I stood in the kitchen, my finger hovered over my contacts list on my phone. I was frozen to the spot, unsure of who to call. Dad? Mom? Granma Jo? Luke? The police? There were just so many secrets and suspicions that I had absolutely no- Wait. The note.

I slammed my phone down on the counter and raced upstairs to unfold the note. 'Don't call the police. Instead, call Luke the second day at 5:25 pm.'

But how did I know to trust it? They were just two-line instructions on a crumpled piece of paper left in my closet by an anonymous writer. As soon as I pressed the buttons for '911', I decided that I wouldn't call the police and I wouldn't call Luke till tomorrow. I deleted the number to call the police but I was still going to text Luke.

I went back downstairs to retrieve my phone and text Luke: Where are you?

While I waited for the reply, I shouted for the girls to go upstairs and start getting ready for bed. They thumped up the stairs and as I followed them, my phone buzzed. I paused, one hand on the railing to pull it out of my pocket.

The reply read: Left with Sean and Katie. Call me tomorrow. Mom knows.

I exhaled a breath I didn't know I was holding in, relieved about the confirmation that he had both Sean and Katie with him. But the whole 'left' thing? That didn't make any sense. Left? What did that even mean? As in, instead of being kidnapped, they left voluntarily? Or as in, they just left for a while? When were they coming back? Would they come back?

I asked him all of these questions, texting and sending them one right after the other. But there was no reply. The last option I could resort to was calling Luke tomorrow, so that's just what I would have to do.

"We're ready Carter!" Liv yawned as she bounded to the top of the stairs.

"Ok," I smiled, shoving my phone back into my pocket. "I'm coming." But as I climbed the rest of the stairs, I realized the last part of his text, the Mom knows part. Why would she know? Did this have to do with dinner? I shook my head and walked into my younger sister's bedroom, trying to clear my head of all of these confusing questions that were spiraling out of control.

All three girls shared one room. Liv and Vic shared a bunk bed while Emily occupied a twin sized bed off to the side. They were gathered on Emily's bed, waiting for me to kneel beside the bed and say prayers with them.

Thankfully, they didn't ask anymore about where Luke, Sean, and Katie had gone. Maybe it was because they could see it on my face. I'd been told before that I wore my emotions clear as day on my sleeve.

We finished our prayers and I tucked them all in, kissing each of them good night before softly closing the door behind me.

After double checking that the front door was locked, I retreated to my room. I finally decided to call somebody, anybody, after staring at my phone for a couple minutes. Somehow I felt like that stupid note was important and written by someone who knew a whole lot more than me about all of this. So even though it said not to call the police, I still wanted to call my mom, even though Luke said she knew.

"Hello?" My mom's comforting voice came through the speaker of the phone. It consoled my shaking hands instantly.

"Mom, I'm scared," I admitted. "I don't know what to do."

"Don't do anything. It'll all be okay and soon enough you'll understand why this is all happening. For now, I need you to be my brave, strong girl and believe me."

"Ok," I whispered softly, my voice cracking from the threat of tears building up in my eyes.

"We'll be home in a couple ten minutes. But don't go to sleep yet. Teddy will sleep in your room with you."

"Why not with y-?"

"Carter, don't question me. Just do it. Please. We will be home soon. Love you, see you in a bit."

"Love you too."

I hung up and got ready for bed. When I got back from brushing my teeth in the bathroom, I found my phone buzzing with another call. I just missed it as I went to click the 'Answer' button.

It was Gabe. Gabe.

Did I really want to talk to him right now? I had no idea what to say to him. Should I call him back? I didn't have to decide though because he called me back.

"Hello?" I cleared my throat to hide any noticeable weaknesses shining through.

"Hey, what's the matter?" Concern coated his deep voice. Crap. So much for not being weak.

"Nothing," I smiled, even though he couldn't see me. "Why'd you call?"

"I was just wondering where Luke was. I've been calling him and calling him but he won't pick up. I thought he was at home so I was just checking to see if everything was okay."

"Everything's just fine." I paused before muttering, "Just dandy."

"Carter, what's wrong?" Wow, I suck at this whole faking the emotions thing.

