When I was 5 years old, my life changed forever. It was during spring, on a Friday after nursery school. Mother had taken me to the park. I couldn’t wait to ride down that shiny slide, the one that I told myself I would conquer before entering kindergarten. It was so tall. So threatening. But I mustered up my courage and started to climb to the top. I looked at my yellow rainboots, each step at a time up the ladder. “Be careful, Emma, dear,” Mother called from the bench. I was only focused on my determination to reach my goal. I thought about how I would feel when I told all of the children at school about my accomplishment. I held onto the railing on either sides of the slide and glanced down. I was practically in the sky. I could see the world. I closed my eyes and let go. I fell, for what seemed like minutes until I reached the wood chips on the ground. I blinked open my eyes. “Mother! Did you see that?! I did it!” I looked to the bench where she had been sitting before. All that stared back at me was an empty brown, wooden seat. No Mother. “Mother?” I called out again, more cautiously this time. I slowly stood up, suddenly feeling scared and alone. I frantically searched the playground. I tugged at my two blonde pigtails on either side of my head. One of the pink ribbons fell out and I reached down to pick it back up. As soon as I rose, there was Mother, heading towards me from across the football field next to the playground. In her hand was an ice cream cone. I was relieved. I had never been so happy. I scrambled back to the ladder leading up to the slide once again. I needed to show her how brave I was. I looked to make sure Mother was watching closely, and then I closed my eyes and let go, finding myself safely on land. I smiled widely before opening my eyes again. Only, this time, I heard a man’s voice behind me. “Come here, little one. Let’s go home.…” I started to run, but I wasn’t quick enough. He had already snatched me up and was now running to a black jeep parked behind a cluster of trees. I pounded viciously on his back, remembering all of the things Ms. Fields taught us about strangers. I tried yelling, but my mouth was being covered by the man’s disgusting hands. I was thrown into the trunk of the car, and the pink ribbon that I was grasping before had now fallen. Right before the trunk was slammed shut, I stuck my hand out to get it. Only, it was too late. The pink ribbon that my Mother had tied into my hair that morning was now gone. My Mother was gone. I had never gotten to show her how good I was at going down the shiny slide.

7 YEARS LATER - CHAPTER 1
(12 Years Old)


I sit uncomfortably in a filthy basement in the middle of the night. Rolling over, I see Will's sleeping body, covered in some ratty old blankets. The drips of rain water fall into a steel bucket next to my cot. I try to fall asleep, but it's almost impossible for me. I’m freezing cold, and starving. Andrew rarely goes out to the store to get us food. I hear loud thuds coming down the stairs. It's him. He flicks on the light switch. "Skye, what are you doing up so late? I sent you down here hours ago!” I am startled by his tone. But, of course, thats Andrew. I shouldn’t be surprised. “Listen up, Skye, you better start to pay some respect to your father. I do everything in my power to make sure you kids have everything!” He throws a chair at the wall and I flinch. Even though Andrew is my dad, the word “father” doesn’t come naturally to me when I talk directly to him. I slink down under my covers as Will stirs in his bed. "I'm so sorry," I whisper. Andrew just stares at me, his eyes as grey as the walls of this dreary chamber. He doesn’t speak another word. Andrewz checks to make sure that the two small windows high up on either side of the tiny room are locked. This has been the routine since I was little. He digs out the key from the greasy pockets of his jeans and double checks that any opening to the outside world is closed. Deep down, I know that he cares about Will and I, though he rarely shows his affection. I figure he's just trying to protect us. This house is all I've ever known. Will and Andrew are all I've ever been in contact with. I guess that's how it's supposed to be, so I never mess around. Ever.

