The Return

by Jennifer Torres

  Emily looked like she had been crying again. Her sister Isabelle was one of the missing, and she was devastated. As Tim passed behind her to take his seat, he put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and smiled.

  Max was devouring his lunch while Nina just picked at hers.

  “Slow down, Max,” she said “It’s not going anywhere. Then she looked at Tim.

  “Tell us more about what the man said to you.”

  “He said he came here to rescue me . . . to take me home to Earth.”

  “Never heard of it,” Max managed to say through a full mouthful of fried beetles.

  “What do you think it means?” Nina asked staring directly at Tim.

  He shrugged his shoulders, “Don’t know, but I’m going to find out.”

  Max stopped eating and looked up slowly from his lunch. “Then we need to come up with a plan.”

  They all turned to face him, and Tim slapped his hand on the table in a sudden burst of excitement.

  “Yes,” he practically yelled. “We do need a plan, Max. I have to find a way to talk to that man again, the one they call Canary.”

  Nina took his hand and calmly squeezed it.

  “Tim, that just isn’t possible.”

  •••••

  Ms. Duvall sat by the first floor window of her two-story home, watching. She was aware of her reputation for being a snoop. Some people in town, mostly children, regarded her as a loony bird. They would walk by her house giggling and pointing; others ran, fearful she might snatch them and throw them in her oven for dinner.

  The authorities had even paid her a visit after the disappearances, knocking at her door to ask questions about where she was on such and such night. But after coming to greet them in a wheelchair, they had realized the old woman certainly couldn’t have anything to do with anyone vanishing.

  They did ask about her second floor. Why did she have one if she couldn’t access it?

  She had thought the question was ill-mannered and meddlesome. After all, it really was none of their business. But she reluctantly explained she hadn’t always been in a wheelchair. An accident when she was a younger woman had taken away her ability to walk, confining her to the wheelchair for years now. She had told them that the home was originally her father’s, and he had left it to her after his death. She had everything she needed downstairs, and if guests came to stay, there were three bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs for them to use. She had someone come in once a week to help clean, and they took care of all the dusting up there for her.

  The large, cumbersome men had looked at her with pity for just a moment before apologizing for wasting her time and being on their way.

  If there is one thing the people of this town should not feel for her, it was pity.

  Watching them walk back and forth out her window, she knew more about everyone than they would ever know about her. They often would stop and talk right in front of her window, unaware she was even there.

  On this day, she had enough of sitting by the window. Her limbs felt stiff. She reached for the curtains with both hands and closed them tight. She wheeled her way into the kitchen and checked the window curtains there, and they too were all shut. She liked her privacy. Over the past few years, she had managed to keep to herself for the most part.

  Secrets ran deep in this town, very deep. And she knew almost every single one the residents here had hidden away, including the most important one of all.

  After being sure all the windows and doors in the downstairs area were secure, Ms. Duvall rose from her chair and ran up the stairs, two at a time—she had work to do.

  Chapter 4

  Deceptions

  The cabin that had once served as a hideout was empty now except for a few chairs, a table, and one couch.

  Tim had to work hard to convince the others that they should go there to take a look around now that the authorities were through tearing the place apart for clues. Nina was especially resistant, but Emily had convinced her.

  “Please, we have to go,” she had urged. “I have to know what happened to Isabelle, Luke, and the others.”

  “I know, Eme,” Nina said looking at her best friend warmly. “I just don’t think that’s the place to find them.”

  Emily looked ready for tears again.

  “But,” Nina quickly added, “If it’s really important to you, of course I’ll go.”

  The group made their way past the Eller home and into the woods. Tim hadn’t seen Rusty since his night in the cabin. Apparently he was still away. The house looked dark and empty. He really wanted to see Rusty. To tell him how sorry he was about Luke and how much he missed him.

  After a long walk through the woods, the kids finally arrived outside the cabin. Tim wasn’t sure at all what he was looking to find. He knew the place was probably swept clean by authorities, but he had to see it again. Maybe, just maybe, he might remember something that could help find his friends.

  Max walked ahead and climbed the stairs to the front porch. Reaching slowly for the door, he gently turned the knob and opened. The others followed him inside.

  Tim thought it looked a lot different in the daylight as he nervously eyed his surroundings. He walked into the front room and placed his phone on a small side table.

  Nina remained close to the front door. Tim reached out his hand to her and she shook her head. She wasn’t moving from that spot.

  “They could come back,” she said in a whispery voice.

  “No, they would never risk it,” Emily said calmly as she walked over to her and gently took her hand.

  “Eme’s right,” Max interjected. “Besides they caught the main guy and he’s locked up for good.”

  Tim couldn’t help but wonder who Canary was talking to on the phone that night and just how many others were involved. But he felt as certain as Max and Emily that whoever it was would never show their face in this cabin again.

  And then he heard it.

  It was almost indiscernible, but he was sure he heard the ceiling creaking.

  There it was again!

  Footsteps.

