The End

Chapter 2

    I take my flask out of my satchel because I can not take it anymore. I have been trying to save the last of the beautiful, refreshing water, but it is too hard.

I slowly twist the cap around to open it, and I take a sad, deep breath as I lift the flask to my face and tip it backwards. The feeling that shoots down my throat as I swallow is miraculous. I know that the water is very warm, but it feels cool as it swishes around in my mouth. 

I close the flask knowing that I only have a small amount of water left, and an unknown time until I get to Jewel City to meet my enemy. The evil, cruel, disgusting Esmerelda. 

"How did it all start?" I ask to myself, barely speaking. 

Esmerelda was my next door neighbour. The world was normal then. I had a home, a family, a neighbour hood, and an education. Anyways, every morning, I would walk to school with my little brother, Lucas, and I would pick up Esmerelda on the way. 

Something happened every morning in that household, that no one could ever figure out. I could never hear a voice coming out of her house, but every morning when my brother and I would wait outside on her dry, yellow, grass, we always heard banging. I always tried to run to the door and see what was going on, but she always beat me to the door and closed it behind her, blocking my view.

I always confronted her about it, and she told me it was probably a plate or a box or toy that had fallen out of a cabinet or off the shelf. Sometimes, she would even come out with cuts, bruises, or a bit of blood smeared on her face. This is when I got very concerned about her.

 I told my parents multiple times, and they tried to notify many people, but Esmerelda always found a way to cover up whatever was going on behind that army green door. 

We had never seen her parents, and I thought it was only her living in the home, but one night, I left my window open. I was in Grade 7 at the time, and I was still determined to find out what was going on with Esmerelda after all these years. I thought that her life was always going to remain a mystery. 

Her bedroom was across from mine, and we would always wave to each other and say good night when we went to bed. 

But, this certain night, she did not come. And for the first time in my life, I heard another voice in the home. A man. I gasped when I heard something and jumped down onto the floor so no one could see me. I listened intently, and I heard something that might have solved everything. 

"You listen to me, if you say anything, you know what will happen." The man said. I heard Esmerelda whimper, and at this point, I needed to SEE what was going  on, so I peaked my head up just over the window sill. I saw a big man, wearing all black, and he was hovering over Esmerelda. His black shadow took over her whole body, and she fell to the ground, staring up at him.

Then she spoke, saying, "We can trust her! She won't tell anyone." Were they talking about me? I never knew.

He took his fist out from behind him, spread his hand out, and lifted her small body off the floor, throwing her onto the bed and she hit her head on the back wall. I shuttered as I kept watching.

"We leave tonight. You won't see that girl ever again." He said in the deepest voice possible. I remained quiet, as I thought they were speaking about me, I feared for my family and I, even though I really wanted to help her. 

She nodded her head and I saw her start to pack her bag. She closed the curtain and the light went off. 

That was the last time I saw her. 

After all I saw that night, I needed to notify someone! This was serious. So, I first told my parents, then it went to the police. But when they got to the house, they were too late, and he had already taken her.