It was pouring outside but that didn’t stop the new family across the street from moving in. I looked out the window trying to get a good look at them. I don’t like new people you have to awkwardly introduce yourself with weird conversations. It’s terrible you tell someone that you don’t know lies and they have no other choice than to believe it because they don’t know you. They don’t know the truth. Maybe this family would be different. The family had three teens, two kids in the middle and one toddler. They looked normal, somewhat happy. Not very happy to be working in the rain but still. The mother looked like a normal housewife but the father didn’t seem normal he looked a bit off. I ignored the thought thinking it was just because I didn’t know him. “Stop watching them Lucy its creepy.” My older brother Tyler said turning on the television. I took one last look at the new neighbors and walked away from the window. I walked into the kitchen to see my mother baking cookies. She always bakes when we get new neighbors. She loves making new friends; I honestly think she tries too hard. She was letting my two younger siblings Brandon and Kate help her. Brandon wasn’t exactly thrilled but what thirteen year old boy would be about baking cookies? Kate on the other hand was having a blast. As I walked through the kitchen I grabbed a water bottle from the fridge as someone knocked on the door. I opened the door to see my soaking wet boyfriend standing there with a smile. “Come on in Ryder.” I said with a smile as I hugged him. He took his shoes and jacket off and followed me into the living room. Hours went by and my father came home. I looked out the window to see that the new neighbors were done moving everything into their home. To my surprise my mother hadn’t run over there with a plate of cookies yet. A couple more hours passed we had dinner, Ryder went home, and I got ready for bed.
I looked out my window straight across from the new family. I saw that the father was staring at my house. No, not my house. At me he was staring directly at me through his window. His facial expression was blank for a moment until he put a big evil cold smile on his face. He then turned around and walked away from the window. I shut my blinds after he walked away. I laid down unable to sleep I couldn’t get his face out of my head. Even when I finally did fall asleep I still saw that evil smile. I woke up around nine to a knock on the door. I went downstairs and opened the door with my family standing behind me to see the new neighbors standing in the door way. “Hello Richard family!” the mother said cheerfully. “How do you know our last name?” I asked. She slightly turned to our mailbox. “It’s painted on your mailbox silly. We are the McGuires we just moved in across the street.” Mrs. McGuire said. “I’m sure you already knew that though didn’t you Miss. Richard?” Mr. McGuire said with a creepy smile looking at me. “Well you guys beat me to coming over. I made cookies for you. Please come in.” My mother said. They came in and shut the door behind them. “As you know I’m Mrs. McGuire this is my husband Mr. McGuire. These are our children. This is Jared he is seventeen and a half, Brooke she is sixteen, Hunter he is fourteen, Darrell is ten, Bailey is seven and Debra is three.” Mrs. McGuire said pointing at each one of her children. “It is very nice to meet you I’m Mrs. Richard; this is my husband Mr. Richard. These are our children Tyler he just turned eighteen, Lucy she is seventeen, Brandon is thirteen and Kate is eight.” My mother said. “Children are very close in age.” Mrs. McGuire said looking at us. They seemed to get into their conversation and went into the dining room to have coffee. This left us ‘children’ alone in awkward silence. The only two who were cheerful were Kate and Bailey who ran off to go play with Debra slowly following. Brandon and Hunter went to play video games with Darrell following.
I stared at Jared and Brooke for a moment. Jared had dark brown hair and hazel eyes, Brooke had red hair and green eyes. Jared looked as if he only wore black because that’s all his outfit consisted of. Brooke on the other hand had a green shirt on with a picture of the cartoon Fosters home for imaginary friends, her belt had the teen titans, her shoes were Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy. She also had a necklace that was the Scooby doo pendant on it. This girl loved cartoons. After observing them I turned around and went into the kitchen with Tyler to get a bowl of cereal. When we returned they hadn’t moved a muscle. We didn’t talk to them we had nothing really to say we sat down with our cereal and turned on cartoons. Not long after they joined us. After a couple hours cartoons would come to an end when my mother came in and told us to get dressed. We were going to the McGuires. Great now Mr. McGuire can murder me in the comfort of his own home. He just looked like a creepy killer to me. I opened the door to see Ryder with his hand in a small fist and about to knock on our door. He went with us to the McGuires. Mr. McGuire would not stop starring at us, when he looked at Ryder he looked at him with so much anger.
