The Missing Link (A Pretty Little Liars Fanfiction) (#Wattys2016)

Chapter 14- I Want My Life Back

Sadly, it was Monday morning, which meant I had to go back to school. Ali hadn't been home for the past couple of days. I'm kind of nervous because she said she would be back yesterday. I hope nothing bad happened to her...

"Iris, dear! I need you to come home immediately after school today. I need to tell you something very important," my mom said.

"Ok, Mom! See you later," I told her. I grabbed my bike and rode over to the coffee shop, where Ringo gave me my usual and told me how excited he was for our date. I was still shocked by this, since he was a year older than me. But hey, this is the first time I can be a normal teenage girl since... well, when I became a teenage girl.

"Hey, Iris!" I heard someone yell at me. It was Madison, and she looked worried.

"Why do you look like you're about to pass out?" I asked her.

She took a deep breath. "Your sister and her friends are missing. Everyone knows that Ali is alive!" I fell to the ground. What?! I thought. This can't be happening. This just can't be happening.

"Iris!" Madison helped me up. I rubbed my head.

"Sorry... I'm just in shock..."

"It's ok, Iris. I'll help you get to English." I almost passed out once she said his subject. Why can't I have one day where something bad doesn't happen?

-S-

It got worse once I got home. I went straight to the kitchen, just like Mom told me too. But I couldn't find her anywhere. I looked all around the house. Then I looked outside. Behind the house, there was a new ground of dirt next to a pit. The pit was halfway filled, with a piece of paper on the dirt pit.

It said, "I guess your mom will die the way your sister was supposed too! Have fun telling your siblings and Daddy about this one. -A"

Mom?! I grabbed a shovel and started to dig. Soon enough, I found my mom's body. She had a petrified look on her face, and her hands looked like claws trying to dig their way out. Was I too late? Please tell me I wasn't...

I put my hand on my mom's heart. I didn't feel a beat. Oh no. No no no no no no!!

I grabbed my phone and dialed 911. "911, what's your emergency?"

"I just found my mom halfway buried alive behind my house! She's not breathing! I need paramedics now! Help! Please!" I started to cry.

"Please give us your name and address."

"My name is Iris DiLaurentis. My address is-"

"I know your address. We'll be right there."

I was crying my eyes out. My mom might be dead. My sister and her friends are missing. They could possibly be dead. My brother and my dad do not care. This is freaking fantastic.

The ambulance came. Paramedics loaded my mom onto a stretcher and attached an oxygen mask to her. I wasn't allowed to get onto the ambulance because I was a minor. So here I was, alone with no family and no friends to comfort me. Add the fact that a killer was chasing my sister and her friends in who-knows-where and one of his/her allies is chasing me here, and you have my life.

I'm never going to be happy because I'm probably going to die first.

I wish this was all a dream. Why can't I just close my eyes and see that I'm the little girl who just got accepted into the DiLaurentis family? The one were Ali and Jason were both interested in me, and Mom and Dad were a good couple.

That's it. I'm not going to let -A get in the way of my life anymore. I'm going to confront that trader if it's the last thing I do.

I walked up to the Hastings house. I knocked on the door.

Mrs. Hastings opened it. "Hello. Can I help you?"

"Hello, Mrs. Hastings. I'm Iris DiLaurentis, Alison's little sister. Spencer never told you about me because she didn't know until recently. I need to speak to Melissa."