Taken | Emmi Butler

ten

Emmi

 

Something's wrong. I'm not quite sure what it exactly is, but I know something isn't the way it's supposed to be.

Those people on the TV... I know them from somewhere.

Well, not them; but their names.

And my name...

It's not Julia, it's Emmi?

Daddy was lying to me?

How, though?

And there were so many faces on the TV, all waiting for a little girl named Emmi...

I've never really met another person... I didn't even know that many people existed in the first place.

Most of the time, it was just me and Daddy.

Our own little world.

He's still driving, I don't bother asking where to. It's strange, being in the car. It's rare we leave, he always says the world is too dangerous. It seems like he's in a hurry, his face is all scrunched up like he's focused on something. It's so quiet on the little road, my stomach jumps to my throat when I hear a siren behind us.

"Shit," he curses, speeding up.

"Daddy!" I yelp. "What's happening?"

"Nothing, baby girl," he says, trying to stay calm. "People are just trying to find me, but I promise, whatever you may hear isn't true! I love you very much, okay?"

I furrow my eyebrows, what's he trying to say?

Is this all about what happened on TV?

It couldn't be, it's all not about me, right?

I'm Julia, I know that. I can't be Emmi.

I don't know what to think anymore.

Daddy finally pulls over, roughly putting the truck to a stop and throws his head onto the steering wheel when the siren gets closer and closer.

Everything's so loud, and all blurry around me. Sirens, voices, Daddy yelling. I cover my ears and pull my knees to my chest. My stomach hurts all of a sudden, and it takes a while for me to notice the tears streaming down my cheeks.

"Sir, please step out of the car," I hear an angry voice say through the front window, followed by Daddy yelling at them. He's really mad, and it's really scary.

"Honey, please come with me," another voice says, opening my door.

"No!" I yell, hugging my knees even tighter. "I don't want to!"

I just want to go back home, and lay in my bed with Daddy. I want him to buy me more pretty dresses, and do my hair while he tells me how pretty I am. I want to go back to yesterday, when my name was still Julia, and everything wasn't so confusing.

"You have to. This man, he's dangerous, okay? He's not your father, you have to believe me."

"He's a good guy!" I tell the voice, my hands still over my ears. "He's my Daddy!"

I'm being lifted out of the car before I have a chance to protest, and they put me in a police car, despite my efforts to kick them and punch them.

"Honey, you need to calm down, okay?"

I finally look up at where the voice is coming from, and I see a woman. She has orange hair, pulled back into a ponytail. I still have tears profusely running down my cheeks, and I try to wipe them way with the back of my hand. I try to stop them from coming, and I hiccup a bit.

"There you go," she smiles at me. "What's your name, honey?"

I bite my bottom lip, "Em- Julia."

She takes a deep breath, sending a thumbs up to the person driving the car. "How old are you, Julia?"

I hold up nine fingers, my thumb in my mouth out of habit.