Chapter 9 - The Locked Shed
Thirty minutes later, Natalie and Graham reached the perimeter of the dilapidated wooden maintenance shed near the edge of the lake.
The structure looked abandoned, its green paint peeling away in thick strips beneath the humid Texas sun.
“Maisie!” Natalie screamed at the top of her lungs, hammering her fists against the heavy wooden door.
“Can you hear Mommy? Answer me, baby!”
For a long, agonizing moment, there was nothing except the sound of cicadas buzzing in the nearby trees.
Then, a faint, muffled sound echoed from deep inside the dark building.
“Mommy... I’m sorry... I dropped the napkin...”
Natalie’s knees buckled, but she caught herself against the rotting wooden wall, a sob tearing through her chest.
“She’s in there!” Natalie cried, turning to Graham. “Break this door down right now!”
Graham threw his entire body weight against the heavy oak door, but it didn't even budge an inch.
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A thick steel padlock secured the iron hasp on the outside, installed with a heavy chain wrapped around the handle.
“Stand back, Natalie!” Graham roared, grabbing a heavy iron landscaping bar left leaning against the wall by the groundskeepers.
