My heart pounded in my chest as I stood in front of the old, abandoned house. Beside me, my older sister Rosie and her best friend Abbie were tapping their feet in annoyance. “Why do I have to do this again?” I asked Rosie, though it was Abbie who answered.
“Because, Charlie, if you want to hang out with us, you have to prove to us that you are not a baby.”
I looked at Rosie with pleading eyes. “Please, Rose, don’t make me do this.”
“Sorry Charlie, but Abbie is right. You have to do this or else go home.”
“Fine,” I mumbled. I knew this was it. I could either go home and be lonely forever, or I could do this one thing and be in the popular crowd.
I stepped up onto the verandah and took a big breath. I turned the doorknob and stepped into a massive foyer. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. Dust covered every surface and I noticed that there was not a lot of light. The windows, I thought, they are boarded up.
I heard a creak of wood and nearly umped a meter high. I was scared. Years of horror movies had taught me to always expect the unexpected. I reached behind me for the doorknob and to my horror found that it was locked.
“ROSIE!” I screamed, “HELP ME!” I bashed on the door until my hands were red. I should have known Rosie and Abbie would do something like this to me. They were probably at the cinemas by now.
I looked at my watch. 7:05, meaning that it would be dark soon. If only I had my mobile on me, I could call mum and be home in no time. But of course I had left that at home.
I looked around for a way to escape and my eyes rested on a narrow staircase. I bet there is a way to escape up there I thought to myself. The staircase creaked as I walked up it, and I prayed that it would not break.
At the top of the staircase there were two identical doors. One on the left and one on the right. I thought carefully before stepping through the door on the right.
Suddenly, I was surrounded by multiple clones of me. The room was filled with mirrors, the ceiling and floor included. Unfortunately there was no way to escape. I decided to try the left door.
I walked in and was surprised to find a lamp and bed in the room. The bed wasn’t made and I could not help but wonder if someone was squatting here.
A loud crash caused me to squeal in fright. I ran out of the room and down the stairs to where the sound came from. I had to bite my tongue to stop me from yelling “Who’s there?”.
I crept on my tiptoes into a large room which I would have imagined had been a dining room. The walls were painted blood red and there were tiny stars painted on the ceiling.
“What are you doing?” I spun around and came face to face with a tall man around the age of 23, with dark brown hair and blue eyes.
“My friends locked me in here during a dare,” I told him while trying to keep myself calm, “and then they ran off.”
“They ran from you? That is not very nice. Are you hungry? I am making pasta.” I couldn’t tell if I should trust him or not but I didn’t want to be rude.
“Sure,” I said, “I love pasta.”
He led me into a small room with a bench and two chairs. “I’m Vincent, by the way.”
I smiled, “I’m Charlotte McAuliffe,” I said quickly before realising that I should have lied for safety. My dad was a well known business man before he lost his company and sent over 100 people bankrupt.
“Well, Charlotte, I’ll just get the pasta.” I should have run but I couldn’t. When Vincent didn’t return after 10 minuets I got worried. I was about to get up from my chair when I felt something sharp against my neck. Looking down, I realised it was a knife.
“Don’t move,” Vincent said his voice now ice cold. “I know who you are Charlotte McAuliffe. I use to work for your dad before he ruined my life. Now I will ruin his.” My body shook with fear but I tried to keep it still.
He handed me an old mobile phone and told me to dial home. I did what he told me to do and handed him the phone. “Hello, Lawrence, its Vinny, I have your daughter here with me,” he said in a harsh tone. The knife was still at my neck and it was starting to hurt.
I could hear my dads voice now yelling through the line. Vincent held out the phone to me. “Tell him you’re scared and nothing else. He doesn’t believe that I have you.”
I took the phone and put it to my ear. “Daddy?”
“Charlie where are you sweetie?”
“I can’t tell you,” I lowered my voice and whispered into the receiver, “I’m in the old house on Gildye Street. Help me Daddy.”
“Good girl Charlie. Stay calm and put Vincent back on the phone.”
I handed the phone to Vincent and he immediately started yelling at dad.
After a few minuets, I heard the faint sound of the police car and I let out a sigh of relief. Vincent was still on the phone to dad so I doubted he could hear it. A few more minuets passed and the alarm got louder. Vincent stopped talking and swore under his breath.
He tightened his grip on the knife and through the phone at the wall. “DAMN IT CHARLOTTE. I TOLD YOU NOT TO SAY ANYTHING”
I felt the knife pierce my neck and everything went black.
My body was never found. The police searched for over a year but the closest they ever got to finding me was the traces of my blood that they found on the room. Vincent ran after dumping my body in a ditch in Chicago. He has never been found but little does he know that the police are just around the corner and every one of them is looking for him. And as for me, I know I will always watch him.