Weeks went by and almost every day my mother dragged us over to the McGuires. My thoughts of Mr. McGuire still haven’t changed I still saw him as a creepy killer or someone with a creepy dark secret. I still saw him looking at me through his window with that smile. One day I sat on my bed while Ryder went to the bathroom. I opened my blinds to see Mr. McGuire with his creepy smile right out my window as he kneeled on my roof. I screamed, fell to the floor got up and ran out the room. Still screaming Ryder was following me saying my name. He finally caught me and held my arms trying to calm me down. When I get scared I freak out, I scream, shake and cry. My family didn’t know why but still don’t ever try and scare me. Also because it takes forever to calm me down. Every one ran to the stair case to see why I was freaking out. My father and Mr. McGuire came in and informed my mother of what happened. I saw Mr. McGuire and ran upstairs and slammed my door shut behind me. I jumped on my bed closed the blinds and pulled my blanket over my head and started shaking and crying. I couldn’t stop. Ryder came in and held me. Hours went by and I fell asleep in his arms. I woke up in the same place about two hours later. I was fed up with Mr. McGuire I was going to find out what his problem was one way or another.
After a while everyone was asleep. I walked outside and ran across the street. I remembered Jared telling me that his father is almost always in the basement. I crawled on the ground around the house looking for a window. When I finally found one the lights were on and I could hear music. I looked around and saw Mr. McGuire walking upstairs with an empty cup. Jared never told me what his father did down here because he didn’t know. He always tried to find out but his father kept the door locked by key. I slid under the window when Mr. McGuire was out of sight. I looked up to see a number of knives, baseball bats, hammers, crowbars, wire and rope hanging from the ceiling. They were all perfectly clean. Against the wall on the other side of the basement were two clean metal tables with leather restraints. I looked closely at the restraints and saw they worn out and looked as if someone had been scratching or tugging on them. I started walking towards the window as I heard footsteps coming closer. I crawled out the window just as the door opened. I looked through the window watching him. He walked over to a freezer that I decided to ignore. He opened it smiled and started counting whatever was in it. After he was done he closed it, locked it and grabbed his cup. “Good night.” He said walking up the stairs glancing over at the window I was looking through. He shut the lights off and went upstairs for bed. I was leaning on the side of the house panting with wide eyes. He knew I was there. I ran back home and into my room. I texted Ryder telling him to come over as soon as he got this. This text is what he would wake up too. I had to tell him about the stuff in the basement. That night it took me forever to sleep.
I woke up the next morning with a text from saying he was on his way. It was from ten minutes ago so I figured he would be here shortly. Hours went by and no sign of him. Did he forget? Did something bad happen? I went downstairs and asked if they had seen him. None of them had. The McGuire’s were here all of them but Mr. McGuire. “Hey Jared where is your dad?” I asked. “He is in the basement.” Hunter quickly answered. “Yeah he said he was busy.” Jared added. What was he possibly doing that he wasn’t doing last night? “Do you guys ever hear weird noises from the basement when he is down there?” I asked looking at all of them. “Yeah, it sounds like things are falling or being thrown. Sometimes it’s this weird noise kind of like an animal but I’m unsure.” Hunter answered. “Like a bat, or hammer or a knife?” I asked. “Actually all of those. How did you know?” Hunter asked. “Lucky Hunch.” I answered. I wanted to tell all of this to Ryder but he never showed. The whole day we didn’t see Ryder or Mr. McGuire. Night had come and there was a knock on the door. I opened it to see Ryder’s father. “Hey Lucy, Ryder said he was coming over here. But he hasn’t answered his phone all day. Is he here by any chance?” he asked. “No I haven’t I’ve been waiting all day. He hasn’t answered any of my calls.” I answered. He looked worried and disappointed. “No one has heard from him all day.” He said looking down at his shoes. I felt bad for him and his family. “If I hear from him I’ll call you.” I said. He said thank you and left. The next night Ryder was all over the news as a missing person. I had a strong feeling that Mr. McGuire is behind this. If he was I was going to catch him and get Ryder back one way or another. He better be alive because if he isn’t Mr. McGuire won’t be.
