Lost Forever

Chapter 1

"He never returned home from school, now I'm at the police station, Dylan could you please drive around, see if you can see him?" Robert's pleading voice whimpered through the speaker of my phone, and I stared forward intently.

It was happening all over again, except, it wasn't us this time. I glanced up at the clock on the wall, 9:30 pm. 

It had all started earlier that day when Rob's son, Joe, hadn't returned home from school. He had searched everywhere and he insisted I should search again, being a good friend, I was more than happy to, but I didn't think that there was any point. It was out of our hands. 12 year old boys are bound to run off. 

Luckily, Molly and Darby were at their mother's house tonight so I wouldn't need to make any extra, unnecessary arrangements for the two of them. Me and Romania, their mother, had gotten married at 21, but divorced at 25 when I found out that she was just after my money. Unfortunately, there was no pre nup involved so she was entitled to half of everything I owned, which included the money. So she had herself quite the business now.

I told him I would go and look for them before he thanked and hung up the phone. 

I grabbed my coat, locked the door, and entered my shiny, silver car. I pulled out of my drive before roaming around the block a couple more times, not spotting anyone of the same build or height as Joe.

Finally, after passing it almost four times, I decided to stop at Emma's house. I knocked lowly on the door before she opened it, startled.

"Hello," she greeted me kindly.

"Hi," I replied, concerned.

"What brings you here?" she asked me, confusion spreading across her face.

"Joseph has gone missing." 

"What?" She asked, dazed.

"You heard," I sighed and entered her house.

I heard her close the door as she came into the living room. I placed myself beside her fiance, Charlie, and frantically shook.

"Im really worried," I said, "its not like him to go running off, he's only 12."

"What about Yasmine? He might have gone to see Callum?" Charlie suggested.

It was true, Joe felt alot about Callum. He would see him every Saturday because he enjoyed playing with the little four year old. 

I yanked out my phone before retrieving Yasmine's name and face from my contacts and hitting the call button.

"Hello?" She questioned down the phone.

"Hi its me, you haven't seen Joe at all today have you?" I asked.

"No not today, why?" 

"Because, well, he's kind of gone missing." 

----------------7 HOURS EARLIER------------------------

Joe's POV: 

I stroked my hand through my bristly short hair and stared intently at the clock, watching the minute hand edge close and closer to quater to three. That's when this nightmare would end. Well, at least for a while. It would come rolling back the next morning at 8:30. 

After what seemed like hours of waiting, oh wait it was, the bell finally blasted through the school and the loud screams and shouts of the students filled the halls. 

I stood up from my desk and pulled out my bag from underneath, pulling it onto my back.

I tried to wait until everyone had left the classroom so i could leave, but Miss Cookie dismissed us by table, my table always being the quietest, therefore the first to leave. 

I quickly sped through the door once she dismissed our table and flew down the hallway. Finally, I could see the doors, I was almost there, where the torture would en- SMACK.

The ball hit the back of my head like a wrecking ball through a building. As this happened, I smacked the front of my face on the door and heard something crunch.

I held my nose in shock and pain before pulling open the door and fleeing through the school gates. I knew exactly who it was, Brodie Might, the person who enjoyed to take the mick out of others. I heard him shout as I paced up the road: "You running back to mummy? Oh... wait." And then all his mates burst into fits of laughs, while tears streamed down my face and over my hand. 

Yasmine's house was now in view but I couldn't let her see me with a nose bleed. As I went past, I raced up the hill before coming to the top. 

The woods were just before me, somewhere I always hung out after school, making an excuse every time to my dad like 'I was at my mates' or 'I was at the library'. He was getting too friendly with his new girlfriend 'Gina' to even notice I was lying. 

I entered the woods, treading the leaves across the path that i had already ready made. I plucked a leaf from one of the trees and wiped my nose. Finally, deep within the woods, I came to my den. It wasn't much, just a shelter, a seat I had made, a desk and a few apples. 

I sat down on my handmade chair after slinging my bag onto the floor. I pulled out a book from underneath the desk and began to read. I had a little library going on under there, the books included Dylan's lost series, Harry Potter, Hunger Games and Divergent. At the minute, i was re-reading Mockingjay.

Snap. My head shot toward the entrance of my den as I heard the approach of a passerby. I placed my hand over my mouth to stop my breathing from being heard, feeling the dry blood in the process of this. 

The footsteps nearing, my breathing increasing, the footsteps louder, my heart beating faster.

"Y'alright mate?" A man said, looking at me. He had a slight stubble, chocolate brown hair and wore a red jacket with white tassels.

I took my hand from my mouth and greeted him with a smile.

"Here," he offered, taking a packet of tissues from his back pocket and handing me one.

"Thanks," I replied, wiping what was left of the moist blood away. 

"What's your name then?" He asked me, sitting opposite.

"Its Joseph, but people call me Joe. Whats yours?" I asked, becoming a little too friendly with him. 

"Ahh, its Daniel, but you can call me Dan if you like," He grinned at me. I smiled back at him before closing my book.

"Do I know you?" I asked.

"Nope..." he paused, "but I know you."

Dylan's POV: 

I Lent myself up upon my elbow, staring at my phone on the bedside table. Robert's name flashed continuously, along with the sound of a ringing telephone.  

I took my phone before pressing the answer button. 

"Hello?" I croaked. I glanced at the clock. 3:30 am. 

"The Police have found a trace to his phone, its in Bluewell woods," Robert stammered. I sat up completely. 

"When are they going?" I asked.

"They're going tomorrow morning. I haven't seen or spoke to Gina at all today, I need some company, can I stop at yours?" He asked. 

"Yes, of course you can," I sighed. He told me he'd be here in the next ten minutes as I shot up from my bed and took a comfy blanket and a spare quilt from the airing cupboard.

I lay them down on the sofa and made it look as comfy as possible.

"I made your bed for you," I told him as he slumped through the door. 

"Thanks," he sighed, flopping onto it. 

"Look, i know its got to be hard, because I couldn't imagine losing Darby or Molly, it hurts just thinking about it and I think-" I was interrupted by his snoring as I realized he had already fallen asleep.

I slogged back up to my bed before staring at a photo on my bedside table. On it was me, my ex-wife, Darby, Molly, Yasmine, Peter (her husband), Callum, Emma, Charlie, Robert and Joe. I smiled at the sight before whispering:

'Where are you Joe?'