My brother and I were chilling upstairs, relaxing in bed together while the renovation workers worked downstairs. Our uncle and his son were also here, checking in on their progress. We had plans to see a movie when they were done.
We were both on our phones, texting away to our friends. At least, I assumed it was his friend before he turned around and held out his phone for me to see. “Hey, check this out,” he said, showing me a conversation he was having with someone called ‘Criminal Extraordinaire.’
“Who is that?” I ask.
“Somebody I found on Discord. You know those recent kidnappings? This guy will give you details if you send him pics of it. Name, location, and even details of what happened to them! Although there is this stupid rumor that says you have to stop once he starts asking personal questions about your location, apparently he can use that to find you.”
“That’s so weird.” I scoff and roll onto my back to stare at the chipping wallpaper on the ceiling.
“It’s fun, though!” He protested. “He’s probably doing it as a kind of joke. Besides, even if that does happen, as long as I keep it vague, he will never find me.”
“Whatever, I’m not texting that guy.” I said, hopping off the bed and dashing towards the stairs.
I was already feeling weirded out by the idea of having to move into this old place, away from friends and family, in some part of the city I’ve never been in before. I didn’t need something else happening that would make me freak out even more.
I took the stairs two at a time and eventually came to a halt when I was three steps away from the lobby. I took a seat on the rickety old stairs and whipped out my phone, planning to find a game or something to entertain myself while we waited. As soon as I fired up a game, my brother came barreling down the steps and sat down next to me.
It was odd that he was so quiet, but I brushed it off. I didn’t want to talk to him if all he wanted to do was scare me with creepy stories.
“Alright, we’re finally done! You kids ready to go?” My uncle asked, pulling his arms through his coat.
“Wait, is dad still here?” My brother asked. “I wanted to ask him something before he left.”
“No…. no, I think he left for work a while ago… oh wait! You can see him pacing around in that room over there!”
He points at a closed door, where we can see the shadow of a person walking around through the blurred screen. Just as we all turn to face it, the doorbell rings. My uncle told my brother to go talk to him while he answered the door.
I stood there, frozen in shock, as I slowly realized what was happening. I don’t know how I knew. It was just a feeling I got deep in my gut. I wanted to cry out, to yell at my brother to stop, but my mouth was glued shut.
The front door swings opens and I hear my uncle exclaim in surprise when he finds my dad standing there, wondering where his son was.
“He left already.” I numbly said, watching as my younger brother opened the door and disappeared behind it.
“Ah, that’s a shame. Oh well, see you tonight. Thanks for looking after them.”
I heard my dad walking away, and my uncle asked why I lied, but my eyes were fixed on that closed door. There’s no movement in there, none at all, so that must mean they were still inside. But as I listened to the squeal of tires racing away, I knew that he had disappeared as soon as that door clicked close.