Fettered

How We Met, Revised

Dulvey, Louisiana. Persephone hadn't been there in a long time. One last stop before she'd arrive at the Baker house by lunch; there was a convenience store and gas station where she pumped her car full, then got some food and drink for the rest of the drive that morning. She stood in line, placing all of her items on the counter. Two women gossiped behind her but she ignored them until something intriguing caught her ear.

"You hear 'bout those kids that went missing?"
"The two brothers and their little sister?"
"The very same. People're sayin' they went up to the ol' Baker ranch."
"Oh, those poor things..."

Her heart skipped a beat. People went missing at the Baker's? Then where was Lucas?

She quickly paid for her food and walked up to the older women, trying not to run toward them like a complete nutcase.

The taller lady continued, "Wonder if the cops 'r gonna do anythin' about it."
"Prob'ly not."
"'Scuse me," she interrupted, hoping not to sound desperate. "Did you say something about the Bakers just now?"

Clearly, her emotions betrayed her not-so-steady tone as the women looked at her with knitted eyebrows and pursed lips, then they exchanged narrow-eyed glances.

"Guess you don't live 'round here, hon," said the taller lady. "Otherwise you'd know all about that."
"What do you mean? Where are the Bakers?"
The shorter woman spoke up. "The Bakers haven't been seen in almost a year now. Cops've looked but when people go into that house, they don't come back out. Everyone's been too afraid to investigate 'r go near it ever since. 'Cept fer thrill-seekers."
"But," the tall woman said, "do yerself a favor n' just forget about it, honey."
"Will do," she absently replied.

She whirled around and jogged back to her car, then scrambled inside, tossing her food into the passenger seat. The Bakers hadn't been seen in almost a year? And people have been disappearing around their property? What happened to Lucas, to Diane? To Zoe and their parents? They were such lovely people — why was a thorough investigation not being done?

She pressed the accelerator almost to the floor, speeding toward the Baker home. Something horrible was going on, in spite of her having convinced herself that everything was all right. She didn't eat, stomach too queasy with old and new anxiety.

Driving up to the house shocked her. Foliage grew wild, the dirt road had been ripped up from random tire tracks, and a few dead birds and raccoons lined the way. It put her more on edge when she arrived at the main gate and bore witness to the disorderly insides. Vines clambered up the walls and the home had gotten so dirty in such a short amount of time. A crude, thick chain and padlock kept the gate closed tight.

She turned off her car, leaning over the steering wheel as she observed the home; her home — what felt like home to her. Seeing it in such a state... It hurt. It tore her apart and left her stunned in the driver's seat, heart racing. A chill crawled up her back and neck. It didn't just look abandoned, it felt like a void threatened it — threatened her. But the overwhelming desire to know what happened to Lucas, to possibly see him once again, motivated her to exit the vehicle and approach the front gate.

Barbed wire lined the fence, aside from the main gate itself. She tried to open it.

Locked, obviously.

She fiddled with the chains and padlock for a moment but the damn thing stayed locked up. Instead of finding another way in, she climbed up the gate as she'd once done the day Hunter had died, using the horizontal support beams as steps. With a quick motion, she pulled up and jumped, tossing herself over the top then sliding slowly down the dampened poles. She leapt off and landed on her hands and feet in the front yard. Easy, despite that she'd not been so active in quite a while.