Gone

28

Once we got to the hospital, one of the ambulance men explained to us that this is where we would have to be separated. I looked at my friends in distraught.

"We'll be okay Kassidy," Taylor reminded me.

"I love you guys," Kelsey admitted. After all of us exchanged I love you's, another ambulance person had a gurney and asked for one of us.

"Okay, who is 'Chloe Newville'?" she asked, reading off her clipboard. Chloe then got off the truck and sat on the stretcher. We waved goodbye and right after her, another ambulance person had a gurney for us, but it was a man.

"Kelsey McArthur?" Kelsey then got onto the stretcher, leaving just Taylor and me.

"Are we going to even see each other after all of this?" I worried aloud.

"We'll see each other Kassidy, the four of us have a bond that can't be broken..." Taylor assured me. She and I hugged and finally, a stretcher came for 'Kassidy Conners'.

"I'll see you..." she promised as I got up onto the stretcher. As the nurse or whoever rolled me away into the hospital, I watched Taylor's chestnut-colored eyes taking in the pure sunlight. On the way to the room, I covered myself in the white thin blanket they had on the stretcher for me. In an unnatural way, I had the urge to not speak while the lady was asking me questions.

"And don't worry, your family is on their way, they'll meet you in your room."I nodded in understanding. When I got to my room, Officer McCoy was there to talk with me. I remember asking him when I would be able to talk with my friends again.

"Well, right now the four of you should reunite with your families for the time being," he explained to me. I admit, I was pretty bummed with his answer, especially since my family hadn't arrived yet. After about an hour of speaking with nurses and doctors and watching the news about the four of us being found and rescued, my mother and Owen arrived.

"Yes, I'm Regina Conners. Oh my god! Kassidy!" I watched as my mom balled her eyes out onto me, and squeezed me tightly during our hug. Her crying led me to ball my eyes out as well. The tears just flowed as if they had been built up since that very day Lukas Morgan Richards, Kevin Lexington and Bryson Williams had taken us. Even though it had been only about four or so months, the struggle to stay alive felt like it had been at least a year.

That night, my mother had to go back to work the next day but Owen insisted he could stay with me. So, once the next day arrived, Owen was in my room and playing Mancala with me when Officer McCoy stepped foot in the room.

"Kassidy?" he said, trying to get my attention.

"Yeah?"

"Some of the first responders had found a few items in the house," he told me, handing me my notebook. Before I had flipped through it, I asked him what the date was, and both he and Owen said "January 10th."

"Oh my god! It's Chloe's birthday! I have to go see her!" I exclaimed, trying to hop out of bed with my arm connected with the IV pole.

"No, no, no! You need to stay here Kassidy," McCoy stated as he inched closer to me. I flinched in fear and collapsed onto the hospital bed.

"Kassidy!" Owen trembled, trying to catch me.

"I'm sorry, I don't know... what happened..." It was as if my body freaked out with the cop coming towards me.

"I think you're just too used to the men coming at you," McCoy guessed. I realized after looking at his nametag that he was the same one of the officers who came to the house to question Lukas and Kevin.

"Why can't I see either of my friends?" I winced at his response.

"The four of you just need to focus on yourselves for right now," he stated. I turned to Owen to see him nodding in agreement. After Officer McCoy handed me my notebook and left the room, I turned to Owen to speak to him.

"I figured out why they took us, Owen..."

"You what? How did you manage to do that? What did they want?" he questioned, scooting his chair closer to my bed.

"It's because of what we did to Destin. That Lukas guy, he's Destin's big brother..." I watched as Owen's eyes lit up in shock.

He shook his head in disappointment, "Kassidy, I'm going to stay by your side through this. I promise." His reassuring words helped. It seemed as if Owen was now the only man I could trust. As he got on his phone and realizing my mother still hadn't brought mine, I opened my notebook to a strange paper sticking out which I thought was odd. I knew I hadn't placed it there. I unfolded the paper to realize this was a recent letter from Taylor!