chapter 2
1071 Words
Mario’s breath felt shallow as he stared into the shadow behind the hedge. Snowflakes drifted silently between him and the darkness, but nothing else moved. The quiet was too perfect, too still, as if the garden itself was holding its breath.
Hello…?Mario whispered again.
No answer.
The cold nipped at his neck. He rubbed his arms, trying to warm himself, trying to convince his brain he was simply imagining things. He had spent too long inside, surrounded by lights and noise; maybe the contrast of the silent outdoors was playing tricks on him.
He took a step backward toward the path leading around the house.
That was when he heard it so soft he almost missed it:
A breath.
Someone exhaled slowly from behind the hedge.
Mario froze. Who’s there? His voice cracked slightly. If this is a prank, it’s not funny.
Still no answer.
He turned and started walking fast. The snow crunched loudly under his shoes. His eyes stayed fixed ahead, on the warm glow spilling out from the main entrance of the mansion.
Inside, the gala music played faintly, muffled by walls and snow. People were laughing, talking, and taking pictures. It was strange how close the brightness was, yet how far it felt.
Mario glanced over his shoulder.
Nothing.
Just snow falling.
He let out a shaky sigh and kept walking.
Halfway down the path, he noticed something odd. A small, black van was parked at the side of the driveway. It wasn’t one of the staff vehicles; those had gold stickers from the event company. This van was plain, quiet, and tucked between two tall bushes like it didn’t want to be seen.
Mario slowed his steps.
It hadn’t been there earlier.
He stopped completely.
Maybe it belongs to someone arriving late, he whispered to himself. That made sense. People came in all types of cars.
Still… Why was its engine running so softly? The lights were off. No one was inside at least not from what he could see.
He took a single cautious step back.
And then Crunch.
Not his footstep.
From behind him.
Mario spun around.
A figure emerged from the hedge at last.
Tall. Hooded. Dressed in dark clothing.
Mario’s heart jumped painfully into his throat.
H-hello? he stammered.
The figure didn’t answer. They just took one step forward onto the path, blocking part of the snow-covered walkway.
Mario took a step backward. My parents are waiting for me. I have to go.
The figure didn’t move.
The air felt suddenly colder.
Mario turned to run toward the main door but the moment he moved, the figure rushed forward with surprising speed.
Mario yelped, stumbling in the snow as he tried to escape. Stop! Leave me alone!
His voice cracked loudly, swallowed quickly by the wind.
He reached the small bend in the path but someone else stepped out from behind a second tree. Mario gasped and skidded to a halt.
Another person.
Two of them.
Mario’s chest tightened.
He turned again, desperate, trying to find another way, but the snow made the ground slippery. One of the figures called out sharply to the other Mario didn’t understand the words, but the tone was urgent.
The van’s side door slid open with a low, smooth sound.
Mario choked on his breath.
They were trying to take him.
“Help!” he shouted, voice breaking. Help!
But the garden was too far from the gala hall, and music drowned out everything. The snow softened the sound even more.
He tried to run one last time, but the nearer figure reached him and grabbed him not violently, but firmly enough that he couldn’t pull free. Mario struggled, twisting, kicking, screaming for his mom and dad, but the person held on with strong arms.
It’s okay, the voice said softly, surprisingly calm, almost gentle. Don’t fight. You won’t be hurt.
Mario panicked even more. Let me go! Let me go!
But his screams only echoed into the quiet garden.
The second figure approached quickly. Mario felt himself being lifted carefully, like someone handling something fragile. He twisted and kicked helplessly.
No stop! Please!
Nothing worked. The world around him blurred in snowy streaks as he was carried toward the van. His heart hammered painfully in his chest.
The cold metal door slid wider.
Mario tried to grab anything: the air, the person’s sleeve, the tree trunk they passed but the snow made everything slippery. His breath came in short gasps.
He felt himself being placed inside the van, onto a soft blanket. Before he could scramble out, the door slid shut with a heavy thud, plunging him into dimness.
Let me out! Mario banged on the door with both fists. Help! Somebody help me!
Through the tinted window he saw blurry lights from the mansion, growing smaller and smaller as the van began to move.
Mario’s pulse hammered.
Inside the van, the second figure sat beside him. The hood shadowed their face.
Mario,they said again softly. Calmly. We aren’t going to hurt you.
Mario’s voice trembled. Why are you doing this?!
No answer.
The van’s engine hummed louder as it rolled down the driveway and turned onto the main road.
Mario pressed his hands against the cold window, watching the mansion disappear into the snowy night. A lump formed in his throat.
His parents were inside. Hundreds of people were inside. No one had seen anything. No one even knew he had stepped outside.
He felt very small.
Very alone.
The van made a long turn, and soon the hillside lights vanished completely.
Mario’s hands trembled as he wiped his eyes. Please… just take me home.
The figure next to him finally spoke again, voice even lower this time.
You will go home, Mario, they said. But not yet.
Mario swallowed hard. When?
A long pause. A heavy one.
Christmas night.
Mario’s stomach dropped. That’s ten days away…
Yes.
Why? Why keep me that long?
The figure didn’t respond.
The van drove deeper into the night, leaving the familiar parts of the city behind.
He didn’t know where he was going.
He didn’t know why this was happening.
All he knew was that his life, once full of noise and glitter, had suddenly fallen into a cold, silent unknown.
And far behind him, in the glowing mansion on Rosemont Hill, his parents continued smiling for pictures, unaware that their world had just cracked wide open.
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