Kidnapped

Chapter One

- Chapter One -

I ran down the street, I remember when these streets were full of children playing ball, I thought of a couple weeks ago when I always walked this path and you'd see people outside, not locked up in their houses. I continued running, running until my sides cramped and my lungs felt like they were going to explode. I was almost there.

When I reached the small familiar light blue house I slammed into the door, I pounded my fists like my life depended on it, I think it did. My brain was a bit scrambled.

I let out a gasp when Jinx opened the screen door, and her younger sister, Jessie, was right behind her.

"Thank- god -you guys are okay." I said, panting.

"River! Did you run all the way here?!" Jinx asked, shocked. "Isn't it like a mile a half to get here?"

I nodded, still out of breath. When I could mostly breath again, I hugged each of them. "Just thank goodness you're both okay!"

"No one we know has been kidnapped yet, thank godness." Jessie said, flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder and placing a hand on her hip.

After a long silence Jinx spoke, "Well, what do we do?"

"Best I could think was to gather up all our friends, and maybe stay at someone's house. Find supplies, because stores are closed; nobody wants to work because they think they'll be taken." I replied.

"Ok, who's house should we go to first?" Jinx asked slowly.

"Well, I believe Tori and Maxwell live the closest to here." I said thoughtfully.

"Okay..." Jinx slurred.

"What are we waiting for?" Jessie jogged out the door and down the street towards Maxwell's house.

"Well, looks like we know who's house we're going to first." I said sarcastically and jogged after Jessie.

We arrived at Max's house (We've always called him Max) in a matter of minutes, Jinx and Jessie didn't live far from him. I was glad he hadn't been taken, we had been dating for a couple months now. I hugged him tightly and gave him a peck on the cheek, Jessie just rolled her eyes.

"You know if you don't want to be here you can just leave." I snapped at Jessie.

She looked taken aback and then turned to walk back to her house, "Fine." She spat over her shoulder, stomping off down the street.

I glared angrily after her until she'd turned the corner and was out of sight. I looked over at Jinx, who was looking at me funny, then at Max who gave me a look of sympathy.

"What happened between you two? You used to be best friends..." Jinx looked down the street to where Jessie had disappeared.

I didn't know what happened next until I heard Jinx's frightful scream and Max tugging me inside. "RUN JESSIE!" Jinx screamed at the top of her lungs as a car whipped around the turn to where Jessie was headed.

I broke free of Max's strong grip and bolted down the street to catch up with Jessie, she was running back towards me while the car was turning around.

"River, wait! It's dangerous, come back!" Max yelled to me.

"I told you there was kidnappers!" I screamed to Jinx and Max.

They looked as shocked as I did, right as someone hopped out of the car and snatched Jessie up. I stopped running, and just stared. She was almost to me... I didn't move when Max shook me.

I thought back to the days when me and Jessie where better friends, I'd always wondered what had happened between us. One day we just- didn't get along anymore, our friendship became bipolar where one day we'd be friends and the next we'd be glaring daggers at each other.

"River?" I didn't even acknowledge Max as he shook me to try and get me to focus. "River, are you okay?" He asked a bit more firmly.

"I didn't get to apologize." I said, sounding empty.

I still wanted to be Jessie's friend, now she was kidnapped and I'd probably never see her familiar face ever again. Nobody knew what they did to the kidnapped, all we could do was imagine.

And frankly, our imagination is thinking for the worst.