If You See This Girl [JENLISA]

If You See This Girl

Lisa's POV

It was January and I was only four. My family and I had just moved from Thailand to New Zealand and I was the new girl. Just down the street from me was a Korean family who had a daughter around my age. She was five and was going to be turning six in a few days. She had a pair of piercing feline eyes that reflected those of a kitten. She was someone I would never forget.

"Mom! I'm gonna go play with Jennie!" I shouted as I haphazardly threw on my black jacket and put my yellow beanie on my head. My hair was a mess but I couldn't begin to care. It was a good day and I was excited to go outside.

"Be safe Pranpriya!" she called as I ran out the front door with my shoes barely on my feet. I stumbled through the grass down to the end of the street to find the Kim household. My small hand slammed down on the doorbell about three or four times before the girl I was looking for opened the door.

Her beautiful dark brown hair was on full display and I could recognize her instantly with those chubby dumpling cheeks. She was also holding her favorite teddy bear. "Liliii!" she squealed. Her pink jacket covered arms wrapped around me as she pulled me away from her home, bringing her teddy bear with her.

"What are we gonna do today Nini!" I chanted as her soft hand slipped into mine. She showed her gummy smile back at me as we ran in between the houses. "I found this really cool hideout!" she exclaimed. Her eyes gleamed with excitement as we ran and my bangs flopped against my forehead. Happiness spread throughout our excitement as we left the neighborhood and entered an area I hadn't been to before. Trees enclosed this small wooden shack. The windows were broken and it was more than safe to say that it hadn't been used in months.

"Isn't it awesome...?" Jennie smiled brightly at me before her hand slipped from mine. She pushed open the shacks door to reveal a place where we could play house.

I gasped at the glorious sight. We played for a few hours before my stomach began to grumble loudly. "Want to go back?" Jennie chimed after a little while of my tummy's roaring. I shook my head furiously, "I wanna play more!"

She giggled at me before standing and holding her teddy bear with one hand. "I'll go get some snacks then and I'll be right back promise!" she held the teddy bear tight to her chest and left leaving me with the vision of her walking away with her teddy bear. I continued playing with the stuff for a while before I began to realize that it was darkening outside. The little shack was no longer warmed by the daily sunlight and Jennie still hadn't come back. Sleepiness overwhelmed me as I began to become afraid. I was alone and it was getting dark. I cuddled into the corner of the little shack with my little knees tucked into my chest for warmth. Tears welled in my eyes as I sat there. Eventually all the light of the day had disappeared and I was still alone. My lip quivered as I cried.

I wanted Jennie to come back and walk me home. It wasn't like her to not do what she promised especially when it came to promises she made to me.

"Lisa!" I heard a man call from a distance.

"Jennie!" I heard someone else yell out.

I stood from my little corner and ran from the shack.

"Pranpriya!" my mom yelled as she ran to me from where a large group of people were walking through the trees. Tears were on her cheeks as she wrapped me up in her arms. "Mom!" I cuddled into the warmth of her coat as the other people went to the shack looking around inside it.

I caught a glimpse of Jennie's mom crying as her dad tried to comfort her. Why were they crying? Jennie had gone home earlier.

"Sweetheart, do you know where Jennie is?" my mom looked down at me. I shook my little head in confusion.

My mom took me home after that while the group of people stayed around the little shack with flashlights searching the area. She cradled me against her chest before she set me down in front of the fireplace so I could warm up.

I fell asleep there only to awaken the next morning with my normal excitement. I didn't think to change my clothes as I ran to the kitchen and barely managed to grab a blueberry muffin from the tabletop. I ran for the door, "Mom! I'm going to go play with Jennie!!" Her arms wrapped around my waist and hoisted me away from the door just as I opened it. She shut the door quietly and got down on her knees in front of me. Her hands cupped my cheeks as a sad look overcame her face.

"Mom? Jennie's waiting for me...!" I tried to push her away but she wouldn't let me.

"Sweetie... I need to tell you something and I don't know if you will understand, but I need you to listen, okay?" she whispered as her fingers tucked strands of hair behind my ears. I looked at her in confusion.

"Lisa... Jennie can't play with you anymore." I pouted out my bottom lip angrily, "Why? She's the one that was being mean!"

She smiled weakly before attempting to push more hair out of my face, "Lisa.. Jennie is missing."

It was after that, that photos of my bestest friend began appearing everywhere around town. It was after that, that we weren't allowed to play outside alone anymore. It was after that, that Jennie's name was only said in hushed tones out of the hearing range of the Kim household and out of the hearing range of any child that knew the girl. I may not have fully understood it then but I did know that a part of me was missing and that part would always be missing.