Missing Possibly Dead
“Mom” Stephanie called after she walked in the front door from school. After five minutes and calling here twice there was no answer. A scared concerned look came ripping across her soft and flawless face replacing her board school day face. The weird thing was not that she wasn’t there but that her car was out front but she wasn’t home. Stephanie’s mind began to scatter where would her mom be, what would she be doing, who would she be with, but more importantly was she okay. The next best thing she could do was call her dad so that’s what she did. When he picked up Stephanie immediately started talking. “ Dad moms not home but her car is here and if her car is here usually she’s home. Is she withyou or a friend?” almost out of breath Stephanie waited for an answer there was a long pause. “ Umm ok just stay calm and no matter what don’t panic ill call 911 and file a missing person case. So I’m leaving the office right now and will be there as fast as possible.” he said this slowly and almost stuttered some of his words Stephanie could tell he was worried.
Right when Frank, Stephanie’s father, got home the police followed right behind. Heather Stephanie’s older sister, who had been crying since Stephanie had broken the news to her about five minutes ago, finally came outside mascara running down her face her eyes red and nose running from the crying. Their father pulled them into him an they all stood close together while the cops went on with the questions. When they had finally left the family went inside. Frank called the girls to the living room so they could sit and talk about the situation at hand. “ So” he began “I know you guys are worried about your mother but I promise you two everything will be fine. Just give it some time. We have the police searching and many others on the look out. In the mean time just don’t panic. Go to bed for now and get some sleep tomorrow morning we can talk about this more.” he finish with a sigh. Heather was to upset to reply so I did for both of us. “ okay night dad”. “Hey” he said “ I love you both now get to bed”.
In the past to Stephanie here mom was just a fly that wouldn’t go away she only lived to push Stephanie around and expect the best and nothing less. But after looking around the house calling phones of anyone that might know where her mom could be, she regretted ever thinking that way.
After a two days of too quiet evenings listening to Heather cry every night and hearing all the missing persons adds on T.V. looking for her mother there were no signs or explanations. The police were trying there best but were close to quitting since there were no leads on the story. The house seemed deserted without her mother’s cheery voice in the morning. Her father was no longer himself he stayed at work as long as possible only coming home to eat and go strait to bed. If anyone other Stephanie and Heather brought up the incident around him like a flash of lighting he was gone. He still manage to say good night every night though. Stephanie figured he was just really upset. Heather well Heather was just an emotional mess she was nothing with out her mother’s guidance she needed her to make any decision that came up in her life her friends and the hundreds of people that she knew just weren’t good enough any more. Stephanie on the other hand even though she was upset didn’t show it. At night she tried to think of things that did not remind her about her mother or else she couldn’t sleep but some her mother, Debbie, was always in her thoughts and dreams. All she saw was her face the blond hair blue eyes her sister was a spitting image of her just a little more youthful. She heard her voice at random times what she said was always different but they were some of the things only her mother would say. Maybe this was a sign her mother might be trying to talk to her. Stephanie was haunted by the thought that she didn’t appreciate her mother at all while she was among them.
That night just repeated over and over again in her mind just like a broken record. From what was said to the looks on faces everything was just so… weird. Like nothing Stephanie had ever experienced before. the police their faces so stern this happened to them almost every day they dealt with people like us people whose family is not close enough to even keep track of where one member of the family is. Their faces wiped clean from any expression that may have been there before. They just asked the normal questions while watching Stephanie’s family fight back tears. “When is the last time you saw her. Where did she say she was going? Is there anyone that you would guess would have wanted to do this.” at this question Heather couldn’t hold it in. She began balling and ran into the house. The rest of the night after their talk was pretty much silent and awkward. A very strange thing in their household.
As Stephanie drove to school, since her father made the girls go, it seemed that her family’s world and the rest of the world were two different planets. She thought that their small town would have found out about the news or at least seen the missing person ads and recognized the top seller of the year for the only home sales place in town. But life seemed to move on. No one looked shocked when their friend said something no one whispered in to another person’s ear everything was as normal as can be.
School though was completely different after all in this small town of___________ everyone who knows you knows your business no secrets here. The whispers lurked around every corner just waiting for her to notice. Every where Stephanie looked there were people staring giving her the look. That one look that no one had to say anything because you knew they were thinking “god that sucks I feel so bad”. but most of the time people only felt that for those few seconds that they looked at you once they turned away their lives went on the situation would be brought up again but it would not effect them at all just another thing to talk about that happened at school.
Through every class Stephanie herd nothing but people talking about her mothers disappearance. She tried to block them out and focus on the teacher but it didn’t work she just kept hearing things like “ did you hear about her mom. How could you not. That sucks.” and of course the famous “oh my gosh”. Stephanie couldn’t imagine Heathers day there were probably a million more people who knew her and talked about their mother right in front of her. Stephanie guessed that she had probably already ran out of almost every class. She never could understand how her sister was such a powerful person but could break down so easily under pressure. Heather had always been so popular and could easily influence anyone given enough time there we so many areas where she excelled there for that made it easy for her mother to compare Heather and Stephanie. Stephanie always felt second best to her PERFECT sister she literally had no flaws as long as their mother was around to make her believe that.
