A Game of Life or Death

Chapter 1: What Game to Play?

    Hello, I'm Veron James Silvers. I'm 25, 7'8"  and I have greenish-hazel eyes with long black hair that has red streaks and a pale with a slight, ever so slight, tan skin tone. All I wanted to do was play a game with my family, but we all were undecided so the games were numbered and we rolled a 20 sided die and the game we were going to play is...... nothing. Well let me explain that, the game that the die rolled was Monopoly, but when I got back with the game my family was missing from their seats and their food and drinks remained untouched which none of my family would've done (they would've picked at the food). Everyone loves my cooking and would devour it on the spot, so I told them not to eat until I got back with the game. A minute or two I came back with the game and 'poof' they're gone. I inspect the food and nothing is out of place and everything looks as if I had just served it. I think to myself they were taken directly after I left to get the game, but I never heard anybody come or go...... unless...... my face paled (if it could get any paler) they couldn't have...... I stopped that train of thought and went looking around the house for any clues as to where they went or are. As I'm looking around the house something catches my eye. A picture. A family picture to be exact, but there was something wrong with it...... Mom's, Dad's, and Mikenna's faces were scratched out. I went looking at every picture in the house and in each one their faces were scratched out on each and every single one of them, but one. That one was of my 15th birthday when I went into a coma for 4 years. Why is this the only one not scratched out? I flip the picture over and it read "Veron, if you are reading this it means that all of us are gone and don't even try to come and find us we are doomed and if you come and find us you'll have it worse than us. Take the pendant that was under this photo and run away from here. You are not safe. Go to South Dakota and you find a 'cabin' that you've seen in picture of my honeymoon. You'll be safe there until you figure out why they are after you. Stay away from any place or people who work for any place called The Dollhouse. That's the name of the they I refer to. Be Safe - Dad." I was scared, but I picked up the pendant it was a ruby pendant with a rose inside of the ruby. I put the pendant on and I felt weird for a little after I did, but it didn't last long. I went to pack a couple suitcases. I packed clothes, my blanket and pillows, games and their systems, knives (I collect these also I need to be careful), my drawing off the walls, papers, pencils, a hand held sharpener, colored pencils, inking pens, the picture, and other necessities. I only needed 2 suitcases and a backpack. I take my stuff and head over to Vincent's house, but not before taking one last look at my home that I can never come back to. I get to Vincent's house in a minute or so later and knock on the door.
    "Hold on I'm coming." Vincent yells then trips down on the stairs then stands up and opens the door "What do you wan-" Vincent looks over to my direction "Veron, what are you doing here?"
    Vincent Roy Pierce. He is 25, 7'6, he has medium-long black with red streaked hair like me. He also has a pale skin tone, but he has a little bit more of a tan than I do. "Vince, I need to talk to you about something." I tell him my face is kinda worried, but not enough to be noticed.
    "Sure, tell me" Vincent says leaning on the doorframe looking at me.
    "In private." I say glaring at him "It's urgent."
    "Okay... dude you're scaring me... but sure come in. Make sure to take your shoes off and leave them on the mat." Vincent moves out of the way, "Just come up to my room." he goes up to his room.
    "Okay." I take my shoes off and put them on the mat then I take my stuff up to Vincent's room. I see him sitting on his bed and I set my suitcases near the door then shut it. "You remember my 15th birthday, right?" I leaned against the door looking at him.
    "Yeah," he scratches his the back of his neck "you were in a coma for 4 years on that day. What did something happen that had to do with that?"
    "Yes" I pulled out the picture from my 15th birthday and handed it to him "this was the only picture in my house that didn't have everyone's faces, but mine scratched out." then I went over to him and let him read the back of the picture.
    He looks up after reading the note. "Where's the pendant?"
    "I'm wearing it." I point to the ruby pendant around my neck. "I wonder why my Dad picked that picture specifically out of all the picture we have and why didn't he tell me about any of this before hand. Well that doesn't matter now all I need to do now is find my way to Sioux Falls, South Dakota and get to the 'cabin' that Dad was talking about."
    "Veron, we're taking a trip to South Dakota close to where you need to go." Vincent looks at me "We could take you there... as long as my Mom and Dad are okay with it." he stands up and goes to the door and opens it "I'll go ask if we can take you there." and with that he heads to his parents' room, and he trips down the stairs again. A couple minutes later he comes running back up the stairs nearly falling up the stairs "THEY SAID YES!"
    "Vince, you don't have to yell!" I cover my ears quickly before he says anything more "Dude talk normally when you have good news you don't have to make me lose my hearing over it!"
    Vincent rubs the back of his neck apologetically "Sorry you know that I do this."
    I glare at him "You don't have to do it every time," I look down and sigh then look back up at him "do you know when we leave for South Dakota?"
    He nods "We leave tomorrow morning around 9:30 a.m. so you better get a good night's sleep," he pulls out another mattress. "get to bed early we have a lot to do in the morning."
    I put my blanket and pillows on the mattress and make my bed for the night. I set my alarm and lay down to go to sleep. "Night Vince." I shut my eyes and fall into a deep sleep.
    "Night Veron." Vincent shut the door and locked it then he turned the light off and laid down and fell asleep.