Because of a Girl Like Me

Chapter 1.

THIS IS AN UNEDITED VERSION. TO READ THE PUBLISHED VERSION FOLLOW THE LINK IN MY BIO!

We interrupt the music to bring new information from Stoneacre, Alabama, as news reports are flying in of yet another girl reported missing from the area. Sixteen year old Kathleen Everglade was last seen two nights ago at a friend's house. Her friends and family say she was last seen wearing a red t-shirt and black shorts. Everglade is 5'4 with green eyes and brown hair, weighing about 120lbs. Anyone with any information on this teen are urged to call the local police department. Her mother released this statement at the news conference earlier this morning. "If anyone knows where our baby girl is, please help her come back to us. Kathleen, we love you sweetheart, be strong. To whoever did this, please, just let her go. She's our only child and we need her back home with us." Her mother's words were broadcast on national news today as the sleepy town of Stoneacre in Alabama has been thrust into the media with now a known third girl missing within three months. In the past months, nineteen year old Meghan Slyter of Stoneacre, and Tracy Hillman of the adjacent town, Moore, were reported missing, and remain so at this time. The police currently have no leads in any of the now three cases. Stay tuned to 94.8 The Sounds for the latest updates on the ongoing investigations. Be safe out there. Now, back to the music with Adel's newest single, 'When we were Young'.....

"Can you believe the way they talk about this town?"

I heard Sean's question, but I knew him well enough to know he didn't expect an answer.

"I mean, sure, we aren't New York City or anything, but damn." He sighed loudly. "We aren't a bunch of backwoods hicks either. 'Sleepy town.'" He scoffed, waiving his hand around flippantly. "When have you ever thought of this place as a sleep town? I don't know where they come up with this bull sometimes." He continued to ramble on, but I mostly tuned him out. He could be a little bit like a dog with a bone once something got him fired up. He wasn't completely wrong though, Stoneacre isn't like a teeny tiny place or anything. We've got things going on. There's a movie theater, lots of shops and restaurants, and we've even got a bar. When I think of a sleepy town, I think of a place like Moore, where that other girl went missing from. Moore is literally two miles of road with nothing but houses, a couple of churches, and a post office. "Sienna?" Sean asked. "You alright?" He reached over to rest his hand on my knee. His words broke through my thoughts and I realized I had just been sitting here staring out of the passenger side window for twenty minutes now.

"Yeah, sorry, babe." I responded quickly. "I guess I zoned out a little." I told him, laughing it off. "I think I'm just a little weirded out by all the kidnappings...What do you think happened to them?"

"Don't know, babe." He said without taking any time to think about it. "This sort of thing doesn't really happen around here, so it's kind of hard to have any clue what's happening." His words were anything but comforting. "Nothing you need to worry about, though." He added, and squeezed my knee and gave me one of his charming smiles.

That night I was tormented by nightmares. I kept dreaming that I was being followed, but every time I'd try to run, or to scream, I would wake up. I tried a few times to go back to sleep, but when I would, the dreams would just continue.

This whole thing with all of the missing girls has really been getting to me lately. I've lived in Stoneacre for nineteen years; my whole life. In all of that time we have never had any real crime. Every so often you'd hear about a drug bust going on in one of the trailer parks on the outskirts of town, but never anything like this. It has everyone unnerved. I can't pinpoint why it's bugging me so badly, though. It's not like I've known any of the other girls personally. I just keep putting myself in their shoes, and thinking of how afraid they must be. Well, that is if they are capable of feeling anything at all anymore.

That's it. I can't be having thoughts like that while my dad is out of town and I have the apartment to myself. All I'm doing is freaking myself out.

I got out of bed and pulled up my covers since clearly, I'm not getting any sleep tonight. I looked at my phone, and groaned when I saw it was only 12:45. I would have sworn I had been trying to sleep longer than that.

I lazily walked down the hallway to the apartment's only bathroom. After I'd finished my business, I looked into the large mirror and sighed. The same nagging thought that had been jumping into my head over and over since the kidnappings started, popped right in again. I look like them. The other girls. All three of the missing girls have things in common with each other. Each of them are in their older teen years, on the shorter side, with brown hair, and green eyes. Staring at myself in the mirror makes a little shiver run up my spine. I'm just like them. I'm 5'5 and 115lbs. My long brown hair flows down passed my shoulder blades, and the layers frame my heart shaped face.

I've always thought of myself as attractive. Of course, I'd never say that to anyone because then they'd think I'm conceited, but I don't think I'm horrible to look at. I'm not too tall, but not overly short either. I've never had any issues with my body. I'm naturally thin, and although I was a late bloomer, my body has become much more womanly over the last couple of years. I look up under my long lashes and my big green eyes still look striking, even with the lack of sleep. It's easy to figure out why the missing girls gets to me so much when I'm in front of a mirror. Who wouldn't be a little on edge knowing they look just like the girls who are being kidnapped left and right.

I made a mental note to call the salon soon and get a hair appointment. Maybe if I switch things up, I won't feel so nervous all the time.

I let out a laugh under my breath and smile at my reflection. I know I'm being ridiculous, but it has always been hard for me not to let my imagination run away with me. I crouched down and began shifting through the things in my cabinet until I found my moisturizer. I twisted off the cap and went to squirt it into my hand.

I stopped dead when I heard a loud thud coming from down the hall.