It had been a perfect day. In the morning, I had woken up to the smell of eggs and bacon my favorite breakfast. Later on, I had gone out shopping with my best friend Lizzy. After, we had gone to a movie together; we laughed so hard tears came to our eyes and our stomachs knotted up. We were still laughing as we walked home. “Nothing can ruin this night!” I thought.


However, as I stepped up to my front porch, I saw a sign that wiped the smile off my face and made my blood run cold. On the door was a hastily painted, blood red eye. I knew that I should have been terrified but I couldn’t remember why. I though back to everything I knew that was related to the malicious sign causing me so much grief.

Suddenly it all came back. A few days earlier, I had heard a story on the news that talked about the Scarlet Eye Gang. It had said that they were the most wanted criminals in America. With each crime commited, someone disappeared. Had a sudden fear for my parents. Could it be…? I rushed into our house.


“Mom? Dad?” I yelled. I heard no answer. I searched through our entire house. After 10 minutes of looking I gave up and began with the excuses, “They must be out to dinner or maybe they had some surprise meeting.” I thought. With my confidence renewed I went to my room and got ready for bed.





The next morning I felt uneasy. I ran into my parents’ room to see if they were still in bed. When I got there, I found everything in tact; just as they had left it. Everything was intact, but at the same time, nothing was right. It was Sunday and my mom wasn’t in her room. Usually, she’s running around getting ready and preparing the house for the rest of the week. My dad wasn’t in his usual place either. Most of the time he’s sitting at the table drinking coffee or checking our stocks. If I hadn’t been worried before, I was near going ballistic by now.


I looked everywhere: in the kitchen, basement, living room, garage, anywhere they could hide. When I became desperate, I started looking under beds and behind doorways in vain hopes that they were playing an elongated game of “hide and seek.” I searched our entire seven story house (my parents had become millionaires from a new phone they invented; it was worn as a ring that transmitted sound up through your pinky and out through your thumb. Whenever you use it, it would look like you were using an invisible phone).


My search continued with my parents’ phonebook. I started with my mom’s friend, Miss Jill. She and my mom had been friends even before we were rich.


“Hi Miss Jill” I said.


“Oh hi hon, what can I do for you?” she answered with her comforting southern drawl.


“I was wondering if you knew where my parents were. I haven’t seen them all morning.”


“I’m sorry Selene, I don’t know where your parents are. I haven’t heard from your mother since the party last week.”


“Oh, okay.” I said, feeling a little discouraged, “Well, good bye.”


“Bye sweetie, I hope you hear from your parents soon. Are you sure you’ll be okay sweet pea?”


“Yeah I’ll be fine. Thanks anyway.”


“Your always welcome.”


I continued my search with all the family and friends I could think of. All the conversations I had were all similar to the one I had with Miss Jill.


I finally resolved to call 911.


“Hello, this is Emergency Response Center. How may I help you?” said the dispatcher.


“Hello, my name is Selene Corina. My parents have been missing since last night.”


“All right honey, don’t panic. Please give me your address and phone number we’ll have investigators over in a few minutes.”


“Thank you.” I said, “My address is 4262 W. McClaney Ln., Geneva, NY 19265. My phone is 541-9923. Thanks again, I’ll be waiting for them.”


A few minutes later, there were police and detectives swarming my house. As soon as I had shown the police the red eye, they looked like they were thinking, oh, this will be impossible. Soon enough the best detectives in New York were standing at my door.


They searched and investigated our entire town for over a month. With no leads and no clues, they gave up their search. I begged them to keep searching.


“Sorry miss, but we just don’t have any clues other than the red eye left on your door,” said the head detective. As always Lizzy was there to help. ”Don’t worry Selene. We’ll find them.”


“You bet I will.”





I decided that since the detectives and police couldn’t get the job done, I would have to take on the challenge. That night, I grabbed my dad’s old flashlight, my cell phone, and threw on some black clothes. I was going to search for them myself. It was probably the craziest idea I’d ever had.


I was jogging down Main Street, when I saw a light turn on in a building. I would have thought nothing of it if I had not seen the sign in front of the building. It was the Watsons place. The house was just like any other home here, unimportant, unremarkable. Why wouldn’t they have their lights on? There was just one thing. They’d moved out nearly 2 years ago… I decided to investigate.


As I walked through the old musty doorway, I stopped abruptly. I heard distant voices that sounded like they were coming from below. I carefully searched the room I was in. I caught sight of a stream of light beaming through a crack of the closed basement door.


After mustering up enough courage, I knelt down to look through the crack between the floorboards. Then I saw them. My parents! Sitting, tied up in the corner on what seemed to be the remains of some dusty lawn chairs. They looked horrible, emaciated. I wouldn’t have been surprised if they’d been living on the streets. As I was about to call down to them, I noticed three other figures in that strange room.


After looking closely at their faces, I realized it was the Scarlet Eye Gang. Standing a few feet away from my parents, I identified them from their mug shots: Joe, Bob, and Harley. It was their voices that I had heard mumbling. Suddenly they turned to my parents. I leaned in close to hear the conversation.


“So, when are you goin’ to sign the contract over to us?” Harley asked my dad. He was their leader, a tiny man with cold dark eyes and a cruel gruesome-looking scar running from the corner of his eye down to the lip of his mouth.


“Never. Who knows what you bozos would do with that kind of money. 2 million dollars? Give me a break!” My dad replied, “How did you even find out where we lived any way? I thought we had all of that wiped.”


“Heh,” Joe replied with a laugh, “we Googled it!” The wall of muscle laughed like a deceased donkey.


“Well, I guess you’re just going to stay tied up here while we get your daughter. Maybe that will make you change your mind.” Bob said with an evil chuckle.


“You know, we were only going to get her in the first place. Lucky for her she was out somewhere else.” Said Harley.


Thank goodness Lizzy invited me to go shopping with her. I thought. At that moment, I remembered I had a cell phone. I ran into another room so they wouldn’t hear me.


“Hello, this is the Emergency Response Center. How may I be of service?” the familiar voice said. Once again, I told her all of my information. Since the police station was a block away, they were here within seconds.


When my parents were freed, I ran to them and gave them the biggest hugs kisses I’d ever given. ”I missed you so much!” Throughout the month, I hadn’t cried once. Now, it was as if the Hoover Dam had burst.


Soon enough the Scarlet Eye Gang was arrested. They were sentenced to 50 years of prison and then community service until the day they died, or were unable.
I resumed going to school (during the investigation I had been away from school) and continued hanging out and shopping with Lizzy. We are still friends to this day.
As for our family, it’s as close as ever, and we are living happily together as a whole, normal, complete family. At least it’s as normal as it can be with millionaires for parents.