It's a Nightmare

Chapter Nine

Riley

I knocked on Lucas' door at exactly four o'clock, waving to my father with one hand.

He had insisted on dropping my off because he had told me that "I don't want my little girl walking the streets alone". Originally, my dad had wanted to come to the door with me, but I had said no. I had told him to trust me and that I'd call him if there was any trouble at all. Which I would. I was going to get Lucas out of the house as soon as I could.

The car had just pulled away when the door opened. Lucas roughly grasped my arm and pulled me into the house, shutting the door with a loud thud. He kept me turned away from him, which meant I couldn't see his face.

"Riley, go upstairs." Lucas whispered. "Hurry. Go into my bedroom. It is the last door on the left. Lock the door behind you. Quickly! Watch the fifth step. It's squeaks. Jump over it. Go!"

My mind swirling with questions, I followed Lucas' instructions, leaping up the stairs-skipping the fifth- and locking his bedroom door behind me. 

His room was small-a bit smaller then mine was. A square window, covered with filthy glass, was across from the door. It faced a fenced in brown backyard, and the window of a house behind the yard.

Beneath the window, there was a filthy mattress and a tattered blanket. A book with a plain brown cover wrapped in string lay on the mattress. I slipped that into my bag. From the state it was in, I knew it was important to Lucas. I'd better keep it for him.

A cardboard box full of clothes sat next to a door that I guessed lead to a bathroom, and a small stack of worn paper-back books  were on the other side of the mattress. I sorted and flipped through the books, trying to pass the time. They were all historical fiction novels, which I didn't like. I had enough of history in Dads class.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Riley. It's Lucas." Someone called faintly. "Open the door. Please."

There was a peephole in the door, just high enough for me to look through, if I stood on my tiptoes.

Lucas stood in front of the door. Blood poured from a massive cut on his forehead, dripping into his eyes. When he shifted his shoulders, I saw bruises around his neck that looked suspiciously like fingerprints.

I moved to open the door, but then I noticed something. Lucas kept looking to the left nervously.

"Please open the door." I caught a bead of sweat drip down the non-bloody side of his face. "Please. He's going to hurt me. Open the door." He let out a gasp of pain. I heard a thud against the door.

"Riley, open the door." I peeked through the peephole. Mr. Frier glared back at me. "Open the door."

"Why do you want me to open the door?" I asked.

"You've seen things that I don't want spread around. Open the door. I need to make sure that you won't spread these things around." I backed away from the door, silently pulling out my phone and pressing 9-1-1.

"I won't spread anything around." I tried to keep my voice calm. "Please don't hurt me!" My voice started rising slightly.

"I need to make sure that you'll keep quiet. Now open the door or I'll kick it down." Looking for an exit around the room, I backed away from the door.

"Leave me alone. Please!" I begged.

There were a series of thuds against the door. It started to splinter.

I put my phone to my ear.

"Please help me. Help me and my friend please."