Taken

Chapter 1 - The 'Secret Shortcut'

The morning of the event was normal. I had woken up - regular time, eaten breakfast - eggs and bacon,  chosen what to wear - jeans, tee shirt, sweater, and had walked to school. In school, homeroom, my friend Jennel Fower told me about a secret shortcut leading to Catoway St, the street I live in. 

 You should go see it, Jennel had said to me. I hear all the kids that live there take it everyday.

 I think I'll take my regular walk. I had answered. I wasn't going to take a way that I had no idea about. My mom taught me to be on the safe side. It might be dangerous.

  You're always on the safe side! Take chances, Jennel, my best friend answered. She was loose and was very outgoing. She took chances - and I did too, just not as much as her. You might learn something new.

   I patted her shoulder and said, That's what school's for. I then laughed and and left for homeroom. 

 I heard her yell, Katie Mitchel, you don't walk away from me like that!

  I nodded and chuckled. The secret shortcut was so popular, I don't even know why it still had the word 'secret' in it. And everyone was asking everyone who lived on Catoway St. if they'd gone through it yet. Jonah Sanders asked me, and I shook my head. Jonah and I don't really talk - and I was surprised he was the one to ask me. We'd never been in the same class, so I was shocked when he went up to me and asked, So, have you been through the shortcut yet? 

    As I said before, I shook my head. Then he said, What are you waiting for? 

 I shook my head again and he shook his head and he left to someone else who lives on Catoway St. Everyone was ashamed of me. They were saying stuff like, Get on it! and Do it! and all these other stuff. Like, what am I supposed to do? Go through it, get in trouble, and get stuck in my room for days? Tell me if I'm wrong but, that's too risky. Even though my friends told me where it was and everything, it was useless. I would never go through it. Or so I thought, because when I was walking home, I saw it - the shortcut - and went in.