Hunter came over the next day to hang out with Brandon. I stopped him for a moment. “Hey Hunter I’m just curious have you been hearing those noises in the basement lately?” I asked slightly biting my bottom lip. “Actually I have Lucy. Why are you so curious to what goes on in our basement though?” He asked looking at me, his facial expression surprised me he wasn’t confused he looked worried. “You know just a curious cat… meow.” I said feeling stupid. I started walking away when Hunter said “Just remember Lucy curiosity killed the cat.” He said in a sad tone as if he knew something I didn’t. I turned to look at him; he was walking up the stairs to Brandon’s room before I could say anything. Even though I don’t know what I would say to him. I knew curiosity killed the cat but I had to find Ryder. I went into the living room with my laptop and searched the town that the McGuire’s came from. What I found did not surprise me. Name after name of missing people. Ages going to a nine year old boy to a forty two year old woman. All of their cases had gone cold; there was no drop of blood or strand of hair ever found. Mr. McGuire was good, very good. I knew he did it and I know he has Ryder. I just have to catch him at the perfect moment.
Then the door bell rang. I didn’t even know the door bell worked everybody usually just knocks. I got up and opened the door to see Jared standing there shaking. “Hey Lucy.” He said in a shaky voice. I didn’t understand why he was shaking until I felt the freezing breeze. I grabbed the mail and let him inside. Everything was for my parents everything but a small box with my name on it. I put the rest on the table and looked for a return address on the box. There wasn’t one. I sat down on the couch next to Jared. He didn’t say anything just stared at the box with a confused look on his face to join me. I opened the box to find a typed note. “There’s a part of him you’ll always have with you.” It read. I grabbed the small thing covered in bubble wrap and started taking it off. Kate came running in, took the bubble wrap and ran away screaming “Pop the glorious bubble wrap!” Jared couldn’t help but to laugh. I would have but I was too busy staring at the medium size glass heart in my hands. It was like a little bottle necklace filled with a dark red liquid that was somewhat thick. Jared stopped laughing when he looked into my hands. “What is it?” he asked. “A glass heart shaped bottle filled something.” I said. I knew it was blood but I didn’t want to believe it. I didn’t want to think it was Ryder’s or that this will be all I have left of him. So I told myself it was colored water. But even I couldn’t believe myself now. Jared read the note, I know that he knew it was Ryder’s blood and I was choosing not to believe it. He didn’t say a word about it for my sake. I was breaking more and more and I don’t think anyone but Tyler and Jared could see it. Jared looked at me with pity, so much pity. So I was hoping to change the subject. “So Jared how come you came over?” I asked wiping a tear from the corner of my eye. “I came over to see if you were okay. You haven’t exactly been yourself since Ryder disappeared. I want to be there for you Lucy when they find Ryder’s body.” As soon as he said Ryder’s body his eyes got wide. I know he meant to say when they found Ryder but I still broke down. I squeezed the small glass heart and started crying. Jared wrapped his arms around me and kept saying “I’m so sorry.” I didn’t want to think of Ryder as dead. With every piece of sanity I had left I wanted to believe he was still alive. I needed to believe he was still alive.
After I calmed down I put the heart around my neck. Because for slightest chance I didn’t find him the note would be right this would be all I had left of him other than pictures and memories. Jared didn’t leave until around eleven. I wanted to go with him since I still believed Mr. McGuire had Ryder but I didn’t I was put to bed. The next couple days I started making out the McGuire’s normal schedule. I wanted time to sneak into the basement and look for Ryder. I stared at the schedule I had written. There was only one time where I could go and all of them would be out of the house. On Saturday they would be coming over for a cook out. That’s the only time ill be able to go. I waited three long painful days till Saturday. I was told to dress nice but didn’t feel like so I wore sneakers a tank top and a pair of jean shorts. I went downstairs to see the McGuire’s standing in my living room. For once in a very long time Mr. McGuire was with them. He seemed as cold as ever. As if his hunger for pain and blood had been satisfied. He successfully hurt others with his sick actions. He kept calling Debra over but instead was calling her Debbie. For a three year old she knew how to stand her ground. She wouldn’t walk over to her father until he called her by her name. This went on for a while because Debra stood her ground.
