A Million Miles || Christopher Velez

Chapter 32: Castle [/]

They sat on the park bench, watching the girls with bouncing pink and purple bouncing ribbons dash across the sand.

Yashua had left Aaliyah with them that evening so that he could accompany Richard to the clinic. Apparently, Clara insisted that a checkup was necessary before the World Tour.

A light breeze whipped past, carrying with it the sweet scent of summer greens. The shadows of tree branches fleeted across the ground as the atmosphere became cooler.

"I miss the old days," he said, stretching his arms. Anaeya stared ahead absentmindedly, not bothering a reply. Christopher gingerly put an arm around her shoulder but the action sent her jolting when their skin made contact. She glanced at him in surprise, as though she had just realised his presence. Christopher straightened. "You okay, mi amor?"

She hesitated, her lips searching for words. "Yea, I think so." The girl forced a smile but it lasted only moments before faltering. "I don't know for real, Christo. There's just so much going on now." She heaved a breath and sighed. "I am just so tired, Christo. Estoy cansando."

The boy hummed in response, taking her hands in his. "Dime," he said, kissing her cheek. He stood up and knelt onto the ground, his chin on her knees. She wanted to protest but was silenced by his expression. His beautiful eyes were wide open, staring up at her like she was his hope for survival. "Cuentame de tus problemas. I want to know. I want to understand what is bothering you, mi amor."

She watched him sorrowfully. Her heart ached as he constantly shifted, his once white pants tainted with dirt as his knees scraped the uneven ground.

Anaeya cupped his face, pushing a stray hair off his forehead. Her lips trembled as she struggled for the words to explain everything that was happening.

She wanted to say to him that the world was a whirl of blur. There were so many things that she wanted to speak to him about. Mathias' threats. The conversation with Damien. The flowers. And the constant feeling of eyes on her that left her restless at night.

But those things remained unspoken.

Instead, her line of sight shifted past him towards the playground. Something undescribable gnawed at her in her chest, making her suffocate. She realised that it was a feeling that no parent should ever go through. "Where are they?" Anaeya murmured, craning her head. Her soft expression instantly turned to one of alarm.

Christopher blinked, turning around. When he couldn't find the girls, he joined her standing, searching for any signs of bouncing curls and purple ribbons in the crowd of racous children.

Aaliyah and Dayana were nowhere in sight.

"Christopher, where are the girls?" Anaeya shot towards the playground before he could calm her.

She staggered as he followed in pursuit, tasting her tension and panic and something raw behind his throat.

Fear.

"Where are they?"

"Come on," he said, urging her to follow him. They circled the playground and then proceeded towards the sidewalks.

"DAYANA! AALIYAH!" she shouted, cupping her hands in an effort to amplify her voice. It caught the attention of some passerbys who either glared or simply dismissed the girl as crazy. "DAYANA! AALIYAH!"

Christopher suddenly heard a weak squeak and turned, finding Aaliyah sitting in the middle of a vast meadow which was about a yard away. She was clutching a scraped knee against her chest.

Dayana was nowhere in sight.

"Ana!" Christopher called out. His girlfriend followed his line of sight and they ran in Aaliyah's direction.

Anaeya clutched her fist against her aching chest, calmly stalking towards the little girl. Christopher reached Aaliyah first, scooping the child into his arms to check for any other injuries.

"Are you alright, Aaliyah?"

The child nodded, frowning. "She took Dayana."

"Who? Aaliyah, where is Dayana? Who took my Dayana?" Anaeya said, her lips trembling in fear. Her voice sounded hoarse when she spoke. Tears threatened to obscure her vision but she fought back. The little girl looked at her with wide reddish eyes. "My dearie, tell me, where is she?"

"A tall lady came when we were building a castle. She said she was going to bring Dayana back to her castle which was bigger than the one we built. I didn't like her so I tried to pull Dayana away but the lady pushed me. She said Dayana's papa is waiting for her there in the castle."

Anaeya paled even more at the mention of Mathias, her knees growing weak by the second. Christopher laid his free hand on her arm, keeping her steady even when he was carrying Aaliyah.

"Aaliyah, did you see where they went?" Christopher asked, keeping his voice gentle. "Por favor.. could you point us the direction?"

The little girl nodded, her brown curls bouncing. "They went that way." She pointed in the direction of thick treeline at the edge green field.

For a moment, the feeling that nothing else mattered dawned upon her. Anaeya heard Christopher calling for her as she bolted. She didn't care. All she could think about was Dayana. Her baby.

Dayana, her baby, was missing.

Anaeya ran across the grass, plunging into the greenery. She searched behind every tree and bush, leaving no stone unturned. A small voice shrieked as she approached a circle of shrubberies.

Dayana stood in the middle, the expectant look on her face turning into one of surprise. Then, she scowled and spun around as though she was waiting for someone else.

The elder girl sprinted and stumbled as she threw her arms around Dayana, not letting go. For a moment, everything was perfect and whole again.

"Ana," Dayana squeaked, confused. "Why are you crying?"

"Oh, my baby," Anaeya cooed, her tears melting into the child's purple ribbons. "Dayana, my baby. I thought I have lost you. I love you, my baby. Please don't leave me again."

"Ana, don't cry," Dayana said, squirming from her embrace. She pulled away slightly, wiping the tears on the elder girl's face. "The lady said she was going to bring me to see my daddy. She said that my daddy is a prince."

I cried while writing this chapter really because it was based on experience and I can relate a lot. Frankly, I had been in both places before - the one missing and the one searching.

Had you ever gone missing before? Or had someone you know gotten missing?

I hope you enjoy reading this story because I did when I wrote it. Make sure to leave a vote! The following chapter will be up in a few days!