Disappearance

The Cellar

Chapter 10

Just to let you guys know, I'm planning on putting an updated/edited version of this same story on Fanfiction.net. I'm going to just try and improve my writing on it and possibly add a few more chapter here and there. If you want to check it out I'll post the link to it when I do it!

Derek was startled by his cell phone ringing in his pocket. He saw Hotch's name and picked up.

"Hotch? Did you find anything?"

"Not us exactly. A group of boys found a cellar in a field while playing a game of baseball. We're pretty sure it's where he had Prentiss, it fits her description."

"She said she killed him, did you find his body?" Derek said, hope rising in him.

"That's the thing. There's no body and it smells like bleach," Derek's heart dropped.

"You mean he got out?" he shut his eyes in frustration, "she said she stabbed him."

"We don't know. We need her to identify this cellar as the right one. Maybe this isn't the right one." Hotch said.

"Are you serious? I don't think she can go back there. She's been doing pretty well, I don't want her to shut down again."

Hotch sighed, "I know, I'll take pictures and send them to you and she can make a positive ID that way. Hopefully that will be easier?"

"Yeah, I guess. Send them whenever."

"Alright, thanks Morgan. Let me know what she says asap."

Derek exhaled as he hung up. Emily had been doing so well and he didn't want something so small to be a set back. He knew any little thing could set her off, but he knew this had to be done for the case to move forward.

Emily stepped out from her room, fresh out of the shower, her brown hair still damp. She immediately recognized the concerned look on Derek's face.

"What? What is it?" She said, lowering her hands that had been running through her wet hair.

"They think they found the cellar," he paused to watch her reaction, "and they need you to identify it."

Her heart started pacing, images started flooding her memory.
"No...no I can't go back there Derek. Please...please don't make me go back! I–I can't!"

He stood up and walked over to her.
He grabbed her hands but she yanked them away quickly.

"Emily, baby look at me!" When she finally looked at him, he continued, "you don't have to go back, okay? They're sending pictures. I promise you, you do not have to go back there ever again, okay?"

She looked into his brown eyes, "okay."

He took out his phone and pulled up the images that Hotch sent him. He looked up cautiously, "you ready?"

She nodded quickly, just wanting to get everything over with.

He turned his phone to face her, revealing this first picture of just the stairs leading down. She immediately grimaced and nodded.

"That's it."

"Are you sure? Those are only the stairs–"

"Derek I think I would know. I said that's it." She snapped.

"You're right, sorry. I'll let them know."