Taken

Chapter Two--JEREMIAH

I knew something was wrong as soon as I woke up the next morning.  Dad was usually the first one up, making coffee and occasionally breakfast.  He met the paperboy each morning, usually offering him a cup as well. 

          Not this morning though.  I was confused.  He always being up when I got up was so normal that I didn’t know what to do.  I thought maybe he had slept in for once, so I put the coffee on for him for when he got up and leaned against the counter, breathing in the best smell in the world.

           I hadn’t thought anything of it last night when I straggled in.  I was still hazy with sleep and went straight for my bed, not even bothering with dinner which was odd for me.  I didn’t even know why I was so tired.

          I pushed off the counter and restlessly made my way to the living room.  I ignored the odd aura as I sat down.  The couch was crooked and the old family pictures on the mantle had all conveniently fallen over.  I stood and straightened them, then lingered at the window with my hands in my pockets, not wanting to sit still.

          It was ten o’ clock before I finally sucked it up and pushed open the door to my dad’s room.  I knew he hated interruptions, especially when he was sleeping.  But this was just too bizarre.

          “Dad?” I asked aloud.  There was a lump in the sheets, but as I drew closer I noticed it was just the pillows.  He was nowhere to be found. 

          I ran out of the room, and began searching all over the house, but to no avail.  His car was still in the garage and I started it to make sure it was running.  “Dad?” I yelled out just before the doorbell rang.

          Denny stood there, a panicked expression on her face.  It looked like she had been crying, and I motioned her in.  “My parents are gone,” she said quickly, then crumpled into a state of utter hysteria and shock.  “I just went to bed last night; I didn’t think anything of it.  It was late, and it was kind of odd my mom didn’t wait up on me but that’s what I had been hoping for, you know? For her to trust me.”

          I nodded. Her eyes were puffy and bloodshot and her hand lingered close to her mouth, shaking.  I pulled her into a hug.  “My Dad’s gone, too.  I don’t know what happened.”

          “We have to call 911,” she said desperately, but the phone line was down.

          “Have you checked the news?” She tossed the phone away quickly and grabbed the television remote.  She kept clicking the power button but it wasn’t turning on either.  The receiver was off, but when I bent down to press the button that would bring it to life, it wouldn’t work.  I knew whatever was happening wasn’t good.

          She was desperately pressing the button over and over and finally she threw it down on the hard floor and fell back into the couch.  The remote lay by her foot, broken into a couple different pieces.  “I’m sorry,” she muttered.  “I’m just so overwhelmed.” She pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath.  “Do you know what to do?”

          I thought about this.  If whoever got our parents was still on the loose, it wasn’t good to stick around.  But if they were gone, and maybe if they left all the other kids under eighteen, we would be safe.  I didn’t want to chance anything though.          

          “Come with me,” I ordered.  “We need to investigate.”

          I shrugged into my warm leather jacket I always hung behind the door and grabbed my Dad’s keys.  “We’ll take the truck.  You can drive and I’ll look around.”

          She nodded, and we walked out into the garage. I checked the tires before I got in like I always did during the cold season and my stomach dropped.  All the tires were slashed and flat. No way we were going anywhere by vehicle.  She hadn’t noticed, surprisingly.  She was the type who would notice everything out of the ordinary. But a lot of stuff had to be going through her mind right now, so I had to hand her that.

          “The tires…” I trailed off and her eyes got wide.

          “No.”

          “Yes.”

          She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, then walked out of the garage. “Where are you going?” I asked.

          She kept walking, across the lawn and onto the road. “Hey!”

          She turned, her eyes closed and mouth pressed into a line.  When she spoke, it seemed like it took a lot of effort.  Her voice was higher than normal and she seemed on the verge of total breakdown.  “I just…I just need a break.  From everything.”

          “Wait-”

          “No,” she interrupted.  “That didn’t come out right.  I need a break from life, not you.  I’m just kind of...overwhelmed…right now.”

          She turned back around and started walking and choosing from the way she addressed me seconds before, I knew it wasn’t a good idea to follow.