Melissa
Hey Kalie, I’m going to be late.
Melissa
And before you freak out…
Melissa
I’ll only be like 30 minutes.
Melissa
LOL, you’re so dramatic.
Kalie
The movie’s gonna start in 10 minutes!
Melissa
I know, but Grayson texted me…
Melissa
He forgot to leave food out for his cat.
Melissa
So I’m stopping at his place to feed her.
Melissa
The good news is I get to finally see where he lives!
Kalie
Wait, this is your first time seeing his house?
Kalie
Well, you’ve been dating for a few months…
Kalie
So yeah, it’s a little weird.
Melissa
But if he’s not even there, he’s obviously chill about it!
Kalie
Uh huh. That’s a great point 🙄
Kalie
Just hurry and we’ll only miss the trailers.
Melissa parks her car in the driveway and jogs up to the front door.
When Grayson described his house to her…
She hadn’t imagined a mansion.
But that’s exactly what this is.
She finds the Hide-a-Key and opens the front door.
Kalie
What’s his house like?
Melissa
It’s kind of…creepy.
Kalie
Creepy? That’s not a great sign.
Melissa
I think he inherited it from his parents.
Melissa
So it’s pretty old.
Melissa
It’s huge, though.
Kalie
You should take a look around 😈
Melissa
He actually asked me not to.
Kalie
Was he like, “Please don’t snoop around to find out how rich I am?”
Melissa
More like, “Please don’t go downstairs. There’s black mold in the basement.”
Kalie
Mold is less interesting than skeletons.
And jumps at the echo of her own voice.
She looks around for the kitchen.
She realizes the kitchen is the size of her apartment.
No sign of the cat, though.
She pulls out the kibble and fills the bowl.
Suddenly, she hears a door slam shut behind her.
And sees a closed door a few paces away.
She calls out into the silence.
She can feel her face pounding with her own heartbeat.
Melissa keeps her eyes locked on the doorknob…
Then something scratches behind the door.
Melissa
OMG, this cat just gave me a heart attack.
Kalie
Cats will do that to you.
Kalie
It’s why I don’t trust them.
Melissa rolls her eyes and opens the door to let out the cat.
Before her, stairs descend into a dark basement.
She thinks she sees the cat disappearing down them.
Melissa tries the light switch, but no lights come on.
She thinks she can hear the cat running around below.
Turning on her cellphone flashlight…
Melissa starts taking the stairs one at a time.
She feels her phone buzz.
Grayson
You get in all right?
Melissa stops on the stairs to text back.
Melissa
Yep! Your cat just ran down to the basement, though…
Melissa
So I’m trying to coax her back upstairs 😂
Grayson
Don’t go in the basement, Melissa.
Melissa
It’s fine, I’m just going to hold my breath and run down.
Grayson
Do not go downstairs.
Why is he being so weird about it?
Suddenly, Melissa hears a sound…
It’s not a sound a cat makes.
It’s a sound a human makes.
Someone screaming into a pillow.
Melissa
Grayson…what’s in your basement?
Grayson
I told you. Just don’t go down there.
Melissa turns the flashlight back on…
And starts walking down the stairs again.
At the bottom, she looks around.
Stacks of papers, books, a bulletin board, and…
In the corner, a girl is tied to a chair.
And looking at Melissa with pleading eyes.
Melissa runs to the girl’s side—
And pulls the gag out of her mouth.
Melissa
Are you alright?!
Her voice sounds as though she’s been screaming for days.
She looks to be about Melissa’s age.
Melissa
What’s your name?
Melissa
How did you get here?
The girl tries to speak, but coughs again.
She nods her head toward the bulletin board nearby.
Melissa just sees news clippings.
Then realization dawns on her.
A headline reads: “Local Student Goes Missing”
Melissa remembers the story.
It’s only a few months old, from the next state over.
The girl who went missing…
After a while, the case went cold…
And everyone stopped posting about it on Facebook.
Ellie
We’ve got to get out of here.
Her voice is raspy, but it still makes Melissa jump.
Melissa
Of course! I’m so sorry!
