The Awakening

The Note

  The picture above is of Tory Rendere

 It has been three months since my brother has disappeared. My kid brother Rick was taken by the hands of evil. I may not know exactly who took him, but that doesn't mean I don't know they are evil. It all started on one of the most important days of my life. It was the day I read the note. One slip of paper destroyed my Iife forever.

                                                        Three months ago......

I brushed a stray piece of brown hair  out of my eyes. I was standing by the doors of Cardinal high school, waiting for my freshman brother, Rick. " Tory! " I whirled around at the sound of his voice. I frowned. "Where were you? I was waiting by the front doors, where you said you'd be." He smiled sheepishly. "I had to take a detour. I may have, uh, not turned in my English homework, and had to go to to Mrs. Carol's room to drop it off. She threatened me with detention for a month!" My name is Tory Rendere. I'm sixteen years old, and I have been taking care of my brother Rick ever since our parents died when I was 14. I work as a waitress at the Dine- In Cafe. I rolled my eyes. " That's the second time this week. I'm going to have to check your homework from now on. " "Oh please don't." he groaned. We headed home. 

  As soon as we reached our door, we realized something was wrong. The door was left slightly ajar, but I clearly remembered locking, and closing the door firmly. Not to mention the  door handle was broken. "You stay here." I ordered Rick. I grabbed the old baseball bat from the garage, and cautiously peered through each and every room in the house. Rick may be a pain in the neck, but he is all the family I have left. I have made it my sole purpose in life to protect him. Though everything was trashed, and turned upside down, not a single trace of a living human being was in there."It's safe, Rick." I called out to him. I watched my brother's eyes widen as he surveyed the house. "Uh, shouldn't we call the cops or something?" " Oh really, Sherlock? " I said, the sarcasm clear in my voice. "After that, we can ask the neighbors if they saw anything suspicious." He glared at me, but nodded, then we got back into the car. After alerting the police, Rick went around the neighborhood, inquiring if anyone saw any suspicious activity. No one saw or heard a thing. But, since we live in a neighborhood full of grandparents and oldies, I honestly wasn't surprised. The next day, I had to work the late shift, so I had texted Rick, saying he would have to walk home by himself that day. I ended up coming home at eight o'clock, to find two things. My brother, not there, and a note on the kitchen table. "Rick? Dude, this isn't funny. Come out from wherever you are, or else no dessert for a week!" But Rick didn't come out. I looked towards the slip of paper. Maybe it was from Rick.I went to the note and eyed it carefully. In very shaky handwriting that was definitely not my brother's, it read, "WE HAVE TAKEN HIM IF YOU KNOW WHATS BEST FOR HIM YOU WONT COME FOR HIM" then, to my  horror, a smeared fingerprint of what looked like blood, was signed at the bottom of the note. Okay, now I'm officially freaking out. Where the heck is my brother, and who took him?!