The House That Jack Built

Daylight came, I woke up in a daze and panicked. I finally came to the realization that i was still in Sam's place. Why hadn't they taken me I thought. Shit!, how long was I out! I need to get home. I rush out of the house through the back door in case someone was outside waiting. Sam was always good on having secret ways around town to be "undiscovered". I whizz through his backyard through a hole in the fence that leads to an alley way the goes straight into the backside of the park. Entering the park there was an earie silence. No birds chirping, no kids playing, just nothing. I kept in mind to stay off the main trail as Sam would call it " The Meat Grinder". Maybe he knew one day they would take him too.

Once I finally reach my home I burst into the house in tears and frantic. "MOM!, MOM! WHERE ARE YOU!" I Screamed. "Over here sweetie, what's going on? where's Oliver? She asked. "They took them" I said between sobs. "I don't know who they are but they took them". Mom rushed to get the house phone to call it in. "Okay James, I have them on the line can you tell them what happened?" mom asked. "H-hello?"-"This is dispatch, can you please tell me as much as you can about last night?" The voice over the phone said. "My Cousin and I were staying the night at our friend Sam's place" I gave them the address. " we were in the middle of building a fort to sleep in when these guys in hazmat suits took them and knocked me out" The voice asks "why didnt they take you?", "I-I dont know, Maybe the neighbors were watching" I assumed. "You will see them soon" the voice had said, this time in a more grizzly tone, "they dont like leaving things behind" and the line went dead. "Are they looking for them? mom had asked, "I think so" I told her. mom had rushed back to the phone to call Olivers parents to tell them the news, while I went up to my room.

I've got to find them, someone had to have seen something, i thought. i need to get over to Sam's neightbors to see if they saw anything. *DING DONG! The doorbell rang. I peaked out my door to see who it was when my mom had answered. I know this is going to sound cliche but there were two men in black suits at the door claiming to be detectives about the missing persons case. Word apparently got around fast, i heard them ask for me and my mother had directed them to the living room. "Shit" how did they get here so fast? its only been five minutes since we called it in. "James!, there are two men down here to see you" my mom called. "One minute mom, im getting dressed" i panicked when i said that. i cant go down there, they cant be detectives. I stammered around for a few seconds until my mom called for me again "James, what are you doing?". I was going to go for the window when an all too sudden realization hit me, if they were with the men that took Sam and Oliver, what would they do to my mom if i were to leave? I headed downstairs but not without my pocket knife dad gave me. When i made it to the living room both men stood up and introduced themselves as Detective's Don and Daniels. Don was a small man with a bit of what seems like a napoleon complex. Daniels was an average height silent type. "James, i understand this is a dificult time but any information you can give us on the people who took your friends will help greatly" "detective Don said. "I didnt get a good look at them i was knocked out" I said, My mom looked at me knowing i was uncomfortable with the situation. "Are you sure you saw nothing?" Daniels asked. "I'm sure, I was knocked out" I stated. "I think we've taken enough of your time, we will be in touch" Don said. They had gotten up, handed my mom a business card and walked out the front door. "James, why didnt you tell them about the uniforms?" mom asked. "Those guys are'nt detectives mom, what kind of detective shows up looking like the Men In Black" I explained.

Mom was not too enthused about the answer but shook it off because today has been stressful. I had gone back upstairs, to sleep the rest of the day off, it was sunday after all and i had to go to school the next day. My dreams were just another episode of the kidnapping, but it was almost like i had missed something, the suits had an emblem on them. A TREE WITH A LIGHTNING BOLT! I jolted awake, it was the same design Sammy drew that night. I had a lead. My mother yelled for me to hurry up or ill be late for the bus, i rushed to get dressed, grabbed my backpack and ran downstairs for a piece of toast and headed to the bus stop which was three blocks away towards the park. I was about 50 feet out from my house and down the street when i noticed a van creeping slowly behind me. I saw "Detective Don" in the driver seat. I ran, I ran as fast as my legs could take me. I was a block away from the bus stop until another vehicle cut me off, it was Daniels. I juked to the left and skirted down the alley he had just driven up. I need to lose these guys. I cant go back home....The Park! I ran down the alley for two blocks noticing that both vehicles are behind me. I turned left and jumped the fence into the nearest yard and cut through, I can lose them in the park. On the other side of the property i just tresspassed i stopped, caught my breath and planned my next move. I had a bit before they caught up to me. Three more blocks until i reach the park, I heard a noise from behind me. Fuck they're on foot now. I ran again cutting across the street through the other yard, Daniels was behind me this time right on my ass. I jump up the fence and he grabs my foot and yanks me back. I collapsed on top of him, we both fell down onto the ground. I reached for the stick i fell next to and smaked that fucker in the face and got back up to run and he pulled a gun on me. Thats when the owner of the house came out waving his own rifle. "What the FUCK are you doing to that kid?" they said. Daniels went for his "badge" and I bolted for the fence. I made it over, That bought me enough time to make it to the park.

