A helpless mother hears a strange crackling sound as she tries to put some cheap shoes on her baby’s little feet. Assuming the seller had misled her, she checks it and discovers a message beneath the insole. A few days later, she receives a note that sets off a chain of unbelievable occurrences.
Mary navigated the labyrinth of tents at the Antiques Junk Sale flea market filled with shoppers on a gloomy Saturday morning as people’s voices resounded in the dense air.
She had spent her last $10 and set out on a special mission to buy her adored daughter Sasha, age 2, a pair of cheap sneakers. Mary, a single mother, had to endure many hardships to survive. She was forced to care for her disabled mother and her young daughter on a meager allowance and a part-time job as a waitress with pitiful pay.
Mary frequently visited this flea market, and as she moved across the tents, something unusual drew her attention.
As she walked up to one of the stalls, she saw a pair of baby shoes that appeared to be almost brand-new and were constructed of what appeared to be expensive leather and high-quality materials. Mary froze, pausing to consider the pair of little red shoes.
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“Such beautiful shoes? They look so new and expensive… Are these really for sale for a steal?”
Mary questioned whether this was a ruse of any sort. But when the salesperson saw Mary’s hesitant expression, he hastily ran outside to persuade her to buy the shoes.
“A wealthy man visited this morning and sold a bag of baby clothes and these shoe wholesale, dear,” the seller told Mary.
“He told me he was busy and had no time to sell them…So I got them for a terrific deal. Some branded clothes are mixed with his stuff…do you want to take a look?”
Mary’s curiosity was piqued as she removed the tiny shoes from the display. She combed her fingers along the delicate, shiny crimson leather. The pair appeared brand-new and was in almost immaculate condition. Mary bought the shoes and headed home without giving it any more thought.
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“Hey, sweetie! Look what Mama got for you…brand new shoes!”
Mary laughed as she put the shoes on her infant daughter’s little feet.
But when she tried the other shoe on, Mary stopped abruptly because she sensed something wasn’t quite right. Her hands were shaking.
Mary’s heart began to accelerate when a peculiar crackling sound came from the insole. She squeezed the shoe’s insole firmly to check what it was since she believed the merchant had tricked her with a defective pair of shoes. She felt something firm behind the cushioning and heard the weird crackling sound again.
“What’s this bump?” thought Mary as she gingerly pulled the insole out.
When she discovered a crumbled note that had been folded several times and scrawled on in tiny, slender handwriting, her eyes widened in alarm.
Mary skimmed the wording on the paper with her eyes, and when she was done reading it, she felt her stomach turn with dread.
“Please, help me. I’ve been imprisoned in this house for almost three years. A psycho has chained me forcibly in his house. Here is the address.”
Mary could not comprehend what this message meant or believe what she was seeing. She couldn’t understand why she was perspiring cold sweat over her forehead.
“Who could’ve written such a thing? Who is this person, and when was this message written? Are they alright?” Several thoughts plagued Mary. As she quickly put her daughter to sleep, she glanced around the room. Mary fled with the note to her ailing mother, Doris, since she was scared by the message.
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“But mom, who would leave such a message in a shoe? I’m sure something is wrong. We need to find out,” Mary panicked as she showed the note to her mother.
“Oh, come on, darling! It just seems like a bad joke,” Doris’s calm voice cut through Mary’s fear.
“You know kids these days. They pull nasty pranks on everyone, and I’m sure this note must be a similar stupid joke from those kids. Just forget about it…You’re overthinking. Just throw that thing in the trash and get the dinner ready.”
However, Mary couldn’t get rid of the uneasy feeling that something was amiss, and it had really taken root in her head.
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Mary persuaded her mother to call the police about the note because she had been uneasy all day.
“You’re just wasting time, dear. I’m sure this is some prank,” Doris insisted during their drive to the station in their old Mustang. Mary tried to keep quiet about the weird note, but her heart wouldn’t let her.
After a report was made, the police assured Mary that they would discover some information regarding the person who left the message. A few days later, she and her mother and daughter were strolling around the park when she received a call from the station.