  He looked at his friends and could tell immediately they all heard it, too. Everyone remained frozen in place.

  Creak . . . creak . . . creak . . .

  Someone was upstairs.

  Upon hearing it a second time, Nina sprinted outside, followed closely behind by Emily and Max.

  Tim couldn’t move.

  The footsteps were heading down the staircase now. The girls were already down the front porch when Max realized Tim wasn’t with them.

  “Tim!” he yelled toward the house. Getting no response, Max turned around and went back inside.

  Tim could see a man’s legs descending down the stairs.

  “You shouldn’t be here,” the man called towards him. “But I’m really glad you are.”

  The red crop of hair was unmistakable. It was Rusty! He opened his arms to embrace Tim, who gladly went in for a hug. Max sighed with relief and then waved to the girls to come back inside

  “When did you get back?” Tim asked.

  Rusty motioned for the boys to sit down on the couch as he sat in a big oversized chair.

  “Mr. Eller!” Emily called out as she and Nina re-entered the house. “We thought you were out of town.”

  “I got back about a week ago, but since I’ve been back, I’ve been spending a lot of time at the Reef helping them sort though some information.”

  Tim realized that was the same building he had seen years ago. The same place they were keeping Canary. Rusty went on to explain that the authorities had named his part-time groundskeeper and handyman, Mr. Kull, as a suspect in the disappearances.

  “They thought he had built this cabin without my knowledge, but that simply wasn’t true,” said Rusty. “He built it for me as a guest house
. I think the poor fellow was implicated just for being a grumpy old man.”

  “But the authorities couldn’t find him for a while, right?” asked Max.

  “He was with me,” Rusty quickly answered.

  “Rusty,” Tim whispered. “I’m so sorry about Luke, but I know we will find him. I know it.”

  Rusty’s head went down and he stared at the floor, then placing his elbows on his knees, he covered his eyes with his hands and let out a long sigh. Was he crying? Tim couldn’t be sure, but he suddenly felt tears welling up in his own eyes.

  “You kids are his very best friends in the world,” Rusty finally managed to say. Then rising from his chair, he looked directly at Tim. “What are you doing here at the cabin anyway?”

  “We thought we could find some answers,” Emily said. “Something that might help us find Isabelle, Luke, and the others.”

  Rusty walked over to Emily.

  “Eme, I’m so sorry about Isabelle,” he said warmly. “But I know she is okay. Just like I know Luke is okay, and we will all be together again.”

  Emily leaned toward him and gave him a hug.

  “You really think so?” she asked with urgency.

  “I know so,” he replied. “Please trust me on that.”

  “Why did you come here?” Tim asked.

  “Same as you I guess,” he answered, turning again to Tim. “But there is nothing here to find. I searched this place up and down with a fine-tooth comb. If there was anything here, the authorities have it now.”

  After visiting with Rusty awhile longer, the group said their good-byes and headed for home.

  “Oh, man!” Tim shouted. “I left my phone in the cabin, I have to go back and get it. You all go ahead, I’ll catch up.”

  He ran back toward the cabin and up the stairs of the porch. He knocked softly and then opened the door. Tim was about to call out Rusty’s name when he heard his voice. He must be on the phone, he thought.

  He went to the table to retrieve his phone and was about to leave when Rusty’s voice became louder, as if he were angry with whomever he was speaking to.

  “Listen to me, this has to be done quickly, the other kids are in pain over this,” Rusty was saying. “You know as well as I do it wasn’t supposed to go down this way.”

  Tim found himself moving closer so he could better hear what was being said.

  “Yes, I am aware of the risks,” he continued. “But that doesn’t matter now. If you don’t get the other kids out of here and back on Earth soon, the whole plan could be ruined.”

  Chapter 5

  The Underground

  Tim was frozen in place, but his mind was racing.

  What was Rusty talking about? Did he hear him say “Earth”? And what did he mean about “getting the other kids out of here”? Tim wasn’t really sure, but he did know one thing —he wanted to get out of here—now.

  Tim forced himself to move slowly and quietly toward the door, until he was outside, and then he ran—he ran faster than he had ever run before. He ran past trees and bushes, over hills, and across a dried-up riverbed. He wasn’t even sure he was going in the right direction. He looked back to see if Rusty was there following him, and it was at that moment he tripped and fell flat on his belly, narrowly avoiding smacking his face right into the dirt.

  Getting back up wasn’t easy. His chest was aching, his hands were covered in scrapes, and his pants were ripped at the knee.

  “Great,” he said aloud.

  Back on his feet again, Tim took a good look at his surroundings. He had definitely taken a wrong turn, nothing looked familiar.

  He walked a little farther and came to a hill. At the bottom of the hill was a creek. That might be Ebert Creek, he thought, and that cuts right through town—but which way?

  He decided to follow it for a while and see where he ended up.

  Staring at the ground, he stumbled along the water’s edge trying to recall exactly what Rusty had said. Was it possible that he was involved in the disappearances? But how could that be? His own son was missing. No, Tim must have misheard or misunderstood something. It simply didn’t make any sense for Rusty to be involved.

