My Girl

11 Months After Tatum Went Missing

Reedan

I lay in my bed my little six year old brother sleeping on my chest with my ten year old brother curled into a ball on the other side of me. They did this every night. Every night since Tatum went missing. Eleven months, one week, and six days. The one year anniversary was slowly creeping up but I couldn't take it. Ryder, who is six, asked daily if we would find Tatum today. He pulls his cowboy boots on and a plaid button down shirt she accidently left before she went missing on. Its way too big but he refuses to take it off and we don't force him to. Its his only way to hold on to her and who am I to judge i wear one of her baseball caps and sleep on her pillows under her blankets most nights. Ryder also keeps a picture of him and her in his hand or pockets at all times. He was so close to her and she loved him like a little brother so much that she would do anything for him and I loved her even more for that. Nathan, who is ten, secretly cries every now and then. She was also like a sister to him. He tries to keep a brave face but i have walked in on him sobbing into his pillow more times than not. He stole one of her teddy bears and keeps it hidden away thinking no one knows he has it but we all do. She was so kind to them. She would take them fishing and hunting and swimming and running and even to play a game of baseball or football. Tate always wanted younger siblings but it never happened so she kinda took mine under her wing. I can't tell you how many times we got told how pretty our family was because they were always with us and one was always holding her hand. I miss that. I miss being called her boyfriend and seeing her smile as she told them that she was only sixteen. She would be seventeen now, she turned seventeen six months ago, four months after me. I remember the surprise birthday Caleb and her threw for me when I turned fifteen. She and Caleb worked so hard to get it together and it worked. I loved ever minute of it. Caleb misses her too, he stays quiet and pretty much to himself now but he searches for her almost as much as her brothers, mom, and I do. He went from being the life of the party to barely talking to anyone. Her brothers did the same pretty much, including our friends. Matt shut everyone out completely. Blake tries to hold everyone together. Noah drifts in and out of reality. Micah dazedly looks around and hopes no one talks to him. Shane is off doing who knows what who knows where with who knows who. Steven kinda stays on his farm working. Owen tries to keep Shane in line but fails. Henry is the only one that has really helped me. Tatum Grace was the glue that held this group together. She was the heart and soul and now she's gone so everything has crumbled and broken apart. I absolutely hate it.

I hit my steering wheel waiting. He would come at precisely 6 in the morning and return at 5 that night, each giving an hour before leaving again. I had plenty of time to get in and out and not get caught. I had been watching him. Some call it stalking but I call it finding my best friend. Shane and I fought, like physically fought about a month ago. I called him out on giving up especially when I found out he was seeing some girl. Junior year had ended about two weeks ago. Letting me make up all of my missed school work took time away from me looking for Tate. Those license plates gave up no proof except that he had stolen Steven's truck but it was found at a dealership about an hour from our town. The address listed for the Damien Vinchy was a phony but I had found him. I was in a small town with Henry when I saw him climb into his truck with two little boys all eating ice cream. I followed him and eventually found his house. I began following him every spare minute and he eventually led me to this abandoned house. He had a double life. His family, a black haired woman and two sons, lived in a small town on the other side of our small town. This abandoned house was in the opposite direction. I watched his every move for two weeks, my parents and brother say im obsessed with finding her but I have to. Her brothers haven't stopped. Her mother hasn't stopped. And I definitely won't stop. Whoever this guy really was he knows something or he had something to do with the disappearance of my Tate. "Are you sure he is going to leave soon?" I nodded watching intently. His truck pulled out of the driveway and down the road as I watched him turn. We jumped out and looked around. The doors were locked, the windows jammed or locked, there was no way in. I found a small dusty window in the back and busted it. "Hen come on." I had nothing to lose after all. I shimmied my way through the window and into the old house which seemed rather clean on the inside. I waited for him to climb in then we looked around finding books and two bedrooms. I opened every door and looked in every nook and cranny, every closet, behind every door. I shook my head wondering where she could be. "Have you checked this room?" He asked stepping into a room with a bed, dresser, and mirror. Thats when I saw it, the scuff on the floor in front of a dresser. Something had to be back there. "Hey look. You reckon something is back there?" He shrugged a shoulder. "Its worth a shot." We slowly walked over to the dresser and pulled it away from the wall revealing a door. A doorknob was hidden, I tried opening it but it was locked so I looked around. All I needed was something hard, I remember seeing a hammer downstairs so turned to Henry. "Hey there was a hammer downstairs go grab it." He nodded and ran downstairs before returning with a hammer in his hand. I hit the doorknob repeatedly. Eventually it broke. He kicked the door breaking it from it's hinges and I peered in to see a dark, open room. I stepped inside as I heard something scuff against the floor in the corner. "Wait out there Henry." I said as I walked to it and saw a tiny girl balled in the corner. She hadn't had a bath in forever and the room smelled of crap. I couldn't see her face but she tried her hardest to not be seen. "Henry call the cops I found someone." I called back as he began getting on his phone. I turned to the fragile who tried everything in her power to stay away from me. "Hello. Im here to help." I said as her head shot up. Gray eyes. Blonde hair. She stared at me with broken eyes as I stepped towards her. I stared back not knowing what to do. I wanted to hug her and whisper nice words. I wanted to kiss her forehead and tell her everything would be okay. I wanted to hold her and never let her go. But my body wouldn't move and she tried to conform to the corner as if she were afraid of me. "Tate." I whispered as she shrunk deeper into the corner. She stayed in the corner as I looked into her broken eyes. She had been through a much and it seemed like there was nothing I could do for her. I had failed her even though I found her. I couldn't see joy or happiness in her eyes anymore. "They're on their way. Im going to stand outside okay?" I nodded at Henry not taking my eyes off of Tate. "I love you." I whispered as she slid down the corner. Tears slowly formed as I willed for her to ask me to come help her. But she didn't so I didn't. I didn't know who this person was but this was not the Tate that went missing eleven months ago. I knew she would be different but I never imagined how different until now.