A cold, strong gust of wind hits Brien as he's asleep in his bed. Thinking about nothing, he ignored it and kept sleeping. With the eyes of the college freshman still closed, the clock suddenly started ringing. He tried to reach his clock on the nightstand to turn it off. Another stronger gust of wind blew him; Sending his blanket away from the bed. The unbearable cold and wind rushing through him took out every sense of sleepiness that he had. Looking at the clock, the time says a quarter before three. He was confused because as far as he remembered, the clock was set at six for he was getting ready to move to the campus. The ringing clock started to irritate him and immediately tried to turn it off but to no use. Even removing the battery doesn't stop the clock from ringing. He later just gave up and threw the clock outside the window and heard someone scream in pain. Upon realizing that his window is open, he went to close it. Unfortunately, another stronger gust of wind hits him before he can do it. The wind knocked him so badly that he hit his bed from the impact. "Oh come on!" he said inside his head. A hand touched his shoulder as he tried to get up. He saw a man in his 40's standing in front of him. He got scared and tried to run away but to no use. A force started to make him lift from the ground on the gesture of the man. He then got sent flying outside the window. Brien looked inside the house while still floating in the air outside the window of his room. The man is nowhere to be found inside. "You... look... promising," the man stated from Brien's back. "Huh? What do you mean?" "Let's have a bet. I'm going with you not to make this day alive." "Only if you kill me. Who are you anyway? What do you want from me?" "You know what? You actually seem like an interesting kid. Impress me then, Arthur." the man said. A bright light shined through the man. Brien covers his eyes from the blinding light. Little did he know that the mysterious man would vanish as soon as the light faded. That also made him fall to the ground from the height of their 2-story house. "Brien? What are you doing here at three in the morning?" a voice told Brien. The latter then looked at the source of the voice. "Stan? What are you doing here at three in the morning?" "I'm pretty sure I'm the one that's asking you that." "Where are you going anyway? " "Buying snacks for now. You going?" "Sure. You just wait here while I'm changing clothes," Brien said and rushed to get the spare key in their backyard to enter the house. Stan on the other hand found the ringing clock on the ground and picked it up. He tried to turn it off but to no use. The confusion started to hit him when he realized that the battery was out. "This can't be right," he said inside his head. Brien sprinted outside trying to be as silent as he could. He locks the door and meets Stan as the two walk down the street. "So what exactly is this?" Stan asked while still holding the ringing clock. "Yeah, it won't turn off. I've tried everything." "So what's the purpose of this?" "To wake me up? I don't know why it can't stop." "So you didn't rig this or anything?" "Look. Doesn't mean that I 'rig' stuff, that I do it on all of my stuff," "Well... you kinda do," Stan replied. After fidgeting with the clock while walking, Stan successfully succeeded in turning the clock off. Brien gets the clock from him and thoroughly looks at it. Looking at what his best friend might do to the clock that made it shut up. "What did you do?" he asked Stan. "Nothing. I just flipped the switch." Unimpressed, Brien gave Stan a poker face as the two walked on the dark street. The only source of light is the lampposts that emit weak light. Anyone that has been on the street at night would say that it is not well lit. It is the suburbs after all. They arrived at the blue lights on a white platform of the only bright place in the area; The convenience store. The wind chimes clanked as the two pushed the door of the store. The two then went and bought snacks and proceeded to eat them at the diner. "So.. what's your business outside at three?" Stan asked while eating his hotdog sandwich. "Well... I'm sleeping... then the wind blows then there's this guy- wait, is that a hotdog? There's a hotdog stall here?" "Yeah, there's that stall, proceed." "So like what I'm saying... I wanna sleep but a strange man enters my room, lifts me in the air, and vanishes." "You're hearing yourself right?" Stan replied after a pause. "Yeah. He just appeared out of nowhere and then left." "So a man lifted you in the air and disappeared?" "See, it sounded crazier when you say it." The sound of the crunch of chips and sipping of soda dominates them as the two run out of words. Looking outside Brien saw the street getting busier as people and cars started to pass by. "That's odd. It's usually Mr. Clarkson that cashiers here at this time. I wonder where he is," Brien broke the silence between them. "Shouldn't you think about how to sleep at this point? You're moving to our room on campus today, right? We have two weeks left, why now?" "Yeah, I need to nest early to assert dominance over my roommate." "You mean me? We're literally sharing the room." "Exactly." Brien stood to approach the cashier, wanting to know about Mr. Clarkson's whereabouts... and to get a hotdog. Stan continued to eat. his hotdog with sauces leaking from it. He didn't seem to mind it. "Good day-" Brien looked at the cashier's name tag. "Sir Dave, do you know where Mr. Clarkson is?" he continued while paying for the hotdog. "He called in sick today. Doesn't feel good." "Too bad. Tell my regards to him." "Sure will kid." The joyful teenager gave a graceful walk back to their seat as he was holding the hotdog that he just bought. Stan keeps his eye keen looking at all of the areas like a radar scanning for a threat. Cold sweat is coming from him and he can't stop shaking. "Is something wrong?" Brien asked him. "We need to get outta here." "What? Why?" "Don't ask, just go," Stan whispered. "Why?" Stan never responded and hustled as fast as he could, grabbing the back of Brien's shirt as he rushed to the door. There's a loud, squeaky sound emerging from the place as the sole of