"The Field" by Hannah

Chapter 4

Waking up in the morning was hard to do. I had no desire to start the day, especially after last night's traumatic experience. Slowly, I slithered out of bed and made my way downstairs. Upon walking into the kitchen, I discovered that the house was quiet. No one was home. On the counter was a note signed from mom and dad. It read, "Dear Emma, we've gone to the Police Department to report the missing girls. We will be back by nightfall. I left some left overs in the fridge for you to heat up if you're hungry. Stay safe, we love you. -Mom and Dad"

I placed the note flat on the counter again, realizing how bored I was. I went to find Jackie and Penny, then realized that they were gone. Glancing at the oven timer,I saw that it was three o'clock. I decided that I needed to step outside, if I isolated myself in the dreary house all day, I'd surely go nuts. So I threw on a blouse and jeans, knotted my chestnut hair in the back of my head, and stepped out onto the front porch. It appeared to be just another beautiful November afternoon, with the trees showering their leaves of red and orange onto the lawns. The sky was cloudless and the wind was non-existent. Such serenity. Then a noise shattered the blue, blue, sky. "Three three eight. Three three nine. Three three eight. Three three nine." My heart jumped into my throat, I knew exactly what that was about. I bolted towards the old vacant gas station, where the intercom was located. The speaker mocked me as tears of disgust ran down my face. "Three three eight. Three three nine. Three three eight. Three three nine." It went on and on, the bitter words stabbing me in the chest. "Stop it! Stop it!" I shrieked, as if this would do anything. The endless announcement in the humanoid female's voice continued until it sealed the the cold tribute with "May you find your way out, one way or another." With that, the world was once again silent. Enraged, I kicked the pole repeatedly until my foot was throbbing. Pain didn't affect me, I fell to my knees and sobbed. To the authority, my sister and friend, as well as everyone else who disappeared in The Field, were nothing more than a number. I lifted my head to the flawless blue sky. "They were my friends! She was my little sister! How dare you label them as nothing more than mere numbers! They were people! With feelings and ambitions, it's all gone now because of you senseless shits!" I don't know what I was yelling at, or why I did it. I just laid there in the dirt and cried, and that was the most pathetic moment of my life. I do not know how long I was there alone, but I sat up when I heard the sound of a car rolling into the lot.

When the dust settled, I recognized the little red Jeep Cherokee immediately. Mom and dad rushed over to me and grabbed me in their arms, where they held me for a very long time. When they released me, I saw that my mother was in tears. "What are you doing here by yourself, Emma? We were looking for you high and low. I thought that I had lost another child!" My mother's face was aged and weathered. Her usually naturally beautiful complexion seemed ridden with sorrow and restlessness. She was older today.

During dinner that night, it was like shoveling dirt into my mouth. I found it physically impossible to eat. I felt sick to my stomach on various occasions, and finally dropped my fork onto my plate in surrender. The loud clatter startled my parents. "Emma, just go to bed if you cannot finish your meal." my father scolded, obviously not in the mood for any B.S. tonight. Getting the idea, I washed my plate at the sink and was on my way upstairs when I heard my mom's distressed sobs."Oh, honey. I don't know what to do! The police are refusing to do anything to help us find the girls. It would be heartless for us to give up, but..." My heart froze. I should've known that this would happen. It seemed that people could care less about the whereabouts of Jackie and Penny, and it made me sick. How could this be? I bounded up the stairs, and flopped onto my bed. The last of the late summer's crickets cooed outside, as if attempting to comfort me. I walked across the room to the window, opening it all the way and stuck my head out. Looking over the houses, I saw the edge of the forrest. It was the scariest place I had ever known, yet I could see it from my bedroom window. I guess sometimes life's scariest things are where you least expect them.

But then I built courage. I remembered what mom had said, about the police refusing to search for Penny and Jackie. I wasn't going to just sit around and let them suffer. I now glared at the woods in the distance, then sneered at it, shutting my window. I wasn't scared anymore.