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  It was getting dark outside. Todd paced the floor. “Have you spoken to any of the locals about Merrick’s family, Mr. Snyder?”

  He grunted. “No, why would I want to own up to being related to him?”

  Todd nodded. “Do you know anything about him?”

  Marvin’s lips puckered. “Nothing.” He scratched his chin. “Except that he liked to hunt.”

  “Hunt? How do you know that?”

  “There are tons of hunting magazines here, in one of the rooms upstairs.”

  “Hunting,” Elle said. “Can we take a look?”

  He gestured for her to follow. “Come on.” Upstairs, he pointed to one of the rooms. They had looked in there briefly, passing over the stack of hunting magazines before.

  Karen picked up a pile of magazines and appeared to be looking around for a place to sit. “Whose room was this?”

  Marvin scratched his head. “Beats me.”

  Spying a chair by the window, Karen walked across the room to it. The stack of magazines shifted in her hands and a couple of them slipped to the floor. An official looking document fell out from between the pages.

  Marvin looked down at it and then bent over and picked it up. “It looks like a deed to property.” He pointed to Merrick’s signature.

  Elle came up behind him and looked over his shoulder. She squinted at the fine print and then her mouth fell open. “Look.” The document showed that Merrick owned a second piece of property on the Little River on the outskirts of Elkmont.

  She grabbed the document and read its description. Small, one room cabin sets on two acres of land in lush woodland near river. Working electric. Old well on property needs to be re-dug. The small inset had a map of its location. She looked up at Karen. “This is it. This is where he took her.”

  Marvin shook his head. “Who took her?”

  That was a good question.

  Marvin pointed out the window. “There’s shovels and stuff out in the barn. Let’s take them with us.” When they gave him horrific stares, he added, “It’s best to be prepared. We don’t know what we’re going to find there. You go on ahead, I need to go to the bathroom.”

  Todd headed toward the door. “I’ll pull the car closer.” He took off down the steps and sprinted toward the car.

  Marvin watched through the window, and when the girls were close to the barn, he picked up the phone. “They found the document sooner than we planned. How far away are you? Hurry, I’ll try to stall them. . . . I don’t know, maybe I can take them down a wrong road or two. Look man, this is all you, I don’t want . . . yeah, okay, alright—just hurry.” He parted the curtain. The girls were just coming out of the barn. “Sorry,” he said, shaking his head. “My hands are tied.”

  Eleven

  The Cellar

  Sally had spent most of the day whittling on the door above her head, and had made a nice hole about the size of her hand, only the dirt kept falling into her hair. She sat on the top step and raked her fingers through it, trying to get the pieces of dirt out. She thought back to the cellar at Sam’s daddy’s farm. She’d only been down there once, but remembered how the steps led from the dirt floor to a cellar door that opened to the outside. She scooted down to the bottom step. Staring at the hole, which still had thin streams of dirt pouring in, she turned to her fairy.

  “What do you think? I don’t like dirt falling on me.” She pretended it answered. “Good idea.” She searched through the small pile of wood at the far end of the cellar. Finding a longer stick than before, she poked at the hole from the bottom step. This time, even more dirt fell. She had to push the dirt off the steps to make room for more dirt. It seemed to take forever, but after a while, the stick broke through the surface, and the faint light of dusk seeped through.

  Karen unfolded the map on her lap. “I wonder why Marvin wants us to follow him that way.” She pointed at the fork in the road Marvin had just turned left on. “These two maps show the cabin is in the opposite direction.”

  Elle glanced over at her. “He’ll have to turn around and follow us then.” She reached over the back seat and beeped the horn. “Flash the lights at him and then turn right at the fork.” It didn’t take long for Marvin to turn around, and soon, he was on their tail.

  Karen cleared her throat. “Why’s he following so close?”

  Elle rested her chin on on the back of the front seat. “He probably thinks we’re going the wrong way, but we have both of the maps, don’t we?—and absolutely no time to stop for him.” After a while she continued. “Do you think he’s on the up and up, you know, being honest with us?”

