Losing Eight Lives

10 | Amanda

I wanted to break down in tears and slam my fists onto the floor in frustration. But I didn't. I just stood there, staring at Jace with disbelief from the news.

My mouth opened to say something but nothing came out. I didn't know what to ask first. But finally I came to a decision. I threw the pile of my dad's clothes I held at Jace. "Try those on. If they fit you, you can have them. I'm going to call 9-1-1 and see for myself because this is unbelievable." I marched out of the living room and into my office where my home phone laid on the desk.

The numbers lit up as I pressed each of them and held the device to my ear. After about one full ring, a lady answered the phone.

"9-1-1 what's the emergency?" she said urgently.

"Hi," I said but stopped. I hadn't really rehearsed what to say. "I'd like to report a missing child." I said. It wasn't a total lie--we didn't know where the rest of the middle school went after the fire.

"Okay sweetheart, can I have your name and address and I'll send for the police to be right over there."

"Phoebe Bliss. 17 Morgan Place in Portland Maine." I stated. They actually answered . . .

I heard a sound of shuffling and suddenly, a dial tone.

She hung up on me.

My hand let the phone fall from my face, and I stared at it. 9-1-1 just hung up on me.

Jace came into the room and stood in the doorway. He wore the same clothes he had on in the living room. "For a second, I thought you were actually getting somewhere."

My gaze went to Jace. "She . . ." I looked at the phone in my hand again. "9-1-1 just hung up on me."

"Well you are handling it better than I did," he said truthfully and walked over. He took the phone out of my hand and placed it back on the table.

I didn't know what came over me at that second. But all of a sudden, I felt the need for a hug. For support that even though nothing made sense, things would work out. So I wrapped my arms around Jace and buried my head in his shoulder.

He returned the hug, embracing it just as much as I was.

"What is going on?" I asked desperately, even though I knew he didn't have an answer.

"I don't know," he said softly.

-=-=-=-

"None of these clothes fit you?" I asked, looking at him in disbelief.

Jace's lips curled into a small smile. "Well I haven't tried them on yet."

I threw a shirt at him. "Okay, the pants I don't think will fit you, but you can at least put on a new shirt under your sweatshirt." I threw a pair of socks at him. "And socks." I thought for a second. "And I probably have a jacket you can use-"

"Phoebe," he said. His tone made me look at him. "What do we do now?"

I stared at him. His light brown hair looked a mess and his dark green eyes looked at me with confusion, and not much hope. I realized he was right. Even if we do get him to fit into some clothes, then what? We have no where to go. No one to talk to, and 9-1-1 shut us out. I have not seen a single human being other than Jace since before we woke up in the school.

But then I had an idea, and I could tell my eyes lit up. "Get dressed. Then I'll tell you what we are going to do."

Suddenly, he looked up at me with hope. He gave me a small smile and finally searched through my dad's clothes. While he got dressed I tried calling a few more people. My mom, dad, 9-1-1 again, the school. But the only one that answered was 9-1-1, and they hung up with me once again.