Mom and Dad, What are you hiding?

(Stargirl Verse)

Blue Valley, Nebraska

Crock Residences
11:25 P.M. Central Time

Fifteen-year-old Artemis Crock just finished the last sit-ups her parents wanted her to do before doing her homework then going to bed. She jumped on her feet to stretch out her whole body in order to cool off. She turns her head to the right seeing her now blonde hair sitting on her shoulder. Artemis begged both of her parents to color her beautiful ebony dark locks into a bright blonde. In truth, the teenage girl wanted to stand out from everybody else at Blue Valley High including the town. Sure both of her parents were against it, but she used her babysitting money to get her hair colored.

A ring from an iPhone goes off as the time sound is alarmed.

The blonde teenager leans forward as she reaches over to grab her phone and turning off the alarm. Her dark brown eyes look to see a text message from her mom reading,

“Artemis, your Dad and I are still on our date out of the town. We’ll be home around midnight or so. Remember to finish up your workout regimen, homework, shower, and bed.

Your Dad and I love you so much, our little Star Athlete. Goodnight.”
With the quick movement of her thumbs, she responds back to the message,

“Of course, love you guys too. See you two in the morning.”
Artemis presses the sent button and starts making her way towards the kitchen. The blonde teen goes over to the fridge opening the door to grab a water bottle and uses her right hip to close the door, “Where in the hell do my parents find the time to have a date night on a school week?” She asked the question out loud shaking her head being confused. Artemis twist off the top of the bottle and starts taking a few steps away from the kitchen.

The teenager runs quickly to both the front door and back door making sure it’s locked. She stopped in her tracks as she heard an off sound from the wooden floor panel. Artemis uses the ball of her right foot to hear that offset. She bends down placing her water bottle by her feet and her phone into the front pocket. Her fingers gently graze the wooden piece and carefully pulling out. Artemis steady yet carefully sticks her hand to what was hiding on beneath the floor. She feels something familiar in some way and pulling something out, “A crossbow? What is a Crossbow doing underneath the floor?” The blonde asked herself again being completely confused. “Was this something Mom and Dad were supposed to give me for my birthday?” Her dark brown hues exam it and from the looks of it, it’s been used. Multiple times. Just from guessing on the marks on the weapon.

‘Why would my parents keep a Crossbow hidden? For an attacker or something?’ Artemis thinks to herself.

She pauses for a couple of seconds trying to put two and two together. The teenager puts the crossbow back to where it was before and placing the wooden floor piece back to where it covered the hidden crossbow. Artemis turns her head to the left to see the Basement door being closed.

‘Remember Artemis, don’t go into the basement. It’s a mess down there. Your Father and I do are planning for the whole school year with Activities, Sports activities, and Booster Club.’ Her mother’s words run through her mind.

The teenager walks over to the door of the basement and thinking where would they put a spare key. She snaps her finger then reaches over to the back of her head pulling out a bobby pin and she bends eye level to the lock. Artemis places the bobby pin in messing with it until hearing a ‘click’ go off.

“Sweet, I’m in!” She said with a small victory.

The blonde opens the door and flips on the switch that turns on the whole basement. Artemis carefully walks down the stairs making sure there are no traps. She looks around to see everything was organized instead of a mess. The teenage girl walks over to the wall seeing typical sport objects: Golf Clubs, Tennis Rackets, Cricket Paddles, and Lacrosse sticks.

“Um…. Okay?” Artemis said under her breath being completely confused and grabs the handle of a Driver of a golf club. The wall rotates to another wall, a wall that has several silver baseball bats, a hockey stick with ten hockey pucks, and two black crossbows with dozen of arrows (trick arrows). On the same wall, the other side there’s several Discus, Javelins, Knifes, Pole, Saber, and a heavy metal ball that’s attached to a cord and handle with spikes on it. “Mom and Dad, what in the hell are you hiding?” The blonde teenager replied being both confused and horrified by what she is witnessing.