Jane and Alec ran through the house. They checked the attic and the basement. Outside they checked the barn, the fields even down by the lake but it was no use. They could not find their parents anywhere. “At least they didn’t kill them,” Alec finally spoke up as he clutched their only clue, an arrow that was pinned to the back of the front door. “They haven’t killed them yet, you mean,” Jane whispered, holding back the building up of tears. “And they won’t,” Alec quickly replied as he patted his sister’s shoulder. “As long as they don’t reveal where the gold mine is, they’ll be safe. Let’s just hope they don’t reveal it until we can get help to find them.”

A story is made up of five basic parts.  Those parts include a plot, the characters, a conflict or several conflicts, a central theme and a setting.