The halls were eerily quiet as I walked down the stairs. There was no one talking in the kitchen and I couldn't hear the usual shuffle of feet or mumbled responses. The television should have warned me in the first place. The news reporter was reading a seemingly intense story about a girl being located in a house in West Denwer after months of searching by the police. I shrugged it off, not thinking of where I was. I walked into the lounge room and realised why I couldn't hear anything coming from the kitchen.
Standing in the middle of the lounge room was Jacob, a gag in his mouth and a gun trained on his temple, his hands being held behind him. Around him was Avan and Emery, each with a gun trained on them and a gag in their mouths. Jacobs eyes widened when he saw me and he struggled against the arms holding him and I heard a mumbled cry, then a groan as the MOD holding him elbowed him in the stomach. A MOD. In the house.
I turned and ran before I thought of anything.
"Josh!" I screamed out. "They're here!"
I bounded up the stairs and sprinted towards his room. I screamed when I felt a hand clamp over my mouth and an arm wrap around my middle and pull me into my room, through to my bathroom, locking the door on the way. the arms released me and I crumpled to the floor, shaking. Josh crouched next to me and hugged me. I sobbed into his shoulder, horrified at what I had seen. It was a shock more than anything and I was definitely shaken up.
"It's okay." Josh mumbled into my hair, "you're okay."
"We have to get out. You're coming with me. I'm not leaving you here." I blurt out.
"I know, I chucked some stuff in a bag for myself when I heard them come in. You mustn't have heard them."
"What about me?" I ask. He points to my leather bag in the corner. I give him a questioning look.
"No time. I'll explain later. We need to go. Now."
"They're downstairs though. They'll get us if we try."
"Don't you know about the other way out?" Josh asks. I shake my head slowly. Everything he says confuses me more. "Grab your bag. There's all the essentials. We'll find food later." I scramble over to the bag and sling it over my shoulders. Josh takes my hand as I get to the door. "Let's go."
He opens the door and pulls me through my room, sprinting as fast as he can. We go past door after door. I can hear the call of commands from the MODs downstairs, but I can't pay any attention to them.
Josh leads me through the house to the upstairs laundry. I've never been in here before and the light from outside is blinding as it reflects off the white tiles on the floor and walls. The room is completely white except for the appliances and a steel square door on the door with a sign above it that reads "Garbage Chute". Josh skids over to the door and throws it open, sliding his bag off his shoulders and throwing it down.
"Come on!" he says hurriedly and ushers me into the chute. I feel him push me and I slide down the dark tunnel until I land in something soft. I'm in a large bin, filled with pillows and bed sheets. A crash mat. This was meant as an escape route.
I clamber my way out of the bin and listen to the metallic sound as Josh hurtles down the chute. He lands in the bin and disappears from sight before erupting out of the pillows and leaping from the bin.
He takes my hand again and we run. There isn't anywhere I can think of to go but he seems to have some idea.
We run for what seems like hours. We're now running through a forest of sorts. I can't really distinguish anything ahead of us until the trees ahead reach a clearing and I finally see where we're going. The train station looms up ahead and I can see a train sitting idly on the tracks.