  Karen smoothed the map out. “I was going to ask you the same thing, I mean, after all, he is Merrick’s father.”

  “Yeah, and the creepy thing is that Merrick looks a lot like his daddy.” She suddenly felt bad, after all, the old man seemed penitent for his crimes, and he did say he had ‘found Christ’ while in prison. “I don’t know. He seems nice enough, and he is Sally’s grandfather.”

  “Uh-huh, and Merrick is her uncle,” Karen pointed out. “Just watch your back. I know I am.”

  Elle nodded.

  Karen pointed to the road sign. “There it is. Turn here. It’s about a mile down this dirt road.” She glanced behind them. “Hey, where did Marvin go?”

  Elle looked behind her. “Huh. I don’t know, but we are not going back for him.” She pointed in front of them down the dark road.

  Sally poked at the dirt with the stick, making the hole bigger. “Oh, look,” she said to her fairy laying on the crumpled clothing. “I can see the tops of the trees and the sky, but it’s too dark out there. I wish I could see more.” She sat on the steps and stared at the hole. “I miss my bedroom.” She wiped at tears forming in her eyes. “At home, when Mommy turns the light off, I can see everything outside.”

  She looked at the light hanging over her homemade table. Stepping on the wood, and then the overturned bucket, she stood. Wobbling, she threw her hand up to the string hanging from the light fixture, and pulled. The light went out.

  Her eyes popped open. She had not realized how dark it would become and swiftly reached for the string. Her hand brushed against it, but her forward motion tipped the bucket over, and she fell through the darkness, her head hitting the side of the wood with a thud.

  Todd parked the car in front of the small cabin. Elle was not encouraged with what she saw. Light from the moon cast shadows across the house. It was easy to see that the place had been neglected for years. Some of the windows were broken out and the front door was hanging open on its hinges. All of the hope she had disappeared. “She’s not here.”

  Todd opened the car door. “Come on.”

  “No,” Elle said. “This is a dead end.”

  Karen leaned into the vehicle. “Let’s make sure before we write it off.” When Elle didn’t respond, Karen took the rifle and a flashlight, and walked up to the cabin with Todd. She looked back and then followed Todd through the open door.

  Elle’s head fell against the back of the front seat. She did not fight the tears, but let them come.

  Glancing back at the cabin, she caught a glimpse of a small light on the side of the house, but in an instant, it disappeared. Her heart leapt to her throat. Was there somebody circling the cabin with a flashlight? In a panic, she opened the car door, grabbed the shovel beside her, and then rushed inside the cabin.

  “I saw a light,” she whispered.

  Karen stood still, staring at the floor. “We did too, and it was coming from down there.” She pointed to a crack in the floorboards under an old woodstove.

  Todd took the flashlight and swept its light under the stove. “That’s a trap door.” He gave the flashlight back to her then pushed against the stove. It moved a few inches.

  Elle dropped the shovel. With Karen’s help, they fell against the stove. Together, the three of them moved the stove off the small door.

  “How do we pull it up?” Karen flashed the light over the contours
of the square door. There wasn’t a handle anywhere.

  “Wait, what’s that?” Running her hand over the rough wood, Elle found a notch, just big enough for two or three fingers. Elle pulled, and the door came up a half an inch, slipped from her grasp, and then fell back again. Maybe we could stick the shovel under it.

  “Here, let me,” Todd said, coming up behind her. Elle went to the side and nearly tripped over the shovel in the dark. Todd gave the door a hard yank, and Elle kicked the shovel under it. But she kicked too hard, and the shovel plummeted through the opening, and clattered down the ladder.

  “Why’d you do that?” Todd asked, pulling the trap door open. Lowering it to the floor behind him, it dropped with a load thud.

  Elle shrugged, disheartened that not a sound came from below. “It’s too quiet down there,” she said, in a shaky voice. “Someone turned that light off, but what about the light I saw outside?”

  “A window, maybe?”

