Close to Egon's house, the school bus was visible from a distance as it approached their building. Finally, it came to a stop near the pavement of their building with a "vooommm" sound.
As Tracy exited the bus, she waved goodbye to her classmate, Phoenix. "Bye, Phoenix!" she called out.
As Tracy stepped onto the rug outside the door, she didn't know that there wasn't anyone home. She attempted to turn the knob, but it wouldn't budge.
Frustrated, Tracy stepped off the rug and moved it from its usual position. She then retrieved the key from its hiding spot and used it to unlock the door.
As she pushed the door, it swung open with a creak, revealing an empty house.
After opening the door, Tracy went inside and called out, "Egon, Dad, I'm home!" But there was no response from the house.
"Where are you guys?" she wondered aloud. "Or are you trying to play hide and seek?"
Tracy ran upstairs to check if her Dad or Egon was there, but they weren't upstairs.
She went to her father's bedroom and opened the door, expecting to find him hiding. "I got you!" she laughed, but to her surprise, no one was there.
"Maybe Egon is in his bedroom doing God knows what," Tracy muttered to herself. She quickly ran up the stairs with her tiny legs and went to check his room.
Tracy opened the door to Egon's room, but it was empty. She checked the wardrobe, and it was empty too. She rushed to the kitchen, which was also empty. Panic set in as she searched the entire house, but she couldn't find Egon or her father anywhere.
Tracy had never been home alone before, and the thought scared her. She pulled out her phone from her pocket and dialed Egon's number, but there was no response. She tried her father's number next, but it was the same outcome. Tracy dialed their numbers numerous times, but none of the calls went through.
Feeling helpless, Tracy collapsed onto the floor and started crying bitterly. "Dad, Egon, you guys left me...Ahhhhhh!" she cried out. She couldn't go to her neighbors' house because they were not friendly to them.
Tracy's stomach growled loudly, reminding her of her hunger. She wished she had something to eat, but she was too scared to leave the safety of the table. She tried to ignore the hunger and focus on staying hidden and safe.
As she lay there, shivering and hungry, she heard another noise. This time it sounded like footsteps, coming closer and closer. Tracy's heart pounded in her chest as she tried to stay quiet and still.
An hour passed, and Tracy remained asleep under the table until she was jolted awake by a knock at the door. Her heart raced as she had no idea who it could be.
Outside, Freya stood knocking at Egon's door while Miriam sat in the car parked near the road. Miriam wanted to see how Freya would handle the situation.
Meanwhile, Tracy was inside the house, terrified by the persistent knocking, unsure of what to do. "Please let it be Dad or Egon," she whispered, mustering the courage to approach the door. Trembling, she slowly made her way to the door and opened it.
Tracy was surprised to find a beautiful young lady at the door instead of her dad or Egon.
"Good day, I'm Freya. I'm sorry to intrude, but is this Egon Smith's house?" Freya introduced herself politely, but Tracy was too nervous to speak and simply nodded her head in response.
Freya thought to herself how cute and adorable Tracy looked. "I apologize for bothering you, but I'm looking for Egon. I'm his classmate from Landon Brooke Citadel (LBC)," Freya explained, but Tracy remained silent. Unaware of Tracy's puffy and red eyes, Freya continued to wait for a response.
Freya was surprised to see Tracy crying and asked,
"I'm sorry, why are you crying? Did you get into trouble with Egon?" Tracy shook her head indicating that wasn't the reason. Freya continued, "Is it your dad or mom?" Tracy shook her head again.
Freya was confused and asked,
"Then why would a cute girl like you be crying?" Tracy stared at Freya for a while, hesitant to speak because she didn't know what Freya was capable of doing. However, she noticed that Freya genuinely cared about her well-being and didn't seem to have any ulterior motives. So, Tracy decided to open up to her and share what was troubling her.
Tracy mustered the courage to open up to Freya. "I haven't seen my dad or Egon since I got back from school," she said in a light tone. "They've never left me alone before, and I don't know where they are. I tried calling them, but their phones aren't going through. It's been an hour now, and I'm really scared of being home alone. That's why I was crying."
Freya was touched by Tracy's vulnerability. "I'm so sorry, Tracy. That must be really scary for you," she said, placing a comforting hand on Tracy's shoulder. "Have you eaten anything yet?"
Tracy shook her head. "No, I haven't," she said softly.
"It's already 5 pm, and you haven't eaten anything? That won't do," Freya said firmly. "I'll make you some lunch, and I'll stay with you until your brother and dad come back. You don't have to cry anymore, okay?"
With that, Freya scooped Tracy up into her arms and carried her inside the house, determined to take good care of her until Egon and her dad returned.