Abandoned

Shelby turned off her music and jumped from bed where she was reading the latest teen magazine. As she strolled towards the door she wondered if anyone would be there or if it would be like so many other occurrences where neighborhood kids knocked and ran off. Shelby didn't like being pranked.

Reaching for the doorknob Shelby stands up on her tippy toes and leans forward to glimpse who is at the door through the peep hole. Seeing her friend Rachel she smiles.

Rachel starts talking excitedly about school as soon as Shelby opens the door. "You will not believe what happened to me at school today; Mr. James failed me on my test." Shelby smiled sweetly towards Rachel thinking that she is always failing her science tests. Rachel sighs and asks Shelby if she wants to go to the library with her because she has to write an extra credit paper to make up the grade. Shelby agrees.

Grabbing her backpack Shelby heads out the door following Rachel to the library.

As the two girls chat about Rachel's upcoming paper a maroon van slowly turns onto the street behind the two teens. Neither girl notices anything out of the ordinary nor do they even see the van.

Rachel hears a car door open behind her and stops talking. Turning around she was in shock at what was happening. Before Rachel could react Shelby was dragged into the van and it was gone. Her shoe was lying on the sidewalk and everything seemed like a dream. Next thing Rachel knew she was screaming and police were all around asking questions.

Waking up after the blow to her head Shelby couldn't breathe wrapped up in the blanket. She was hot, sweating, and terrified. She had no idea where she was or who took her. All she could do was cry. Trying to calm herself and figure out where she was Shelby started thinking. She couldn't feel anything except the blanket that bound her hands and feet. She could however feel that the car was going up and down hills. This told her they were leaving town. The driver wasn't making any stops either. Maybe they had already hit the highway. This meant Shelby had no way of trying to figure out her location. She started panicking again.

After what seemed like hours the van stopped. The light got a little brighter through the blanket as she heard the side van door open. Someone grabbed her roughly and started dragging her through what she thought was dirt. Shelby started to panic and kick her legs back and forth in the blanket to break free from the grasp of her captor. The individual only held onto Shelby tighter and started walking faster.

Shelby found herself being dragged down some steps into a room. The light got darker through the blanket. She fought harder to get away and stop whatever was happening to her. Instead of a tighter grasp her actions were met with the person throwing her to the ground and untying the binds from her chest and arms. Shelby couldn't believe it. She was being let free. Hurrying as fast as she could Shelby tried to free herself from the blanket and view her surroundings. When her head was finally free the only thing she saw was a large door being shut and what looked like woods and trees beyond that. Her heart stopped.

Getting her legs free Shelby runs towards the door and tries to open it but finds no handle. She cannot budge the door. With the tiny bit of light that is coming into the room from a crack by the door she tries to look around. Sitting down on the steps and removing her backpack Shelby sees a small room that she cannot even stand up straight in. One corner has a jug of what looks like dirty water. The other side is where her captor dropped her. The blanket and pieces of cloth used as a rope to tie her up were lying scattered. She starts crying harder.

A week passes and no one has come.

It has almost been two weeks since Shelby was dropped into this hole. She is starving, thirsty, and growing more desperate each day. However, today she feels that someone will come rescue her or give her food. She finds her lipstick in the backpack and sloppily applies it in the dark. Gathering up her meager belongings she sits on the steps by the door looking at the tiny bit of light coming in.

"Today someone will come get me," she thinks. "Please let someone come get me today."