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“Mrs. Browne, this is Officer Dan. We searched every inch of the address mentioned on the note but found nothing suspicious. We didn’t find anybody forcibly imprisoned there. As your mother said, ” I feel it was just a prank or some mistake,” the sheriff told Mary.
“But officer, it was written somebody was imprisoned in there….”
“Mrs. Browne, we checked the house, and we found nothing. Whatever was written on that note was some ugly prank to defame the house’s owner. Have a good day, Mrs. Browne!”
However, Mary’s heart forbade her from ignoring the letter. She pushed her mother’s wheelchair across the park, her thoughts racing uncertainly.
“What if the cops didn’t check properly? What if they’d missed something that was hidden in plain sight?” Mary asked her mother.
“I don’t know why, but I’m getting this strange feeling that something is wrong. Should I go out there and find out alone, Mom?”
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“Are you out of your mind? Even if we consider the possibility that it wasn’t a joke, we shouldn’t meddle in the affairs of the wealthy. And it’s just a goddamn baby shoe. Do you think it’s wise to brew trouble for yourself based on some random note you found in a silly old shoe?” Doris yelled at Mary.
She was concerned that her daughter would bring difficulty upon herself by attempting to assist a person who was lost in the unknown.
“Look, sweetie…Let’s forget about it, okay? It’s risky, and we already have plenty of problems to deal with. It would’ve been better for that person to contact the police than leaving a silly note in a shoe if they genuinely were in trouble.”
“But mom? We still don’t know what happened to that person. We need to find out….”
“I said no. We filed a report, and the cops found nothing. I want you to get over it now,” Doris yelled at Mary.
Her eyes suddenly widened in terror as Mary panicked.
Sasha, Mary’s young daughter, was rushing towards the busy road outside the park’s main entrance when Mary turned around and noticed her. “Mary, run…go get her,” yelled Doris.
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Mary’s heart raced as she sprinted after her daughter and halted in fear at the sound of wheels screaming on the pavement. Thankfully, a bystander intervened quickly and put his life in danger to save the young child before a speeding car ran over her.
“Thank you so much. I really can’t imagine what could’ve happened. Thanks for saving my daughter,” Mary cried, thanking the stranger.
She and Doris thanked the man for risking his life to save the girl. He said, “You know…it’s only when we care about the problems of those around us that we can truly call ourselves human! I just did what any sensible person would do. Have a good day!”
Mary was so moved by those words that, despite her mother’s urging that they shouldn’t meddle in the problems of the wealthy, she knew she had to assist the person who had hidden the enigmatic message in the shoe.
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Mary was determined to discover what was happening, so she waited until her mother, Doris, went to bed before sneaking out of the house that evening.
Her next move was planned: she would go to the address listed on the note and look into whether someone was being detained against their will.
Mary’s heart was pounding as she was driving to the house. A large mansion with numerous guard dogs inside was where she found herself.
She waited for the owner a little ways from the main gate because she felt there was no way she could risk stepping inside. Later, a tall man driving a blue denim car and sporting a mahogany overcoat drove out of the main entrance.
Mary reasoned, “It must be him.” Her heart raced with fear as she drove after the man’s vehicle on the deserted country road.
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“Mary, what are you doing? Just go home…this is a huge risk… turn around and leave…You already have a hell of problems, and you don’t want more,” Mary could hear her mind warning her. Her heart, however, urged her to continue.
“I’m not letting him get away with whatever he’s doing. I have to find out where he’s kept that person captive,” Mary fought her mind back.
She realized she was in the middle of a thick forest as she continued to follow the man. As it grew darker, she concluded that she did not want to go alone on this trip. And then the man abruptly halted the automobile when she least anticipated it.
“Oh, Sh! Has he noticed that I’m pursuing him? Mary exhaled heavily and began to sweat.
After stopping, she dialed the police station right away. However, the weak signal prevented her from making a call, and her battery died before she could dial 911.
“I can’t lose sight of him…I’ll have to go after him,” she thought and started following the man again.
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The drive through the pitch-black forest felt endless. After what felt like an eternity of driving, the guy finally stopped in front of a tiny cabin in the woods.
