The white chapel was suffocatingly quiet, lit only by the bright daylight streaming through the tall arched windows high above the glossy tile floor. A grand crystal chandelier hung caught the sunlight, reflecting shimmering spots across the rows of empty wooden pews that lined the aisle like silent witnesses.
Piles of fresh white lilies lined the aisle, their sweet scent hanging heavy in the air, but seventeen-year-old Leo was not admiring the flowers. Leo held a heavy steel crowbar in his hands, his knuckles turning white as he squeezed the cold metal tight against his palms.
Leo: I know you're in there. Hang on!
He swung the tool down hard against the side of the white burial casket resting on the pedestal in front of the altar. The sound of splintering wood shattered the silence, ringing off the tall white walls like a gunshot echoing through an empty hall.
Leo: I'M GETTING YOU OUT!
He wedged the flat edge of the crowbar into the gap between the casket lid and the base, pressing his full body weight against it. Suddenly, the heavy double doors at the back of the chapel burst open, slamming hard against the interior walls with a deafening crash.
A middle-aged man in a sharp brown suit stormed down the center aisle, his face red with sudden rage as he waved his arm. This was Richard Vance, a wealthy executive who controlled millions, but right now his eyes were filled with pure desperation and fury.
Richard: SECURITY! NOW!
Leo: Stay away from me, Richard!
Richard: Drop that tool right now, you lunatic!
Leo: YOU DIDN'T DESERVE THIS!
Leo ignored the man charging toward him, gritting his teeth as he applied maximum leverage to the metal bar jammed in the wood. A well-dressed woman in a long black coat stepped through the double doors behind Richard, halting near the back pews in absolute horror.
She pulled off her dark sunglasses, her wide eyes fixing on the broken wood splitting off the side of the polished casket. This was Evelyn Vance, Richard's wife, who had no idea why her husband had scheduled a closed private service on a Saturday morning.
Evelyn: IS SOMEONE IN THERE?
Richard lunged forward, placing his heavy body directly between his wife and the wooden pedestal holding the casket.
Richard: DO NOT LOOK INSIDE!
Leo: Get off her! Get away from this box!
Richard: You don't know what you're doing, kid! Touch that lid again and I'll make sure you rot in jail!
Leo: You lied to everyone, Richard! You told the whole town she passed away in her sleep!
Leo raised the heavy crowbar again, jamming it deeper into the tight crevice near the polished brass latch on the side. The wood groaned under the pressure, long slivers of white lacquer peeling away and falling onto the glossy tile floor like broken shell pieces.
Evelyn: Richard, what is he talking about? Why is the casket closed for a private family service?
Richard: Evelyn, step out into the hallway right now. The boy has lost his mind over his sister's loss.
Leo: Don't listen to him, Mrs. Vance! He locked her in here while she was still breathing!
Evelyn: What?!
Richard: He's hysterical! Officers, get in here and grab him!
Two security guards rushed through the doors, their heavy leather boots thudding against the polished chapel floor as they moved forward fast. Leo didn't look back at the guards coming down the aisle; he put every ounce of strength into his shoulders and threw his weight down.
With a loud metal pop, the heavy brass latch snapped entirely in two, ringing off the altar steps. The casket lid shifted upward by three inches, and a muffled, frantic sound echoed from inside the satin-lined box.
Evelyn gasped, taking a sharp step back as her hand flew to her mouth in utter shock.
Evelyn: Oh my god... that was a human voice!
Richard: It's nothing! It's just air escaping the seal!
Leo: You monster! She's alive!
Leo shoved the heavy crowbar aside and grabbed the edge of the lid with his bare hands, lifting it all the way back. The bright light of the crystal chandelier poured into the satin interior, illuminating the young woman trapped inside the dark box.
Her wrists were bound tight with thick yellow nylon rope, her ankles tied together, and thick black tape was pulled taut over her lips. Her dark hair was tangled around her face, and her eyes were wide with pure terror as tears soaked into the white pillow.
Leo: Maya! Maya, I've got you! I'm here!
Evelyn: Maya?! That's Maya Vance! Richard... that's your own daughter!
Richard stared at his exposed daughter inside the casket, his face turning from dark red to a ghostly, pale gray in seconds.