11 LSAFH

"So, did you enjoy being home by yourself the past couple of days?" My mother asks.

"Funny how you ask. I had a splendid time by myself, but what I did not enjoy was finding out the entire truth about dad being killed in that car crash. Do you care to explain, mom?" It's wrong on my end to bring it up since she just arrived home, but I must know why she kept it from me for so long, no matter her excuses.

"Alexis, please don't-." She pauses for a moment, "Wait, what?"

"I'll explain later, but you also have some explaining to do." I step outside of the kitchen and make my way downstairs into the basement to rummage through my memory box.

As my hands shuffle through the amounts of photos, birthday cards, and elementary school books that are covered in dust, I notice a glimmery, shiny lace hanging over the corner of my photo book. I reach into the bottom of the box and pull it out, removing the tangled pieces of string that were attached to it. It was a necklace that my father gave to me when I turned six. I open the locket, and there was a teddy bear positioned on a bar stool, with a tiny box sitting in between its furry arms. I've never noticed this locket before, I've always thought they are quite interesting, how images can be placed into such a small space.

"Hey mom, where did dad get this necklace from?!" I shout.

"What necklace? Bring it up here, let me see." She answers.

She studies the necklace as she dangles it in front of her face, so close that it almost touches the bridge of her nose. "Hm...I don't know. Whenever your father bought me gifts I never knew where he got them from, but this one looks like an antique kind of necklace so I wouldn't doubt that's where he got it. It's pretty, why don't you wear it?"

I shrug my shoulders, "I don't know, I just don't feel like wearing it. You know that I don't wear necklaces, they always get caught in my hair and it hurts." I grasp the necklace from her fingers.

"Then tie your hair up when you wear it, it's as simple as that." She snickers.

I roll my eyes and go back downstairs to close the box. As I'm doing so I hear a faint voice coming from the other end of the basement.

"Hello?" I call out.

"Yes?" I hear my mother shout from the kitchen.

"Hey mom, was that the TV?" I ask.

I notice a small trapdoor handle poking out of the carpet and scurry over to inspect it.

"What!? The TV is off- I'm in the kitchen cooking dinner!"

"Never mind!" I answer.

I pull the carpet from the floor. A small piece of paper is sticking out of the side and I try to pry open the door, but it won't budge.

Why in the world is there a trapdoor in the basement? This looks suspicious... Although I know people use them for storage, the floor is a strange place to put one. The door to it is screwed in, so that's probably why I can't open it, which means I have to get a screwdriver and unscrew them. That's so cliche- it's like I'm in a horror movie.

"Where are the tools? I need the screwdriver" I inquire.

"What for?" She asks.

I sigh dramatically, "There's something in the basement that I need to open- why does it matter what I need it for?"

"The tools are in the shed outback. There's no need to catch an attitude with me. I was only asking a simple question and you could've answered it nicely."

This time I don't answer her. Instead, I ignore her and walk out to the shed to grab the toolbox.

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I grunt as I unscrew the door hastily, urging to seek out what is underneath it. Perhaps there could be a dead body, a box of flash drives, or case files- Just like what you would see in a movie. Maybe I'm just assuming things and getting into my head, but who knows? Sometimes you happen to be unfortunate enough to discover a horrible instance.

An utterly disgusting odor comes spewing out as I open the door, and it reeks so much that I almost vomit. Yeah, there's got to be something dead down there. I inch my way down the ladder that is attached to the flooring, and as soon as my feet touch the ground, a group of lights flashes on and I trample onto the cold, concrete floor, distraught by the amounts of lighting that filled the room.

Red stains are spread across the floor, and I spot a box in the back corner where a table stood. I open the lid to the box and there are folders evenly stacked. I pull out one of the folders and rummage through and to my surprise, they have photos of people on them. These arent normal files...these look like files of missing people. Next to the box are a set of chains and cuffs, along with a butcher knife and pistol. I don't think I'm supposed to be down here... I need to get out before my mom comes down here. Before I could get to the ladder I see a chain link on the ceiling- this has to be some kind of joke... What is this? Who did this? And WHAT exactly were they doing?

"Alexis, dinner's ready!"

Yep, that's my cue- I better get out now.