Mary sped over and ducked behind a tree as she observed the man exit his car carrying some grocery bags, enter the log cabin, and slam the door behind him.
She hid behind the tree and waited since she was terrified to follow him unnoticed. After an hour, Mary started to feel anxious. She could not dial 911 and had no time to consider her options.
Mary eventually worked up the nerve to run toward the cabin and put her ears against the wooden wall. However, there was a dead silence, and she could only hear the fear in her heart beating.
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Mary searched the cabin for a way inside, knowing she needed to move quickly. Each window appeared tightly sealed, as though even a strong wind gust could not enter. The door squeaked open just as she turned to gaze at it once more.
Mary sprinted and hid behind a tree while watching the man drive away in his car. She exhaled a breath of relief, knowing she could now buy enough time to enter the cabin and assist the captive’s escape.
As soon as the man’s automobile left her line of sight, Mary sped over to the hut and tried in vain to find a way inside. Double locks provided additional security for the door, which was difficult to open.
“Jesus, how will I get in there?” Mary exhaled, turned around, and then, with a bang on what appeared to be a wooden door, she fell to the ground after bumping into something.
“What’s this?” she exclaimed.
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The cellar entrance was locked with a large, rusted lock, which frightened Mary as she swiftly cleared the moss-covered debris. The rattling of shackles followed a harsh scraping sound as she lay on the floor with her ears pressed against the door.
“That’s it! Someone’s in there!” Mary gasped.
“Hey…Can you hear me? Hey….” Mary shouted. But no response was given.
She ran for her Mustang, returned with a heavy crowbar, and started hacking at the lock with all her might until it broke. As Mary carefully pushed the door open and stepped inside, her heart nearly skipped a beat. The door had now become unlocked. She was rendered motionless by horror after what she saw inside.
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“Help! Help us!” When a woman saw Mary descend the squeaking wooden stairs, she burst into tears.
“Shhhh…It’s okay!” Mary spoke inaudibly to the woman.
“I found your note in the shoe, and I’ve come to help,” she said as she worked her shaky hands to free the woman and the little girl.
They had been imprisoned and shackled to the wooden walls of what appeared to be a basement sealed off with soundproof panels. Only a bed, a small TV, a table fan, and a few toys were in the small space, filled with the musty odor of mold and rotting wood.
“Hurry up! We have to get out before he comes,” We have to get out before he comes.
But as they prepared to exit through the cellar door she had just entered, Mary was in for a huge shock. It was shut. Mary used all her power to try to unlock the door, but it was stuck.
“Is there any other way?” Mary asked the woman, and as they were searching for an exit, they heard heavy footfall coming from the basement.
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“Where do you think you’re going?” the tall, muscular kidnapper blocked their way with a menacing stare as the woman and the girl hid behind Mary.
“You shouldn’t have come here, gorgeous. Now you’ll all pay the price for trying to escape.”
Mary knew she needed to act quickly if they were to survive. Looking for anything that could assist her, her gaze darted all around the basement. However, the only things in the room were a few wooden boxes, a TV, and some rusty furniture.
“Did you think I didn’t know you were following me?” growled the man as he advanced toward Mary.
He was going to grab her hair when he suddenly released his hold, as his mouth sprung open. His hand rose to his head and was covered in red blood as his eyes appeared to be about to fall out of their sockets.
The woman gave him a sharp blow to the head with the crowbar. The man stumbled to the ground and writhed in agony, giving the three-room to flee.
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“Faster…don’t stop…keep running before he comes. My car is nearby,” Mary told the woman as they followed her to the car.
But to her surprise, the keys were gone.
The man followed the three as they ran through the woods, but he was close behind them.
“Where do you think you’re going? I know every inch of this forest,” he said, hurling a small log at the little girl’s leg and knocking her down.
Mary and the woman were forced to return to the cabin after he grabbed the girl and threatened them.
“You’re not going anywhere with what belongs to me,” he said, locking them back in the basement.
Mary started crying as they had lost their one chance to get away. She hoped the police would locate them quickly because she knew that time was essential. The kidnapper’s weird behavior every time he checked on them only worsened matters.
