Free The Darkness Within by Taylor Henderson

collapsed on the ground near the door, hugging my legs to my chest and willing myself not to cry. Never in my life had I been more afraid than I was at this very moment.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
Chapter Eleven
     
    Missing
     
    “Knock, knock,” Adrianna said in a singsong voice as she pushed the door to my room open and entered. She had a huge smile stretched across her face as she dropped her backpack on the ground near my desk chair and walked over to sit on the edge of my bed. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail, and her pink stripe was so faded now that it looked bleached blonde. At the sight of my face, Adrianna paused, staring me down. “What’s wrong?” She asked, knowing instantly something wasn’t right. She could read me like a book.
    I was leaned back against my headboard, hugging my knees to my chest, and trying to think of anything other than the pictures on my phone.
    Adrianna scooted closer, placing her hand on my knee. “Hey, Claire, talk to me. What’s wrong?”
    I raised my eyes to meet her gaze. She looked concerned. Her plucked eyebrows where furrowed and the corners of her mouth were turned downward. Last night, after I got back to my house, I called to tell her that I was home safe and then I hung up, got dressed for bed, and went to sleep in my mom’s room with her. This morning I woke up complaining that I didn’t feel well, so Mom called me out of school to let me rest for the day. Adrianna had texted asking where I was, but my only response was asking if she would bring me the homework from class today. I had been sitting in bed like this all day long, consumed by my thoughts and the growing fear of the man living next door.
    I finally found my voice. “I found something last night.”
    Her eyebrows shot up. “What?”
    “It’s bad, Ade,” I mumbled, standing from my bed. I crossed the room, grabbing my phone from on top of my dresser. I had wanted it as far away from me as possible. I walked back over to Adrianna as I opened up my photos to the first picture. Once I was standing in front of her, I shoved the phone into her hands, feeling dirty for just holding it.
    Adrianna tilted her head down and stared at the image on the screen. Her mouth twisted in disgust. I flicked my finger against the screen, going through the other five photos. Adrianna’s face paled.
    “I told you it was bad,” I said, staring at the horror on her usually chipper face.
    “ Bad? This isn’t bad, Claire, this is repulsive.” She shook the phone in her fist as she asked, “Where did you find these?”
    I took a seat next to her, avoiding her eyes as I answered. “In a drawer in his bedside table. They were stuck into a porn magazine.” I flicked my eyes over to her.
    She gagged, scrunching her face up. “Ew, he’s a pervert. No, worse. He’s psychotic .” She handed my phone back to me. “You were right, Claire.”
    Her words caused me to shift uncomfortably. Normally I would do a backflip at hearing those words, but this time I just hung my head in shame. I was going to be sick. “I didn’t want to be right.”
    Adrianna turned toward me and patted my thigh in an attempt at comforting me. It didn’t work. I didn’t think anything could make me feel better right now. “I know, babe.”
    We sat in silence for a while, me with my head down and clutching my cell phone, and Adrianna with a thoughtful expression on her tan face. After a few minutes, Adrianna spoke again.
    “We have to do something about this. We have to call the police.”
    My eyebrows leapt to the top of my forehead as my eyes widened. “And say what? That I broke into my neighbor’s house, snooped around, and found his collection of sadistic photographs?” I stood up quickly, turning to pace around the room. Adrianna’s brown eyes followed me as I walked back and forth in front of her.
    “Well, not those exact words, but maybe a rendition of them.” She fixed me with an unwavering stare. She was serious and I