Melissa reaches for Ellie’s wrists…
But finds they are bound with zip ties.
They’ll need to be cut loose.
Ellie
There are knives in the kitchen.
Melissa
I’ll be right back.
Melissa runs up the stairs.
She finds a serrated knife in a knife block on the counter.
She hears the front door open.
Grayson’s voice echoes around her.
How did he get here so fast?
Grayson
Melissa, I know you’re still here.
Grayson
I saw your car out front.
His voice is moving through the house…
It sounds like he’s walking toward the kitchen.
Melissa starts creeping down the basement stairs.
She’s got to get to Ellie.
Grayson
If you’d just been a good girl, Melissa…
Grayson
I could’ve surprised you here…
Grayson
We could’ve had a romantic evening!
Melissa makes it down the stairs.
She starts cutting Ellie’s restraints.
With one last slice, Ellie’s wrists are free.
Grayson
I would’ve cooked for you…
Grayson
Introduced you to your new roommate…
Grayson
But I think you two have already met.
Melissa almost lets out a sob—
She clamps a hand over her own mouth.
Focus, she tells herself.
She cuts Ellie’s ankles free.
Ellie stands, but her legs are shaky.
Melissa can hear Grayson step onto the basement stairs.
Ellie grabs Melissa’s elbow and pulls her to the corner of the basement.
There’s a small door, behind a filing cabinet.
Ellie
Help me move the cabinet!
Ellie
There’s a cellar door behind here!
The filing cabinet weighs a ton.
Melissa and Ellie push, barely budging it.
Melissa sees a light in the stairwell.
Grayson must be using his phone’s flashlight.
There’s only a foot-wide gap, and Ellie squeezes through.
Melissa starts trying to push her body through…
But it’s too tight a fit for her.
Grayson reaches the bottom of the stairs…
He looks directly at her.
Grayson
So close, Melissa…
Melissa pushes as hard as she can…
But she can’t get through the door.
Grayson walks toward her.
She holds it up in front of her.
Grayson laughs, reaching for her.
But then she feels a hand brush her own…
Suddenly, Ellie bursts forward…
Slamming into the side of the filing cabinet.
And starts to fall toward Grayson.
Melissa doesn’t think twice.
She runs, without looking to see if Grayson dodges the cabinet.
Together, Melissa and Ellie push open the cellar door.
And burst into the night air.
Melissa
My car’s the red one!
Melissa pulls out her keys—
And tries to punch the remote to unlock the doors.
While she’s fumbling, she drops the knife.
She almost stops running—
But then she hears Grayson.
Grayson
That was a bad choice, Melissa!
Grayson
Now you need to be punished!
Melissa looks back and sees Grayson stepping from the cellar door…
No more than 30 feet behind them.
Melissa tries to fit the key in the ignition—
While Ellie jumps into the passenger seat.
Melissa’s hand is shaking…
As Grayson walks toward the car.
She slides the key in and turns it.
Grayson
Most people don’t know this…
Grayson
But cars can’t run without a fuel pump relay.
He’s only feet away from the car now.
Ellie slams her hand down on a button—
And Melissa hears the doors automatically lock.
Grayson reaches for the handle.
When the door doesn’t open, he smiles again…
But there’s anger in that smile.
Ellie
I’m NOT going back!
Grayson
Why are you girls making this so hard?
He walks to his truck and starts rummaging in the back.
Ellie
What do you have in here?
Ellie
Pepper spray? A gun?
Melissa
I just have an emergency kit.
Melissa
It’s in the backseat.
Melissa watches Grayson turn around and walk back toward them.
Ellie reaches for the kit behind her.
He slams it against the driver side window.
The window cracks, but doesn’t break.
He raises the crowbar again.
Ellie
Melissa, lean your seat back now!
Melissa turns to look at Ellie.
Ellie is holding something in her hand.
Melissa grabs the lever and leans back.
The glass above her shatters.
Ellie hurls herself across Melissa.
And the car explodes into light.
Then everything goes black.
Newspaper Headline
“Missing student blinds her kidnapper with a roadside flare, saving herself and his next intended victim. Read the full story on page 6."
