To Protect A Child, To Love A Child

Chapter 12

Ashley woke up with a splitting headache and almost no sense of where she was. When she finally got her bearings and was able to focus her eyes she realized she was still downstairs in her living room. She tried to remember what had happened the night before but could only come up with jumbled images. She remembered making it home with Abby and opening the door to that guy she didn't know right away. *Diego...* she recalled. She remembered downing half a bottle of pills and more guys showing up that Diego had invited but after that it all goes blank. She tried to force herself to remember more but that only made her head throb more with pain. Not being able to stand the pain, she quickly found her pills and washed a few down with water, it was too early for the "hard stuff" even for her. Over the rim of her glass she surveyed the room, there was no sign of the guys from last night nor did there seem to be any sign of them stealing anything, *Thank God* she thought. The clock then caught Ashley's eye *10 o'clock? Usually Abby is up by now...* she pondered as she made her way upstairs to her daughter's room to check on her.

When Ashley arrived at the closed door, she quietly turned the knob and pushed the door open not wanting to wake her daughter if she was still asleep, *She never gets to sleep in* Ashley thought with a smile. When Ashley finally had the door open wide enough to have a clear view of Abby's bed, her heart sunk when it appeared that the bed had never been slept in. Ashley threw the door open the rest of the way and tried not to panic as she walked around the room and Abby's connected bathroom, *It's a big house...she could be anywhere...outside, in the kitchen...I mean she does never sleep in so maybe she got an early start* Ashley looked at the made bed *but she never makes her bed...I have to force her every morning*. In that instance she heard a noise that sounded like it came from the kitchen, her eyes widened and then she took off down the steps in that direction. "Abby?" Ashley called as she entered the kitchen seeing that someone was obviously in the pantry, but her heart sank for the second time when she saw it was the housekeeper, "Oh Mrs. Ramirez, it's just you...have you seen Abby this morning?" Ashley asked becoming more and more worried.

"No Ms. Abbott...I haven't seen her, when I went upstairs this morning to get her laundry and seen she was not there I just assumed she had spent the night at a friends or something...is something wrong?" Mrs. Ramirez asked worried.

"No...No everything is fine, I must have just forgotten...Abby's schedule is so hectic sometimes...don't worry, I'll figure it out," Ashley tried to assure her and herself as she slowly walked back into the living room trying her best to recall were Abby might be. "She didn't have soccer practice this morning" Ashley noticed Abby's keyboard still propped up against the wall "no piano lessons today" she racked her brain frantically hoping to come up with the answer trying not to let herself think of the worst case possible *What if one of those guys from last night took her...or hurt her...or worse...no...no that isn't what happened* shaking that thought from her mind telling herself there had to be another answer to where Abby was. Not being able to stand not doing anything and being stuck with just her thoughts, Ashley picked up the phone and decided to call everyone that Abby could possibly be with and she wasn't going to give up until she found her daughter.*What kind of mother doesn't know where herdaughter is...this is all my fault...please just let her be okay...please* Shethought as she listened to the phone ring as she waited for the first person shecalled to pick up.