" Tonight, another report of a missing child was reported to the FBI, this time it's Jessy Stephenson, a young boy only 7 years old. This brings the total number of missing children to 8 in the past 3 months. The FBI currently has no leads but they are questioning witnesses to find the last known whereabouts of the missing children. Back to to studio..."

The T.V clicked and fizzled to black. Stretching, I drop the remote in the same movement onto the sofa before wandering to the stairs and switching off the light. Looking around the dark living room one final time, noting the clock striking 11 I head upstairs. Noticing light creeping across the dark hallway from the bottom of my daughters bedroom door I tap lightly.

" Annabelle ...come on bed time...lights out."

"Alright..." She said, in a tone which indicated she would rather not.

"You have school in the morning, I don't want you half asleep again cause you've spent all night on YouTube again." I sigh, annoyed at the fact we have to talk through her door to do this.

"Okay okay..." There was the twang of bed springs and the click of the lamp, the corridor was dark again.

"See you in the morning, love you." I pause for a moment before heading to my own room.

"Love you too Mum." Hearing her settle under the covers I walk off with a small smile on my face and head into my own room to go to sleep.

The next morning when getting ready for work the report about the missing kids was on again on the TV, Annabelle who was 13, nearly 14, ate her cereal without a care. Biting my lip i turned to the top cupboard and pulled out a box. I hated knowing that in this day an age no one could be trusted, but I had a horrible foreboding in the pit of my stomach that if I didn't do this, if anything did happen...

Turning to the table I see Annabelle had all but finished her breakfast, I place the box in front of her and she peers up at me with a queer look.

"What's this?" She reached for the box and opened it to discover a Blackberry mobile phone.

"Oh Em Jee!" (OMG) I cringe. "Thanks Mum, oh I promise i will not break it!"

"You had better not! And it's not a toy, you know those kids that have gone missing? That's why you have that! I don't want to find out you've had it confiscated in school. You have to make sure it's charged at all times before you go to school and your only to use it in an emergency...understand!"

"Okay Mum..." Annabelle replied in a more somber tone, the message seemed to hit home.

"Good...now I've already put my number in there and your Nans in case I'm not able to take a call, okay?" Annabelle nodded and smiled.

"Okay off with you now, if you hang around anymore you'll miss your bus."

Annabelle rose from her seat and pulled on her coat. Grabbing her bag she crossed the kitchen and wrapped her arms around my shoulders and gave me a quick peck on the cheek, "Thanks Mum, love you!"

I smile and as she headed out the door I called back "Love you too!"

When I returned home from work I began my usual chores, getting tea ready and feeding the rabbit in the garden Annabelle had begged me for over a year ago but forgot about in 6 months as is the usual attention span. When it turned half past five I began to grow worried. Annabelle was usually home for 5, it was a good job I gave her the mobile phone.

Pulling mine out of my handbag I dial her number, it rings briefly before being answered.

"Hello?" It wasn't Annabelle.

"Hello...who is this?"

"Is that Annabelle's mother?"

"Yes it is!" I say rather abrupt.

"Good, this is Annabelle's maths teacher..."

I curse in my own head and grit my teeth, she's had it confiscated, and now I'm the one who's going to be chastised over it.

"You do know Miss Cullan that mobile phones are strictly prohibited in school grounds."

I roll my eyes, of course I do, but I thought my daughter had enough brains in her pretty head to know flaunt her new phone about the place.

"Yes I understand but the phone was a specific means of getting in touch with my daughter in an emergency situation. She is late home from school and you have her phone. Due to the children going missing I thought it wise to give her some sort of communication should anything happen to her!"

Yes I played the guilt trip card but the woman's tone was so belittling it pissed me off.

"We'll Mrs Cullan your daughter ran out in tears after I confiscated her phone in the 3rd period, and she didn't report to any other class after that."

Dread now started to seep through my chest.

"And you didn't think to call me and let me know my 13 year old daughter had gone missing from school with a suspected kidnapper on the loose!"

I didn't give the bitch time to answer as my words spat out in bitter anger.

"I want to speak to the head teacher right now!"