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Found

She'd been walking to her car, on the way to the store for ice cream, when it had taken her.

She wasn't quite sure what 'it' was but it moved fast, too fast. She'd had a momentary sensation of being grabbed by something spindly and spiky. Then – nothingness. Until she'd woken up here, in this bunker or cellar or something.

She wasn't alone though. There were several other people here. An elderly man, two thirty-somethings, a twenty-something guy who was running his hands over the walls for some reason, and a little girl, who looked like she was eight or something. She hadn't woken up yet.

She found the door before the guy did. But it was locked and she couldn't see anything through the crack. The old guy was starting to hyperventilate.

The young guy told everyone to calm down, that the police were looking for them and that they'd be fine, no one should panic. He said to stay away from the door because when the police came they'd have to blast it in to open it. He said to sit down, that everyone would be okay.

She sat down. So did everyone else. The guy sat next to the little girl and picked her up. She was waking up and starting to cry, terrified of what had happened, was happening.

The guy started to talk to her in a low voice, calm and soothing. She listened. Everyone did.

oooooooooo

"Hey, don't cry.

"It'll be alright, it'll be just fine. You want to know why?

"Because I can tell you exactly what's going to happen next, ok?

"See those doors there? Yeah, the ones they locked. Yeah, well really soon they're going to be kicked in, so we've got to sit over here out of the way so we don't get hurt okay?

"No, it won't be the bad guy, it's not coming back I promise.

"No, it won't be the police. I know they're meant to be coming to find us and they are. They are, don't cry.

"I just mean someone else is going to find us first.

"Not a bad guy, a good guy, a good guy is going to find us before the police do. I mean it.

"No, it's not going to be your daddy, though I know he's looking real hard for you. No, it's not going to be my dad; my dad is … uh… he's not in town at the moment. No, don't cry, I'm fine. I've got someone to look after me, really.

"You want to know who's going to kick in those doors and rush in like he's Batman or something? Yes?

"Soon, real soon, my big brother's going to kick those doors in as hard as he can. Then he's going to rush into this room and the first thing he's going to say is 'You alright Sammy?' That's me. Yeah, Sammy.

"And you know what he's going to say next? He's going to say 'Anyone else hurt?' Uh huh, like a superhero.

"And then he's going to say 'Damn, that fugly was nasty.'

"Seriously. Don't laugh. That's what he'll say. I bet you an ice cream cone and everything.

"That's what's going to happen. Just you wait. It'll be ok.

"Dean's coming.

oooooooooo

She wasn't sure if she should believe him. It seemed unrealistic that some guy, this guy's brother, would find them before the police did, or before the bad thing, whatever it was, came back. But panicking wouldn't help. At least not yet.

But then there was a sound at the door. Footsteps.

Everyone shuffled back as a crash sounded, and the doors flew inward.

And there stood a guy, dressed in a beat up leather jacket and carrying a shotgun aimed at the ground. And his eyes went straight to the guy sitting with the little girl on his lap.

"You alright Sammy?"

The guy, Sammy, grinned. "Yeah I'm fine Dean."

"Alright, anyone else hurt?"

Sammy looked around then turned back to his brother.

"Nah, we're all good. Just ready to get of here I reckon. Find us some ice cream." He smiled at the little girl who was staring at Dean in awe.

"You got it I take it? You alright?"

Dean shouldered the shotgun and smirked at his little brother, shifting his chin up slightly in a nod.

"Damn, that fugly was nasty."

And Sammy burst out laughing.

oooooooooo

Later, as she sat in the ambulance while paramedics fussed over the light scratched up her arms and she watched the joyful reunion of the little girl and her parents, she wondered about the brothers.

They had led them out to where they could see the search effort, then Sammy had passed the little girl over to her. Then they'd disappeared. Not that anyone had noticed until the police started asking for statements.

She didn't know what happened to them, where they'd gone, how they'd known what the 'thing' was. But she was grateful they'd been there.

And if they wouldn't stick around for the accolades and thanks of the town, at least they had each other.

It was clear they didn't really need anyone else.