Something Wicked This Way Comes

The kids are missing

 Marley went to the beds and lifted the covers to look in them. Panic began to rise in her seeing that her sister and brother were not there. She went to their closet and jerked the door open thinking they were hiding inside. But it was empty. Her heart started to race. Getting down on her hands and knees she looked under their beds. 

The only thing under there were toys and dirty socks.  As she sat up something caught her eye from the bathroom, a small flash of light. The door to the bathroom was halfway open. Relief started to calm her nerves. 

"They are in the bathroom" she told Jake. Marley walked to the door and pushed it open all the way. "Come on out you two, you scared me, ok?" She said into the small room. They didn't come out. So, she went in and flipped the light on. The bathroom was so small the only place they could be would literally be behind the shower curtain. She pulled the curtain to the side expecting her little brother and sister to start giggling, there was no one in that tub though. 

"Jake what the hell? Where are they?" Marley asked him. 

"Let's check the rest of the upstairs, they're kids ya know. They're probably hiding out somewhere else up here to get back at you for freaking them out." He told her.

"Ok" She took a breath and tried to calm herself.  She led the way out of their room and went to the hall closet. "Come out come out wherever you are!! Ollie Ollie Oxen Free!" She called out to them saying the phrase they would call out when they all play hide and seek.... or when they used to. Marley realized she hadn't played that with her siblings for a few years now and it made her feel guilty. Like a horrible big sister.

 Grabbing the doorknob, she yanked it open with a jerk. "I got ya!" she yelled. But again, this closet too was empty. Marley and Jake checked the entire house, top to bottom. They even pulled down the attic ladder and looked knowing full well they would never have gone up there, not even to pull the ultimate joke on her. At that point though she was getting desperate. They sat in the living room where she began to tear up. 

" I lost my sister and brother Jake" she sniffled. "What the hell happened? Do you think someone could have come into the house and taken them?" 

"I doubt that babe, if someone came into the house, they would have had to have passed right by us no matter which way they came from, and there are no parts to the roof that someone could have climbed through an upstairs window, plus there aren't any windows disturbed up there" He replied. 

"Oh my God I have to call my mom!" her voice broke. She grabbed her cell and dialed. It started to ring. And kept ringing. Finally, her mom answered. 

"Hey Mar, is everything good?" she asked.  Marley struggled to use her voice. 

"Hello?" she asked. 

"Mom?" she squeaked. "Mom oh God Mom I'm so sorry but Max and Poppy are missing, me and Jake looked everywhere for them, but we don't know where they are!" 

"Oh, that sounds nice, I'm glad you guys are having fun" her mom said to her.

"What? Mom no, it's not a joke, I'm serious we can't find them! Anywhere!" Marley sobbed into the phone. 

"Yeah, honey it's ok if Max and Poppy want to stay up a little later and watch some movies, we will be home a little after Midnight now, a few of John's old army buddies showed up here that he hasn't seen in forever, so they are catching up. I will see you guys when we get back or in the morning if you are asleep when we get there ok." she said to her.

What the hell is wrong with her?  Marley thought to herself. Is she not hearing me? Is this a mental breakdown, hearing her kids are gone and she can't process the information and she is in denial? I mean seriously what the shit is happening right now!?