Can I be fixed?

Chapter 1:

Renee's POV

June 18th 2022.

      This is day 23 of me being locked in this door less room. The only thing in this room is a bed. All I see is darkness. The only light source I get is when he comes in. I was taken by a man 23 days ago on my way home from cheer leading practice. I knew him. His name is Alex Hoffman. He is the husband of my cheer leading coach and the father of my best friend Sarah Hoffman.

May 26th 2022

      I had to leave practice early on Thursday May 26th due to my grandparents coming to visit from the Caribbean for Memorial Day. Normally Mrs. Hoffman drove me home since they lived on the same street as me, but she was still at practice coaching when I left. I was walking home on the same route I took everyday the light springtime breeze blew though my hair. With every inhale the smell of flowers consumed my nose. Something felt off though. I felt like I was being watched with every step I took. I had reached my street when I saw sparky running loose towards me. Sparky was the Hoffman's German Shepard.

      "Sparky! Come here boy." I said patting on my thighs three times to catch his attention.

      He came straight to me. I started running back to his house since I knew that was the only way I could get him to follow me. I reach his house and I see the side gate leading to the backyard opened.

      "So this is how you get out all the time sneaky boy." I laugh and I walk holding his collar through the gate to the back yard where I come face to face with Mr. Hoffman.He was building Sparky, a dog house. Mrs. Hoffman had been asking him since Sarah and I became freshman to build the dog house so I am sure shes happy it is finally getting done.

      "Hey Mr. Hoffman, I bought Sparky back, he got out again through the side gate." I said finally releasing Sparky's collar.

      "Oh hi Renee, I am so sorry I have been working on the dog house since I got home from work that I did not even notice that he had gotten out." He says back to me as he puts down the hammer he was using to hammer in one of the walls of the dog house.

      "It's okay I got him, I am gonna go home though my  grandparents flew in from Dominican Republic and I'm already a couple minutes late getting home." I say as I wave and turn my back towards him as I start walking back towards the gate. Step by step that feeling of being watched creeps back into my stomach creating knots. I reached the gate and as I went to close it the hairs on my skin stood straight up and my brain told me to run but I didn't. I closed gate and bumped into Mr.Hoffman who immediately grabbed me and held something over my mouth and nose and before I could even begin to scream for help I slowly drifted off to the sounds of Sparky barking from the inside of the house.

June 18th 2022

      I wipe a tear that was sliding down my face remembering back to that day. I get up and walk to the wall where I have tallied everyday that I have been locked here. When I first got put in here i use the acrylic from my nails to mark the wall but the acrylic has run out and with dragging my fingers against the wall so many times my fingertips had begun bleeding and I used my blood to help me keep track of the days.  23 days without my mom or dad and my brother. I know my "disappearance" has taken its toll on them.

      Mr. Hoffman's office is beyond the wall. I only know because I can hear him taking his business calls. He puts on the news everyday from his office when no one is home but him and opens the door that only has a knob from his side. He laughs every time saying eventually people will stop talking about me and I will become a faded memory. The one time I heard Mrs. Hoffman come into the office I screamed. I screamed so loud but Mr. Hoffman was smart and had music playing loudly so she couldn't hear me. As soon as she left the house he came into the room and pinned me to the bed and slapped me in the face.  I have the clothes on that I had 23 days ago. A pink t-shirt with a pair of sweats on. He took my shoes and my jewelry ad left me in this room. The darkness consumes me sometimes but I know that one day I will find my way out of here and I will make it back home.