When Doves Cry + The Lost Boys

Chapter Six

The days passed, it felt like the minutes passed by slowly just to agonize me and preserve the anxiety I was flooded with. The store was quiet in the past days, the beach was quiet, my life since coming to Santa Carla was quiet, but it the eeriness of the deserted feeling I had that had gotten to me, for the first time since I got here I had nothing to do but go to work.

My sister still went out every night. We lived different lives, had a different internal clock, hell she might as well live on Mars. 

I supposed Dwayne was still out of town, the rest of the boys followed I had supposed too. I hadn't seen them or even hear the roar of their bikes anymore. I actually began to miss the constant teasing and tension between all of us. 

The Frogg's kept to themselves, I still think the window incident freaked them out. I knew they tried to be tough on the outside, but deep down I think we all knew they were just as freaked out and curious about the whole thing. 

The store was quiet like any habitual Thursday afternoon. A few people were in browsing the racks but they weren't buying anything. I sat at the glass counter writing a letter back home to my mom. She wanted to hear all about the Pacific Ocean, the beaches, and my plans for the fall. Not once did she ask about Abby. I played the good daughter and answered my mother's questions, telling her what every mother wanted to hear. I actually did plan to go to a community college in the fall, how I was paying for it was another question I didn't feel like discussing with my mother. I knew she would feel guilt and demand help paying, but in the end, I would feel the most guilt. 

The bells rang at the door causing me to look up from my paper to my mother. I was met with a solemn teary eyed older woman with large deep brown eyes and match hair. In front of her, she was pushing a stroller containing a baby not any older than one. The baby had the same brown eyes and looked around the flashy store in awe.IN the woman's hand she clutched a paper so tightly, almost afraid she would lose it. 

"May I help you ma'ma?" I asked gaining her attention.

"I'm sorry to but have you seen my son?" she gulped holding out the paper in front of me.

I took the paper and studied it closely. There was no doubt that this was the missing boy's mother. They had the same brown eyes and hair, the boy didn't look to be older than ten. I felt bad for the woman, her child was missing, along with all the other disappearances. 

"His name's Laddie," she said softly, "We were out on the boardwalk one night, and I turned back and..." she stopped from her crying and wiped her eyes.

"He was just gone," I muttered.

She nodded ferociously, "I just want my baby home with me."

I stared at the crinkled paper in front of me, my heartbreaking for the young mother. "Do you have any more paper? I could hang some in the shop if you'd like."

"Oh yes, I'd appreciate that so much." She dug in the purse and pulled a large stack of paper out all with the face of the young boy on them.

"I'm sure someone will find him," I gave her a reassuring smile.

She left with a slight nod before leaving to ask the next person. I wanted the boy to be found safe, but deep down I knew something horrible must have of happened. 

++++

The boardwalk was emptied by the time I finally got out of work. The only thing that was lighting my way home was the dimmed street lights. The rest of the shop windows were dark and everything was closed. Todd got in a shipment of all new music, so naturally, I had to listen to most of them, I simply lost track of time.