Brien's shoes is scratching the floor. "Where are we going? I haven't even eaten any hotdogs yet." Brien said in confusion. "Just go." "Where are you two going?" Dave asked the boys as they got through the door. Dave immediately ran through the counter and to the door to chase them. Brien looks in horror as he sees the man with a 60ish body coming to them faster than they can run. Adrenaline kicked him too hard he removed Stan's hand from grabbing him and ran faster than his friend. "Oh no! I dropped my hotdog!" Brien shouted. "Really? A strange man is chasing us to god knows where and that's your concern?" Stan replied. "I swear this won't happen if Mr. Clarkson was the cashier. What's his business anyway? Why does he chase us?" "I have no idea. But it's best to just stay away from him." None of them realized how far they were running. The street is starting to be filled with walking passersby and the cars are slowly filling up the road. They ran far enough to reach the front of Brien's house. "Brien? Where are you going?" Brien's dad, David asked him from the window of his room as Brien ran through their front yard. "Dad! A cashier is chasing us!" "Huh? What are you talking about?" "He's here Mr. Scotthardon!" Stan shouted. David saw the cashier running and immediately agitated. He then ran to wake his older son Kenzie and drove his car; Hoping to get to them as soon as possible. Stan tried to look back at the one chasing them. He then realized that the one chasing them is not one. Two men in suits are also chasing them. Brien on the front hit his head on a street sign and accidentally turned into a dead-end corner. The two are trapped and the weary boys fall to the ground. With all hopes lost, they just let the three men that's chasing them reach them. "At last! Don't worry. It'll be easy if you two just cooperate," the cashier told them as the two men in suits covered their heads with a burlap sack. "Where did these sacks come from? Aren't you chasing us empty-handed?" Brien asked as his head was being covered. "Shut up," the man replied. Brien felt the hands of the man in his arms as the man guided him. He then felt a leathery texture on his back as he was seated. An engine sound filled his surroundings as he fell asleep. "Oh fuck off!" Brien woke at Stan's shout. "Huh? Where am I? Stan?" "Don't ask me, I ain't got a clue?" "Oh yeah little kid's finally awake," the driver spoke. "So how's your sleep?" Brien's phone rang. He tried to get his phone from his left pocket. Unfortunately, the oil in his hand from the hotdog that he dropped caused it to slip. Unable to dock due to his restraints, the phone is left ringing on the floor. What the hell is the deal with the handcuffs. What a drag. The next stoplight hits red. Silence filled the inside of the car as the traffic formed outside. A car pulled beside Brien's side of the window seat. He glanced at the middle aged men that were seated in the passenger's seat. Good. I'll use this chance to do something. The stare paid back after one of the passengers from the other car took notice of Brien's distressed look. Brien in return opened the palms of his left hand and put his right hand in thumbs up position on top of it. He then slowly pulled his hands towards him. All of the riders of the car looked confused. You gotta be kidding me. Don't they teach sign language at school? Brien thought to himself. Meanwhile, the driver took the chance to grab Brien's ringing phone and answer it. "Brien! W-where are you? Sir Cooper's a-asking where the two of you are," Kenzie, Brien's older brother stammered. "Kenzie! I'm in a car I don't know where th–" "Here's the thing, young one," the driver said as he steered the wheel to the left. "You have something that I need and I need it now." "Who's this?" "Just an old friend. You'll figure it out." "Kenzie, I need you to calm down. I think I know who's behind this." Stan interrupted. "Who?" Brien responded. "Does it even matter at this point?" said the driver. "Well it kinda does." Brien said sarcastically, "who are you?" "Well the two of you won't know who I am." "So what's up with the mask?" Kenzie replied. "The what now?" "The mask?" Brien asked. "I'm no wearing no mask." "Well you did." "Did not." "Completely totally did." "It completes my kidnapper attire. What else do you want from me?" the driver faced the phone. "Entrance twenty-seven fifty-eight. You remember that right? You have three hours." He then held the phone, lifted it, and threw it through the front window. Brien looks in awe as the device shattered after hitting the ground. "Hey, that's my phone. Why did you do that?" He asked. The speed of the car declines as it approaches a castle-like stronghold. Two suited men awaited them as the car stopped. The two pulled a head sack from their pockets and extended their arms to Brien and Kenzie's heads. "Oh good! Here comes the sacks," Brien uttered. "We didn't even get out of the car before this shit," Kenzie replied. "Shut the fuck up and get out," the driver said. The light piercing the head sacks faded as the two walked to the unknown. Brien's heart is beating fast, cold sweats all over his body including those places that it should not be. His left hand is on his right chest as he breathes heavily by short of breath. Each step they take is like a falling spoon in the kitchen in the middle of the night. A loud squeak echoes the whole place. "Are we walking in a hallway?" Brien asked while being pushed. "How did you come up with that?" Kenzie replied. "Acoustics. The way the sound travels; kinda like echolocation." "What are you? A fucking bat?" "Bitch I might be... I'm Batman." The two boys are pushed down. Brien felt Kenzie's arm on the side of the armrest. His handcuff from the right hand is removed but he heard the clack of metal on his left. He can barely open his eyes when the sacks are removed from their head. "Welcome!" A deep voice welcomed them. A man that looks 40-ish stands in front of them; eyes imaging mystery, straight hair that is half white, tall posture and a dad-bod. He may pass as the usual dad for a teenage person. "Y-you..." Kenzie struggles to say anything. "Remember me?" The man said as he sat on the seat behind him.