The Society

Prologue

TW: This chapter has a scene of kidnapping

"I remember the time I was kidnapped and they sent a piece of my finger to my father. He said he wanted more proof." -Rodney Dangerfield

Annie POV

*Ten Years Earlier*

I hold my little brother, Aiden's, hand as we walk home from school. Mommy said that if we wanted to keep walking home from school then we have to hold each other's hands. I don't really want to hold his hand because boys have germs, but I really like walking home from school. Besides I absolutely have to walk home from school since I'm such a big girl.

Lia says that I don't really walk home from school because we only live like 2 seconds away from school. Mommy says that Lia is just mean and that I do walk home from school and Mommy is Mommy, so she always tells the truth.

I turn the corner to see the driveway that leads all the way to our house. We have a big red door on our house. Mommy says it's the only house in our whole neighborhood with a red door. She says her and daddy painted it that way so that if me and Aiden ever get lost, we know which house is ours. Like usual, Mommy was waiting on the front porch for us, sitting on the comfy porch swing reading one of her books.

I always want her to read one to me, but Mommy says that her books are only for adults.

She puts down her book and looks up. Her face becomes taken over by one those big smiles that makes her look a little silly.

"Annie, Aiden!" Mommy yells, hurrying down to us. She wraps us both up in her big arms and gives us each a kiss on our cheeks. She pulls back from the hug, picking Aiden up, placing him on her hip. Mommy quit picking me since I told I was getting too big for that.

"Come on you two, I made you both peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to keep you full until dinner." Mommy tells us as we go up the steps. I hear our puppy, Clover, barking from inside the house.

I didn't want to name him Clover, I wanted to name him Prince. Aiden wanted to name him Moose. Since Aiden and I couldn't agree on a name, Daddy decided for us. He said he got the name Clover because when he found Clover when he was sleeping near a 3-leaf clover. Now though, I can't imagine his name being anything other than Clover.

As soon as Mommy opens the door, Clover jumps on me. I hurriedly slip off my shoes before hanging up my backpack on the hooks by the door. I rush off to the kitchen table, ready to eat my sandwich and play with Clover until it's dinner time.

...

I jolt awake to the sound of my door being barged open. I rub my eyes trying to wake myself up. I see a tall person standing in my doorway, I rub my eyes again.

"Mommy, Daddy?" I whisper, trying to keep my eyes open. When my eyes fully adjust, I realize that it's an unfamiliar man dressed in all black. I scream as loud as I can, scooting to the very back of my bed. The man doesn't stop though, he just keeps getting closer. He picks me up and throws me over his shoulder. I punch at his back and kick my legs to make him drop me.

I scream and yell for my parents. As he leads me into the kitchen, I see Mommy and Daddy there as well and that they're both crying. When the man gets close to the door Mommy starts screaming too, trying to run after me but daddy holds her back, he starts to cry harder.

Why's Daddy holding Mommy back? He said he'd always save me, no matter who they were! So why isn't he saving me? Do they not want me anymore? Is it because I didn't brush my teeth before I went to bed?

"Please, please don't do this! She's just a little girl she needs her parents! You can't do this! It isn't right!" Mommy cried out, fighting against Daddy's grasp on her. The man just keeps walking though, he closes our door behind him. Putting a funny smelling rag to my mouth, that makes me feel sleepy.

The last thing I see before I close my eyes is our big red door.