My eyes open to a patchy ceiling. I roll over onto my side, breathing shallowly, my whole body aching. The skin of my neck feels raw. Swallowing takes effort, and when I do manage it, it makes me start gasping.
My vision is blurry, but I know where I am. I'm on the floor in the hallway, just outside of the living room. It's empty. I look around as I get up, stumbling this way and that, my head spinning. I'm alone. Mike and Annie aren't here.
And the front door is unguarded.
I lurch forward, falling on my hands and knees before I'm able to reach the door. The sheer arrogance of them leaving me on the floor, assuming I'd be too weak to pull this off, makes me want to laugh, but I'll have time to do that later. With shaking hands, I unlock the door and undo the chain.
The sunlight blinds me, and I almost fall down the porch steps. I'm greeted by a beautiful day and a neighborhood of one-story houses.
I limp forward, panting, trying to suck in enough air to build up a scream. A car comes speeding down the road, and I start waving my arms wildly and jumping to get their attention. Just as I reach the sidewalk, it zooms right past me.
"Holy shit. Andrew?"
I turn around at the voice. A teenage boy is walking a dog, and though the dog looks bewildered and is barking at me, it's the boy I focus on.
Because it's Jake Lawson.
"You've been missing," he says, wide-eyed. "What happened—"
"Jake!" I grab him by the shoulders. "Call the cops! I've been trapped in this house—"
"Oh my God," he says, shaking as he pulls out his phone.
"Hurry," I urge. "This house, right here! There's another kid inside!"
"Okay, okay!" Jake says, holding the phone up to his ear, looking panicked.
I leave him out there and begin running back into the house. I need to find the keys, I need to get Charlie out of the basement—
I freeze on the porch. I can see the hallway from here, and lying on the ground is a hand.
And on the palm of that hand is a not-quite-healed cut.
The world around me goes completely silent. I walk in slowly, and soon, I can see what the hand is attached to.
Lying in the hallway is my body.
YOU ARE READING
Sins of the Father
Horror{Original} A teenager's good deed gets him kidnapped and locked in a basement. They say even the smallest decision can seal your fate, and he may have just sealed his. __________________ No romance or assault, but possibly distressing material. Viol...
