Amy Drew walked back to the house from the car carrying her backpack. She wasn't in the best mood. Her boyfriend, Matt, had just broken up with her. She couldn't think about it now. She hurried inside out of the cold, dark air. She was glad it was winter break, because she wouldn't have to face Matt for another two weeks.
She sat her keys down on the end table and headed into the living room. She checked her messages.
"You have 1 new message." Amy looked up from the phone. That's weird, she thought to herself. My parents should have been here to answer the phone. She momentarily forgot about Matt as she looked around the large room for some kind of hint, a sign that her parents were really there.
There were stacks of paper laying all over the floor from her dad who was a top secret agent for the CIA. Normally her mother, who was a detective, would have cleaned them up so that Amy couldn't read them. She seemed to think that Amy needed to be shielded from the outside world.
She jumped as the clock above the fireplace began to chime. She came back to reality with a start and all of a sudden remembered the message on the phone. Amy momentarily put the stacks of paper out of her mind telling herself she would check it out later.
She walked back over to the phone and pressed play.
"Hi Amy. It's me dad. I feel terrible having to tell you all of this on the phone but there was no other way. Your mother and I will be away for a while on a matter of top secrecy. I cannot tell you what but we will be gone for a while. You will find money in the cookie jar. Use it wisely. We will be home in a few weeks. I give you permission to have a friend over to stay with you, but please be careful. We both love you and hope to see you soon."
Amy sank into the old couch in shock. Her parents had left her alone? Stay by herself in this big old house? Her parents had bought the oldest and of course biggest house that was in the area and it was fun to live there but it could be creepy sometimes and it was definitely not a place that you would want to stay by yourself.
Her father had said that she could have a friend over. Immediately her thoughts went back to Matt. She pushed them away remembering she did not want to think about him. Trying to get her mind off of him, she sat down in the computer chair next to the phone.
An instant message popped up, just as she logged on. It looked as though it was from someone named Joe. She began to read it slowly,
Hello, this is Joe. I am very sorry to bug you but I have something very important to tell you… make sure you lock the doors and windows tonight.
Amy let go of the mouse and covered her mouth with her hand. She was shaking from head to toe. She was feeling a little faint. Right now she was hating her parents for leaving her here all by herself.
All she wanted to do was curl up into a little ball, close her eyes and disappear. Of course, she knew she couldn't do that so instead she slowly got up from the chair and made her way to the front door. It was wide open. She could've sworn she had shut it when she had come in. With shaking hands she reached out and slammed it shut and took a step back as if expecting it to blow up or something. Of course nothing happened.
She shook her head. She was being stupid. She needed to pull herself together. So she reached out and locked the door and closed the window that was beside it. She already knew that all the other doors would have been locked because her parents wouldn't leave her alone with unlocked doors.
She then went back to the computer and sat down in the chair and looked at the message that she had received. She jumped as the loud ding was heard. "Joe" had sent her another message.
Joe
I see you have taken my advice…. Very good
Amy pulled back. Was he watching her house? How could he have known? She heard a crash of thunder. She screamed.
Amy was breathing raggedly and her heart was pounding.
She was beginning to feel very uncomfortable. Who was this Joe guy anyway? And why was he watching her? She got up quickly and closed the blinds. Then sat down and turned on the TV. There, maybe it would help to have some noise going. For some reason though, she still had this strange feeling she was being watched. Then again, she heard a loud ding on her computer. She was hoping that it wasn't "Joe" again, but of course it was.
Joe
There is something I need to tell you… You're father will be calling any second now. Make sure he doesn't find out or you will pay.
And as if it was on call the phone rang. Amy froze. What was going on? She was scared to death as she picked up the phone.
"Hello?" She answered.
No one was there. She repeated herself.
"Hello?" she asked this time in a small voice.
"Amy? Is that you?"
Amy sighed in relief at her father's warm voice.
"It's me dad."
"We just wanted to check and make sure that nothing is wrong with you. Some weird things have been happening here," he said sounding concerned.
"Well," Amy started. She didn't get to finish. The phone line cut off with a click. The lights and the TV flickered off.
Amy screamed at the top of her lungs. She reached for a candlestick that was next to the couch. She quickly lit it slowly walked over to the window. She reached out and pulled the blinds back an inch and peered out the window.
She thought she saw something move. She squinted, but it was hard to make out because of all of the rain. Who would be crazy enough to stand outside in the middle of a thunderstorm?
She looked closer and saw a dark figure out in the rain.
She jumped as her cell phone buzzed. She walked over to her backpack, which she had thrown on the floor, and took out her cell phone.
She looked to see who was calling, hoping it would be one of her friends or her parents, but of course it read Caller Unknown.
Amy slowly flipped it open and answered.
"Hello?" she asked unsurely.
She heard loud uneven breathing coming from the other end. Her hands began to sweat.
"Who is this?" she tried again.
This time there was no answer.
"Why are you doing this to me?" she asked.
The person on the other end only answered two words. His voice was dark and hoarse. "Your Dad," he responded simply.
