How I Missed You.

Isabella

My eyes fluttered open, the intensity of the sun, or what I thought was the sun, forced them to close once more. Where was I? Shouldn’t I be at school? Did I dream about waking up and am still at home in bed? No, my bed isn’t this uncomfortable and I distinctly remember getting up this morning. I lifted my arm to shield my eyes for a second attempt at facing the blinding light, only to realise it couldn’t be lifted. I slowly opened my eyes trying to adjust without the aid of my fingers. The light wasn’t the sun but a very strong light bulb hanging from a stone ceiling. As I looked around the rest of the room was visible only to be three meters in length and maybe four in width, the floor and walls were also made of stone. Grass creeped in through cracks in the ground and dirt completely covered the walls. That’s when I noticed my arms, tied in front of me attached to a metal pole to appear as if I were hugging it. The pole had no place in the sad room and neither did I.

“You’re awake,” A voice startled me.

I looked around, to the right and noticed a figure leaning against the wall, a figured I hadn’t noticed on first inspection.

“Wh-who-who’re y-you?” I stumbled over the words, pulp building up in my throat.

“That’s doesn’t matter. All that matter’s is that you’re gonna make me very rich and I’m going to make my son proud.”

“Wha-?”

“Shush,” he silenced me by placing a piece of sticky tape over my mouth. As he walked out of the room I was almost in tears, they finally spilled over as the door slammed shut and I hear the unmistakable sound of a key turning and lock snapping into place. Then as if things couldn’t get any worse, a switch being flicked, and then the lights went out.

If I could have, I would have been sobbing. This wasn’t how my day was supposed to turn out like. It was supposed to be a fun day, maybe a little embarrassing, but it was supposed to be a day I would spend with all my friends. Now I’d be lucky if I ever got to see any of them ever again. The tears flowed silently down my cheeks, soaking through my dress and any hope I once had.

James

As I told Jamie my worries similar emotions and ideas seemed to flash across his face. This wasn’t like Isabella. She always had her phone on, she always answered it and whenever she was going to be late of away she’d text someone the information. So what was going on now? She hadn’t gotten into any fights, had she?

“No,” Jamie replied when I asked him. “Maybe we should call her mum.”

I nodded, grabbing my phone again and dialing Isabella’s home phone number.

“Hello?” Julie picked up.

“Hey Julie, it’s James.”

“James? What’s the matter hun?”

“It’s Isabella, she’s not at school.”

“Not at school? How do you know?” she asked sternly.

“I, uh, I kinda skipped school to come see Isa.”

There was laugher from the other end, then a sudden intake of breath, “What do you mean not at school?”

“I mean, she hasn’t been here all day,” I explained.

The sounds of object dropping and someone running up the stairs could be heard, “She’s not here either. I don’t even remember her leaving this morning. She didn’t come to say goodbye to me.”

“You don’t think she ran away did she?” Jamie said in a small voice.

“What’s that?” Julie asked.

“I’m here with Jamie; he thinks she might have run away. But she wouldn’t, would she?”

“I don’t know James. I’m calling the police. Call if you have news.” The line went dead.

“Why would she run away?”