I saw my chance to sneak out and walked over to the McGuire’s. I crawled near the bushes towards the same window I was at the night before Ryder disappeared. I pushed it open and slid under the window. I looked closely this time and realized there wasn’t just one freezer there was ten. Ten huge freezers against the walls. I looked up and saw some of the things were missing. A couple knives, a bat, a crow bar and some wire. I walked to the cold metal tables with restraints and saw one was covered in blood. I stopped moving around the basement trying to take this all in. I stood in silence until I heard something. I heard pounding coming from on the of the freezers. I ran to one, no silence, another and another all silent. When I got to one in the middle I found the one with pounding I tried to open it but it was locked. I tried to remember where Mr. McGuire placed his keys last time. I looked frantically on the walls. Then I looked up there they were hanging on the ceiling with the knives. I jumped up high enough and grabbed them.
I unlocked one and tried opening the freezer it wouldn’t budge. There were two more locks on each side. I tried to unlock them as fast as I could. I finally got it open and there he was. There was Ryder tied up in wire. I tried picking him up but he was too heavy so all I could do is drag him out. He was laid on top of two other bodies with one small one lying next to him. I slowly took off the tape from his blue lips. He looked grateful I was there, he was breathing heavy. He was losing oxygen fast in the freezer, who knows how long he would have had left. He couldn’t get any words out of his mouth he just laid their wheezing. I grabbed two things a wire cutter and a blanket. I cut the wires that were digging into his ankles and wrists, and I wrapped the blanket around him. I got up and looked into the freezer to see who he was laid next too. It was the missing nine year old boy. I felt bad I looked down and then I realized all of these freezers were full of dead bodies. Then another thought hit me this was easy. Too easy.
I turned around once I realized Ryder stopped wheezing. Mr. McGuire was standing on the stairs staring down at us. “You had to stick your noise where it didn’t belong didn’t you Lucy? I knew you were going to be trouble once I saw you threw that window. I just hoped I wouldn’t have to do a thing to you.” He said walking down the stairs. “Liar” is all I got out as I stared at him. “Your right I have no emotion but hatred towards you and have no problem with killing you.” He said with a smile. Ryder slowly stood up with nothing but his boxers on and the blanket. He could barely stand and was shaking like crazy. I slightly turned to see a bloody hammer; I grabbed it and hide it behind my back. Mr. McGuire took his last step on the stair case. He had something in his hand but I couldn’t tell what it was but Ryder could. His eyes got wide and he looked terrified. The look faded away he covered it up and acted fast. He grabbed the hammer out of my hands and grabbed the same hand. He threw the hammer and ran with me. I’m not even sure if the hammer hit Mr. McGuire but I don’t think I wanted to find out. He ran after us not long after. Our families and neighbors were upstairs looking for us. Mr. McGuire had no idea. He ran upstairs with the hammer in his hand. I tripped over Ryder’s foot and we both fell in front of my parents. Mr. McGuire threw the hammer without knowing we fell or the fact numerous families including his own were there. Instead of hitting us he hit his son Hunter in the knee. His reaction was like a kid running from a dog after being bit. The kid ran fast. His legs pumped himself past the point of pain. He needed to get away. He didn’t want any more pain. And Mr. McGuire had nothing to say to his family or neighbors. The police came and arrested him and Ryder was sent to the hospital.
Jared looked crushed and confused as the police took his father. But then it looked as if he cracked inside his eyes got wide and full of tears. Not long after Jared broke inside Hunter came back he also looked crushed. I was right when I thought Hunter knew more than it looked. Every time someone hurt one of them or started asking questions about the missing people they disappeared. Turns out by making those who hurt them disappear he hurt Jared in the process as well. Jared ran down stairs ignoring the police officers screams. He took the keys and started opening all of the freezers. As he looked through them he screamed and cried asking “Where is she?!” I wasn’t sure who ‘she’ was. Whoever she was he didn’t find her. After looking through every freezer he fell to the ground leaning on a freezer crying asking over and over “Where is she?” I looked through the list of missing people on my phone. One girl went missing about ten months ago that was Jared’s age at the time. Her report was small no evidence indicating who took her or if she was hurt. In the picture she had someone’s arm wrapped around her as if they were hugging her. I clicked to see the full picture and it was Jared. I wasn’t sure if she was his girlfriend or a best friend but if his father did take her I don’t want to be the person to tell him she is dead. Though I think he knows since the first place he looked was the freezers. I started walking towards Jared who was still crying on the floor. He started saying “I’m so sorry Caisey.” Over and over. I don’t know why I knelt down next to him because I had nothing to say. So all I did was hug him and go upstairs to see Ryder in the hospital.
