Footprints in the snow

Chapter 3

Marco and I couldn't fall asleep that night. We just laid in bed and stared at the ceiling, recalling past memories.

Like when Josh and Julie first learned how to walk.

"Marco! Keep the camera running."

I could tell they were close to a breakthrough, I could just feel it. They mastered standing by themselves, and walking when we held their hands. They just couldn't take a step by themselves.

"Babe, they have time to learn. I think that's enough for today." Marco said as he turned the camera off.

"Marco, no! They might start to walk, turn the camera back on!"

We began to argue over the twins. How they should be walking, how they should be talking. Little things really.

At that moment, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Josh and Julie grab hands and stand up together. They proceed to walk towards Marco and I, who were standing there wide eyed with our mouths open.

We both picked up a twin and kissed them on their cheeks.

"See? Mommy is always right." 

I didn't want to talk anymore. There were so many good times within those two short years that we were all together.

"Marco? Who do you think took them-"

"No, Evie. No. We are not going to think about that." Marco cut me off.

"But, Marco-" I tried.

"I said no, Evie!" He suddenly yelled.

Marco let out a long breath and turned away from me. He was angry with me, I could tell. Whenever he sighed and turned away from me like that, it was best for me to leave him alone.

I laid down and stared at the back of his head. Soon, his rhythmic snores filled the room. There was no way I could go to bed. Not now, at least. I just need to know who they think it was that took my babies.

I crept out of the bed and put on my robe. It was cold but if I turned off the A/C, Marco would be able to hear me moving around. He'd wake up and ask me what I was doing, then I'd have to tell him, then he'd get angrier.

There was a box-shaped computer in the corner of the room along with a small flameless candle. With every step I took, the floor creaked and Marco moved around in his sleep. I took 3 huge steps and made it to the desk. I looked over at Marco and he was still sound asleep.

I sat down in the old wooden chair and turned on the flameless candle. Looking with my eyes, I couldn't find the power button on the computer. I ran my hands along the back of the box and  found a button. I pressed it and the word "Welcome" appeared on the screen. When it finished processing, it took me to it's home screen. For an old computer, it had newly updated software.

I clicked on Internet Explorer and searched "Manhattan, Kansas Kidnapper". It took a few seconds, but a bunch of stories about kidnappings in Manhattan popped up. I clicked on "Recent" and 3 stories came up. One about a 4 year old girl and two about two 3 year old boys. I clicked on the one about the little girl and began reading the report.

A 4-year-old girl, Cadence, went to the park on a snowy morning with her mother and her 10-year-old brother. Cadence and her brother began playing hide and seek. Her brother went seeking and he couldn't find her. Witnesses say they saw a tall, white, male walking with a little girl who resembled Cadence but they couldn't make out his face.

I wanted to stop reading. I wanted to crawl back in bed, next to Marco, and forget everything.

But I couldn't.