CHAPTER 2
I trudge up the cement stairs to the kitchen, where I start get breakfast ready. A piece of toast with jelly, and one dry bowl of cereal for each person. I set the table and wait for the men in the house to join me. Will is the first one up. I notice that his plain white tee is stained in the corner with something red. I am about to inquire if this is blood, but then I stop myself. I know this will only start trouble with Andrew. He doesn’t like to be put in the spotlight, and I know that that if he hears me say something, he’ll throw a fit. I go back to performing my regular tasks. I don't want Andrew to be disappointed in me. This would result in a slap across the face and a black eye. Though, the pain never really gets to me anymore. Today, I'll do what I always do. Clean and wait for Andrew to get home. He says he works at a gas station, but I've never seen it. Then again, I’ve never seen anything beyond the walls of this very house. Andrew leaves the house at 7:00 in the morning and comes back at 8:00 at night. Right now, it's 6:45, and if he's late, he'll be furious with me. That's when I see him enter the room. "Good morning, Little One. Let's see what you've prepared for me this morning!" He pulls in a chair and plops down. "It's the same as yesterday. And the same as always," I say. He doesn't seem to like this response. "There is no need to be fresh with me, Skye!” “Yes, Andrew," I say tentatively. He whips around to come face to face with me. “You know better than to call me Andrew! I am your father.” Now he is yelling at the top of his lungs. I can’t figure out why this makes him so angry. Nonetheless, he lunges at me with his hands raised over my head, and punches hard. I fall to the floor. Will runs over and tries to defend me by getting in between us and guarding me with his strong arms. “Andrew, you better leave her alone! I'm about to call the police on you... Stay away,” he growls at him. Andrew is turning violent. I've seen this happen many times. Usually, he'll have hit us, broken something, and chained us in order for him to calm down. It's the only way to stop the madness. At the moment, he is pounding his fists together, like he’s ready to fight. “Will, be careful!” I blurt out, without intending to. I regret opening my mouth. Andrew’s target isn’t Will anymore. Its me. I dart to the side and start running to the door, praying he won’t follow me there. I fumble with the locks, my hands slipping as I start to sweat. He goes to the drawer where he keeps his junk. Thats when I see it. Black and shiny, Andrew’s gun aims right at my head. “Come back inside, Skye. You belong right here with me.” My heart races in my chest, and I tremble as I slowly turn back around. Will looks at me with sorrowful eyes, and I can see tears starting to form. “Good girl,” Andrew pants. He is dripping with sweat and his eyes are bloodshot. The smell of alcohol is overwhelming and his clothes are ripped in several places. I feel a pang of fear. But I try as hard as I can to trust his ways of doing things. I force a smile and try to appear nonchalant. It’s better than getting hurt by your own father.

CHAPTER 3
Last week was Will’s birthday. He turned 17 years old. I wished we could’ve celebrated, but Andrew doesn’t believe in that. He says its self centered and greedy to show any signs of love. I felt so bad for Will, that in the middle of the night, I tip toed over to his bed and curled up next to him, crying myself to sleep. In the morning I found my hand in his, and a warm, happy feeling burst inside of me. I can’t remember a day when I didn’t wake up to his steady breathing beside me in this very basement. Though he is 5 years older than I am, he’s my best friend. He is my only friend. Often, I find myself imagining what my life would be like without my big brother by my side. Who would be my hero during Andrew’s outrages? I need him like he needs me. We are inseparable, and without him to guide me, I would be nowhere. Now, though, I watch him closely, examining his pained eyes. I get up from the cold floor and sit down next to him instead. “Hey, what’s the matter?” I smile at him coaxingly, waiting and hoping for him to answer. He just closes his eyes and leans his head back against the hard wall. “Will? C’mon, you know you can talk to me,” I say softly. “Not now, Skye,” He finally says with fear in his voice. “Why not? What could be so awful?” I inquire, desperate to know his thoughts. Will looks directly at me, and his eyes start clouding up. “What is going on here?!” Andrew’s booming voice shouts from the open door to the upstairs. The loud thumps of his feet are coming closer. “Thud, thud, thud…” As I gaze up, I find his hard face glaring at Will. He shoots him a warning look and then smiles at me. “Okay, Skye, ready to come up and take your vitamins?” He smiles sneakily, but I pay no attention. After cautiously rising, I steal a glance back at Will, acknowledging the fact that I have made no progress in finding an answer from him. Andrew grabs my arm and pulls me after him. He reaches up to the top cabinet, which is practically falling apart at the seams. I see the bottle of pills, and hold my hand out. This daily ritual has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I have never figured out why it is so important for me to take these. Andrew watches my every move, staring straight into my soul. I quickly look at something else, moving my gaze to the dirty footprints that seem to take up the entire space in the kitchen. “You can go to sleep now. Put yourself in bed and turn off the lights!” Andrew shouts me his orders and I scurry down to the basement. Will has already fallen into a deep slumber. There seems to be nothing better to do, so I decide to do what I’m told, and crawl under the thin sheets that make up my bed. My eyelids feel heavy, and I reluctantly shut them, so all I see is black.

