I was twenty three and living with Neil in a small apartment. Though small, we called it home for a long time. I was alone today because I had an off day from work, but Neil still had to go to his job.

It was mail day so I went downstairs to the apartment mail box. I grabbed the key from my pocket and opened the compartment.

I flipped through a bunch of spam letters until I found something weird. The envelope was yellow as if it was old and it was kept closed with wax stamped down. There were letters on it.

R.Mc.

It can't be...

My dad's name was Ron Mcallen.

I took the letter and ran to my apartment to open it. Was this the day I would find out the truth?

When I got to my apartment I ran to my room and sat on my bed. I gently opened the letter and took out the slip of paper inside.

To my dear daughter Carolyn,

   If you're reading this then I am dead and I've got someone to send you this letter. I know this is the last thing you want to hear, but you have to go back to the church. You have to go to the back rooms. Find the box Carol. Free them. If anyone can do it, you can.

              Love, Dad.

I froze in terror. The church? Why would I ever need to go back there?

What was my dad talking about anyways? Free who?

Knowing my dad, he wasn't one to be delusional about anything. I knew he was serious. Besides, I loved my dad deeply and even if he was dead, I had to fulfill his wishes.

I grabbed my purse and put the note inside, along with Neil's Swiss Army knife. Just in case I needed to defend myself.

Then, I grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and wrote a letter to Neil, just in case I'd never see him again. I became overwhelmed with fear and began to cry. My tears fell onto the paper and slightly smudged the ink.

I folded up the note and put 'to Neil' on the front and left the building. When I got in my car I took one last look at the place I called home. Hoping that I would come back, but keeping it in my head if I didn't.

I put the keys in the ignition and started the car. Then, I drove off.

It wasn't easy to focus on the road. Thoughts raced through my head almost as if they were trying to compete to see which one could stick in my mind the longest. Sadly none of them were going to win.

I was so unfocused I almost ran a red light. Luckily I reacted quickly enough to slam my foot on the brakes and stop myself. I wasn't sure if I was going to stay alive long enough to pay the fine anyways.

That's the one thought that really stuck. Was I going to come out of this thing alive?

Everyone who every spoke of the back rooms said it was a horrid place and anyone I ever spoke to who came out was a different person.

The church has been abandoned for a few years now. Ever since the pastor mysteriously disappeared no one has offered to be pastor or even help the church out. My suspicions are that the guy who saved me finally decided to kill him, or the pastor was going to get caught and he ran off.

Either way, it's still strange.

Not that where I live is strange. My town has always been normal. No one ever reports of spirits or cults. Just a simple place with crimes here and there.

I finally arrive at the church. It's old and seems like the smallest amount of force could knock it all down. I take a deep breath and then open my purse. I grab the letter out and read it once more.

I then realize there's something on the back. It's a drawing of some odd chest. That's what I needed to 'free them'. At least that's what I supposed.

I put the note back in my purse and pull out my Swiss Army knife. As I opened the church doors it almost seems like something else was opening them for me. The floor was creaky and some birds had come in through the broken windows and made their nests.

Precious birds. They weren't afraid of anything because birds have never watched a horror movie or heard a scary story by the campfire. I can't believe us little fearful humans are more intelligent than them.

As I stood between old benches I looked ahead and saw the podium where the pastor gave his speeches. It was just as rotten as he was. I walked up to it and saw a Bible sitting on top. It was dusty so I blew it off.

When I opened it, it was no Bible. It started with a folded up page. When I unfolded it, the page showed the entire system of the back rooms of the church. I knew I had to take it with me.

I tore the page out and put it in my purse. Then I kept reading. Names of children that were taken back there were written. Then there was a page of kids not taken. My eyes went up and down the list until I found my name. It sent a chill down my spine.

I flipped the page once more. The next page was torn in half so I couldn't read much. The title of it was ripped all the way off so I had no clue what this page was.

When I flipped through the rest of the pages, they were blank.

I decided to just take the book with me. Maybe the other half of that page was here somewhere.

Not that it mattered much to me. All I was here to do was to find that chest and 'free them'. I wasn't going to let my father down.