“We’re off” My parents wave as they start to exit the house

“Don’t burn the place down!” My dad jokes laughing at himself but then his face turns stern “and no boys.”

I nod and they shut the wooden door behind them gently. I stand by the door and watch the silver truck drive away. Gone for three days, just me and my brother Adam the house. I wander into the living room to find my him on the couch sucking some girls face off, then I keep walking to the kitchen. The girl has long pin straight blond hair, blue gleaming eyes framed with outstandingly long lashes, and a small button. I had never seen this girl before but that’s just how Adam is, a new girl every week, and what does Dad say

“way to go son! Just like you’re old man! Real chip off the old block!”

Now me. I don’t get any of that. I have had four crushes and one boyfriend in my sixteen years of life. Tommy Delocrox from sixth grade, Luke Joel from eighth, Elliot Wolff, my brothers friend, from fifth grade, Josh White from ninth, and my only real boyfriend, Walker Hosh, tenth grade. I never told my dad but somehow the boys always go missing somewhere between a week and a month. Of course I’m suspicious, and this weekend I intend to figure out where they disappear to, because this isn’t any magic trick, and now is the best time to start my search, while Adam is distracted with his newest girl. I slink around the corner and up the stairs and like I thought neither of the two notice as I scurry up the stairs. My parents room is off limits to everyone other than them. Like I said suspicious, and I intend to find whatever is hiding there.

The room is at the very end of the hallway and the lack of light shining down is making this seem much more creepy than just going into my parents room like a curious three year old. I cautiously open the door making as little sound as possible as I creep into the room for the first time. It looks normal, windows let in plenty of light and the curtains are a beautiful light green that brightens the room, but the appearance doesn’t fool me. I grope around the room not knowing what I’m looking for, probably a secret room or latch, my father always says he thinks those are cool. I pull every book on the shelf and really anything else I find that looks like something used to open the secret passages in the movies. None of the wooden floorboards move or creak, there is no hidden door under the bed, and I am starting to loose hope, when I forget that I haven’t tried the closet. I open the door and walk in. The closet is huge and I start to search again. Walls of clothing, more books, and a window seat, all in one closet. As I start to check the floorboards there someone clears their throat from behind me.

“What the heck are you doing on the floor in Mom and Dad’s room, Sarah?” Adam asks suspiciously from the doorway to the closet

I sigh, there’s no getting out of this one. “Looking for a secret door, or room, or something.” I tell him annoyed as his face contorts as he holds in a laugh “Oh come on Adam, you’ve never thought that Dad isn’t a little suspicious?”

he raises an eyebrow “You have?” He asks leaning his arm against a shelf which clicks sliding down and part of the wall swings out slowly revealing a dimly lit damp stone hallway. “Holy…”

“Never been suspicious huh?” I mock him as I take a slow step into the hallway determined to find whatever Dad has been doing to the boys.

“Your actually gonna go down there, Sara?” He asks sounding almost worried or scared before leaving that behind continuing with “What level of idiot are you?”

“The kind that wants to know what her father is up to.” I answer before adding “Also, what level of idiot follows the one going down the creepy hallway?” I ask pulling out my phone to light the path

“The kind that dosn’t want his sister to die. So the heroic kind.” He answers with a smug smile also pulling out his phone flashlight. We walk in silence for a while but after about ten minutes we stop at a steel door and a cold shiver runs down my spine as I look around finding a keypad mounted on the wall. I type in, zero, seven, eight, two, the password that Dad uses for everything and the door makes a satisfying click before slowly groaning ominously as it opens to reveal what looks to be a prison but without the guards. The room is lit with bright white lights and five cells are occupied. I bolt down the line of cells and stop at the first one studying the person curled up in the corner rocking back and forth muttering to themself.

“We have to find keys.” I snap at Adam who is currently in a daze staring at the person in the cell. Elliot. “Adam!” I say louder this time making his eyes snap to me “If we don’t find the keys we can’t him them out!” He nods before heading back twords the door to look and I head the opposite direction down the row of cells. I count up all four crushes but Walker is no where to be found. At then end of the cells is a chain of keys hung on the stone wall

“Found them” I call out, my voice bouncing off the damp walls. I run to the first occupied cell using the key marked with tiny numbers corresponding to the cell and unlock the door stepping inside cautiously. The cell is occupied by Luke Joel, dirty blond hair and green eyes dimmed form the doungen and who knows what my father has put him through. I gingerly kneel down next to the hard concave cot that he lays on facing the cold wall.

“Luke” I say gently and his eyes snap to me “I’m gonna get you out of here ok.” He stares at me expressionless before scurring off the cot and wrapping his arms around me. He’s shaking, from fear, cold, lack of care, and who knows what else. He stumbles and I help him up off the floor and he follows me out of the cell keeping his eyes forward. The next cell holds Josh, who sits stiller than a statue on the cot with his feet hanging off the edge and eyes fixed on the cold stone wall. The key clicks into place and his eyes slowly look to me before he stands up abruptly striding twords me with less confidence than the last time I had seen him. Obviously. Then he slams his lips into mine. Well a year in this place cretinly didn’t deplete all of his confidence but enough that he says nothing, no smart comment or smirk, nothing.

“Well then.” I say feeling my cheeks redden, “We better get the others” I stumble out of the cell and move to Tommy and fumbling with the key. The moment I open the door he jumps to his feet and runs, or more accurately, trips, out to join the others. Luke helps to calm him down and help him to walk as Tommy trips over his own feet. When we reach Elliot Adam comes racing twords us

“I’ll deal with this one, but there’s another door, on the other side of the cells, the key is next to it.” He says speaking fast and panting from running through the cold dungeon “The… the guy inside says he wants to see you. He’s behind some sort of really strong glass.”

“You get the others somewhere safe,”I order, Adam nods before and I stand up telling the boys to stay with Adam as I go to examine the one I know is Walker as my brother reunites with his best friend, and I can’t help but think it’s my fault they ever got separated. My walk quickens into a sprint as I run through the door that Adam unlocked into another room, lit with bright lights with a wall that is completely see through, and on the other side is my boyfriend. Adam was right he does seem crazy, punching cushioned walls and screaming but the moment he sees me through the glass it all stops, he goes quiet and walks up to me, tears running down his cheeks and I feel them on mine too. How could my father do such a thing? It’s absolutely horrible. Tears streaming down my down my face as Walker places his hand up against the glass and I do the same looking around the room for a way to get in to see him. I spot a door in the corner and type in the password to unlock it pushing the heavy metal door open and running to Walker wrapping my arms around him.

“Sara” he chokes out voice hoarse and scratchy

There’s a loud bang that and the door shuts. Both me and Walker look to the door. We’re stuck and I told Adam to take the others somewhere safe, we are stuck down here, alone.