Silent Screams

Blind Rage

The past weeks filled with worries, fears and hopes, hours between anger and accusations, between crying and not crying anymore, tortured Jay. These were days that no one should bear. Normality no longer existed for him. His life broke into two parts: one's own loneliness, fear, anger and despair- and the normal life on the street, which knew nothing about it and did not want to know anything. The world appeared as a puzzle in which the crucial parts have been lost.

Actually, Jay wanted to buy a coffee at Starbucks, but the front page of the newspaper kept him from doing so.

MISSING CHILD:

7-year-old, Ethan Halstead did not come home after school. He was last seen Friday, April 30th, at 3:00 pm in front of Dave Mitchell's Shop and was wearing black jeans and a dark green sweat jacket. Please bring any information you might have to the Chicago Police Department.

Next to the text was a picture of the blond-haired boy. It was the picture they used in vain for 6 weeks during the search operation.

"Sir? Hello? Do you want to buy something?" the salesman asked, but mentally Jay was somewhere else.

"Where are you, Ethan?" he whispered barely audible.

"Riding a bike is stupid! It doesn't work!" Ethan scolded and insulted the bike.

"Hey. The bike can't do that either. You have to keep your balance." Jay explained, holding the bike for him, "Come on. We'll try it again together."

"That's no fun. I just fall down. My knee hurts." Ethan complained, pointing to the plaster that covered a little wound.

"You never give up, buddy. I know you can do that." Jay encouraged his son, who reluctantly gave in and got on the bike again.

"You won't let go." he demanded and Jay nodded. Ethan pedaled and Jay jogged slowly beside him until he finally let go and Ethan was riding on his own. Maybe a bit shaky, but without help.

"Great!" Jay beamed and Ethan was shocked to find that his dad had let go. Immediately he braked.

"Why are you stopping?" Jay asked.

"Don't let go," Ethan replied in a cute toddler tone.

"Why not? You can do it and tomorrow we both do a bike ride ... come back." Jay said. Ethan got back on his bike and rode to his dad.

"And what did I say?" Jay asked beaming.

"Don't give up." Ethan grinned, giving his dad a big high five.

"Terrible what happened to the boy, but well... every day children disappear. On one kid more or less it doesn't matter. Some parents really think that they have to do a big search, instead of accepting that the child is dead. It's probably their own fault." the salesman said and Jay looked at him stunned.

"Do you have any children?" Jay asked, shaken by his statement.

"No. Children just cause trouble... what do you want to buy?"

"You should never give up hope." Jay mumbled and left the shop without a coffee.

CPDCPDCPD

Angryly, Jay walked into the kiosk shop, grabbed Dave Mitchell by the collar and forced him against the wall. He tried to fight back, but Jay was in a very bad mood.

"What have you done? What did you do to him?" Jay screamed angrily and hardened his grip.

"Nothing!" he yelled.