CHAPTER 4
LATER THAT NIGHT, IN A DREAM
She comes to me with an ice cream cone in her hand, smiling. I swoop down from the tall slide and collect my prize in one swift movement. Strawberry has always been my favorite flavor. I look up at this tall figure before me, taking in her curly blonde hair and striking blue eyes. She looks just like me, but older. This mysterious lady kneels down and begins to tie the pink ribbon back into my pigtail, and I giggle. She takes my hand and we skip around the playground, having the time of our lives. I don’t know who she is, but strangely, I do know that I belong.

The next moment, I find myself with a strong man. He has cold grey eyes and missing teeth. His shirt is ripped in several places, and the shoes that he has on his feet are much too small. He forcefully pulls me down into a room that resembles a cellar, and positions me in a corner that is out of sight from all sources of light. Out of sight from escaping. I see a boy around my age, his hands are tied behind his back, and his mouth is taped closed. The man who once had me in his possession now throws this boy down the stairs and slams the door. After a moment I recognize him, laying on the ground. I slowly put the pieces together. “Will?”

DREAM OVER
I jolt upright, my heart pounding in my chest. My head is spinning with insane thoughts and I sink back down onto the squeaky mattress, trying to catch my breath. Who was that woman? The dream I just had was almost too real. All of a sudden, I see Andrew, casting a demonic shadow over me. I can’t help but think of him differently now, and I desperately want to know what is going on. “Good Morning, Skye,” he pants. “Hello,” is all I manage to get out. I lug myself up and roll over off the side of the cot. I rise cautiously, and come face to face with Andrew. My mind flashes back to the images I had over the night, showing me a whole new side that could actually mean something. Andrew. I soon find myself wondering whether he actually cares about me, whether he even loves his own daughter. What if there is something going on that I don’t know about, and I could be in danger... I feel out of control, and so I dodge out of the way of this questionable figure and make a break for the stairs, feeling the adrenaline rush through me. I burst through the heavy door, using all my might to get through. I stumble and land in Will’s arms, and cling to him as I fall to the ground, flustered. Andrew storms up after me, yelling and pounding his fists onto the walls as he runs. And then he does the unexpected. He opens the door. Not the door to the upstairs. He opens the door that leads outside. I am blinded by the brightness and shield my eyes.The sunlight pours in, and for the first time, I can see enhanced colors and the trees that blow in the wind, hear the sounds of nature buzzing in my ears. I stare through the opening of this little house, and take in the beautiful scenery, in complete awe. Out of nowhere, Andrew runs into the middle of the street, waving his hands wildly. Will gasps from behind me, covering his mouth with his hands. I watch his facial expression go from annoyed to alarmed, and I immediately shriek at the top of my lungs. Andrew has now gone crazy, and is shakily walking all over the place, putting himself directly in danger’s path. He falls to the concrete road and thats when it comes. The large black pickup truck meets Andrew’s weak body. I see the vehicle attempt to slow down, and I wait for Andrew to get up and save himself, but he just lays there. The panicked driver swings open the door and runs over to his motionless body, whipping out his phone to call for help. I don’t cry. I don’t yell. I just sit there and watch this traumatizing scene unravel itself before me. My vision is blurred as I can faintly see flashing red lights approaching, and a gurney being wheeled out. Neighbors have come out to witness the awful accident by now, and some are even praying. That is when Will stands up, takes my hand, and guides me out of the house and towards the action. I stop right before I’m about to step onto the grass. “Wait,” I say. “I can’t leave. I am forbidden.” I quickly bring my foot back in through the doorway, and back away regretfully. Will hesitates, but then he brings himself to say, “Skye… I need to tell you something.” I watch him fearfully as he prepares to speak. Slowly, he says, “Skye… you and I were kidnapped. 7 years ago.”

