So why would it happen to her?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10:15am CARA-CONSPIRACY:
Hey! How've you been? How's College? I haven't been online for a while, anything new?
10:18am HOT-MALE-18:
Hello love, I've been well, College is, well College! Boring as ever! I've just been revising for the A levels. It's my birthday next week.
10:19 CARA-CONSPIRACY:
Happy Birthday for next week! I'll have to get you a present!
10:28 HOT-MALE-18:
Well, I've been thinking about it for a while, since we started talking, maybe we could meet up? Then you can give me my present in person? ;)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I held my breath, everyone always told me to never meet anyone from the internet. But this guy was really nice, and special. I knew so much about him it would be like meeting one of my everyday best friends.

She crawled out of bed sluggishly, yawning as she dragged herself into the bathroom. Squinting from the bright sunlight pouring from the window, she peered towards the mirror. It reflected a small mouse-like girl, with smudged black make-up from the previous evening. Her tangled dark blonde mane complemented her ethereal skin. Her piercing blue eyes glimpsed at herself and she sighed. The refreshing water cooled her flushed cheeks and she splashed it over her face. She went back into her room; she pulled on a pair of skinny fit jeans, a "My Chemical Romance" tee-shirt and smothered her eyes with jet black eyeliner. She adopted this image when the "emo craze" swept her school. If she wanted to fit in with her friends she had to dress the way they did. She didn't have many friends and it seemed the only way to make them was to conform to their idea of 'normality'. She stared at her fuchsia pink laptop and logged onto 'Friend Scene' a new chat site that was quite popular for people living in her area. This is when she first started talking to Bret. Three months ago, she received a message from "HOT-MALE-18" telling her that her pictures looked 'cute'. She didn't understand why, because it was taken from a high angle and edited so much you could hardly see her features. but she relished the attention, because a boy had never spoken to her like Bret did. He really understood her and she had a strong fondness for him. She found herself staying online until four in the morning talking about nothing in particular, and the thought of meeting someone so interested in her made her stomach get butterflies, and today was the day. She was finally going to meet him. It wouldn't end up like one of those worst case scenarios, only the bad news is broadcasted never the good. Loads of people meet on the internet and nothing remotely bad happens. So why would it happen to her?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11:28 HOT-MALE-18:
Hey lovely, are you excited about today? I can't wait to finally see you :)
11:30 CARA-CONSPIRACY:
Hello! Yeah I can't wait! I have your present next to me =]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She quickly glanced over to the "Panic! At the Disco" shirt she had bought and smiled.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11:32 CARA-CONSPIRACY:
I think your going to love it!
11:34 HOT-MALE-18:
I'm sure I will! Do I get a birthday kiss??
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A kiss? I never thought he'd ask. Yes I had thought about it, but that was just a girlish fantasy.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11:37 CARA-CONSPIRACY:
Umm, I don't know, maybe. Anyway where are we going?
11:40 HOT-MALE-18:
Oh my friend is throwing a little get together for me. I'll get ready and meet you off the train in two hours.
11:42 CARA-CONSPIRACY:
Okay, see you then :) Bye
11:43 HOT-MALE-18:
Bye darling x x
HOT-MALE-18 has logged off.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Right, have I got everything? Bag, keys, mobile...broke, leave it, purse, present?

Present!

She ran up the stairs, taking two steps at a time, her slim fingers wrapped around the tee-shirt and she carefully placed in into her black and pink rucksack.
"Mum I'm going out, I'll be back about 9 ish. Okay?" Not that she needed to say anything to her; she wouldn't have noticed anyway, she was passed out on the couch, still drunk from the night before.
The train ride was quick and with every jolt of the carriage her anticipation grew.

What if he doesn't like me?

Should I actually be doing this?

Her whirlwind of dreams and anticipations came to halt as the train stopped and her blue eyes couldn't find the familiar face of Bret. Cautiously, she stepped out onto the plain platform surrounded by strangers who paid no attention. A cool, calm, collected voiced called out from behind her
"Cara?"
Instantaneously, she spun around on her heels and came face to face with a bearded man who looked as if he was in his early thirties.
"Cara?" he repeated, she nodded meekly and he smirked.
"Hello, I'm Alan; I've come to pick you up. I'm Bret's brother" his voice was smooth and so reassuring that she followed him without question. They travelled through winding, small, enclosed streets, run-down areas with big tower block flats and teenagers taking drugs on street corners. Alan suddenly stopped outside a rundown terrace house.
"Is this where the parties at?" Cara scoffed.
"Oh, didn't Bret tell you? The party has been cancelled. He told me to bring you back to the house."

He led her up the over grown path and as they neared the house she could see the cracks up the wall and the flaked paint off the rotting wooden door, giving Cara a sense of foreboding. To dampen her spirit even more the rain began to trickle from the darkening sky. As he unlocked the door his hand snaked its way to the small off her back and gently pushed her into the hallway, at his touch she immediately tensed.He leant towards her and almost in a whisper he said
"I'll go call Bret."

And there she was, left in this lonely, long, seemingly never-ending corridor of a hallway. The peeling wallpaper drooping. Dark... Alone...

Dark.

Alone.

A family picture frame on the wall: a mother, a father, an Alan, a sister, a cat, a dog. No Bret.

No Bret.

Alone.

Dark.

I've got to get out of here.