"Hey, who are you?" a voice asked. I turned around and seen a boy about my age watching me.
"Riley." I replied with a small voice.
"Riley? Isn't that a boy's name?" the kid asked. I became defensive automatically, but knew I couldn't say anything to offend him. He could help me find my way to where I was going.
"It is, but I was named after my grandfather." I said instead of cursing the kid out.
"What are you doing out here?" he asked, walking up to me. I immediately flinched away.
"I'm not gonna hurt you." he said. "I just want to talk. Get to know how you landed up at the end of our driveway."
"Am I at the end of you're driveway?" I asked, looking toward where the boy came from. I didn't see a house, just a narrow path in the middle of the woods.
"Yeah you are." he said, looking the same way.
"I-I'm sorry. I'll j-just leave." I said, standing up and running before he could say anything else.
"Hey wait!" the kid called, but I didn't stop. It was one thing to pass out in front of someone, it was entirely different to do it on that person's property. Even in my seven year old mind I knew that it looked bad when something like that happened.
I continued to run, not knowing if the guy was following me, and not wanting to turn to check. I don't know how long I ran for, but it seemed like forever. I collapsed onto the ground as I heard a car start to drive by me on the street. Scared, I tried to hide myself, hoping the car would pass.
"There she is Dad!" I heard a voice call. It was the kid from up the road. The car pulled up beside me and car doors opened.
"Where you from girly?" the older man asked me. I flinched and tried to shrink back into the trees more, but somehow, the gentle look in his eyes assured me I could trust him. I opened my mouth to reply, but nothing came out. For one, I didn't exactly know where I came from. I just knew it was far away and I couldn't ever go back. Another thing was I couldn't talk, even if I did know what to say.. I was too out of breath and too tired.
"What are we going to do with her Dad?" a new voice asked. It sounded like another kid to me, but I couldn't really tell.
"Take her to the hospital." the older man replied as if it was the most obvious answer. The older man lifted me up and put me in the backseat of the car. The boy I met up the road jumped in beside me while the other two got into the front seat.
"What's goin' on here Gilbert?" A voice from outside asked suddenly. I felt the person beside me tense up as if he was caught grabbing a cookie from the cookie jar.
"Nothin' to worry about Paul!" The man, whom I presumed to be named "Gilbert" answered him. "Just Jeff thinking he seen something headin' this way."
"But Dad," the kid beside me, Jeff I was presuming, started protesting. Gilbert made a shushing noise as the car rocked gently from someone moving around.
"Do you want the police involved?" the kid in the front asked quietly.
"Shut up Matt." Jeff said. My fuzzy brain, however tired I seemed to be, was still able to put two and two together. Paul, police. This Paul guy was a police officer.
I quickly sat up, only to be forced back down by Jeff.
"Shh." he said, keeping his hand on my shoulder.
"Need. Paul." I said, struggling against Jeff's hand to sit up. "Need. To. See. Him."
"Why?" Jeff asked, shocked.
"Might. Be. Family." I said, trying to sit up again. "He might be my u-uncle." Jeff looked to his brother with surprise. Matt tapped his father's arm and told him what I just said.
"Are you sure?" Gilbert asked me. I nodded, not realizing he couldn't see me. Jeff told his father I was sure. Gilbert turned the car off and got out, walking toward the door I was sitting the closest to. "He went back inside, I'll go talk to him, but just know, if he isn't who he says he is, we can't help you anymore than this." I just nodded, knowing this guy had to be who I was looking for. I remembered the name and his job. Gilbert sighed as he shut the door. I heard a knocking sound then muttered voices talking. There was a few minutes of silence before the car door opened again. I looked up to see another man beside Gilbert, but I could have been looking at them through a glass of water with how I was seeing things. "That's her." Gilbert's voice said suddenly, making me jump. My head collapsed from me not being able to hold it up any longer, but someone grabbed my chin and tilted my head for me.
"She looks like my brother." Paul mumbled quietly. "But it's hard to tell. Bring her inside. What's her name?"
"Riley." Jeff spoke up. "She didn't tell me a last name, just Riley."
"Come on boys," Gilbert said.
"Dad can I walk home? Mom should be back by now." Matt's voice asked. A car door opening and closing, followed by feet walking on gravel, told me that Gilbert agreed.
"I'm going to pick you up Riley," Gilbert said. I felt him grab my arm, but I pulled it from his grasp."I can walk." I said, forcing my head up and forcing my legs to move. What I wasn't able to force however, was my legs to support my weight when I stood. I started collapsing again, but was caught by Gilbert's firm grasp again."'I can walk.'" I heard Jeff mimic sarcastically. I winced as Gilbert carried me into a bright house.
"Paul, what's going on?" a female voice asked. "Nothing Marylyn. The Hardy boy Jeff found this girl. She's claiming to be our niece." Paul said.
"She's not to certain. She's exhausted." Gilbert said. They laid me on something soft, a couch. I instantly started falling asleep.
"She can stay here tonight. I'll call my brother in the morning and ask him about her." I heard Paul say to Gilbert. I felt a blanket get tossed over me, and the feeling of warmth swept me away.
"Goodnight Riley." someone whispered. I didn't know who it was, but the person moved hair from my forehead as I started falling asleep. "Come on Jeff. Let's leave her alone. I'll bring you back up tomorrow if it's okay with Paul and Marylyn." another voice said. Paul said it was fine, that he would call first thing in the morning so they could come by around noon. The person touching my hair left. Soon, the only thing I knew was darkness.
~Time Elapse: 2 years~
Bright lights were the only thing I seen through my closed eyelids. I stirred and rolled over on my bed groaning softly as I pulled the blanket over my head.
"Better wake up Riley, Jeff's on his way over." My aunt's voice was saying from somewhere close by. At the mention of my best friend's name, I quickly sprang from my bed and ran to my dresser, throwing on the clothes that was laying out for me by my aunt.
"Make your bed to young lady!" my uncle's voice called from the living room.
"Okay Uncle Paul!" I called out. After tying my shoelaces, I made my bed as quickly as I could and went into the living room just as a knock sounded at the door. I ran to it and threw it open, thinking it was Jeff, possible with it his older brother Matt. It wasn't them, but I still knew who it was instantly. Officer Malcolm, my uncle's partner.
"Reggie, what are you doing here?" Uncle Paul asked, standing up and walking up to the door.
"Riley, go outside and wait for Jeff." Aunt Marylyn said, obviously confused by the man coming here. I started making my way past officer Malcolm, but he quickly stopped me.
"Jeff's not coming over you guys." Officer Malcolm sighed. "I knew you would want to know this as soon as possible, but Gilbert found Ruby in bed this morning. The cancer finally beat her."