Force You Down

Chapter Three

Jacklyn

It's take two more long seconds for my body to start moving. I turn around and starting racing up the stairs, taking three steps at a time. I hear a loud sigh from the kitchen.

"Help me, help me, help me! Oh my fucking god, they're in my house!" I scream into the phone, racing into my parents room and locking the door. They have a bathroom in their room which has a lock on it, so I lock that door and shut it. They also have a walk-in closet that locks, and an entrance to the attic. I run into the closet, lock the door, unfold the ladder leaned against the wall and start to climb. I open the attic door and climb inside, shutting it behind me.

"Jacklyn, are you still there?" The operator asks, and I turn the flashlight on my phone on. My attic is filled with junk, with a few sizable plastic bins to hold holiday decorations. I begin to look at the labels on top of the lids, and when I find one that doesn't have a label I open it, breathing in relief when I see that it's empty. Holding the lid open carefully, I crawl inside, curling up in a ball and then shutting the lid closed. I fit in it almost comfortably.

"Jacklyn, honey?" The operator sounds worried and I take a deep breath to calm down my heart rate.

"I'm in the attic, hiding inside of a box."  I whisper, closing my eyes, tears falling out of my eyes. "My parents door has lock on it so I locked that, and they have a bathroom that has a lock too so I locked it to try and confuse them." My shoulders began to shake and I put my hand over my mouth to contain the sobs threatening to come out.

"Okay, good job sweetheart. Are you still in your parents room?"

"Yeah, my parents have a walk-in closet with a lock on the door and the attic entrance." My voice quivers and I start to sniffle.

"You're doing great Jacklyn. The police are two minutes away." She informed me.

"Thank you. I have to go, they're going to hear me." I say, and I can hear her start to protest before I hang up.

I listen carefully, and I can barely hear Mike speaking loudly. "Why'd you lock the door baby? I just want to talk." I can hear him jiggle the door knob. It's quiet for a few moments before I hear a loud bang and I jump. He must've kicked the door down. I can feel sweat sliding down my back and dread seeping into my skin.

"Now, where are you?" He calls out, as if it were all a joke. "In the bathroom, perhaps?" I can hear the jiggle of the door knob, and then the loud bang from moments before. I can hear his boots clicking on the tiled ground as he inspects the bathroom, and I shut my eyes tightly.

After all this time had passed, I would've never expected him to come back for me. I thought he had forgotten me and went on with his life, shooting people in the heads.

"Oh, you're not in here. Locked the door to trick me? Clever girl." He says mockingly, and tears continue to flow down my cheeks.

"Maybe under the bed?" He laughs. "Not under here either. Where could you have gone Jackie?"

He wriggles the closet door knob and a quiet sob escapes me. "Lets try in here." His voice is even closer than before, and following the sound of the door breaking was my heart dropping to my feet. I can hear him moving hangers around to look for me.

"Now where are you?" He tsks. "Bingo! The attic?" He cheers and he climbs the ladder loudly. He opens the attic door and I can hear his breathing as he climbs inside. He turns the attic light on and I want to scream.

"Now where would a tiny girl like you hide?" I let out silent, short breaths so he won't hear me. If anything, he would hear my racing heart.

"Ah, in these bins? You'd have no problem fitting in them. He began to pull the lids off of the bins, and I clench my jaw, trying to prevent a noise from coming out of my throat.