Chapter 4
"Starting now there is a 9:00 pm curfew for everyone 18 and under, and travel in groups until we find the person responsible. Secondly, we are asking that everyone keeps an eye out for anyone acting out of the ordinary." The chief of police announces. In other words, they have nothing but it would really suck for them if people continue to go missing.
We head into the woods again. This time with Dad in toe. Sara looks strange today, her face is stern and hard her green eyes are darker than I have ever seen. She's not talking with our mom like she normally does. There's something different about her today.
After not even an hour she turns to us. "Let's go home." She says in a monotone voice. "Already, are you sure?" My mom and I ask at the same time. "They aren't here if they were we would have found them already," Sara replies. Now I know what is different. She gave up hope. I guess between Stella disappearing and Thomas dying she has lost her faith.
I feel bad for her I guess she has realized what dad realized. They are probably dead.
We all walk home in silence. No one knows what to say to Sara and she's not talking. "I'm going to lay down," Sara says as soon as we get home. Until now Sara would always be downstairs with the family. But now she is always in her room. With everything going on I would want to find a way too but it is not like her. She wasn't even like this when our grandma passed.
With Sara hiding away in her room my parent's attention turns to me. I use to think I wanted them to notice me and care about what was going on in my life. Now, I long for the days when they barely spoke to me. There is nothing worst than having your parents question every part of your very boring and uneventful life.
They ask me about my summer plans which are non-existence. My small friend group includes me and three others. Morgan, Mel, and Mike. Morgan and Mel started dating last year, and aren't the funniest to be around anymore. I don't know if you could really classify them as friends. They only talk to me because me and Mike are friends.
Mike, on the other hand, is kind and caring. He has been my only true friend since me and Sara stopped hanging out. Although if he knew my secret that would all be over. I would be left with no one.
Once I escape from my parents I run straight to my room. I use to wish they were as interested in my life as they are Sara's but now that they do I wish they didn't.
I lay in my bed and stare at the ceiling, thinking about everything that has happed this past week. People going missing, people dying, Sara shutting down. I don't think things will ever be the same again.
After laying in my bed for the better part of an hour I decide to go check on Sara. I knock lightly on her room. She doesn't answer. I open her room and look around her room, she is not there.
I run downstairs as fast as I can. I check the kitchen, living room, and bathroom. She's gone. I run outside to the backyard where my parents are. "Where's Sara?" I ask panic clear in my voice. My parents give me their questioning look. "I went to check on her and she wasn't in her room then I checked the downstairs and I still can't find her!" I half yell. How can they be so calm after everything going on?
My mom pulls on her cell, then we hear a ring coming from beside the back fence. I walk towards the sound, as I feared Sara's phone is laying in the grass. "I calling the cops." I hear my dad say followed by the back door slamming shut. My mom grabs Sara's phone and starts calling all her friends. They all say the same thing. They haven't heard from her in days.
When my dad comes back out, he tells us because of everything going on the police are putting out a missing person warning right away. "Me and your dad will go looking for her, you stay here if she shows up call us right away." My mom tells me as her and my dad leave.
Where could she have gone? How did she leave without anyone seeing her? She couldn't have been kidnapped right? No of course not we were all home there is no way someone could have come in grabbed her and left without us knowing.
The hours tick by as I pace my front hallway waiting for Sara or my parents. I look at the clock and it's after 11:00 pm. Almost 12 hours since anyone has seen her. My heart is racing. As much as my logical brain tells me that there is no possible way, she could have been kidnapped I can't shake the feeling.
It's after one by the time my parent walk through the door. My mom's eyes are bloodshot and puffy, I clear sign she has been crying, my dad follows closely behind her. I don't even have to ask I know they didn't find her.
I don't say a word as I go to my room. As soon as my door is shut the tears come. This has been the one thing I have feared since finding out Meghan was missing.
I wake up to the sound of my mom screaming. I'm still behind my door I haven't even realized I had fallen asleep until I woke up. I rush downstairs and see my mom kneeled down beside the couch. When I get closer, I feel like all the air leaves my chest. Sara is sleeping on the couch cover head to toe in mud. I shake her awake. "Where the hell have you been?" I yell as soon as her eyes flutter open. "Wh-what are you talking about." She says sleep thick in her voice. She looks at our mom then back at me and then at herself. "What happened?" She almost screams. "The last thing I can remember was going up to my room to lay down than walking up to Mariah shaking me." She says. I can tell she laying but why?
My mom goes to wake up my dad and they take Sara to the hospital. Even with Sara home, I'm more confused now than I was when she was "missing". How did she get out without anyone seeing her, why is she covered in mud, where did she go and why was she lying? I go into the kitchen and realize it's only 5 am. I make myself breakfast and go into the living room. Time seems to be passing so slow. When my parents and Sara finally get home, they are laughing and joking like nothing ever happened. "Well, the good news is the doctor thinks the blackout was caused by stress and as long as we all help out it shouldn't happen again. Bad news, if it keeps happening there's no telling what could happen." My mom says.
I have to hand it to Sara she sure knows how to fool our parents and even doctors by the sounds of it. "I'm going to lay down I feel like I haven't slept in ages," Sara says in her most innocent voice. "Go with her please the doctor said we need to keep an eye on her for the next little while." My mom says. Good a perfect time to question her without my parents being around.
I don't waste any time once we are behind closed doors. "So, are you going to tell me the truth?" I say to her. "I have no idea what you are talking about?" She says lying again. "Stop lying to me Sara, I have always been able to tell when you are lying," I say with my hands on my hips. "I'm not lying, now please let me get some sleep, by the looks of the bags under your eyes you should probably join me." She says with a laugh. I know she's trying to change the subject but she is right about one thing, I need sleep. I tell only time I seem to get any sleep lately in when I'm in Sara's room.
I lay down on her bed beside her and I'm fast asleep in no time.
I wake up still in Sara's room but she is nowhere to be found I grab my phone to check the time. 11 am, I slept for over 24 hours how is that even possible. I go downstairs and my whole family is sitting in the living room. "I was just about to call the doctor to check on you." My dad says jokingly, but I'm not in the mood. I should feel well-rested and full of energy. Instead, I have a headache, my muscles are stiff and every inch of my body hurts. As I wake to the kitchen for a drink and I hear my mom and Sara arguing they never argue.
"I'm not saying today but I would like to start looking for them again mom," Sara says. "I really don't think it's a good idea sweetie, I know they are your friends but you also have to think about yourself. What happens if you blackout again and don't come home this time? No one what could happen to you then." My mom says softly but firm enough to let Sara know she would budge on this.
My mom is stubborn but Sara is very persuasive. I would be surprised if we were out looking for them again tomorrow. Sara has always been good at getting what she wants when she wants. No matter what anyone else says.