"Um," I didn't know how to start. I feel like I would definitely break if I were to say that another one of my siblings had gone missing. Scratch that, it wasn't even one, it was three. It was too early to say it out loud.

But I ended up not having to because as the front door opened and the sounds of Mom, Granma Jo, and Teddy echoed from the foyer, I panicked and blurted out, "I have to go. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

He managed to say, "Wait, Car-" before I hung up on him and turned my phone off. My little brother's tiny feet patted up the stairs and into my parents room. A minute later he poked his head around my bedroom door, fully dressed in his jammies.

"Are you ready for a dance party?" Teddy sang, pumping his fists and wiggling his hips.

"No Teddy," I laughed. "It's time for bed."

"Aw," he pouted. "You're boring."

"Dude, it's late. Come on, we can have a snuggle party."

"Yes!" Teddy jumped on my double-sized bed and I slid underneath the covers beside him.

"Why did Mom want you to sleep in my room tonight?" I asked as I turned off the light.

"Something bad is going to happen."

"What? What's going to happen?"

But all I got in response was a snore.

*****

A few hours later, I still laid wide awake in bed, listening to Teddy's soft snores beside me. Heat radiated off of his little body in waves, making me sweat with all of the covers piled on me as well.

I whipped back the covers and slid my legs over to the edge of the bed. Careful not to wake Teddy, I scooched off the mattress and tiptoed across my floor. Opening up my door, I still heard my mom and Granma Jo whispering downstairs. They'd been whispering in harsh and worried tones for the past couple hours, but not like their usual bickering. This time it was like they were agreeing about disagreeing about something.

I snuck into the bathroom to grab a little paper cup of water. But as I made my way back to my room, I heard the front door open. I paused before sneaking over to the top of the staircase. Heavy, staggered footsteps thudded against the wooden foyer floor and the front door slammed shut.

"Mark?" My mom emerged from the kitchen.

"Mark, honey, is that you?" Granma Jo followed her, her voice laden with concern.

I expected my dad to say, "Hey Christine, hey Mom. Sorry I took so long at the office, we had an unexpected meeting about one of the business deals." Then my mom and granma would hug him, and retreat back to the kitchen where they would talk over glasses of wine.

But this wasn't a fairy-tale, this was reality. So instead, my dad snapped, "Yes it's me. What do you want?" His words slurred together to make what he said hard to decipher.

"Mark, are you...are you drunk? Where were you?" I couldn't see them, but I could hear my mom stop right in front of my dad.

Dad snorted, "I love you too, Christine."

"Mark..." There was an edge to my mom's voice.

"Yes I'm drunk," he snarled. "I was at, a meeting."

Granma Jo cut in, "Mark, what's the matter with you? You could've gotten yourself killed drinking and driving."

"Shut up you old hag."

My mom gasped and Granma Jo scolded, "Don't you dare talk to me like that. Now, where were you really?"

My dad let out a long string of colorful curses before a loud smacking sound resonated up the stairs from the foyer. There was a thump and Granma Jo grunted. My dad laughed as several more sounds of flesh hitting flesh occurred. It sounded like my mom was punching my dad in the arm or stomach.

My mom hissed, "You jerk." over the harsh labored breaths of my Granma Jo.

I shot a hand over my mouth, trying desperately not to make a sound. Silent tears spilled over onto my hot cheeks and I made a strangling noise in the back of my throat.

Someone started coming up the stairs and from the uneven steps, it sounded like my dad. I quickly scrambled out from my hiding spot and back into my room, sliding under the covers just in time for him to open the door and check on us. When he left, I broke. My body shook with tears and my head clouded over so that nothing made sense. Which way was left. Which way was right? How could this happen? How had I been so ignorant to this? Shouldn't I have known before if my dad lied about going to meetings, or how he acted when he came home really late? Was this what Luke was talking about?

I didn't know what to do or think. So I just pulled my little brother close and tried to ignore that fact that my father had just showed up wasted and hit his mother.

It was hard to ignore. 

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Hey!! What'd you think? Comment any ideas or theories you have of what's going to happen next! I want to hear them! See you later!!

- Scarlett Wilson