Rita felt complete gratitude overwhelm her. “Jack, it’s Kelly. She must have heard what happened to Father Phillips and came to check on us.” Her quivering muscles immediately stilled and she leaped out of the car, running across the street. As she ran she heard Jack call for her to wait but her sense of relief was too great. Kelly had turned into the house with Judy but as Rita called out to her, she turned with a complete look of surprise written across her features. Rita leapt into the house into her friends arms. Kelly hesitated with shock then wrapped her arms tightly around Rita as she shut the door.
“What are you doing here?” Rita asked her as the unraveled and headed into the kitchen. Kelly kept her arm about her friend’s waist as though guiding her through the hallway.
“I heard about Father Phillips and came here right away. I just got here 2 seconds ago. Did you hear the news?”
Rita turned to stare at the kettle on the stove and couldn’t remember when she had put it there. As she began to turn she felt something hard contact against the back of her head and as she slid down into darkness the last thing she saw was Kelly’s face twisted into a bitter sneer. Where had Judy gone to, was her last thought.
Rita opened her eyes to see her basement. A sliver of light illuminated the boxes she had meant to unpack but had never gotten to and her husband’s old saxophone that had somehow survived the trip with one of her children. Her head ached and something wet was leaking down the back of her shirt. She felt stiff and tested each of her limbs to find that she had been tied to a pipe of some sort running through the foundation of her home. She heard the sound of shifting and strained her eyes to see her daughter also bound on the floor, a bag over her head tied about the neck. “Judy don’t move. It’s ok sweetie, I'm here with you too.”
“Mom?” Judy asked the darkness about her? She was visibly shaking but not moving or testing her bonds. “Mom, what’s going on? Who did this?”
“I don’t know sweetheart but we will figure it out. Where’s your brother?”
“I don’t know. I was on a date. I’m sorry but I was going to tell you when I got home.”
“Judy focus, we can talk about that later. Where’s your brother? Did you see him when you walked in the door?”
“No. I just remember seeing Kelly, which I thought was weird since you weren’t home yet and then that’s it. Is it her? Is she behind this? Does this have to do with those kids?”
Surprising to herself Rita felt absolute calm as she calculated the situation. She heard the muffled sound of footsteps upstairs. Her friend. How could this be possible? They had known each other for years. They had even played in this basement together as girls. Suddenly Rita remembered. She had hid a stash of trinkets in her when she was 10 in case she ever wanted to run away.
“Judy, listen. I want you to crawl forward towards my voice. I can remove the bag and you can untie me. Understand?”
Judy nodded her head and slowly inched forward until she felt her mother’s bare toes against her shoulder. Rising slowly she felt hands pull at the rope about her neck until suddenly the blackness of the bag was replaced by the eerily lit basement. The smell of dampness and dirt filled her nose as she looked into her mothers face with a look of absolute terror. Rita’s own expression was calm and Judy found it odd that her mother could be so relaxed in such a situation as this. Untying each others bonds the two finally found themselves free of their bonds. The moment the last rope fell Rita wrapped her arms about her daughter's shoulders and whispered to her, “It’s all right. It’s going to be all right. I need you to be strong now and help me. Don’t lose it ok?” Judy nodded into her mother’s chest.
Rita pulled away and immediately walked into the darkest corner. Judy could have sworn her mother had been swallowed but she heard the scratching coming from where she had been headed.
“What are you doing?” she asked the darkness.
“When I was 10 years old I was sure I was going to run away. So I hid a sack of goodies down here in case I needed a quick escape. Pulling away three loose bricks she thrust her hands into the wall and pulled out a small child’s backpack that looked as though it hadn’t seen light since it had been placed there over 20 years ago.
Judy watched as her mother quietly spilled the contents of her satchel onto the basement floor: a pack of gum, a small flashlight, aluminum foil, matches, Band-Aids, animal crackers, a pack of cookies, and a pocket knife.
Rita crouched down and grabbed the knife, flashlight, and matches then motioned for her daughter to listen. The footsteps had retreated to one of the kids’ bedrooms. Judy’s, Rita knew, from her childhood experience of hiding and listening when people would visit her parents. I’m going to go upstairs and find your brother. I don’t care what happens but you do not come up there until you here my voice. If I tell you to, you run. No questions. Got it?”
Judy nodded, crouching back down to hug her knees in the darkness.
“You don’t need to be scared Judy. Just wait for me.” Rita added and quickly moved off to the stairs. She needed to move fast and think just as quickly. Kelly could be in any of the rooms now, and she still didn’t know where Brian was hiding or hidden. Any slip could be a fatal mistake for all of them. She thought for a few seconds more then slowly opened the basement door and stepped foot back inside her house.
Chapter 8
Her first thought when she opened the door was that it smelled like burning. Something in the house was burning. Her next thought was that it was cold, as though all the windows had been left open. She walked through the hallway, bypassing the floorboards that she knew would give her away. Stopping by the living room she listened with every fiber of her body for something, anything that would give away where Kelly was and if her son was alive.
She heard a small sound coming from the back bedroom where her parents had slept and where she now kept her desk and assortment of projects she always meant to find time to do. Holding her breath she crept closer, hugging close to the wall as though some picture frame would protect her should anyone come from that room.
As she drew closer she heard the sounds of muffled whimpering mixed with the shuffling of furniture. The smell of fear flowed through the passage, massaging each smiling picture and photo of family memories, hitting Rita with the realization that her son was alive, but that she had no time to stage an elaborate plan for his freedom. A sound she could not recognize filtered through the mix, leaving Rita suddenly without confidence as she crouched before the door. Stilling herself she could hear her friend’s voice above the noises of the room, explaining to her son what would soon happen to him.
“Why don’t you understand Brian? This is for you, to save you from what is about to happen. Children are so pure when they are young. There is nothing to cloud your mind, heart or soul with evil. Your innocence is your greatest virtue. It’s something that you can’t hold on to but only notice it’s lost when you look back and find it gone. Now you will have it forever. You will live forever with your innocence. Don’t you see? Don’t you see why I have to do this for you? You must be pure when you leave here. I’m guaranteeing you will be saved. Your soul will be saved. Aren’t you so grateful?”
Kelly’s voice was filled with compassion and joy as she delivered her blessing on the boy. Rita peeked around the door frame to see her son standing tied to a chair as a small fire flicked across the floor. She was going to burn him alive, Rita thought. How am I going to do this? Rita tucked her head back behind the framing but not before Brian caught a glimpse of her hair.
“Mommy!” He sobbed out, his tears resuming control of his face.
“Oh Rita. You’re just in time.” Kelly called. “Why don’t you come in here so you can understand?”