming from the bag!
O’Darby ignored the sound and disappeared into the house with the duffel bag. I stood up and raced into the house to call the police.
***
“We checked the entire house,” said Matt, my mother’s boyfriend. “There was nothing, Trent.”
“Did you find the duffel bag?” I asked, frustrated.
“Yes, he showed it to us. The only thing in the duffel bag was camping gear.”
“I heard someone crying,” I said. “I swear to God, Matt.”