Written by: Amelia Chavez, Staff Writer
MYSTERY: The fourth chapter in a spine-chilling series about a young girl in San Francisco.
Wind whistled past her ears as she jumped to the apartments across and raced down the ladders. Stopping just three flights before the bottom, she struggled to unhatch the window. Bits of wood fell to the ground as it creaked open.
The room reeked of ammonia and was completely spotless. Not even furniture cluttered the room. Something’s off.
She began to look around, looking for anything. In the corner she spotted a hint of gold in the fading sunset light. It was long gold cylinders with holes at the top. Gun casings. She picked one up, examining it further. Unlike a .45 caliber, it had a slim casing and faded gold covering it. .38 revolver.
She whipped around checking her surroundings. Whoever made that shot was trained and had a brilliant eye.
Behind her was a door that opened into a closet-like room. The door was chipped from use and the door knob had rusted. As she walked forward the wood moaned beneath her feet, releasing more of that smell.
“Hello?”
No one responded. Only the wind swishing against the open window. With her head held high she continued towards the door.
No one appeared to be inside. Settling her fears she wandered further into the tiny wood room. Two shelves sat a foot above her head, making her appear shorter. She started feeling around the panels for a switch, lever, button, for anything. If it worked in Nancy Drew, then it can work now. As her hands reached the right section she felt a panel push back more than the others.
With all the might she could muster she pushed on the panel.
WHOOSH
In a mere second she found herself tumbling down a dark hole. Now I know how Alice felt. The darkness seemed to continue forever. No light could ever pierce it. Until the end of time it would remain forever dark. What will happen to me? What will they tell my father? What will I tell him if I make it out?
Thoughts circled her mind, questions turned into more and more. The darkness lasted an eternity. She landed on her butt on cold hard cement.
The room smelled of must and cobwebs. Better than ammonia. She found her way to the wall feeling around it. It was damp and chilled her bones. Where am I?
A string hit her in the face. Without a second thought she pulled it. Illuminating the entire room, it was revealed where she was.
Terror filled every cell in her body. Her knees began to shake a wanted to give out. Stay strong.
In front of her were millions if not thousands of pictures of her and her father. Each photo had a red X across her fathers face. The surrounding walls were covered in guns of every make and type, bullets gallor. Where am I? Who’s after him?