Finally lunch the moment Stephanie had waited for the whole day so that she could see how Heather was doing and talk to Kirsten. Kirsten had been Stephanie best friend sine preschool around the age of three or four. They had been through so much together and overcome so much. Like her father leaving her, and her mother when she was about 10. Then a year later they had gotten the news from one of his co workers that he had gotten hit by a car and died from the loss of blood. Even though Kirsten was not all that close to her father since he had left when she was at a considerably young age this took a huge toll on her and for months she grieved over the event. Stephanie had been there for her the whole time and knowing the kind of person Kirsten was she would do the same thing for Stephanie. By helping her get through whatever was happening with her mother or at least help to move Stephanie along and get her life going again.
No sign of Kirsten. It was possible that she might not be at school but sick or not Kirsten would not just leave Stephanie hanging in her time of need so she looked some more. Finding Kirsten was never all that easy but finding Heather was a different story all you had to do was fine a huge group of seniors all surrounding one tall beautiful blonde girl sometimes it was so hard to believe Stephanie and Heather were even related. Really the only easy way to find Kirsten was look for the hottest 10thgrader in our school. Jake Kirsten’s boyfriend of almost a year now. There were no questions of why Jake had chosen Kirsten she was smart, funny, got along with anyone, but most of all she was stunning. He never left her side and you could always pick him out of a crowd he was tall, thin, and had the best long dark brown hair. So as soon as Stephanie saw Jake she headed over and sure enough there was Kirsten. Right when their eyes met their was no talking between them they just walked to each other and hugged. Stephanie tried so hard to fight back the tears that welled up in her eyes but too late she was crying. Kirsten knew so she whisper her my ear “everything is okay you still have me I won’t leave you ever”. at this point Jake was smart enough to leave and find another group to mingle with while Stephanie collected herself . They had already talked about this the night before so there wasn’t much to say. The conversation on the phone went a little like this.
“Are you ok I heard and had to call you do u want to come over and talk about it I’m here for you” Kirsten said very slowly and in a caring way.
“ I’m fine. But those adds are killing me her face is everywhere I cant get her out of my mind. But I’ll make it through another night and just talk to you at school tomorrow” she said trying not to get upset.
“ You sure” Kirsten sounded concerned.
“ Positive but we can talk about it now on the phone I guess” Stephanie said.
“ Okay so, its been three days and no one knows what happened?” Kirsten asked never afraid to jump strait into deep conversation
“ yup” I said almost falling asleep since it was so late.
“ How’s your dad and Heather taking it?” Kirsten asked
“ My dad is barley home anymore but when he is he seems really upset. And you know heather just another reason to be dramatic cry and bring attention to herself ” Stephanie replied in a slightly annoyed tone.
“ Well I’m really sorry if u need anything just ask me and I guess ill see you tomorrow at school” Kirsten replied noticing that she didn’t want to talk about this anymore.
The girls sat with the silence between them for a moment until the bell rang startling both of them just a bit. Stephanie just wanted to finish the rest of the day so she started walking but before she got to far she turned her head and said “I guess I have to get to class but thanks for being here for me”.
“you know it. I’ll always be here for you” Kirsten said with a slight but not to happy smile.
Through the last two classes all Stephanie did was watch the clock and wait. Finally the last bell rang and Stephanie bolted out of her class and went to look for heather, since their father had told heather she could not drive for a while, so she could finally go home. After waiting for twenty minutes for heather to stop talking and get in the car Stephanie started to drive. The car was so quiet that every time Stephanie even tapped the gas pedal you could hear the littlest squeak. Every time she wanted to start of a conversation, when she really thought out her words, she just couldn’t say it knowing how sensitive heather was at the moment the slightest hint at the subject of there mother made her cry immediately without any hesitation.
At last they were home the akward silence could be put to an end. When Stephanie got out of the car she first noticed a car along with her fathers that did not belong to her family. Then when she got to the door there was a small piece of paper taped to the door that said in bubbly slanted writing Stephanie and Heather it was defiantly not her father’s or even her mother’s. Stephanie had no idea what the note said and decided to wait and find out. As soon as she stepped in the house something was different there was the strangest feeling. But she just kept walking and ignored it all after all it could just be her. So she walked into the kitchen opened the fridge pulled out a soda and popped it open she turned around to see her father and a tall brunet woman standing talking by the back door some how she had not heard them or see them before. But now she was very aware of this woman that she had never met in her life that for some reason was in her house.
When her father took a quick glance toward Stephanie she gave him a questioning look. Apparently he didn’t notice so Stephanie left the room. Right when she reached the stairs her father called her name. “Stephanie, come meet Amanda”
“um okay” Stephanie replied slightly confused wondering what would happen now.
“Stef, this Amanda we work together at the office she is going to have dinner with us tonight.”
“oh ok” Stephanie replied shaking her hand in the back of her mind though Stephanie was extremely confused. Her mother had just disappeared three days ago and now her father was inviting woman that she didn’t even know over for dinner. Even though she didn’t want to admit it she couldn’t help but think that this woman as actually very pretty and that something strange was going on.