  He was so lost in his thoughts, he almost tripped again on a branch. No . . . wait. Not a branch, what was it? He bent down to take a closer look; it was a piece of metal or something. Hold on, it was more like a cover or a lid, and it was off center so it was sticking up a bit.

  What was it covering?

  Curiosity took hold and he grabbed the thing, pulling it as hard as he could, finally managing to move it to one side, revealing a large hole underneath.

  But it wasn’t just a hole; it was an opening—an entrance. He leaned down further, peering into the darkness. There was light coming from somewhere down below. It was barely detectable, but it was there. He remembered his phone, and turning it on flashlight mode, lowered it down as far as he could reach. It illuminated the gloom enough to see that it was a long tube that seemed to lead to a landing at the bottom. He swiped the phone along the walls of the tube and could see a set of rungs obviously meant for using to climb up and down. There was something lying at the bottom, but what was it?

  He extended his arm further, holding the phone in his fingertips to see if he could make it out and then—the phone fell—down—down—down.

  Tim let out a cry of frustration as the phone’s light grew smaller and smaller until it landed with a whoosh. Leaning his head down into the hole, he could see that the light was still on, and the phone appeared to be in one piece. He had to go get it. After carefully studying the placement of the rungs, he grabbed the first and began a slow descent.

  It didn’t take long to reach the bottom. His phone had fallen into a pile of soft dirt and he quickly dusted it off and checked to see if it was still working—it was. Next to it was a small box. This was what he had seen from above. He reached down, picked it up, and opened it.

  Inside was a large key ring with about ten keys on it.

  Looking around, Tim could now see that this wasn’t just a hole, it was a lighted tunnel. A tunnel someone had built with great care.

  He peered back up at the entrance and knew he couldn’t just leave. He wanted to see where this passageway led. He needed to see.

  Tim began walking, slowly at first, and then with longer, faster strides.

  After several minutes, the light was getting stronger and better illuminating the tunnel.

  He finally arrived at what appeared to be another set of rungs that led to another entrance. Placing his phone in his pocket, he climbed up and pushed at the cover. It wouldn’t budge. He climbed back down and kept walking. Every so often, he would come to another set of rungs, leading to another entrance, but all were shut tight. He kept walking.

  The tunnel twisted and turned, but it was easy to navigate and there was plenty of air to breathe. Despite his circumstances, Tim was more curious than nervous.

  Another set of rungs appeared. He almost skipped it. He assumed it was locked like the rest and he wanted to keep going.

  Did this thing ever end? Or did it just go on and on forever? What was the reason someone had made it?

  He had so many questions, but he knew it must be getting late and his parents would be concerned. So would his friends. He had told them he would catch up with them; they must all be worried by this point.

  Tim reached another set of rungs leading up to a cover. Maybe he’d try just one more before heading back, just to see if it was unlocked.

  He climbed up and this time the cover moved open easily. He carefully popped his head out from the catacombs and recognized where he was immediately.

  The Reef Institute.

  Chapter 6

  What Lies Above

  It had been more than an hour since Tim had taken off back to the cabin to retrieve his phone. After walking for a b
it, Max, Nina, and Emily had decided to sit and wait by a group of fallen trees for him to return.

  “I bet Mr. Kull is happy the kids are gone,” Max snapped.

  “Max!” Nina chastised, putting a hand on Emily’s leg. “I’m sure that’s not true.”

  “He’s probably right,” Emily whispered. “He was always so mean to us.”

  Nina couldn’t disagree.

  “I guess that’s true,” she said. “And what is the deal with that woman who is always staring out her window at us? She really gives me the creeps. It feels like she is always looking right at me.”

  Lost in conversation, the time passed quickly without notice until the suns started their descent and the forest began to fill with shadows.

  “Do you think he took another way home?” Emily asked.

  “What other way?” Nina replied nervously. “We’ve never even been out this far before. Do you think he got lost?”

  Max paced nervously back and forth.

  “Should we go back to the cabin and see if he’s there?” he asked. “Maybe Rusty and Tim just started talking.”

  It would have been easier if someone else had thought to bring a phone along, but no one did, so they were stuck with the option of going back to Rusty’s cabin—or going forward to tell Tim’s parents. But that would mean explaining why they had gone to the cabin in the first place.

  After a few minutes of discussion, Max decided to head back to the cabin while the girls headed back to town to see if Tim was already there.

  •••••

  The phone was gone.

  Rusty had noticed it after the kids had left and shortly before getting the call. It had been on the end table in the front room, and it was quite easy to recognize who it belonged to because of the skateboard stickers on it. Now it was gone.

  For months Rusty had been feeling a wide range of emotions, but overriding it all was an acute sense of anxiety and this situation certainly didn’t help to ease his fragile state of mind.

  One of the kids, or all of them, must have returned to retrieve it while he was on the phone in the other room. Was there a possibility they heard his conversation?