I felt bad as I walked through the hospital room door. I felt bad for leaving Jared there but I wanted to make sure Ryder was going to be alright. I wasn’t even sitting next to Ryder for an hour until I heard screams from the hall way. I didn’t move I felt as if I couldn’t. I heard no gun shots so why were their screams? When he walked into the room I saw that just because there weren’t any gun shots didn’t mean there wasn’t a gun. Mr. McGuire stood their pointing the gun at Ryder. He had the pair of hand cuffs dangling from one of his wrists. He slowly shut the door behind him. “I’m not being put away with two survivors.” He said in a shaky tone. When he said two I thought he meant Ryder and me. I would soon find out I was wrong. “You know I didn’t feel bad for her I felt bad for my son. I saw how crushed he was but I couldn’t bring her back she saw who I was. But since he felt so crushed I let her live. But I can’t let him.” He said and the sound of gun fire echoed through the room. I had my eyes clenched shut I opened them and looked at Ryder he was perfectly fine. I looked over to see that Jared had shot off the door lock. Thing was the door wasn’t locked just shut. Jared had the gun pointed to his father. “You took her away and then made someone else feel the same pain. No one should feel that way. Why? Why did you take her away from me?” He said slowly starting to cry again. “She hurt you so I needed to take her away.” His father answered calmly. “We got into a fight you didn’t need to kill her!” Jared screamed. “Kill her? I didn’t kill her she is still very well alive. I’ve hurt her yes killed her no.” His father said still calm. He is answering as if what he has done is the right thing to do to a person. Jared just froze he wanted to shoot his father for causing so many people so much pain. But Caisey was alive and that’s all he had wanted for almost a year. He didn’t know what to do. He still had the gun pointed to his father, he closed his eyes and his face was filled with anger at first then disbelief. He couldn’t believe his father could do such horrible things to such innocent people. He slowly started to put his arm down. “You can’t stand up for the people you love. You are pathetic.” His father said pulling the trigger at his son. He shot him in the shoulder. Jared sat in shock against the door way. He thought for a moment then looked up at his father raising his arm and said “You are not my father.” As he pulled the trigger. To my surprise he was a better shot than his father. He shot him directly in the middle of his chest. Jared stood up as his father laid on the floor bleeding. He knelt down to his father’s side took his gun out of his hand and said “You are just a sperm donor.” He got up and walked out the door.
The police were coming in on his way he gave him the guns and told them where to go. He didn’t bother asking were Caisey was he knew his father wouldn’t tell him especially now. Mr. McGuire was shot in his lung the doctors had to act fast. He didn’t die and I’m glad he didn’t die. Why, because he deserves to go to jail and if he gets the death penalty then good. The ones he caused so much pain too can watch the light leave his eyes just as he watched the light leave their loved ones. Jared got treated for his shoulder and was about to leave when I decided to go with him. Ryder was resting and I’m pretty sure he would be until tomorrow. I wanted to see if Jared was alright. He turned around and looked calm his eyes were red from crying though. “Want to come with me Lucy? I’ll give you a ride.” I accepted because I figured we were going home. Once again I was wrong. He drove us out of town and onto a road surrounded by the woods. He drove straight for almost an hour. Then he pulled over to the side of the road and just stared straight ahead. I was about to ask him where we were but then he started squeezing the steering wheel and placed his head on it and started slightly crying. He sat back up and looked at me. “How come you haven’t asked where we were going or even where we are now?” he asked choking on his words. “I trust you I know you won’t hurt me.” I said looking him in the eyes. He put a small smile on his face, let out a sad laugh and cried for a small moment. “I’m glad you feel that way.” He said. He looked straight ahead for another minute or two and got out of his car. Went to his trunk grabbed a crow bar and started walking into the woods. He turned around and asked “Are you coming?”