  “No, the light was too narrow—like a flashlight, but it didn’t move around.” She looked up at her friend, hardly able to see her face in the dark. “Someone must be down there.” Her heart pounded hard in her chest. She had been kept in a cellar by Merrick for months before he let her live above ground. By that time, she was so indoctrinated to the craziness that was her life, that being in Merrick’s house was as if she never had another life. She couldn’t remember her real life anyway—the amnesia had taken its toll on her memory.

  Elle grabbed the flashlight and pointed it through the opening. It flickered and then dimmed. She groaned. “Don’t fail me now.” She shook it, and it came back to full strength, but then waned again.

  “I have another flashlight in my suitcase.” Todd pointed at Elle. “Don’t go down there without me.” He hurried out the door into the dark night.

  Elle shone the light down through the opening.

  Karen got down on her knees. “What do you see?”

  Elle squinted. “A ladder and the shovel.” She shined the dim light as far as it would go, then stuck her head down into the opening. “Hello? Hello? Is anyone down there?” Nothing. She pulled her head out and shone the light on Karen.

  Karen wrung her hands. “Where’s Todd? He should have been back by now.”

  Elle thought quickly. “He had to go to the car in the dark, so he’s probably going slowly.”

  Karen nodded. “That makes sense.”

  Elle stuck her head back down into the hole. “Look, I know someone is down there, and we have a gun.” She hoped her quivering voice still made it sound like she meant business. She gestured to Karen to grab the rifle. The light from the flashlight diminished even more, and she turned it off, tucked it in her pants, and then swung her feet onto the top rung.

  “Elle,” Karen whispered urgently. “Todd said to wait.”

  She looked up, but couldn’t see Karen, and then reached down with her foot. With no light, the black room pressed in around her.

  She clung to the ladder, and fought against the fear building inside. She blindly felt for the next rung with a shaky foot. She couldn’t think. She felt dizzy, and her heart thudded deep in her chest. Suddenly, nothing made sense, as darkness swallowed her up and stifled what was left of her frail sanity. Black air hung like death everywhere she looked. She gripped the ladder as if it was the only tangible thing in her life.

  “Elle, are you alright?”

  Karen’s voice pulled her back to reality. She held the ladder tight and pulled the flashlight from her pants. Steadying herself against it, she turned the light on then swept it across the cellar. “Where are you?” she said, in a demanding voice. It couldn’t be Sally, otherwise, she would have come running to her. “I’m looking for my daughter—please, tell me if you know anything.”

  “Hurry, Todd,” Karen voice trembled. “Shine the light up here.” With the rifle slung over her back, Karen swung herself onto the ladder. “I’m coming down, too.”

  “Okay,” Elle whispered, holding the light on Karen until she was just above her. Stepping down another rung, Elle swept the light over the dark cellar, not knowing what would come out of the shadows, scared almost out of her wits. “For Sally,” she whispered, struggling to regain her composure.

  “Yes, for Sally,” Karen said. “But, where’s Todd? Where is he, Elle?”

  “I’m sure he’s okay,” Elle said. “He’s probably just fumbling with his suitcase.” She lowered the light to the floor, and it came to rest on a pile of clothes. “What’s that?” The outline of a small fairy wavered in the dimming light.

  She drew in a breath. “Sally’s fairy!” She swung the flashlight from side to side, spanning the room. In the waning light, the outline of a child’s small leg stuck out from behind a bucket. “Sally!” she screamed and fell down the rest of the rungs.

  The flashlight hit the floor and rolled to the side, making a dim light across the dirt floor. Scrambling to her feet, Elle scuttled toward the child.

  Karen hopped off the bottom rung and grabbed the flashlight, shining it on the unmoving child.

  “Sally!” Elle gently picked her up and held her to her chest. Stroking her face, she kissed her. “Sally.”

  Karen knelt down beside them. “Is she okay?” The light flickered across Sally’s face. Blood seeped from a gash running across her forehead. Sally moaned. Karen tore off a piece of her shirt and pressed it against the wound. “Come on, let’s get her out of here.” She stood, and squirmed, brushing something off her shoulder. “Oh, it’s a pull chain.” She pulled on it, and light flooded the small room.

  Sally’s eyes opened. “Mommy!” She wrapped her arms around Elle’s neck.

