One By One (editing)

Chapter Seven

I kind of thought it was a dream at first. I mean, who steals a toddler and a baby? How does somebody do it? It was absurd, a stretch. Even with help, it was close to impossible to kidnap both a toddler and a baby. It made me want to throw up. I just couldn't take it all. It was too confusing.

I gripped Teddy's tear stained toy train, listened to the police sirens cry from the next street over, and watched Emily fly out of the front door screaming my name in fear with tears running down her face. Katie followed Emily and they both jumped on me, hugging my like their lives depended on it. I could tell they weren't sure exactly what had happened yet but they definitely had an idea. Everything after that was a haze. The police showed up with my parents on their heels. There was questioning from everybody about everything in explicit detail. I could distantly hear somebody talking that sounded like me but it sounded distorted, the words coming in and out like I was underwater. But I was too numb to notice how faded and hopeless I sounded. Something wet dripped onto my hand and I looked down to find fat, hot tears lolling down my cheek.

After a couple more questions, the police nodded and scribbled some notes down on their pads. When they asked to go check out the scene from upstairs, a tiny shadow appeared in the doorway of the front door. It turned into a figure with curly black hair, pudgy cheeks, and a round little belly.

Teddy?

"Teddy!" Mom gasped and ran to go squeeze him into a hug. Dad let out a nervous breath and kissed the top of Teddy's head.

"I was looking for you!" Teddy cried. His lower lip popped out and he gripped onto my mom and dad's clothes in a way that looked almost painful.

"Aw sweetie, I'm sorry. We went out tonight." Mom combed Teddy's hair out of his eyes.

"I thought you said that he was one of the kids that was kidnapped." One of the policemen faced me.

I was so stunned by Teddy materializing out of nowhere that I tripped over my words, "Um, uh, yeah. He uh wasn't there when I went up. The sheets were all ruffled, same as Jack's so I thought he had been um, kidnapped, too." I visibly gulped. I don't know why I was so nervous.

"Ok." He didn't look totally convinced. Well do you mind if we go look up there?" Dad shook his head and waved them on to go inside.

I pried myself away from Katie and Emily to go give a hug to Teddy. "Hey buddy."

"Hey Carter," he muttered.

"Where'd you go looking for Mommy and Daddy?" I asked, holding him out at arm's length.

"Their bafwoom, bedwoom, and evweewhere," Teddy exasperated, flinging his hands out to show his major effort. If we had been in a different situation, I would have had to restrain a giggle at his dramatic explanation.

Instead I asked, "Did you see Jack climb out of his crib at all?"

"No." Teddy vigorously shook his head. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the policemen approach my parents, their voices low.

"Was Jack still in his crib when you went to go look for Mommy and Daddy?" I bit my lip, already guessing the answer.

"Yes." He squirmed out of my grasp, bored of the conversation and retreated back to Mom and Dad again. I looked over towards Katie and Emily who were slowly making their way back inside the house. Even looking at the backs of their dark figures you could tell they were scared by the way they huddled against each other and walked slowly. I could tell they were whispering about what had happened, their nerves tingling and aware with the slightest movement. My heart hurt so much for them, for Teddy, and for the rest of my siblings. I just wished I could freeze time from this time last Sunday when everyone was here, eating dinner and laughing in the dining room. There was no fear that we might not see each other ever again. There was no fear that somebody was targeting us.

Targeting us. I pinched the bridge of my nose and pondered about who would target us, what they were after, how they planned to accomplish it. It didn't make any sense. I couldn't remember any fights or differences we'd had with anybody that would lead to stealing children. But then the next question was, if someone was targeting us, then who was next?

"Carter!" Mom shouted, snapping my out of my thoughts. Her and my dad were both still talking to the police. "Go inside and get ready for bed. You have school tomorrow. Take Teddy in with you." Dad handed me my three year old brother who had fallen asleep in such an uncomfortable position that Teddy's head was teetering on the edge of Dad's shoulder. Teddy's eyelids fluttered as Dad passed him over but other than that, Teddy was out like a light. I carried him upstairs and tucked him back under the covers, making sure to leave the bedroom door open a crack when I left.

I started to get ready for bed myself. As I was brushing my teeth, I heard Luke walking up the stairs.

"Hey, what's going on out there?" He jerked a thumb towards the front door. "Mom and Dad told me to come upstairs. Why are the police here?"

I spit out the toothpaste, not looking at him as I rinsed my mouth out.

"Carter? Carter, what's going on?" His eyebrows furrowed together, creasing worry lines into his forehead.

"Jack," I croaked.

"What about him?" Luke's voice was smooth, no visible cracks or any hint of an idea that he would guess what I was about to tell him.

My voice cracked. "Jack's gone."

For a second, Luke just didn't respond. Then he blurted out, "You lost our baby brother?"

Hurt flooded me, dropping the pit of my stomach even lower than before. Then it was anger that instinctively took over.

I slapped him across the face hard enough to leave a handprint. "No, I didn't lose him, you jerk," I snapped. "He was kidnapped."

Luke's facial features hardened. His hand shot up to his cheek and he retorted, "Well then congratulations, Jack was kidnapped when you were supposed to be watching him. Sure is better than losing him." Sarcasm mixed with venom to make a dangerous concoction that he spit at me.

Before I did anything else I would regret, I brushed past him to escape to my room, slamming the door behind me. Across the hall, I could hear Luke's door slam as well. I was in disbelief. Did he honestly think that I lost him? Or that I let someone take him? Or was he riled up from something earlier? Ugh, I hated boys.

I tried to crawl into bed and shut my eyes. But it felt like I was suffocating. Like I couldn't get enough air in my lungs no matter how hard I tried. I felt myself hyperventilating. My whole world was spinning out of control. The room appeared to shrink and my head spun. How could the little boy who managed to leave his boogers on my shirt less than seventy-two hours ago really be gone? Seventy-two hours and he was gone. It was surreal. This whole thing was surreal.

First Sam. Then Jack. Now Luke goes and blames me for it. But after a second thought, I realized that maybe it was my fault. I was the one in charge and I fell asleep on the job. I let my baby brother go. I practically handed him to the kidnapper, "Hey, here's my baby brother. He barely walks, doesn't talk, and has so much hair you could make a wig out of it. Feel free to take him. No, just give him back whenever."

I swung my legs over the side of the bed, coming to the conclusion that I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. Hanging my head in my hands, I remembered my mom's request to clean out my closet. So I dragged myself over, determined to feel a smidge better than the worthless failure I felt like now. But as I was sorting through some shoes, I found a piece of paper secretly tucked into one of them. It was white, square, and folded in half.

You know how they say 'curiosity killed the cat'? Well my curiosity almost killed me because of the freakin' heart attack I almost had from reading the note.

In loopy letters it said: It wasn't your fault. 

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Heyyyy I know it's been a while since I've updated but I'm working on it. As always, thanks a million for reading/voting/fanning! <3

-_ginger333_