Mark and Steve walked up to the front porch and opened the door. They had stayed at the restaurant for about two hours before the group had split up. Turning on the lights, Mark headed for the living room. Glancing around he noticed that some things were misplaced.
"Steve!" he said as he walked over to the fireplace. Two of the pictures on the mantel were lying face down.
"What is it?" Steve had walked into the room. Mark pointed to the pictures and went over to put them back into their right place. The first picture was of his daughter, who had died about a year ago. The other one was of Steve, Jesse, Amanda and himself standing in BBQ Bob's. He looked around the room trying to determine if something had been stolen.
"Dad!" Steve's voice came from the Dining Room. Mark followed his son's voice.
"What is it? Was something stolen?"
"No." Mark looked in the direction his son was looking. On the table was a monopoly game fully set up as if four people were playing. One side had only on dollar left while the other sides were full of money.
"Weird."
"Yes, it is."
*******
The next day, Dr. Jesse Travis walked down the hall towards the doctor's lounge. As he headed for the coffee pot he heard Mark telling Amanda about what had happened last night. He had been told earlier this morning. He walked over and sat down.
"Interesting story, huh." He said, taking a sip of his coffee.
"Yes, I mean who would break in to play a game?" Amanda shook her head, but looked amused.
"Ghosts." Jesse grinned as Amanda swatted him. Mark looked relieved for the humor. Suddenly the intercom came to life.
"Dr. Travis, you are needed in room 125. Dr. Travis, room 125." Jesse got up, swallowing the rest of his coffee in one gulp. He left the two deep in discussion. After a few minutes Mark hesitantly got up to leave. Steve came barging through the door looking so upset that Mark blurted out.
"Steve, what's wrong?"
"I'm okay, Dad. No blood or anything." He cracked, glad to see his father's face relax.
"The strangest thing just happened though. I went shopping for a few of the essentials, but when I went to check out my credit card was declined. I tried all of them." He shrugged, "Nothing worked. I got home and called the card company. According to them, I have never had an account with them."
"What?" Mark looked stunned. Amanda was speechless.
"That's not all. Then I called the bank only to find out that my account has been closed and all the money withdrawn." Steve shook his head. "Cheryl said she would check it out for me."
"Do you think it has anything to do with what happened yesterday?" Amanda looked thoughtful.
"I don't know, but we are going to find out." Mark started to walk out only to be ran over by Jesse.
"Sorry, but I think you should see this." Glancing at each other, they followed him to room 125. They walked in to find a Scrabble board sitting in the middle of the bed. It had been set up as if someone had been playing. Down the middle of the board the word kidnapped was spelled out. On one side of the board, all of the letters had been dump out of the bag and in the middle the chaos of letters was a little bottle of shampoo.
"I asked the nurse if she had seen anybody." Jesse said interrupted when Amanda's phone rang. She answered it. Jesse went on. "Nobody saw anything." They all whirled around as Amanda made an odd noise as if she was gasping and trying not to cry at the same time.
"….I'll be home as soon as possible." Amanda closed her phone and looked up at her friends with tears streaming down her face. "CJ and Dion are missing. Someone knocked my mom out and took them!"
********
She looked at the bound and gagged children. They looked terrified. There was really no need to be scared she had told them. She only wore the mask so they would not recognize her. She would not hurt them-that would be against the rules. You can't break the rules. TBC
Thanks for the Reviews. Like it or hate it. Tell me. All the comments help. I had a temporary case of writers block. All better now! ^_^
"Steve!" he said as he walked over to the fireplace. Two of the pictures on the mantel were lying face down.
"What is it?" Steve had walked into the room. Mark pointed to the pictures and went over to put them back into their right place. The first picture was of his daughter, who had died about a year ago. The other one was of Steve, Jesse, Amanda and himself standing in BBQ Bob's. He looked around the room trying to determine if something had been stolen.
"Dad!" Steve's voice came from the Dining Room. Mark followed his son's voice.
"What is it? Was something stolen?"
"No." Mark looked in the direction his son was looking. On the table was a monopoly game fully set up as if four people were playing. One side had only on dollar left while the other sides were full of money.
"Weird."
"Yes, it is."
*******
The next day, Dr. Jesse Travis walked down the hall towards the doctor's lounge. As he headed for the coffee pot he heard Mark telling Amanda about what had happened last night. He had been told earlier this morning. He walked over and sat down.
"Interesting story, huh." He said, taking a sip of his coffee.
"Yes, I mean who would break in to play a game?" Amanda shook her head, but looked amused.
"Ghosts." Jesse grinned as Amanda swatted him. Mark looked relieved for the humor. Suddenly the intercom came to life.
"Dr. Travis, you are needed in room 125. Dr. Travis, room 125." Jesse got up, swallowing the rest of his coffee in one gulp. He left the two deep in discussion. After a few minutes Mark hesitantly got up to leave. Steve came barging through the door looking so upset that Mark blurted out.
"Steve, what's wrong?"
"I'm okay, Dad. No blood or anything." He cracked, glad to see his father's face relax.
"The strangest thing just happened though. I went shopping for a few of the essentials, but when I went to check out my credit card was declined. I tried all of them." He shrugged, "Nothing worked. I got home and called the card company. According to them, I have never had an account with them."
"What?" Mark looked stunned. Amanda was speechless.
"That's not all. Then I called the bank only to find out that my account has been closed and all the money withdrawn." Steve shook his head. "Cheryl said she would check it out for me."
"Do you think it has anything to do with what happened yesterday?" Amanda looked thoughtful.
"I don't know, but we are going to find out." Mark started to walk out only to be ran over by Jesse.
"Sorry, but I think you should see this." Glancing at each other, they followed him to room 125. They walked in to find a Scrabble board sitting in the middle of the bed. It had been set up as if someone had been playing. Down the middle of the board the word kidnapped was spelled out. On one side of the board, all of the letters had been dump out of the bag and in the middle the chaos of letters was a little bottle of shampoo.
"I asked the nurse if she had seen anybody." Jesse said interrupted when Amanda's phone rang. She answered it. Jesse went on. "Nobody saw anything." They all whirled around as Amanda made an odd noise as if she was gasping and trying not to cry at the same time.
"….I'll be home as soon as possible." Amanda closed her phone and looked up at her friends with tears streaming down her face. "CJ and Dion are missing. Someone knocked my mom out and took them!"
********
She looked at the bound and gagged children. They looked terrified. There was really no need to be scared she had told them. She only wore the mask so they would not recognize her. She would not hurt them-that would be against the rules. You can't break the rules. TBC
Thanks for the Reviews. Like it or hate it. Tell me. All the comments help. I had a temporary case of writers block. All better now! ^_^