The fog cleared, revealing an empty dirt road. The trees shook as the wind passed through, causing me to shiver. Through the moonlight, I could see my bare feet were covered in mud and bleeding. I looked around, trying to find a building or cellphone tower. Anything that could point me towards civilization. I could hear men in the distance calling my name. I could hear a woman calling my name. I could hear-
"Bianca. Bianca! Wake up. Glam Glam's here," my grandmother sang out as she shook me awake. I shot up, accidentally head butting her in the process. "Ow! Sorry, Glam Glam," I apologized, rubbing my forehead. She did the same, giggling through the pain. She stood up, giving me room to get out of bed. As I tried fully waking myself up, vision slowly clearing up. "How are you my little cheerleader? I've missed you," she sang, hugging me with the grip force of a wrestler holding their opponent in a chokehold. I felt my neck bones cracking as I struggled to hug her bag. "I've missed you, too, Glam Glam," I coughed out, despite her crushing my wind wipe against her collar bone. She finally let go, allowing me to breathe. I was gasping, placing one hand on my throat and rubbing the back of my neck with the other. "I've got breakfast on the table. Hurry up and get ready for school, dear," she instructed. I nodded with a smile, walking towards my closet.
Glam Glam was what we called our grandmother on my mom's side. I came up with it when I was a kid because she was always dressed in designer clothes and had the most expensive jewelry on. She also never left the house without a face full of makeup and her hair done. Oh and "an outfit was never complete without shoes to match with your bag," as she always said. She hated the idea of being called a grandma since she still thought of herself as young and glamorous. Thus making "Glam Glam" her new name.
Glam Glam had laid out an entire breakfast buffet. Plates stacked with pancakes, waffles, and french toast were on one end of the table. The other had an assortment of juices and a pot of coffee. Scrambled eggs, fried eggs, and boiled eggs sat next to a large plate of bacon and sausage links. An assortment of fresh fruit on a platter sat right in the middle of the table. Maple syrup, powdered sugar, and whipped cream sat right in front of my usual spot at the dining table. "Good morning," I greeted, taking my place at the table. My grandmother walked up to me, sliding three fresh pancakes on my plate. I thanked her, immediately drenching them in maple syrup. "It's from Canada. I remember how much you liked it on our trip there a few years ago," she said, feeling satisfied with herself. I smiled nodding dramatically as I took a bite. I felt the instant serotonin hit as the mapley goodness spread across my tongue. "This is delicious," I announced with a mouth full of pancakes. "Save some for us, Biggie," a partly familiar voice said. My head shot up, mouth still full. There stood my brother, J.T., in the doorway. My eyes widened as I inhaled the remaining pancake in my mouth. I coughed, choking on a few pieces that snuck their way into my trachea. "Oh my gosh. You're here. You're actually here," I yelled, springing up. I ran to hug my little brother, seeing that he wasn't as little as I remembered. He was already taller than me. "You're so big! I haven't seen you in so long. You're so tall," I said, placing a hand on top of his head, shaping his kinky, black hair. He laughed, hugging me tight. "I know. I missed you guys", he said as he pulled away.
Everyone got in line to hug him. We spent all morning trying to catch up with him. "How have you been? Where the hell have you been?" asked Denny. "Language, young man," Glam Glam scolded. Denny apologized, quickly looking back at J.T., waiting for an explanation. "After I found out about who my dad was, I felt like a freak. How could I be the only sibling with a different dad, you know? I felt like I was the only one outside of the club. It bothered me, but living with Glam Glam gave me a chance to grow up. I realize now that pushing him and all of you away wasn't the right thing to do. I was just a kid then, but I'm a man now. And I want to be here for my family," he explained, puffing up his chest like a bodybuilder. We giggled at our little brother, happy to be in his presence again. "We always saw you as our little brother, dude. Even after the truth came out. And dad asks about you sometimes. He misses you. Marissa too. Not so much our mom, but the point is you were missed. Besides, you and Alisha are kind of in the same boat," Zach said, trying to comfort J.T. the best way he could. "He's right. I'll admit it would get uncomfortably silent when you were mentioned, but that's only because your absence made us all sad. I'm really glad you're back," Beth added, adjusting her glasses. JT's smile grew wider as he looked around at all of us. "I'm glad to be back," he said, giving my hand a quick squeeze.
YOU ARE READING
Abducted
Misteri / ThrillerWe all think we're average. We think there's nothing special about us. But, what if I told you that there was someone who thinks differently? Somebody who wants you. They'd do anything to get you. (Finally under editing)
