I put it in my pocket and continued searching the entire house with the flashlight. After I scoured every room in the house, including the theater room and upper level where Kristie and Dan slept, my eyes began to fill with frustrated tears; the place appeared deserted and I had no idea what to do next. As I trudged back downstairs to the kitchen, my phone began to vibrate. I cringed when I saw who it was.
“Thank God! What in the hell were you thinking girl?” yelled Sara.
I cleared my throat. “Look, I have to find my sister, she needs me. If it was your sister, you’d do the same. You know I’m right.”
She was silent for a minute then sighed. “Yes, you are. So… have you found her yet?”
“No,” I replied sadly.
“Well maybe they’ve all escaped?”
“God, I can only hope so. Listen, have youheard anything at all from my mom, dad, or Bryce?” I asked.
Another pause, then, “No Cassie, I’m sorry.”
I closed my eyes and let out a shaky breath. “Okay, well look, I’m going to keep searching. Call me if you hear from anyone in my family. Bye.” I hung up before she could start in on me again about returning home.
I put my head in my hands and tried thinking about where Allie and the others could have possibly went. I felt like I was missing something and it was driving me crazy. Then it hit me like a sledgehammer, the new Safe - Room ! It was a family shelter that wasn’t supposed to be finished for a couple of months, but it would still be a good place to hide. Paige had mentioned that it was in the wine cellar, so I ran back downstairs to the lower level and began looking. It was supposed to be hidden at the very back of the wine cabinets.
“Yes,” I squealed when I located the entrance, it looked like an ordinary panel wall with a keypad attached. As I raised my hand to pound on the wall, it opened.
Chapter Fourteen
“Thank God!” I cried standing face to face with my best friend. Although it was obvious that Paige was relieved to see me, the haunted expression in her eyes spoke volumes. She collapsed into my arms and sobbed.
“Paige, where’s Allie?” I asked, trying to look beyond her into the safe room. Unfortunately, she appeared to be alone.
She shook her head as the tears streamed down her face. “I…I don’t know!” she cried.
I wanted to shake her but instead forced myself to remain calm; we’d all been through our own kind of hell the last few hours. “What do you mean?” I asked slowly.
“I don’t know! Allie and Kylie ran away. They were going to try and get help,” she cried through her tears. “I don’t even know where my mom is!”
“Okay, calm down and start from the beginning. What happened?”
Her light green eyes grew large. “It was my stepdad, Dan. He turned into some kind of freak! He tried to fucking bite me. Then my mom…she whacked him with a frying pan. But he…he kept coming towards me with these…horrible red eyes. Mom told me to run, so I did! I ran away and have been hiding here ever since. God, I’m so scared!” she sobbed.
“Paige, I didn’t see anyone else in the house.”
“Well, where’s my mom? She just wouldn’t leave me. They’ve just got to be here, somewhere!”
“Paige, it’s okay. We’ll find them, somehow,” I replied softly. “Listen, do you have anything to drink? I could really use some caffeine.” I’d been up for almost twenty-four hours and was finally feeling the effects.
She pulled me inside. The hidden room was larger than my entire bedroom. It held a black leather sectional, an arsenal of electronic equipment, and a fully stocked refrigerator. I grabbed a soda and walked over to the surveillance cameras.
“Do these things work?” I asked.
“No, I’ve already tried. They hadn’t finished installing them yet.
I sighed. “Well, at least you’ve got the generator, and didn’t have to sit in the dark.”
She nodded and then stared
“Thank God! What in the hell were you thinking girl?” yelled Sara.
I cleared my throat. “Look, I have to find my sister, she needs me. If it was your sister, you’d do the same. You know I’m right.”
She was silent for a minute then sighed. “Yes, you are. So… have you found her yet?”
“No,” I replied sadly.
“Well maybe they’ve all escaped?”
“God, I can only hope so. Listen, have youheard anything at all from my mom, dad, or Bryce?” I asked.
Another pause, then, “No Cassie, I’m sorry.”
I closed my eyes and let out a shaky breath. “Okay, well look, I’m going to keep searching. Call me if you hear from anyone in my family. Bye.” I hung up before she could start in on me again about returning home.
I put my head in my hands and tried thinking about where Allie and the others could have possibly went. I felt like I was missing something and it was driving me crazy. Then it hit me like a sledgehammer, the new Safe - Room ! It was a family shelter that wasn’t supposed to be finished for a couple of months, but it would still be a good place to hide. Paige had mentioned that it was in the wine cellar, so I ran back downstairs to the lower level and began looking. It was supposed to be hidden at the very back of the wine cabinets.
“Yes,” I squealed when I located the entrance, it looked like an ordinary panel wall with a keypad attached. As I raised my hand to pound on the wall, it opened.
Chapter Fourteen
“Thank God!” I cried standing face to face with my best friend. Although it was obvious that Paige was relieved to see me, the haunted expression in her eyes spoke volumes. She collapsed into my arms and sobbed.
“Paige, where’s Allie?” I asked, trying to look beyond her into the safe room. Unfortunately, she appeared to be alone.
She shook her head as the tears streamed down her face. “I…I don’t know!” she cried.
I wanted to shake her but instead forced myself to remain calm; we’d all been through our own kind of hell the last few hours. “What do you mean?” I asked slowly.
“I don’t know! Allie and Kylie ran away. They were going to try and get help,” she cried through her tears. “I don’t even know where my mom is!”
“Okay, calm down and start from the beginning. What happened?”
Her light green eyes grew large. “It was my stepdad, Dan. He turned into some kind of freak! He tried to fucking bite me. Then my mom…she whacked him with a frying pan. But he…he kept coming towards me with these…horrible red eyes. Mom told me to run, so I did! I ran away and have been hiding here ever since. God, I’m so scared!” she sobbed.
“Paige, I didn’t see anyone else in the house.”
“Well, where’s my mom? She just wouldn’t leave me. They’ve just got to be here, somewhere!”
“Paige, it’s okay. We’ll find them, somehow,” I replied softly. “Listen, do you have anything to drink? I could really use some caffeine.” I’d been up for almost twenty-four hours and was finally feeling the effects.
She pulled me inside. The hidden room was larger than my entire bedroom. It held a black leather sectional, an arsenal of electronic equipment, and a fully stocked refrigerator. I grabbed a soda and walked over to the surveillance cameras.
“Do these things work?” I asked.
“No, I’ve already tried. They hadn’t finished installing them yet.
I sighed. “Well, at least you’ve got the generator, and didn’t have to sit in the dark.”
She nodded and then stared
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