Getting Back To You (Book 2 of Under The Floorboards)

Chapter 1: Kendall

It's been months since we made it out of the house. Nina, Damon, Zane, and Alaska come over everyday after school. We haven't given up hope, we are still searching.

Nina has been dreaming of Chase, we think it's a sign that we are getting closer. I don't feel a connection to Mark like she feels towards Chase. I did for a brief second in the house, but now it's gone. I don't know whats going on with me, but I haven't felt anything lately. I'm still numb, I don't even know if I love him like I did. I remember what it felt like, but it feels like it was ages ago. This time I've spent away from him, it's like it's never going to end. I keep feeling like we aren't ever going to find anything that will help us get them back, but Nina keeps insisting that she feels something. It's as if her and Chase are communicating without words, even in separate dimensions they don't lose their connection. I wish I could say the same for Mark and I, but it isn't looking too good.

Zane hasn't stopped talking about all of the things we are going to do together when we get them back, I think it's his way of coping. We all have our own way. He constantly prances around talking about the school dance and how fun it's going to be when we all go together. But the thing is, the school dance is in two weeks... I don't want to see him when he realizes that they won't be here for it. I don't know how he will handle it.

Alaska is always bringing up Arizona. They used to do everything together, but now they haven't seen or talked to each other in months. She brings new photos she finds in the family albums everyday when she comes over. She tells us all about all of these memories her and Arizona have together, as if Arizona is here explaining with her. It's really depressing, I just don't know what to say to her. I can't imagine how the rest feel being stuck in the same place doing the same thing everyday. Though now that I think about it, we kind of are too.

Damon never leaves his computer. Even in class, he is constantly getting in trouble for being on his phone. He's looking for answers, anything to lead us to something other than a dead end like usual. Names, addresses, events; anything connected to the house, he has written down and tacked on a tack board. None of us understand the board besides him, he has too much on it to make sense of.

Everyone is worried about us. Our parents have all of us attending weekly therapists where we usually just end up sitting in silence because no one will believe us. There's no point. It's just a waste of their money. We don't need to deal with being labeled as crazy.

The first few days that we got back, the police took us to the station to listen to our stories. None of us said a word, just that we wanted to go home. Eventually they gave up and let us leave. Our parents were worried sick, tears and the whole shabang. What sucked the most was that only some of the parents actually got their kid back. Missing person reports were filed on all of the others, the ones who didn't make it out; Arizona, Ivy, Hazel, Yvoni, Lazaro, Chase, Mark, and my uncle Cole. Everyone asks questions but we never have any answers.

Cole's car is still sitting in my driveway from the day we all rode to the house in Nina's van. There's no keys, Cole must have them. Though, they aren't of much use to him anymore.

We have had multiple leads on how to get them back, but everything ends up leading us to a dead end. We have a few addresses of people who previously lived in the house before it went crazy but they are out of town and Nina isn't allowed to use the van anymore. I've debated walking but the weather is too cold. I can't risk it.

It's winter now, the snow coats the ground everywhere. It's so bad that school has been cancelled for the past week. Nina, Alaska, Damon, and Zane have been sleeping over since the roads are too icy for their parents to come get them. We spend most of our time in my attic, which is where Damon's tack board is. Besides for the board, all that's really up there is cob webs and dust. I haven't been up there for years, but its the only place we can search in private without my parents getting suspicious of the board, Damon's recent searches on his computer, and our conversations.

I almost went back to the house, but I know better. Even if I went back in, the best I could do is end up getting stuck in the other dimension with everyone else. But it'd be a waste. If we all got stuck, then how would we ever get out? At least now that some of us are out, there's hope of finding them a way out. Even though at this point, I'm feeling pretty hopeless.