CHAPTER 5
I wake up the next morning to the sound of a clock, “tick, tock, tick tock.” “Where am I?” I murmur. “Skye?” Will practically jumps off the foot of my bed and hurries to be nearer to me. “You fainted and were taken straight to the hospital.” His words sink into me, and I try to remember all of this happening, but I feel overwhelmed and can’t. “Honey? You up yet?” says an African American nurse wearing a pale blue shirt. Her presence comforts me, and she smiles and props up the pillows behind my head. “You’ll be okay, baby, I promise. You’ll be okay,” she says quietly. She walks out of the small grey room, and in walks a police officer. He steadily comes over to me and pulls up a chair. “Emma? Hello, I am Officer Doug. I’m just here to ask you a few questions and let you know everything that is going on.” The man speaks clearly, with warmth in his face. “No, my name is Skye,” I inform him. “Well actually it isn’t. Your name was changed, Emma, when you were taken away. Of course you don’t remember this…” he says dismissively and continues. Doug adjusts his position in the chair, and starts talking. “Andrew Bennett was a very sick person, Skye. You see, we had been in the process of seeking him out, due to his criminal activities in the past. What I am about to say is something that may upset you, and I am so sorry for that.” I listen intently to every word he has spoken. “Andrew was not your father and was never related to you. This guy was…” the police officer sighs, “He was a kidnapper. And you were the one he successfully managed to get. At a very young age, Skye, you were taken to the place he lived and kept in his basement. Now, you probably would like to know how Will fits into this big mess.” Doug’s voice trails off in my mind as I flashback to different places in my life that could be meaningful to this situation. I can recall how he would keep me in the dark and dreary basement every day and every night. I certainly wasn’t allowed to freely roam the outdoors. The odd amount of 9 different locks on the door made sense now, and so did the fact that there were no windows even remotely close to where I slept. Andrew had lied to me… for 7 years! I trusted him all of this time. And then it dawned on me that Will and I couldn’t have been real siblings. This was all too much to take in. “Aahhhhh!” I scream and finally let my feelings out. I had so many stored up emotions that were killing me inside, and my wall just finally comes down. I don’t hold back my tears, and I bring my knees to my chest as I just sit there and cry. “WHY. ME?!” I exclaim in between choked sobbs. And then I remember Officer Doug sitting next to me, watching my reaction to this terrifying story that I was a part of. The door swings open once again, revealing two more policemen, and one of them gestures Doug over to them. As soon as I am alone, I try to shut the world out for a little bit.

CHAPTER 6
A few days later, after things had calmed down a bit, I was brought some new information from investigators. I was told that they had searched Andrew’s belongings in the house, and found many weapons that could have been used to hurt me. They said I was lucky, all that time. Then they told me something else that resonated with me. “Skye, we discovered a bottle of pills. After doing many tests, we have come to the realization that you were, in fact, given harmful medicine to make you forget your life back when you were just a small girl. Andrew brainwashed you to think that you were his. ” In my mind I see the orange bottle. Top shelf. Vitamins. “Ah!” I gasp, taken aback at how this whole thing just played out. “Do you remember anything that occurred prior to the abduction?” one of the men says. I feel quite uncomfortable giving these strangers my answers, especially after finding out that the person I called my father basically my whole life was a mentally ill criminal. “I can’t remember anything specific.” I say, telling the truth. I lay back down, hinting for the people to leave. I need time to sort through all of this complication “Well, Emma, we’ll let you be. We hope you have a wonderful life. Goodbye, now,” the short man says, and heads out. “Wait!” I call out. The man turns around sympathetically and smoothly replies, “Yes?” After a couple of silent seconds, I use my courage to ask, “What about Will?” The investigator stares at me with a puzzled look on his face, and says, “What about him?” “Nevermind…” I stutter, scared to ask the question that has been bothering me for the longest time: How did he know? The two people leave, and before I know it, Will is back. I know he is ready to explain, now. I can see it written across his face, the hurt and pain. I don’t even have to talk. I just bury my head under the stiff hospital pillow and let the information sink in. Will starts, “I knew. I always knew. And my story? Gosh, I was kidnapped right from the front yard of that cruddy old orphanage. So he just,” I interjected, “Will… you were an orphan?” I am shocked to hear this. He sighs and continues, “I, Edward Sunn, was an orphan. My parents couldn’t afford a baby, I guess, so I wasn’t really wanted. I thought it would all get better. Well, then Andrew came lurking one day, during recess, and obviously stole me away. My life just disappeared and was put in a dingy old shack in the middle of the most run down area in town. I hated that man… so anyway, you happened to be his next target. A little 5 year old girl, all alone on a playground... Skye, it was so awful. I wanted to tell you, tell you everything. It was all so twisted, us being kept hostage in a basement. I was older, 10 when I was taken. I knew. I knew…” Will lets out a big breath and becomes upset. I feel a pang of shock. “Edward?” I whisper. Will says, “That is my real name. Of course you have one too. Andrew tried hiding our identities, along with everything else. I would’ve told you Skye, but I couldn’t… if I told you Andrew would…” he couldn’t finish the rest of his sentence without difficulty. “Kill me,” he says. Will begins to scream, “That horrendous man! He ruined our world! Our childhood was spent in the darkness, hidden from real life! He deserved to die, that awful person.” When he is done displaying his distinct emotions, I reach over and hug him. Brother or not, he is my friend, and he understands everything completely. Together, showing our weak side, we cry until we can’t anymore. It all comes back to me little by little, but I want to know more. I struggle to figure it all out, but once I do, I gasp out of complete realization. The spring day at the park. Riding down the slide. Mother and her curly blonde hair, just like me. Startled by my conclusions, I speak out loud, “I am Emma Faye.”

