“Gone”
My sister and I were staying at our cottage far off the edge of town. It had taken almost four hours just to drive there and we were practically in the middle of nowhere. Glancing at my watch I noticed the little hands indicated that it was just passed ten at night. I was leaning up against the cottage’s window with a frown on my face. What I was looking it was not the vacationing weather I had been hoping for. It was raining and I was starting to get restless. The rain was something that usually never bothered me but there was something about this storm that seemed off. The rain kept pelting harder and faster until it sounded like a giant was using the cottage’s tin roof as a drum. I inserted my ear buds and blasted the volume as high as it could go. “Finally,” I sighed. “A little less annoying noise.”
My eyes started to feel heavy. It was almost as if my eyelids were trying to hold up weights. My sister was already curled up on the sofa so I figured it was time to go to bed. I snuggled up next to her and tried to drown out the sound of the rain. Tonight seemed like just another stormy night…Turns out I was wrong.
I woke up the next morning with the sofa’s spring in my side. I had to blink a few times for my vision to come into focus. As I rolled over I was about to talk to Sarah but I only saw an indent pressed into the couch where she once sleep. I told myself that she just went to the outhouse but I began to get an uneasy feeling in my stomach. She’s the kind of person who would have to fold up the blanket before she left. I decided I’d go and check our toilet shack but on the way out I noticed the toilet paper by the door. I inspected inside but she wasn’t there. My heart began to race. The car was still parked in the driveway. This wasn’t like her at all.
I was just about to go back inside when I spotted something dangling from the tree. It was a blue and silver ribbon. The same one my sister had her hair tied up in. My legs reacted before my mind and I instantly found myself gravitating towards that direction. I approached the old pine tree and reached for the ribbon. It was still damp from last night’s storm. I slipped it into my pocket and began to follow a little foot path that started forming. The path kept getting wider and longer like it was made to lead to something. I wondered where I had myself headed.
“Caw Caw!” I got knocked out of my Nancy Drew trance when a crow scared me half to death. I jumped and lost my footing. My foot searched to regain my balance but it was too late I was already starting to tumble over. My arms extended outward, the air blew past me, and I fell with a thud. My palms tickled with a stinging sensation and my thumb started to trickle with blood. The crow cawed like it was laughing at me. Anger started to build in me when I stood up and mud was dripping off my sweater. I really didn’t deserve this right now. I had better things to worry about. It took all my willpower not to lash out at the bird.
I continued along the path which was starting to curve. As I went around the bend something stood out to me. There was a rickety old well that had half of it’s wall knocked off. It was like a semi circle. I staggered towards it and examined it guessing how old it was. I peered inside and a scream got caught in my throat. I looked twice to make sure I wasn’t seeing things. There at the bottom of the waterless well was Sarah. Her body was slumped over like a mariatonete with cut strings. My heart skipped a beat. I called her name but she didn’t respond so I leaned over the side and called louder. The pressure of me on the side made a loose stone go tumbling down. It fell smack on Sarah’s head. I grimaced as it landed. Sarah stirred and grabbed her head.
“Ouch!” Ecstasy filled through me. She wasn’t dead!
“Sarah are you okay?”
She looked up startled not expecting to see anyone and mumbled, “Leah?”
“Yes it’s me! Listen I’m gonna get you out of there.” I looked around for something that could help. Leaves, rocks, grass, bucket, rope…Rope! I quickly unwound the rope that was attached to an old well bucket and hoped it was sturdy. I tied it to the nearest tree and threw the un-tied end down the hole. I told Sarah to tie it around her waist and I’d hoist her up. I tugged. I heaved. I pulled. Thankfully she was small for her age. When I tugged her up to the top we hurried into each others arms to give each other a hug. “How did you get down there?!” I asked Sarah.
“I don’t know. All I remember is someone calling my name and I had to figure out who it was. I guess I must have been dreaming,” answered Sarah Frustratingly.
“More like sleep walking! Do you know you scared me half to death?” I chuckled.
“Scared you half to death? Imaging how I felt waking up in that hole!” Sarah exclaimed jokingly.
“I think we’ve had enough excitement for one day. Let’s get ya cleaned up and head back home,” I suggested.
“What about our vacation?”
“How about we spend it at a hotel? Where we can lock the door?” I answered laughing.
“Agreed,” blurted Sarah.
We packed our bags and reloaded our Volts Wagon. My sister cranked up the music and started singing as loud as she could. I recognized the old Cindy Laupher song and joined in. I adjusted my mirror and saw the last glimpse of the cottage I would see. Next, I took one glance at my sister and new that the rest of the vacation was going to be sunny and bright. What can I say? Girls just want to have fun.
