Emma thought nervously, “Should I say something? What should I do? Maybe I was just daydreaming… but what if I wasn’t?” The deep voices of the men bounced in her head as she tossed and turned. Every floorboard creak, bird caw, and shadow reminded her of that musty room. But, then it hit her. She realized that…
The Jones’ were what one might call a “typical” family. They worked hard, had family game nights, watched movies, and built memories around one another. Emma was an only child, even though she had always wanted a younger brother. Emma was nine years old and just made the soccer team at her local elementary school. She was a very bright and studious young girl, but Emma also had a very adventurous and curious personality. She always wore pigtails in her long blond hair and presented a smile 24/7. Emma was also very responsible and mature for her age. Her parents were the best one could ask for. They were so supportive toward Emma and her adventures. Her parents, John and Susan, worked for the same local insurance company. This company had been around for many years, and they received the best hours so that they could be home with Emma in the mornings and evenings. Together, the perfect trio lived in a row home, toward the inner parts of Golden, Colorado. Their life was, in fact, perfect.
The yellow bus clanked and rumbled as it drove up 27th street. The elderly bus driver belted out “The Jones’ household!” Emma popped up from her seat and told her best friend, Charlotte, goodbye. Charlotte had been Emma’s best friend since preschool, and they believed that nothing would ever come between their friendship. As Emma trotted up the front steps of her small, baby blue row home, she turned around to see her parents pull up the driveway in a 1997 silver Buick. As John and Susan exited the family vehicle, Emma immediately greeted them with a hug, as usually. But, that day, things seemed just a little off. Her parents seemed slightly sorrowful. Emma asked,
“Is everything okay?”
Her parents exchanged a glance, and stated,
“Let’s just talk about this at dinner.”
Emma instantly knew that she should drop the subject. The family immediately entered the home and Emma put away her backpack before eating leftovers from the night before.
As dinner came around, silence fell upon the family. But, Emma just couldn’t stand it anymore. So, she decided to speak up. Emma asked,
“Okay, now what is really going on?”
Again her parents exchanged a glance of concern. After a moment of silence, John finally decided to speak. He stated,
“Okay, Emma. I think that now may be the best time to share the news with you. Today, mom and I were dismissed from our jobs because the company became bankrupt. We will be relocated to a similar insurance company nearly 50 minutes outside of Golden. Because we are being relocated, this means that you will also have to be transferring schools. We will be moving homes this Saturday, as a 50 minute commute isn’t ideal.”
Emma wanted to object. She wanted to say something, anything. It was then that she realized that she would be leaving Charlotte, her school, her soccer team, and her home. But, she decided to keep these thoughts to herself to avoid any sort of argumentation.
It wasn’t until the large U-Haul came Saturday morning that everything became real for Emma. She watched all of her possessions get packed into cardboard boxes and hauled into the truck. She knew that this move would be difficult, but she tried to stay positive. She also pondered about all of the new mysteries and adventures that could come with the new house. She grinned just thinking of the opportunities.
As the family made the 50 minute trip, Emma began to get more and more anxious. When the family pulled up to Magenta Roadway, an old, rundown, and weathered house was presented to the family.
“Is this really our house?”
Emma asked with hope that it was only the neighbors’.
“Yup! It is all ours! Just think of all of the renovations and personal touches we can put into it! But, first I think it would be best to start by replacing the broken windows, patching the leaking roof, and fixing the stove. In just a few months, it will be as good as new!” Susan replied with confidence.
As Emma was touring her “new” home, she felt compelled to choose the upstairs room with the large closet. When she was observing her new room, she noticed that part of the floral wallpaper had been torn back by the bay window. As she crept toward the window, she noticed a small, yellow piece of paper taped to the white washed wall behind the paper. The note read…
Welcome one and welcome all to the adventure of a lifetime. You may ask, “What kind of an adventure is this?” Well, you will just have to wait and see. But for now, if you will just listen to my words, we can stop THESE people once and for all. If you don’t want to do this for me, well, then I guess you should just do it for yourself. -J.B.
“Who is J.B.?” Emma questioned to herself.
She grabbed the yellow note and stuffed it into her pocket. She thought nothing of it, and continued unpacking all of her boxes.
Emma’s weekend was full of repetition; Find a box labeled “Emma’s Room”, carry it up to her room, unpack it, repeat. As Sunday night came to a close and Emma grabbed the last of her boxes, she trotted up to her room to finish unpacking. As she rounded the corner of the old, steep, steps, she noticed a small yellow note out of the corner of her eye. She reached high toward the windowsill on which the note laid, and was able to pull it toward her. The note read in splotchy ink…
Hey there again. Looks like you’re back for the next adventure. Be on your guard. You never know when THEY might come like a prowling tiger. All that I ask of you is this one thing: Please don’t stop until you’ve reached THEM. But, I highly suggest finding them, before THEY find you. -J.B.
As Emma finished reading the note, chills of fear ran up her spine. She began to question if someone might actually need her help! Although such a note worried her, she again tossed all thoughts aside, put the note in her pocket, and continued up the stairs. Emma again told herself that she was just daydreaming the worst scenario.
