Searching For Scarlett [Undergoing edits]

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You ineffectual, scanty rug rat! Because of you, our Scarlett is gone! Why couldn't they take you, you infuriating, repulsive ankle biter!" Mariana's mother roared.

"I tried! I chased it and it led me to a dead end! What was I supposed to do?" Mariana defended herself, wrapping her arms around her.

"You ghastly---!" Her father took a deep breath. "You know to treat us with civility!" He snarled. "Apologize," her father ordered.

Mariana flinched and averted her eyes to her father's shoes underneath the glass coffee table separating them and opened her mouth to speak when there was a knock on the door.

Using it as her excuse, Mariana shot out of the family room where her parents were sitting on the couch in front of the television and reached the front door.

She quickly opened it, praying it was Child Support. Mariana frowned when she saw a blank front porch. She carefully extended her head out of the doorway and craned her head around, seeing nothing out of the sorts; her yard and street were dark and deserted. 

Mariana looked up and just then, a rock fell from the sky, narrowly missing Mariana's face.

She instinctively jerked back, then looked up again. 

She could barely see due to the overhanging roof, but what she could was only twinkling stars littering the inky night sky.

 Mariana's gaze dropped to the rock and was surprised when she noticed the note that was tied precariously to the jagged hunk of earth.

Mariana stared at if for a few seconds before picking up the cold, hard rock and bringing it inside, closing the door behind her. She bustled back to the family room, already knowing she would be scolded for taking so long to answer the door, then interviewed about the mysterious rock and note.