Not a soul in sight
Hi everyone, here is the next chapter :) I'm thinking about finishing this story soon, as I only wanted it to be about 5 chapters. I promise it will be a happy ending because I hate sad ones! Please leave a review or PM me if you have a good idea as to what happy ending I should have
Issy xx
Connie steered the big silver Honda through the deserted neighbourhood. Her eyes frantically searching for her daughter. The roads were empty at this time, only the occasional car or bike coming past.
She didn't know where she was, where Grace was or whether she would find her. But Connie didn't give up this easily. Desperately, Connie's eyes scanned every inch of the road visible, but there was no sign of Grace.
Time was flying past, the clock on the dashboard told Connie she had been searching for over an hour, yet she still hadn't caught a glimpse of anybody walking on the pavements except a group of drunken men singing merrily to each other.
As Connie drove past the same group of men's free another ten minutes, she realised she must be going in circles. The clinical lead sighed in despair, slamming her hand on the steering wheel as she pulled into the side of the road. When she thought about it, the street did seem slightly familiar.
Connie raked a hand through her tousled hair, her hand shaking slightly from fear and exhaustion. She was tired and hungry. Up ahead of her lay a small row of shops, but to her dismay, they all looked to be closed. The lights were out and blinds were pulled down. There wasn't a soul in sight.
As she went to turn the ignition, Connie took one last look down the deserted street. Suddenly, something caught her eye. A small figure was slumped against the door to a newsagents, a coat pulled to their chin.
Connie's heart started beating, she opened the door and grabbed the blanket she had brought with her. Her shoes clapped against the hard concrete, echoing in the darkness. Yet the figure didn't stir. Connie reached the small person, and a tear slipped down her cheek.
Her baby was ok.
That was all that mattered. Close up, the sound of gentle breathing could be made out, and the steady rise and fall of Grace's chest told the worried mother that her baby was safe now.
'Grace?' There was no response. 'Gracie? Can you hear me darling, it's mum.' Once again, there was no response.
Connie pulled open the blanket, put it around Grace and picked her up, shocked at how light she was. Grace carried on sleeping as she was carried to the car and placed on the back seat.
Connie kissed the little girl's cheek.
'It's ok baby, you're safe now.'
As Connie slowly drove back through the darkened neighbourhood, tears slowly slipped down her warm cheeks and onto the steering wheel. How could she have been so stupid to let her baby come here.
Stop it Connie. You're just making it worse.
But if I'd said no to her coming...
It wasn't your fault.
But she'd be tucked up in bed at home if it weren't for me.
You weren't to know.
But I should've.
You didn't though, and you found out in time.
I should've found out earlier, and this wouldn't have happened.
There was no way of finding out earlier, Sam stopped her letters getting to her.
But I could've come out earlier to visit.
It wouldn't have made much of a difference.
Voices argued back and forth in Connie's mind, what if's and I should've's. They wouldn't stop, and it made the tears come faster and faster.
By the time the Honda drove up the road of Sam's house, Connie could see the blue lights of a police car outside. Connie parked the car and climbed out, carefully lifting the sleeping girl out of the backseat where she was peacefully dreaming.
A policeman opened the front door, the rectangle of light illuminating the drive. Highlighted in the doorway, was Sam, restricted by handcuffs. The policeman pushed him out, and into the car.
The rest went by in a blur. Connie put Grace in her bed and made a statement to the policewoman who had made sure everything was ok, before she left, leaving Connie alone.
By this point, it was past midnight, and Connie crept off to bed, shattered by the night's happenings.
