When working for someone, it’s always good to know who you are working for. In our case, we deserve to know. However, we are not allowed to know. It’s against the rules. We have to be up for anything; if we're not, who knows what He will do to us.

I opened the door into the small, two story building. My two best friends, Lucas and Cassidy, trailed along behind me. The air was pretty cool for a mid-September day around here, and it was eerily quiet outside. The small town where we “work” has only the basics. A grocery store, a pharmacy, a run-down gas station, an old fashioned diner, and of course two office buildings, one of which we were entering now, are the heart of Delston. The size of this town is what makes it perfect for Him to keep the organization confidential. He has it under the disguise of finances. We are required to complete jobs that involve money but, not the legal kind.

I was a bundle of nerves, and based on her appearance, so was Cassidy. “Why do we have to do this? Do we really need the money? We can just turn around now and leave, and forget we ever did this.”

“Cassidy,” replied Lucas, “Are you crazy? We can’t just stop now! We have done so much that could of gotten us in so much trouble, in so many different states and cities. We deserve it. We need it.”
“Lucas is right Cassidy,” I said. “We have put so much on the line for this guy, we have to go through with it.” She went quiet and nodded. Her face still wore the same fearful expression. We stopped at the reception desk. “Lucas, Cassidy and Charlotte. We are here to have a meeting with..” The strong, and seemingly aggressive receptionist shushed me. Taken aback, I stood still and waited for her response. She picked up the phone and called someone saying, “They are here, Sir.” She paused for a moment. “Yes, right away, Sir.” Turning to the three of us now, she said, “He will see you now,” seeming to forget about us as we walked away.

Lucas, Cassidy, and I walked down a narrow hallway toward a set of double doors that led into the woods behind the office. The townspeople say those woods go on forever, and if you get lost in there you never come out. A little bit before the doors was a stairwell, and when we reached it I said, “If anything goes wrong, we get to those doors and run for our lives. Got it?” They nodded in response and we began up the stairs. As we went up, we confirmed the plan. Lucas would do the talking. If needed, Cassidy and I would back him up. All I could think about was what if this made the man in the white mask mad. When we reached the top, a bald guard named Bill and a brown haired guard named Jack met us and escorted us into the office. I watched, as next to me, Cassidy pushed any fear off of her face. It was amazing how confident she looked and it made me wonder how I looked, in comparison. Then He saw us, the man in the white mask.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t my three favorite kids. What do you want? If you are looking for work, then I’m sorry. I don’t have any jobs that I feel comfortable sending beginners to do. If I did, you’d probably screw up and then the whole organization could be risked and then I’d have to deal with you guys in jail, yada yada. Cut to the chase please.” His deep voice was very unsettling.

“We came for our payment,” said Lucas calmly. “We have done so many jobs for you that could of cost us so much and we have succeed in all of them. You promised us money, and we haven’t asked for it until now. We really need it. It’s very important, in fact, it’s why we joined you. If we didn’t need this money so badly, we wouldn’t be in this room right now. You owe it to us.” To our shock, especially Lucas’s, the man burst out laughing. For a second, I wasn’t sure if he could stop.

When he finally got himself under control, he spoke, “ Oh, how sweet, three kids trying to save their poor old parents. Well, guess what? You were so focused on saving them, you haven’t realized that you have become them.“ I could just hear the smirk behind the mask. “And I promised, did I? Well, of course I did! I needed those jobs to get done, and I wasn’t gonna risk anyone good! I lied.”
“Wait, what?” asked Cassidy, “You promised! How could you?!”

“That’s not right!” I said, sounding more confident than I expected.

“Aw, is that so Charlotte? I am done with you. I no longer need your services.”

“You told us we would get paid, we need the money badly!” I said, panicked.

“Poor, poor kids.” He laughed, “Let me fix your problem then.” I glanced over next to me and saw that Lucas’s jaw was clenched in anger. He nodded his head slightly toward the door. I got the message, and apparently so did Cassidy. “Death would solve your problems and mine right? You would no longer have to worry, and I would be rid of you. Plus, it would be quite fun. Now that you have been let go, I can’t have you telling people about me. Besides, that’s what you get when you trust someone like me.” Lucas gave a slight signal with his hand, and then there was no going back. Cassidy, Lucas and I turned and sprinted as fast as we could towards the door. “STOP THEM!” screamed the man. The guards pursued us just a few feet behind. We reached the bottom of the stairs and pushed through the double doors.

“GO, GO, GO!” yelled Lucas. I could hear the guards’ pounding feet behind us. We were in the woods. Upon entering, I immediately understood why people say you never come out. Everything looked exactly the same. Next to me was Cassidy and right on my heels was Lucas. We were going straight ahead, as fast as our legs could carry us. I have never been more terrified in my life. We conquered a hill, struggling to stay on our feet with the slippery soil beneath us. By this time, it seemed like we had been running for hours. The men fell farther behind. They had had a hard time getting up the hill, but now, it seemed like they were starting to makeup that ground. My heart stopped inside my chest as I noticed what we were approaching.

Cassidy looked at me alarmed. “What is it?” She then turned, face ashen, as she saw we were running right towards a ravine.

“NO!” screamed Lucas, as we skidded to a stop. The noise finally registered in my ear. A gun shot. It had hit Cassidy in the leg causing her to fall right into the ravine.

“CASSIDY!” I shrieked as she fell to her certain death. I knew I would never forget the look on her face. I burst into tears.
The men caught up to us, and I heard the command in their radios, “Dispose of Lucas and Charlotte.”

“Of course, Sir,” was the reply. Jack immobilized me and forced me to watch as Bill grabbed Lucas by his collar. His golden blonde hair stuck to his face, and I watched, horrified as he was chucked into the ravine. The man muffled my scream with his hand. The tears were pouring down my face now. And then I was tossed down with them. Plunging down, down, down, I knew it was over. As I was falling, I heard the men talk into the radio and say, “It’s done.”
As I hit the ground, I pictured the man in the white mask saying, “Excellent. It’s such a shame I had to miss it.” And then there was blackness.