Sick, Twisted Lies. [Short Story]

The sun was shining like every other warm summers day; the town was bustling with cheery liveliness; people excited to get out from school and work, preparing for summer. Everyone in the small, quaint town was oblivious. Nobody had any idea as to what was happening just a few miles away, not even the very people that knew her. Everyone was bustling around, smiling and laughing. Nobody noticed her disappearance. Of course, she wasn’t exactly a bold person anyway, but still, one would have expected her absence to be noticed. A few miles away, crows fled from the treetops in a mad dash as a blood-curdling scream tore its way through the beautiful summer’s day peace. Quickly, 2 more screams echoed. Then, it was silent.

*****

Her mother laid the table as always, 8 plates. 2 adults, 6 children. She came from a big family, which wasn’t uncommon in the town of Jerley. Her mother heaved a sigh of relief after laying all the plates-steaming with food- on the table. She cared like no other mother for her family. No matter how far they pushed her, she still loved them dearly. She would do anything for them. If one of them got hurt in any way...She would die.

Leaning against the counter, she took a moments rest. ‘What did I do to deserve such a wonderful family?’ She thought cheerfully. Just then, there was a knock at the door, and 5 of the children came bustling in for lunch. The oldest of them –George, who was 17– pushing past the littlest ones and helping himself to a truckload of food. Patricia, the mother, smiled lovingly as she looked at them all. George, Daniel, Mary, Sarah and Simon. But...’Where is rose?’ She thought to herself, her smile faltering slightly.

‘’Kids, have any of you seen Rose?’’ She questioned.

All of them looked around, as if they had just now noticed their sibling’s absence. Mary shook it off, saying,

‘’She is probably still out playing with that Polly girl. It is a wonderful day today!’’ All of the other siblings nodded and Patricia accepted the answer, seeing as Rose was always round Polly’s.

Soon, they had all left again and Patricia asked them to bring their sister back if they saw her.

*****

Her husband came in an hour later, muddy and out of breath. He was always late to lunch, but today he was extra late. His tall, towering frame, beady eyes and well-defined muscles intimidated most people, which was good considering he was a police officer. He was not always as cheerful as his wife, but he had his moments.

‘’Sorry I was late’’ Said his rough, growling voice.

‘’What were you doing?’’ Came the reply from Patricia’s mouth, her voice soft as silk. The complete opposite to her husband’s.

All he replied was, ‘’Things.’’ Patricia backed away, knowing not to mess with him.

He sat down silently to eat and not another word passed between them: it was a tense atmosphere. The only thing that could be heard was the low hum of the radio playing an Elvis song and the tick-tick of the clock.

Later when everyone sat down for dinner, Rose was still not there. The children had not found her and although Patricia had rung Polly’s house phone many times, there was no reply. She was starting to get worried. Rose had never been gone this long. Tears started to form in her eyes and her hands started to shake. The children were worried too. The only calm person in the house was the father. He had remained in the seat the whole time, silent and unmoving.

Her mother, Patricia, reached for the phone and through her tears mumbled out she was calling the police.

5 minutes after calling there was a knock at the door and the gruff voices of the 2 policemen could be heard from behind it. Her mother answered the door and by now she was a nervous wreck. She could barely stand on her own 2 feet. Their sharp voices cut through the thick air of nerves in the household like a knife. They asked basic questions like ‘’what does she look like?’’, ’’age?’’, ’’where was she last seen?’’, ‘’friends?’’ and if there were any possible reasons for her disappearance. All the while bored expressions masked their faces, as if they could care less about the little girl that was currently missing. They finished and informed Patricia and her family they would be in contact soon with any possible leads, and they would be working hard at the station. The door closed with a slam, due to the high speed winds outside.