The Woodland Mansion (scraped)

Chapter 1: Gone

Me and my best friend Addy were playing catch with a baseball I caught at the last baseball game I went to. By me, I mean my brother. My brother caught it and gave it to me. That was back when he was nice.

My backyard was pretty big although we had a small house. It was a small neighborhood too, everybody knew each other. Our dads were at work even though it was a Saturday and our moms were on a walk around the neighborhood. My brother, Max, was off playing basketball in the front yard with his friend Cody.

I loved our small house and big yard. I loved the neighbors. Addy lived right next door. The only thing I didn't like was the woods. The deep, dark, scary, woods. The woods we had to stay out of as kids unless there was an adult, the woods that sent shivers down my spine. I'd never step foot in those woods, not even with an adult.

Addy threw the ball and it whizzed above my head out of reach, right through the trees, landing in those same woods. My heart practically skipped a beat.

"I'll just get another ball. We have tennis balls." I said, fearing she was going to to exactly what I thought she was going to do.

"Oh, that's okay." Addy said. "it couldn't have gotten that far, I'll just go get it." She said and before I could protest, she was already dissapearing beging the bushes and trees.

I didn't know what to do. I was too scared to go in after her, so I thought I'd wait out in the yard for her. She's right. I thought. It couldn't have gotten far, she'll be back soon.

So I waited for her to come out. I waited and waited, minutes passed. I even called out her name, but there was no sign of anybody in the woods. I freaked out because there was no parents around and I didn't have a phone.

I did what first came to mind and ran to Addy's house to get help from her sister Averyanna. I told her everything, about the ball, the woods, and how she went in but hasn't come out. Averyanna got out her phone and called her mom. They were home in an instant and they went in the woods to look for her along with Avery.

They told me to find Max, so I went into the front yard where he was playing basketball. Only, he wasn't there. So I checked in the house, nothing. I was just about to give you hope as I went to Cody's house, when they came out the garage door. I nearly ran right up and hugged him, but that'd embarrass him in front of his friend. Teenage boys are weird.

"Omygosh! Max I have been looking all over for you."

"Why?" He asked, reading into my frightened look. "What's wrong?"

"Addy's missing!" I cry.

Cody just stood there like an idiot, like he doesn't even care that my best friend is missing.

"I better go." Max said to Cody. "See you later." He tossed him the basketball he was holding and we went to Addy's house. Our mom and Mrs. Reese, Addy's mom, were sitting on the porch with gloomy looks across their faces. Whatever news they had, it wasn't good.

"Where's Addy?" I asked, even though I knew based of their expressions, she was still missing.

"We don't know." My mom said. "We called the cops. They're in the woods searching."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.  They have to find her. She's my only friend since, the incident. She's my only friend, she's been my best friend I could ask for.

"Come on, let's go inside." Mrs Reese said. "Anthony is coming home early."

"So is Mathew." My mom said, talking about my dad. "I told him to come here."

We were in the Reese's living room, sitting and waiting. Waiting for the police to call. I wasn't crying anymore because I have cried out all my tears. I was tired, I was hungry, I was dehydrated, but I didn't care. I only wanted Addy to be okay. Mrs. Reese was pacing the floor and bitting her nails.

"She'll be alright Ann." My mom said, sitting her down in a grey arm chair. "You need no relax."

"I can't Penny." She cried. "She's my daughter, I can't just relax." Mr. Reese handed her a tissue to whip her tears.

Avery was curled up in a ball one the couch, rocking back and forth. Max sat next to her rubbing her back and trying to comfort her. Avery was fourteen years old, but still in Max's grade. She was a smart girl who skipped thrid grade. She turns fifteen at the end of the school year and is a sophomore. Despite the fact Max was a little older than her, he liked her. I never knew my brother was cabable of having those kind of emotions.

It seamed like an eternity of waiting, but finally, at 3 am, Mrs. Reese's phone rang. We were all already awake. Who could sleep knowing Addy was out there?

Mrs. Reese answered immediately. "It's the police." She said, bitting her thumb nail while holding the phone up to her ear with her free hand.

I saw the color drain from her face and the tears pour down her cheeks. She dropped the phone to the ground, shattering the screen. Mrs. Reese feel to the floor on her hands and knees. She didn't have to say a word. Addy was gone. 

Everything started stinging, and my legs turned into jello. Because I was so dehydrated from crying, no tears came out, but I was sobbing. Addy was my everything.

I ran out the door whipping my face even though there was still no tears. I ran to the park me and Addy went as kids. No one was there this late at night.

I sat under the big green slide where we used to spy on Max from. We could see the basketball court clearly and we could hide behind the slide. Memories flooded over me like a tsunami. My eyes were so puffy and red I could barely see. She can't be gone, she can't.

Just then a hand touched my shoulder. I looked up and could barely make out who it was.

"Leave me alone." I told my brother Max. He sat down next to me anyway. We sat in silence for a long while. "She's gone." I cried, one single tear trickled down my cheek.

"She's not." Max said. Clearly he didn't know how death worked. "No one's truly gone." He continues. "They live on in their friends and faimly, and one day of the year, if at least one person remembers them, they can cross over and visit us."

I couldn't help but laugh a little. "You know that's just a movie, right?"

"Who says it's not real?" He said. "Look, I know this is hard for you, but as long as you keep her memory alive, she's not gone."

I never saw Max they way I was seeing him in this moment. He was never this heartfelt. He always had on an "I don't care." attitude.

"Come on," he said, helping me up. "Let's go home." I was to tired to argue so I went home with him. That's probably the best memory I'd have with Max.

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Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Have an amazing day!! Point out any mistakes so I can fix them.