14 Days

[3]

Tears were streaming down my face as I called Sarah, Madison's child protective services officer. She told me to hang on tight and that she would be right over. I waited a few minutes and when I heard a knock at the door I prayed that it was Madison, but it was Sarah. Sarah had called the police and gave them all of Madison's information. They set out an Amber alert right away. I begged Sarah to help me search for Madison and she agreed immediately.

"We need some more help. There are a few people I can call, maybe you should ask someone to go with you so you aren't alone." Sarah made a good amount of sense so I did what she told me to do. The phone rang for what seemed like hours when it was only a few seconds.

"Hello?" Sam answered the phone sounding pretty groggy.

"Hey, it's Elise. I know it's three in the morning but I really need your help. I'm so sorry for-" Sam cut me off before I could finish my sentence.

"Don't apologize. You're my friend Elise. Anytime you need me, I'm there."

I was crying as I explained to Sam that Madison was gone, that she ran away. She said to give her ten minutes but she was knocking at my door in five. Sarah went looking with the people she called and I went looking with Sam. The only problem was that I didn't know where to look. We spent hours driving around in Sam's old Chevy, searching any place that came to our minds. By six in the morning, neither search party had had any luck. Sam suggested that she drive me back to my apartment so I could rest for a few minutes. I didn't want to, but I could feel my eyelids strain from tiredness. I handed Sam my keys, and as soon as she helped me inside I was engulfed by the darkness of sleep.

My clock read 7:30am when I awoke from a bad dream. I heard soft clanking noises coming from the kitchen and I jumped off of my tough mattress. Rushing into the kitchen I tripped and was caught before I could hit the ground.

"Sorry, sorry. I uh...heard a noise and I thought that...that maybe-"

"It's ok," Sam reassured me,"I understand." I felt too upset to eat so I went into Madison's room instead. She didn't have a lot of things other than clothes, and the few things she owned were on her nightstand. I sat on her bed and I picked up a picture in a dark gray frame. It was a happy scene, like from a movie. A middle aged couple with their arms around each other looking more than content with life, and a young girl, presumably Madison, grinning from ear to ear. They were posing in front of a two story cookie cutter house painted sky blue with a dark gray door. Madison kept talking about how happy she was with our parents, how loved flowed between them. Suddenly a thought occurred to me, Madison would do anything to have her old life back and maybe her old house would remind her of that life.

I ran into the living room and went straight for my landline. Once Sarah picked up the phone I asked if she checked Madison's old house.

"No, I didn't think to check there. Madison doesn't even have a key to the house anymore. Do you want me to go there?" Sarah sounded unhopeful.

"No, I'll go. And I will call you when I find her." I was positive I could find Madison. I met her only a few days before, but I already loved her. Sam had heard everything I said and was waiting by the door when I hung up the phone.

We drove in silence and I just had a feeling Madison would be there, I just knew. Sam stopped her car in front of the house from the picture. I jumped out and hit the ground running. The yellow wooden door was locked but the gate was open on the side of the house. I pushed the small gate open a little wider and Sam and I walked around to the back of the house. Madison was lying on a small porch with a blanket from her bed wrapped around her. I went to her side and I could hear her breathing so I collapsed in relief. Sam wrapped her arms around Madison and gently picked her up from the wooden beams she was laying on. I got in the car, Sam set Madison next to me, and once again we drove in silence. However, that silence was a thankful silence.