  A sob stuck in Elle’s throat. “Yes, Sweet Pea, I’m here, and so is Aunt Karen.” Karen stood by the pile of dirt.

  A light seeped over the opening in the trap door, and soon Todd descended the ladder. With obvious relief, Karen rushed to him. “What took you so long?”

  “Broken lock on my suitcase, remember?”

  “Oh, yeah,” Karen said, handing him the rifle. “Hey, come look at this.” She moved to the cellar door and ran her fingers through the pile of dirt. Her gaze rose to the small hole. “This is where the light that Elle saw came from.”

  Todd stuck his finger in the hole in the cellar door, knocking more dirt onto the steps. “The top of the cellar door is covered with dirt.” He patted it and more dirt fell in.

  Karen looked over at Elle, now standing with the child in her arms. “Sally, did you make this hole?”

  “Uh-huh, Papa Joe says, it’s the little things—”

  Karen grinned. “Such a smart girl.”

  Todd ruffled her hair. “Are you ready to go?”

  “Yes,” she said wide-eyed, “but not without her.” She pointed toward the fairy.

  “Of course, sweetheart,” Karen cooed. “I’ll get it.”

  Elle rocked Sally in her arms. She felt incredible joy, even though she was in a dungeon—Merrick’s dungeon. Sally had been locked down here, all by herself. She fought back the tears and held her close.

  Karen came up beside Elle and nudged her gently. “Let’s go.” She handed Sally the fairy.

  Sally’s eyes brightened. “Thank you.” She leaned up and kissed her on the cheek. Karen grinned and kissed her back.

  All of a sudden, footsteps thumped against the ceiling. The trap door creaked on its hinges and closed with a thud, and long, eerie scrapes filled the cellar.

  Twelve

  The Fire

  Todd’s eyes moved toward the pile of dirt. “Shh.” he whispered, reaching for Karen. “Whoever it is will see the light coming from the hole Sally dug.” He grabbed the string and turned the light off.

  They clung to each other and waited. Soon, the sound of tires crunching on gravel became fainter. Determined to lessen Sally’s fear, Elle hummed a tune and moved cautiously toward the hole. A full moon now lit the outside giving some light through the hole. “He’s gone, maybe we could turn the light back on?”
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  “Let’s wait until we are absolutely sure.” Todd reached up and poked at the soft wood. Some of it broke away. “How’d you make the hole, Sally?”

  “I wrapped my hand in a shirt and used the broken glass.”

  Elle shuddered. A broken shard of glass glistened in the moonlight by the pile of dirt. “You are so brave.” She tried to act as if nothing was wrong, trapped in a cellar by some lunatic that wanted them dead.

  Todd picked up the glass. He scraped it against the wood and a good-size piece crumbled off. “This wooden door is dry rotted.” He dug at the spot, until the dirt fell through to the steps. “Get the shovel, Karen.”

  Karen retuned with the shovel, and Todd hit it against the dry rotted door. Shielding her eyes, Karen dug her fingers into the dirt helping release it to the steps. She spit the dirt from her mouth and kept digging. Suddenly, she stopped. She sniffed the air. “What’s that smell?”

  Elle froze. She could smell it, too. “Smoke.” Suddenly, a loud crash sounded above and wisps of smoke curled around the floor boards in the ceiling.

  “Fire!” Karen yelled, pointing to it. From the hole, the sky loomed bright orange. Thick black smoke clouds billowed across it. “Dig!”

  With the shovel, Todd hacked at the wood, breaking off a big chunk. That part of the door could no longer support the heavy dirt above it, and it collapsed into the cellar. They dropped to their knees pulling dirt out of the way with their bare hands.

  Elle pushed Sally up through the opening and crawled out after her. Karen and Todd came close behind. She stumbled toward the car.

  Todd grabbed her arm. “No car,” he whispered. “Let them think we’re dead, until forensics says otherwise.” They stared at the cabin in full flames. Soon, parts of it fell, collapsing in on itself. “This way!” Todd pointed them toward the forest. “Hurry!” Elle picked up Sally and followed Karen and Todd into the thick trees.