“Does that hurt, honey? Please forgive Daddy, alright?” the man told the little girl as he dressed a minor injury on her leg.
He then began to dance while listening to an old song on the phonograph and coerced the woman he had abducted to join him. Mary remained staring at the man, trying to understand what was going on because it didn’t make sense to her.
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“Here, eat this and use the restroom soon because I’m going to tie you all up,” the kidnapper served them dinner and went away.
“Is he her father?” Mary muttered, unable to make sense of what was going on.
“He’s not her father! And he’s not my husband either,” replied the woman, sending shivers down Mary’s spine.
“I have no idea who this creep is,” the woman trembled, her voice barely above a whisper. “We were returning home after visiting my late husband’s grave when our car broke down in the middle of the road. He offered us a ride…And when we woke up, we were tied up and trapped in this room. I didn’t even know we were in the woods until today…It’s been three freaking years.”
“He kept you locked up for three years?” Mary gasped. “But how did you know the address?”
“One day, he took me upstairs to cook him dinner. I found a courier cover in the trash with an address. I took it without his knowledge, thinking that was the address he’d imprisoned us. One day, he was packing all our old stuff, telling me he was donating them. He had already broken my phone…I had no means to ask for help from anyone or contact the outside world. So I scribbled a note asking for help mentioning the address I’d found, and hid it in my daughter’s old shoe…I still don’t know what he wants from us. He keeps telling me I’m his wife and my daughter is his child…and that he’s here to protect us.”
Mary began to perspire as she became aware that the wider image lacked something else she had never anticipated.
“Are you done eating?” As he stormed into the basement, the man’s booming voice made the three tremble. He tied them to their positions and then slammed the door behind him.
All hope of aid was lost for Mary. She started crying after realizing there was no way out. At that very moment, she observed a substance on the ground. A dead battery in her phone. The man had inspected her pockets before putting her in the cellar, and she was certain she had misplaced it in the woods when they attempted to flee.
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The TV tuner shared the same charging cord as Mary’s phone as she focused on the room’s surroundings.
“Great…I’ll call the cops. Stay right there and cough if you hear him coming, okay?” As she quickly plugged her phone in to charge, Mary remarked to the woman.
A few minutes later, Mary tried to call Officer Dan, but the signal was weak because they were deep inside the dense forest.
“Come on…come on,” she panted and rang 911 when Officer Dan’s line wouldn’t get through.
“Please help us! A man has kept us locked in a basement…in a cabin in the woods on the outskirts of the town. Please hurry!” To the dispatcher, Mary spoke.
“We’re dispatching a team immediately,” said the dispatcher before hanging up the call.
Mary sighed and tucked her phone into the girl’s stuffed teddy after switching it to mute. She then briefly heard police sirens outside the cabin in the distance.
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“HELP! We’re in here…Help!”
Mary let out an ear-piercing scream. Although they both shouted, no one could hear the woman and the girl. The cops couldn’t hear them because soundproof panels had been used to seal the basement’s walls.
The officers searched every nook and cranny with flashlights, lighting the cabin’s shadowy crevices. Eventually, the police dog started barking at the hidden floor door, alerting the police. A little while later, the police entered the basement and assisted Mary in escaping with the other two.
“Mrs. Browne, that was brave of you,” said Officer Dan. “We’re glad we found you. And she…Her name is Rose, and that’s her daughter, Sarah. They were in a missing person’s report from three years ago. We thought we’d never find them.”
It was later discovered that the man had lost his family in a vehicle accident and was heading toward self-destruction. He eventually received treatment at a mental facility. He admitted that he had abducted Rose and her daughter after she turned down his approaches because of her striking resemblance to his late wife. She and the infant were in captivity in the basement, which he eventually outfitted with the necessary equipment to prevent her from escaping.
When everything worked out successfully, Mary sighed with relief as the kidnapper was apprehended. Over several tears of gratitude and hugs, she said goodbye to Rose and her daughter while pledging to keep in touch. Her mother, Doris, was furious with her when she got home, but she could not stop crying. She asked her never to take such a risk again since she was relieved to see her daughter alive and well.
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