My fingertips graze the door handle as if it might burn me. But it’s not hot; it doesn’t electrocute me like some prank out of a Home Alone movie. It’s cold. Pushing down, I shove the door and Hazel huddles into my side.

Sitting in the next room on old leather sofas are four people, all around our age.

A girl I recognize stands, her tear-filled eyes staring back at us.

Oh God. It’s her. Lucie Bean. The girl from the newspaper article.

This is where the missing people go.

7

Lucie’s red hair is still in a side braid like in the photo she posted the day she went missing. That was days ago. She’s been here, a few miles from home, the whole time.

I lock eyes with her and hers widen, as if she knows I recognize her. As if she’s hoped people were looking for her.

Before she went missing, I’d never seen her in my life. But now I would recognize her bright green eyes and dark red hair anywhere.

“You know me,” she whispers.

I want to answer, but my mind is spinning. Lucie isn’t the only one here. There is another girl and two boys. All look around sixteen. All high schoolers. All, I bet, so-called runaways.

No one is even looking for them because there are always missing clothes and bags from their rooms, so the cops assume their disappearance was a choice.

Hazel and I didn’t choose this. I don’t think they did, either.

The two boys move closer to Lucie. One is tall and skinny with dark skin, black hair, and brown eyes. The other is much shorter and muscular with light blond hair and pale green eyes.

I don’t recognize them, but I do recognize the other girl from the newspaper. She ran away—she’s been missing—for a few weeks. Her hair is raven black and her eyes, which seem haunted, are the darkest brown I have ever seen.

“What’s happening?” I ask, fear trickling down my spine. Hazel and I aren’t getting out.

The tall guy takes a step forward, still keeping his distance, though clearly we are all in this together. “I’m Theo. This is Kevin and Priya. Looks like you know Lucie.”

I shake my head. “We heard about her. We met some of her friends earlier tonight.”

Lucie whimpers, leaning against Kevin’s shoulder.

“What…? How…?” I don’t know what to ask first. I have so many questions, so many thoughts whizzing around my mind that it’s impossible to pick one.

“What is this?” Hazel whispers.

Theo tilts his head. “They keep us here. It’s their idea of fun,” he spits. “There are rooms.” His eyes darken, as does his voice. “Challenges.”

“Challenges?” Hazel asks.

“They like to see how far they can push us…how much we can take,” Kevin explains.