CHAPTER 6
A week has gone by since Andrew died. I feel as if a rock has been lifted off my chest, and I can do anything I please. Will and I have bonded closer together than ever before, now that we don’t have to follow the strict boundary rules that used to exist. There is no more guessing, and no more fear. The social workers have sorted out the legal issues, which makes me feel safe and protected. They have also managed to find my real parents, who are supposedly joyous and emotional that I have been found. These are the only people I’m questioning now in my head. Mother and Father. I yawn and open my eyes, feeling the butterflies in my stomach, anxious to meet them. At 2:00 today, not only will I have a new house, but I will also have a new life. The thought of seeing them after 7 years worries me, and I am panicked to be introduced for the second time. My happiness covers up the fear, though, and I smile to myself, thinking about how different everything will be. How much better it will all be from now on. But then my heart practically stops beating as I remember Will and his situation. He goes back to the orphanage today. Though he is 17 years old, he still needs to go through proper education. I keep telling myself that we aren’t actually brother and sister, but its so hard to believe it. My heart breaks when I think of this, and how we will be separated.

1:30 rolls around before I know it, and I am transported to my new home, which is far from where the hospital was. I sit in the backseat of a police car, and watch through the windows as trees and houses go by. I am still getting used to this new outside realm. I turn to my left and I see Will turn to face me at the same time. We slowly come to a stop in front of a big white house. There are flowers everywhere, of all different colors, and there’s a stone path that leads to the grand front door. A beautiful lake comes into my view right beside the house, and a swinging seat is positioned to overlook the scenery. I am snapped out of my daze by Officer Doug’s voice. “Ready?” he asks with a grin spread widely across his face. I turn to Will, almost like I’m waiting for his approval. He nods wisely and takes a few steps towards the entrance of the house, and motions for me to follow. Hand in hand, we walk up the paved pathway, and come to an abrupt halt before ringing the doorbell. I raise my hand and push the button timidly. After a few moments, the door opens and that is when I see her. The woman that had appeared in my dream. Mother. She bursts out crying tears of joy and opens her arms to embrace me in a hug. “Emma, darling, oh my gosh its you! My baby” she says elatedly, not letting go of me. I know that she doesn’t want to lose me again, after all of the suffering on both her end and my end. Father comes to the door in a suit and tie, and completely drops his briefcase on the floor when he lays eyes on me. “Emma?!” He scoops me up in his arms and covers me with kisses. Out of the corner of my eye, I Will awkwardly watch me receive all of this affection. I pull him into a tight squeeze before saying my final goodbyes. “I love you, big brother,” I say to Will as I try to stop my voice from being so shaky. “I love you too, Skye. You will be in my heart forever.” I pull myself away from him for the last time and head over to stand next to Mother and Father. “He’s leaving, Mother,” I whisper into her ear. She kneels down beside me and says, “He doesn’t have to leave, Darling. Stop the car!” she shouts at the moving vehicle. To my surprise, she bolts into the street and leans against the side of the car, talking in a hushed voice to the officer who is driving. A door flies open in the back and Will hops out. Mother strolls over to me and so does Will. “I guess I’ here for good,” he says excitedly. As soon as I hear the news, I am overly happy. For once, I am actually content and my world is at peace. I grab Will and skip over the be closer to the lake that I had seen from before. We sit on the swing and rock back and forth, listening to the sounds of nature. Its a lot to take in after being kept in a basement for 7 years. But with my parents, Will, and a fresh new start, I know that I can get used to it all. No more Andrew and no more pain. I dig into the pocket of my jeans and pull out an old pair of glasses that came from the hospital. The friendly nurse told me I had bad eyesight and had given them to me. I never tried them on, out of forgetfulness. Now, I remember. I look over at Will and say, “We made it.” So I put on my glasses, look out over the lake, and my life is never the same again.