Fatal Attractions

Chapter Thirteen

     Regardless of how much my heart was racing and my thoughts were swimming wildly, I slept like a baby that night. No tossing, no turning. No waking up and trying to get comfortable so I can fall back asleep. No bad dreams. It was honestly the best sleep I'd had in a while.

     I could see a sliver of light leaking in through the top of the the curtains as I lay in bed, huddled in the covers, not wanting to move. I was too comfortable. What reason did I have to get out of bed?

     "Good morning, princess!"

     Well, I guess Andrew barging in would be one of them. He swung the door open and strode in, coming over to me.

     "You've made the front page," he said, plopping a rolled up newspaper next to me on the bed. I sat up and grabbed it, holding it eye level in front of me. Just like Andrew said, my face was plastered on the front page of the newspaper. Washington Girl,18, Mysteriously Vanishes, Family And Police Pursue Search.

     My eyes grew wide and I leaned over and turned on the bedside lamp, then opened the paper up more to read the article.

     Helena Bennett of Lynnwood, Washington was last seen 36 hours ago at a house party on the corner of Haymer and Broad. She got a ride to the party with a friend, Lindsey Hartlet, 18, around 6 o'clock PM on Friday, June 14th. She was last seen in the backyard of Johnathan Kramer, 19, who was throwing the party. Witnesses say she was talking to a man before leaving the party with him.

     No one has been able to identify the man so far, but the friends and family of Helena Bennett, and the Lynnwood Police Department have began a city-wide search for the Lynnwood High School graduate. She was last seen wearing dark wash jeans, a grey v-neck t-shirt and a dark blue jacket. The family reports that Helena carries a cell phone with her, but no activity has been made from the cell phone within the past 36 hours.

     If you have seen Helena Bennett, or know of her whereabouts, please contact the Lynnwood Police Department at 802-556-9271.

     Below the article was a smaller school photo of me, and a list of physical descriptions.

     DOB : May 12, 1995

     Height : 5 feet 3 inches

     Weight : 124 lbs.

     Eye Color : Green

     Hair Color : Auburn

     I sat silent on the bed, not knowing what to do. Alex had told me not to worry about my family or anyone else, but how could I not worry when they and the police were out looking for me? 

     I was officially a missing person, and that fact made my skin crawl. I had always seen the news stories on TV, and the articles in the papers, and the pictures on the wall of grocery stores. I was one of those pictures now. But I was only missing. Regardless of anything, I was still safe, right?

     "Hello? Anyone home?" Andrew said, waving his hand in front of my face. I grabbed his hand and shoved it away.

     "Get out," I breathed, my grip tightening on the newspaper. I had never meant to put anyone, especially my family, through any pain or misfortune that they didn't deserve. But here I was, a state away, while everyone back in Lynnwood was searching for me.

     "Hey now, calm down. If I knew you were gonna' get all bitchy with me, I would've kept the news to myself," he said, crossing his arms. It was apparent he wasn't going to give me any privacy.