I got out and I followed him. I know it doesn’t sound smart to go with a serial killer’s son who has a crow bar into woods but Jared wasn’t like his father and I’m sure he has a good reason for a crow bar. I don’t know how long we were walking for but it felt like forever. After what felt like hours of walking we got to small cabin. There was a lock on the door. When I started looking around for a window Jared had a different thought. He took the crow bar and started smashing the wood on the door and the lock. After his final blow to the door a set of keys fell off the top of the door frame. We stared at each other for a moment after the keys dropped. He picked them up and walked in. Almost immediately I saw that this was his family cabin. It was furnished and full of family photos. As I looked at all of the photos Jared moved a rug to reveal a small door. He unlocked with the set of keys and started walking down into the cellar. I didn’t want to stay by myself since he had the crow bar so I quickly followed him. There was a furnished basement it looked more like a game room. He went behind the stairs to a small door. He didn’t open it immediately he closed his eyes and put his ear on the door. I don’t know what he was listening for but whatever it was I’m guessing he heard it because he didn’t bother unlocking the door or beating it with a crow bar. He kicked it once and it flew open revealing a very sickly thin girl chained to the wall. He dropped the crow bar and ran over to her hugging her. She was just able to wrap her arms around him. She immediately started crying as did he. He started saying “I’m so sorry Caisey.” All over again. She didn’t say anything she as too overwhelmed and couldn’t get anything out other than tears. He unlocked the metal restraints from her wrists and carried her upstairs and laid her on the couch. He cleaned her cuts and we left quickly to take her to the hospital. The question I’ve been wondering all day was finally answered. Was Caisey Jared’s girlfriend or just a best friend? Best friend was the answer. Hunter told me they had been best friends since they were four. He saw something between them but kept it to himself.
After a month Ryder, Caisey and even Mr. McGuire were out of the hospital. Mr. McGuire of course was in jail waiting for his trial. Months went by I thought everything would get better but I was wrong it didn’t. I couldn’t get the images of the bodies in the freezer or Mr. McGuire out of my head. Mr. McGuire’s trial finally came up. I thought going would stop all these horrid thoughts. After hours of sitting in the court room seeing every picture, every strand of evidence, pictures of the victims alive their wounds just everything. Mr. McGuire didn’t fight it. He sat there in front of family and friends in the court room and told them with detail how he killed every single one of them and even telling them how they pleaded and everything they said. The families and friends cried but stayed put. The parents of the nine year old boy broke down clenching a small stuffed bear. He didn’t look at the families as spoke what he did. He looked at me the entire time. He changed the tone in his voice as he spoke about Ryder and Caisey. I did not scream I did not cry I sat there emotionless breaking inside piece by piece. In the end Mr. McGuire was found guilty of almost forty murders and two attempted. Even found guilty it didn’t help. He put the same smile he had on the first night he moved in and he walked over to me. “Live the life they couldn’t.” he said and was taken away. Those five words shattered me. The only things on my mind that night were the victims and his words. I got out of bed at five a.m. I took a walk to a bridge and sat on the rail. All the thoughts and images overwhelmed me. I put my hand slightly on my chest to feel the necklace with Ryder’s blood. Why did I still have this? I ripped it off my neck and threw it off the bridge. I walked home feeling worse than before.
The thought of him was everywhere. I couldn’t take it anymore. I went home grabbed every single picture of me or even just had me in it. For three days I organized them from birth to now. Then I tapped them on my walls and ceiling when I ran out of room I put them on my night stand and desk then to the floor. I sat in the center of my room surrounded by my life. I set a camera up and put it on a timer. When the timer was done it would take the picture and it would fall in front of me completing the time line of my life. I ran the sharp blade up my left arm. I bled fast and got dizzy. About ten minutes later I couldn’t keep my head up, my heart rate got slower and my breathing got faint. I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer. It was my time to go. To stop feeling the pain of his victims and being taunted by his words. As I slowly blacked out ready to face death. I heard my door open and Tyler screamed my name. He ran to me and held me. Then I was out. I was gone but not for long.
My arm was numb when I woke up. No one around me. I was alone in a hospital room. I put my hand on my chest to feel my faint heartbeat. But instead I felt something cold. What I saw frightened me; I knew I could never escape this. No matter how hard I tried I couldn’t escape. For the bloody heart was around my neck.