She was alone in the house at about 3:00 p.m., having just gotten home from school. The clock ticked on - she was concentrating on her notes and homework. The boards in the old house creaked. She was used to that, so she ignored it. Her parents weren't coming home 'til around 7:00 p.m. She yawned and stretched, then went into the kitchen to make herself soup, salad, and a sandwich. She started to return to the living room where her computer and all her books were. Creak! Startled, with the food in her hands, she almost dropped it. She continued on into the living room. Whine! The back screen door sounded like it was opening. The sun was starting to go down, giving the room a fuzzy look. Before she could turn around, a hand was clapped over her mouth and she was pulled from her chair into the backyard. None of the neighbors could see, as the yard was full of tall bushes and tall trees with drooping, thick foliage.
He blindfolded her, dropped her into the back seat of his car and sped off. "Who are you?" she gasped. "What are you going to do to me?"
"Shut up, kid," he snarled. "It's going to be a long drive." And it was. There were turns and twists, and she heard cars honking, probably because he was speeding past them. At last they reached a steep hill, and he screeched to a stop. He pulled her across rough grass and into a room. Then he tied her up, gagged her and left her. Blind and mute, she had never been so terrified in her life.
Who was this man, she wondered. What would he do with her? She tried to free herself, but the bonds were too strong. What will my parents do? They'll be going out of their minds with worry! Then she remembered that one of the neighbors had been outside briefly when she got home from school. Could she have seen the number on the kidnapper's license plate? Winds were blowing outside hard now, and the windows rattled. She shivered with cold and fright.
Back at her house, her parents had come home and were wondering what had happened. Their daughter's books were scattered all over the desk, and the computer was left on. That wasn't like her. They called 911 immediately, and the police put out an APB on a young blonde girl, about 14 years old. All her parents could do was sit and wait helplessly. Then there was a knock at the door. Their neighbor, Jane, had seen the license plate of a car zooming out of the back driveway a few hours before. They told the police immediately.
Back at the dark old place where her kidnapper had left her, the police found the car they had been looking for. They broke into the locked house and freed the girl. It was over!