Trapped

Finally at home, Melody, Scarlett, and I were on the computer while my mom made lunch in the kitchen.

"See?" I questioned them. I opened the page to my profile on YouTube and scrolled down to the comments. "And that's just one of them. And they aren't just nice compliments or comments or reviews, but they're so, like, stalker-ish."

Melody leaned in closer to the monitor and read the comment out loud, " 'Hey, cutie. When ya gunna update again?' What!?"

"Oh my gosh," exclaimed Scarlett. "Have you looked at their profile?"

"Yeah," I replied. "But he doesn't have any info on it. No name, age, location, anything."

"That is so beyond creepy," Melody inputted.

"But that's not all. The only video I ever posted on here was when my family and I went to Virginia Beach, remember?" I asked them. They both nodded. I clicked on the one video I ever posted on the website. Scrolling down to the comments from 3 weeks ago, I saw the man's comment. I read it aloud this time, " It says 'hey, nice vid. you're really cute, better made sure no one steals ya.' Then he has a winking face."

Scarlett scoffed as she looked at me, wide-eyed, "Have you told anyone about this? You've got to tell your mom! This is--" she scoffed again, glancing at the monitor again "--freaky!"

"No, I'm sure it's just another perv on the site. I've been just ignoring him for 3 weeks."

This time Melody spoke up, "Leslie, three weeks?!" Mel leaned back in her chair and sighed, while muttering, "Oh, my God."

"Whatever, guys." I turned off the computer and went into the kitchen with my two best buds. "Lunch ready yet?" I asked my mom.

"Yes, it is." She slid three steaming slices of DiGiorno pizza onto our plates. "So you girls eat, and then around 3:00 we're heading out. So you all have an hour to get ready until we leave."

"'Kay," I replied. "Thanks, mom."

"Thank you Mrs. Fagan," Scarlett and Mel said in unison.

*-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-*

"Okay, girls, here we are," my mother informed us. We three had been sitting in the backseat, giggling and talking about school and summer. As I looked up, I saw a huge building that seemed three stories high. Black, red, and blue tubes that were water slides weaved in and out of the building like a snake. Some slides ended in an outdoor pool, and others continued on into the building.

"Wow," Mel stated. "Cool," she added, smiling. My mom pulled into a parking space and turned around to face us three.

"Now you three stick together, alright? Don't split up, watch out for each other, call me if anything is wrong, and g---"

"Okay, mom. Okay, we get it! We'll see you later!" Scarlett, Mel, and I climbed out of the car and made our way to the building. I could tell my mom was worried about us, but come on, we're 14 years old! We can handle going to swim with my friends!

Once inside, we grabbed a few chairs and lay our stuff down. I took off my yellow strapless sun dress and Capri jeans to reveal my striped rainbow and zebra two-piece. Lost in our own little world of fun and play, we all made our way to the first water slide.

"Hey, how 'bout we all go down together on three?" I suggested. They agreed. I was in back, Melody in the middle, and Scarlett led the train. "One, two... three!"

We started down the dark tunnel, absolutely blind to everything in the pitch black. I could only hear our echoed screams running up and down the enclosed slide. All around me, water gushed from jets, propelling us faster and faster down the never-ending tunnel. Eventually, I got disconnected from Melody; their screams traveled up to me, telling me they were way ahead of me.

Finally, the darkness ended, and light came from the end of the slide. I closed my eyes and plugged my nose, and was soon submerged in icy cold water. I broke free of the freezing pool and drew in a deep breath. Opening my eyes, I saw that I accidentally collided with a man around 40-years-old in the pool.

I couldn't help laughing. "Sorry, sir," I said, wading out of the pool.

"Quite alright," he replied. He seemed serious and in thought. I caught up with Scar and Mel; We agreed to go up the slide again. On the way up, I felt like I was being watched. I peered around my shoulder, but saw no one staring at me. It's all in my mind.

Noticing how alert and watchful I had become, Scarlett spoke, "You alright, Les?"

I nodded, still looking over my shoulder. I looked back at her and smiled. "Really, I'm fine," I confirmed when I saw her concerned face.

But I wasn't fine, something was wrong. I just sensed it.

Now you three stick together, alright? Don't split up, watch out for each other... My mom's words echoed through my head.

I called to the group of us, "Why don't we go sit down together?" We made our way over to our chairs and relaxed and talked. I kept looking around the place, and there I saw it. I saw what was wrong.

The man I collided with was staring at me, standing alone, at the top of the flight of stairs leading to the slides.