As Monday came around, Emma was forced to get up on her own, eat breakfast, gather her stuff, and ride the bus without seeing her parents (as they now worked very early in the morning). Starting a new school was very terrifying for Emma. She sat alone and in the back of the classroom for all four of her classes. She also realized how hard it would be to meet new friends, when others didn’t want to include her. Emma knew that the transition between schools would be difficult, and that she could never replace a friend like Charlotte.
Emma again rode the bus home around 3:00, where she was greeted with an empty house (as her parents worked until 7:00 every night now). She opened the door of her rundown home and the sound of the creaking door echoed throughout the room. Emma set down her backpack by the coat closet and entered the kitchen in hope of finding a sweet snack. She foraged through the fridge, but found nothing appetizing to her. Emma then began to look through the rest of the outdated kitchen. As she turned the lazy-susan, the spinning came to a halt. Emma realized that something must have gotten jammed, not allowing it to spin. As she reached deep into the lazy-susan, something cool and smooth touched her hand. She tugged and tugged until she was able to grasp a small, golden, skeleton key. Attached to the key was a small, yellow note similar to that of the others. The note read…
My time has come, but you still have a chance. BEWARE, for something very dangerous is coming your way. I have attached a small key and map of the house. The map will lead to you to a secret chamber. If THEY are still there, run, hide, or crawl as fast as you can. But, make sure YOU tell someone, anyone. For they have already found me, and my time has come to an end. -J.B.
After just a few seconds, Emma was able to locate the tunnel leading to the surreptitious room. She came to the conclusion that the tunnel began right in her closet! She rushed upstairs, opened her closet doors, and found a small hole toward the bottom, left end of her closet. She inserted the key, and turned it…
Emma thought quietly, “This place is so gross, but I can’t wait to see what’s on the other end!” Emma crawled and crawled through the dark, damp, and muddy tunnel. The tunnel couldn’t have been any bigger than 3 feet by 3 feet. After spending what seemed like an eternity crawling, Emma came to a small door. She pushed in the small, metal door, revealing…
Upon pushing open the ancient trap door, a room full of old furniture, couches, and books came into sight. The room was very dark, as there was only one small window to bring in light. But, Emma was able to make out nearly a dozen full, white bags that stood up against the walls. As Emma became curious, she peeked into one of the bags and saw a dead man staring right back at her! Emma was terrified and immediately closed the bag. But, curiosity again fell over her and she began to wander around the room. As she came to a small, chestnut colored cabinet, Emma began to hear the voices of three grown men coming closer to her. The men were outside a separate door on the other side of the room. Emma began to scramble when trying to find the tunnel entrance. Emma heard the click of the unlocking door, and…
After scrambling for a short period of time, Emma was able to locate the tunnel entrance! She moved as fast as she could and crawled quickly through the muddy tunnel. If Emma would have hesitated just one extra step, the mysterious men would have surely caught her. Emma told herself that she would keep this a secret, and believed that it may have just been a daydream.
That night Emma tossed and turned. The men’s voices bounced back and forth in her head. She began to question if she should have said anything to her parents. Every shadow, board creak, and outside noise frightened Emma until she decided it was best to get it off of her chest. She bounced out of bed and raced to her parents’ room where she told them all that had happened. At first they didn’t believe her, but then she stressed the importance of the letters and the dead body! Her parents, after becoming frightened for their daughter’s well being, decided to wait until the morning to further investigate the situation.
The next day the Jones’ asked for a vacation day, while reported that Emma wouldn’t be going to school because she was “sick”. Also that day, the “perfect” trio scrambled through the tunnel with flashlights in hand. Again, just as Emma noted, the family entered a small room with lots of old furniture, as well as stacks of dead bodies orderly wrapped in cloth. It was right then and there that Emma’s parents believed her. As the family raced through the tunnel and back to their home, Emma questioned to herself,
“Where did the men go?”
Emma pushed the thought aside as the family reentered Emma’s room. The Jones family immediately grabbed the home phone and dialed 911. The sirens could be heard from miles away, and Emma began to feel a sense of relief. As the police entered their home, they questioned the family about any piece of information they might have. After questioning and comforting the family, the police squad headed through the tunnel and investigated the room. The police were able to confiscate the dead bodies, as well as capture two of the three men who were dwelling in the room at the time. For such a finding, the police gifted the family with a $1,000,000 reward. The police also told them that these men were lifelong criminals and that they had murdered nearly 27 people in their lifetime. The family couldn’t believe it! Everyone praised Emma, but Emma believed that she couldn’t have done it without J.B.
With such a reward, the family was able to move into a new row home in Golden, Colorado. Emma was also able to return to her old school! At last, her parents found new and improved jobs with the best hours. A later newspaper stated the names of the confiscated bodies. Emma found that J.B. stood for Justice Brown, a multimillionaire and the previous household owner. The criminals were probably out for the money that J.B. had. Throughout such a process, Emma was able to learn just how important it is to cherish the good in life and the things that she has now, as change can come very quickly. But, Emma still often daydreams about what happened to the third murderer. Every time she thinks of such a thing, chills run up her spine. For HE could still be out there, seeking revenge…
