Taken From Reality

Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Lori’s POV

I jumped in my car faster than I ever have, speeding down the highway with trembling hands. Ten minutes ago I received one of the worst phone calls I could have ever expected, the man on the line told me they had found her cellphone outside of the school on the ground along with a rock with blood on it. They told me she may have been kidnapped. My mind was twisting and I felt like I was going to throw up, I stop serial killers all of the time, I save kids, but now I don’t even know what happened to my own or where she is. If I had only listened to her on the phone, maybe I could have helped in a way. This just can’t be true.

I pulled up to the building and was blinded by all the flashing lights, I ran from my car leaving my door wide open to the yellow police tape. I watched as they placed her cellphone into a bag and began sobbing uncontrollably.

“Mam may I help you?” The policeman asked as he noticed my concern.

“That’s, that’ssss… ANIKA!”  I screamed at the top of my lungs. Then suddenly an older cop came over and whispered something in the man’s ear and then he walked away.

“Hello Mrs. Sterling, I’m George Craigen, I’m in charge of your daughters disappearance.”

“Disappearance? How do you know for sure, maybe she just left wi-.”

“Mam, the rock we found had human blood on it, it’s being processed at the lab now but at this point in time it is looking like she may have been taken without her consent.”

I stared at him longingly, not knowing exactly what to say or do. My body was stiff.

“Are there any witnesses?” I asked with hope rising up in my voice.

“Unfortunately not mam, everyone was inside at the dance, it seems she came outside to make a phone call.”

Those words crushed me inside, why didn’t I listen to her? Why was I so rude?

“Mam if you don’t mind I would like an officer to take you home and there we will collect a few items, we’re going to need something with her DNA on it an-.”

“I know the drill sir.” I said as I showed him my badge. His eyebrow creased together and he just nodded.

I followed the younger officer to his car and we drove the seemingly endless way back to my house. He collected the items he needed and then left me alone with notice to come into the station first thing in the morning. After closing the door, my legs went numb and I slid down to the floor, shaking and wanting to go out and do something.