Expect The Unexpected

Chapter 9

I couldn't find a plane for a few days and I haven't spoken to my parents. I'm close with Ben's Mom. She's like my second Mom.

I found one though, and Mrs. Slater is driving my truck.

It's pouring when we get to the house.

It's eight at night.

Ben's Dad's truck is here, and Alex's truck is here, and Mom and Dad's trucks are in the garage.

"Ben is here, and my parents."

She nods, nervous.

We go into the garage door and then upstairs into the mudroom, and then out of that door and into the living room.

The lights are all on and everyone loos really stressed.

"Oh, thank god!" Dad pulls me into his arms. I hug him tightly.

"Elizabeth?" Mr. Slater whispers.

"Charlie." She says.

"Oh my god."

He stands there for a second, and everyone is kinda quiet, and then silently, Ben gets up and walks out.

Nobody knows what to do or say, and then Mr. Slater hugs her tightly, and Mom is sobbing, and Mrs. Slater starts crying, and then it's just one teary reunion, and I remind myself that Alex is with them and that Ben just walked out, so after a half hour of them crying and such, I grab tw slices of chocolate cake from the fridge and venture into the basement.

I know exactly where Ben is, trying to hide.

I slip into the secret wall, and I wander down the tunnel. I open the door to the library and walk in.

I was right.

He's in here, laying on the couch, his arm over his eyes.

I shut the door silently.

"You're not gonna get very far hiding down here, considering everyone knows where this is."

He moves his arm.

"Well where am I going to hide?" he asks.

I use my head to gesture for him to follow me.

He stands up.

We're both barefoot.

We wander into the dark tunnel and he walks next to me, but it's complete blackness in here and my eyes can't dilate because there isn't a single speck of light.

I balance the cake with one arm and with my left hand, I grab his right.

"Don't move." I say.
"Okay." He whispers.

He sounds upset.

I kick the wall and the door to my tunnel slides open.

I pull him in, and it slides shut.

I said the tunnel was ten miles long, but I was exaggerating. It's more like a half a mile. It's the same as Dad's.

He walks close to me.

We both bump into the wall.

"Where's the handle?" he asks.

"It's not a door."

"It's just a dark hall?" he asks.

"It's not a door like Dad's." I say. I reach up and ress my index finger to the top right corner.

The door slides open to reveal my own library, only this one is bigger with more couches and rugs and it's very cozy. The second the door opens, the lights come on.