Once I made it to the park I went straight for the creek that cuts through it. Sam and I used to play down there all the time as kids, I knew that area like the back of my hand. I went to the drainage tube that fed the creek and climbed in. I had enough room to crawl in there and hide. I went in far enough to where if they did look they couldnt see me. Both men Splashed around in the creek and came up to the tube i was in and peaked in. "If ya in there Ya better come out, we aint going nowhere." Don had said. Daniels pulled out his hand gun and threatened "Look kid, you come out here and i wont fire down the tube, I will give you to the count of 3" Immediately Don started cussing and threatening him saying "Knock that macho crap off, you wanna blow our cover". I couldnt go out there, I couldnt. I made my way deeper into the tube. After about five minutes of crawling i came across a chamber half filled with water roughly the size of an average living room. There was a drain above me that shed some light in the chamber. There was a grate next to it that looked like it was for servicing the chamber. There was no way i was going to be able to climb up to the grate, im going to have to swim across to the other tube.I reached the other side and crawled in, I have no idea where im going at this point but i need to get out of here. I'm crawling deeper, and deeper and i had made it to what seemed like a larger pipe that i can stand in. Its pitch black down here. Not just your standard darkness, it was choking me along with a smell of rotting, almost like a sewer. I reach out for a wall that i can follow taking babysteps because the last thing i need right now is to break a leg and die down here, then i notice something. A faint red glow at the far end of the tunnel. It was like it was pulsating almost, like a heart beat. I followed the wall until the glow allowed my vision to come of where i was headed and i saw, i saw something both frightening but relaxing. Christmas lights, Fucking Christmas lights in the sewer!

I couldnt believe it, as i got even closer i had noticed several tents posted up. seemed like a homeless camp of some kind. People actually lived in the sewer, I rushed over hoping someone was there that could help me. i was cold and wet and needed to get help somewhere.

"H-Hello?" I muttered, nothing. i walked deeper into the chamber as cautiously as i possibly could, last thing i need is some hobo come at me. There was a rustling in one of the tents, i stopped. "Hello" i said this time with a more demanding tone. The rustling continued, i walked closer to the tent, "Hey, could you help me?" I approched the tent and opened the flap. A fucking racccoon popped out and ran down the chamber. "Jesus!" i screamed. As i collected my bearing someone began walking towards me from the direction the raccoon ran to. "What the hell do you want?" the person called out. "I need some help there are two people after me and i dont know how to get out of here". "Well shit, looks like your in a pickle kid" the man began approaching me. "Ya see kid, I dont get many visitors down in these parts. Why the hell should i help you?"

"My friends have been taken, i need to find them. Do you know this symbol?". I started frantically drawing the symbol on the dirty ground with a broken golf club i had found laying on the ground. "HMMMMMMM, looks like VandaCorp to me" The man said. "Who are they?" i asked. " "ill tell ya what kid, get me some supper and ill tell you all about them, here is a map to help you get out of here" He handed me a crumbled up piece of paper with hand drawn symbols. "Take the grate up off of pine thats the easiest way out of here. come back in that way with some grub if you want more info". I nodded and headed out that way.

Once I reached the surface i ran home as fast as possible, being on the lookout for those assholes. I have to check on mom, i thought to myself. I didnt want her getting hurt. I ducked between cars and bushes as i waded my way through town back home. I burst into my house "MOM!!!!!, MOM!!!! you home!!!!!!!" she peers around the corner from the kitchen. She looked horrified, like i shouldnt have come back. she called me into the kitchen, she has a bottle of vodka in her hand and a glass in the other. Tears streaming down her face. "Mom???" Whats going on??".

"They said they wouldnt come for us" "What do you mean mom?" "You were supposed to be safe" she mumbled. She kinda stopped being coherant at the time but i noticed she had food on the stove. i dished up a go-to box and headed back out to the greasy hobo. He had answeres somehow and i wanted to find out.

As i slowly made my way back to the sewer drain i noticed an eary silence outside. no birds or anything. like a looming danger in the air. as i hit Pine St the grate was just a few feet away. thats when i noticed everyone on the street just staring at me. like deer in headlights. no anger in their vague expressions just blank stares all around. I wormed my way into the grate and worked my way down.

"Hey, Heres your food. Now talk". "Thank you James". The Hobo devoured the food like he hasnt eaten in months. As he was munching down on he guestured for me to follow him. We were walking down a dank space just beyond his tent village and came across a lone shelter of some sort. all he did was point in that direction. I followed his finger to the entrance of what seemed like a delapitated control room. The door opened with a harsh creak. The dim lights from Tent Town game me enough light to notice someone in there. they lifted their head....."James?"