Hikaru pulled herself out of the book and onto the tiled floor. She looked around, but there were no sign of her capturers. She turned around to see the book, taller than herself and almost three times as large.

There was no time to wonder what was in the book, however, because a pair of footsteps were coming around the corner. Hikaru scurried behind the book, looking around the edge to see who was coming.

A purple-clothed teen strode around the corner. Hikaru pulled her head behind the giant book, but then stretched around and watched the teen intently. He glanced around, then pulled out a small device.

Hikaru crept closer, and darted over to the wall. Now she was just a corner away from the boy. She couldn't hear anything, so she peeked around the wall.

A black bolt of energy knocked her backwards.

...

This is the day we blow up our house.

Oops. That probably sounds a bit strange. Let me rephrase it.

This is the day we break out of captivity.

No, that makes it sound like we're zoo animals.

Ah, fuck it. It's not like there's gonna be any epic music. Elevator music, maybe, but not epic battle music like the type you'd find in Star Wars. Unless the elevator is playing Star Wars music.

"Dove," Preston interrupts my thoughts. "There is no elevator. There are transport-" I cut him off. "Transport beams, take you to anywhere in the world, yadda yadda."

He sighed, leaning back against the wall. "There are probably mics recording our words." I look at him. "So why are we talking about our escape plan again?"

Preston shrugs. "Well, it won't work anyway. We're two of the most valuable specimens-" I shudder. "Can we please not use the word specimen? It makes me uncomfortable." He chuckles, standing up. "Well, if being a specimen makes you uncomfortable..."

The door slides into the wall as the power goes out. "We better run!" I leap up, grabbing Preston's arm. "C'mon go go go!" As we run down the hallway, the lights flicker. "We only got a few minutes," he puffed. "This is the main source of electricity for the houses above us, and when everyone plugs in lights all at once, we definitely have at least five."

I nod, too busy running to respond. A hand grasps my foot, and I stumble. Preston stomps on it, and we continue. Looking back, I see a girl lying on the floor. She reaches out to us, looking like a open book.

Wait.

Scratch that.

She is a book.

"Prestoooon!"

...

Hikaru's eyes opened. She sat up, her head flicking back and forth. "W-" She was cut off by a kick to the chest, air rushing out of her lungs. Collapsing onto the floor, she heard voices above her. "Oh c'mon Preston, you didn't need to kick her!" "Of all the flipping-"

The second voice, which must've been Preston's, muttered something unfit for children. "Really? You don't need to murder everyone who looks at you the wrong way. Besides, I can vouch for her. She kept me from splatting on the ground." the first voice- Hikaru thought they were the angel girl- said. Preston snorted. "And when was this?"

Hikaru finally managed to say something, with a proper amount of air in her lungs. "You two sound like an old married couple." Both were silent until Hikaru got up. "No, seriously, you sound like you've been trapped in a time bubble and haven't aged but you've been in there for two months in real time."

A sooty-haired boy- probably Preston- nodded. "Yup, this one's smart. Whaddya think, Dove, a keeper?" The now named Dove snorted. "Well, feel free to-"

Ding dong!

"What was-" Hikaru began to say. "Doorbell." Preston hopped over a chair and made his way to the door. Looking through the peephole, he frowned. "Does there happen to be a conveniently placed bowl of candy next to me?"

Dove shook her head. "Nope." Hikaru spun around, having just now realized they were in a house. "How- the place- What?" Neither Preston nor Dove bothered to answer her, instead rifling through cupboards. "D'ya see any candy?" Preston asked, standing on a counter. Dove threw a bag of raisins at Preston's head. "No, but I found these."

The doorbell rung again, this time a yell of "Trick or treat!" behind it. Hikaru walked over to the door, opening it slightly. "We don't have any candy," she said to the zombie and grim reaper standing there. "Please go away."

The zombie cocked- his? her?- their head. "Then why are there lights on?" Hikaru gestured to the kitchen, where Dove and Preston were still rifling through cupboards. "We're hungry. And sitting down to dinner. Now go away." The two trick or treaters turned away, walking down the front steps as Hikaru shut the door.

"Um, you guys... They left." Dove, needing evidence of this, got up with a can of beans in her left hand and peered out the window. "So they did. 'ey Preston, want some beans?"

Preston turned around in time to catch the can, subsequently falling on the floor. "No, for your information, I don't want beans," he said. "I am hungry though."

Hikaru opened one of the cupboard doors, pulling out a box of cereal. "Anyone want some... Frosted Wheaties?" she asked, craning her neck to read the label.

Dove and Preston both nodded in agreement, the former of the two opening cupboards until she found bowls. Preston rummaged around in a drawer until he found spoons.

After they had all managed to make a mess of the kitchen, they ate cereal. The house was silent.

Eventually, Hikaru asked "D'ya think the owners of the house are gonna be very happy?"