MISSING

PART THREE

3.

The day after her father's funeral, Ashley sat in silence on a bench out back of the family home and stared out off into the distance as far as her eyes could see, a stare she would have despite the fact she could not stop the flow of tears. Though it felt like hours, she probably was alone for only a few minutes by the time Gavin came out and sat next to her. For a few minutes at least, he too sat in silence.

The sky had an orange glow to it, the sun was going down making it all the more difficult to look straight ahead. Oddly enough it would be straight ahead where Gavin would want to direct his sisters' attention to.

The house itself is detached and the nearest neighbours are at least a couple minutes of a walk away. There are no walls but there is fencing surrounding the home, so there is nothing of note to impede a good old stare.

'Do you remember the slide we used to have out there?'

'Yeah,' responds Ashley with a smile taking hold upon her face. 'I remember you going down it headfirst, almost breaking your neck ...'

Gavin smiles. Off to one side, into open space is where the siblings soon direct their stare, and they do this almost in unison. How odd it is that the vies offers the impression that the distance with which they could see was one of infinity. The space seems to stretch out ... forever ...

'See that big tree down there?' Gavin asks.

'What big tree?'

'That one right there, right on its own.'

Ashley shaded her eyes from a setting sun, 'yeah?'

'Few weeks back, dad began building us a tree house. He didn't get to finish it, but it does have a base. Wanna go sit there for a bit?'

'Sure.'

The two made their way to the tree. Gavin began climbing and he helped his sister up. That base Gavin spoke of was indeed strong, sturdy, and definitely more than capable of holding the weight of both brother and sister with plenty of space to spare. Ashley's tears stopped flowing completely as she turned to look at her brother. Looking at him at this moment actually brought back the smile on her face. He placed his arm across her shoulders. He could be cheeky at times and terribly annoying ... often making fun of his sister, but this moment, at this very time, it is time to be a caring brother.

'It will be alright. We will be alright.'

This is the memory that came to mind as Ashley sat on that floor of that moving mobile home. She will be alright. I will be alright. This is what she told herself. She sat in the middle of that small room, a few feet away from and to one side of that window. It didn't seem all so dark with that curtain having been pulled open. It is getting dark outside though through the window, a view of the setting sun is unimpeded.

The room stopped moving. There was a sound of a door opening and then closing, this sound came from outside. Maybe whoever was driving whatever it was or is that has been pulling the mobile home has got out of the vehicle. Ashley watches out of the window. Even from her position below that window she can see something or rather someone. A man passes briefly by that window. Ashley panics, her heart begins to pound. Her eyes open wide.

The man who passed by the window was wearing a cap. Ashley could not see his face. Does she know him? Or is he a stranger? Did he kidnap her? It sounds like the door to this mobile home is being unlocked. Oh no, he's coming in.

***

It is a little after ten in the evening. Ashley has been missing for almost thirty-eight hours. Searches had been ongoing all day but had only just been called off due to darkness. Nothing new had been discovered. No clues, no new information, nothing. The police were as much in the dark as to where a small town fifteen-year girl could have got to, as it is with everyone else, so it seemed.

Gavin once again returns home. His mum straight away heads for him and the two hug.

'I'm sorry mum, I'm sorry for running off. I couldn't find Ash ... she's not anywhere ...'

'Alright, Gavin, it's alright. We need you to try and be calm now, OK? If there is anything you can think of that may aid the police find your sister, then you need to tell them. It doesn't matter how small or insignificant you think any information might be, you never know, it might just help find Ashley.'

Gavin turned and looked around. The same two offices who were present that morning were present in the house at this particular moment. He took a moment or so before speaking.

'Ashley went out after dark the night before she went missing; she left and later returned through her bedroom window.'

'What?' Rita asked most definitely with surprise. '... Where did she go?'

'Young man' spoke one of the officers, 'please, tell us where she went.'

'I don't know where she went or who she might have met or even if she did meet anyone.'

'Are you sure about that? Please it could make all the difference.'

Gavin wished he knew. His eyes began to well as a few possibilities of what might be happening to his sister begin to sink in.

'I'm sure' he struggled to speak, 'I have no idea where she may have gone.'

Gavin thinks for a moment and has a brief realization. If it can aid with anything he does not know but it is something he will speak of.

'It is possible that maybe Ash went out to that big tree out back. It is a place she likes to go sit; actually, we both like to go sit there, especially with that base dad had built out there.'

Despite the darkness outside, a brief inspection of that tree takes place. Once morning comes there is further inspection of that tree. Something would be discovered, something that Gavin has not seen before. Etched into the wooden flooring up in that tree are the words 'help me'. Ashley must have done that, for if she didn't then who did?

***

Outside that mobile home two dogs bark. The barking sounds as if it is coming from just beyond the door. With the barking taking place, it seems that the door is no longer being fiddled with. Whoever that man that Ashley had seen is, he is no longer trying to get inside. The dogs have distracted him. Is there someone else outside? Is it possible that someone can help her?

'Hello?' she calls out. 'Hello' she calls out again, this time a little louder, '... somebody help me.'