Chapter 3: The Hill Car
"Wooooow!" Mary's mouth hung open in awe as she saw the pastoral scenery laid out before her. She entered a new car that had nothing but a beautiful blue sky and more tall hills than she could ever hope to count. They reached high into the sky, as if boasting how much closer they were to heaven than she was, and tall grass swayed gently in the breeze, their rustling noises music to Mary's ears. It was like she had been transplanted from her home city to someplace in the countryside.
"Look, Mimi!" Mary held her stuffed bunny outward, positioning her head so she could see everything. "Isn't this all so pretty? It's hills and hills, everywhere!"
Mimi said nothing. Her head fell forward, her limp ears weighing her down.
"But I wonder how big this car is?" Mary wondered out loud. The Green Car was pretty big in and of itself, but with a car based on the outdoors, she was sure it'd take much longer to get to the exit, what with how many hills there are.
Seeing as she was already at the top of one hill, Mary carefully walked down, keeping her legs firmly planted on the ground as she descended downward. It wasn't as steep as she thought it'd be, and she got to the bottom fairly easily, but she knew from experience that going up was usually much harder than going down. Especially with how heavy her backpack is, and having Mimi in her arms. But there wasn't anything else she could go to get up other than walk. Adjusting the straps on her backpack, she held onto Mimi and walked, keeping her feet firm on the ground. But halfway up, her legs began to burn. Once she made it to the top, her lungs strained, making her stop to gasp for air.
"Uuugh. This is gonna be tough," Mary groaned once she caught her breath. Then an old memory flashed through her mind. Sometimes, when she and her family went to a local park, Mary and Reagan would climb up the hill and get down by rolling horizontally. Mary remembered how fun it was, feeling the wind against her face as she rolled downward, laughing alongside her sister, and relishing in the thrill of reaching the bottom so quickly.
Maybe that could be an alternative to just walking down these hills. But she didn't want to roll with her backpack still on her back, as that'd probably be uncomfortable. She unzipped her backpack just a bit and slid Mimi inside, keeping her head out, as she couldn't push her in all the way. Mary put her backpack on the other side of the hill, let go, and watched as it slid downward in a smooth motion. It hit the ground, and thankfully, Mimi didn't fall out.
"Okay. Let's see if this works," Mary got down on her side and spun herself around. It took no time at all for her body to accelerate, gaining momentum with every spin. "Wheeeeeeeeee!" She squealed, stretching her arms outward, relishing in just how much easier it was to spin her way downward than simply walk. She landed right on top of her backpack, which broke her fall.
"Wow! That was fun!" Mary exclaimed. But she could feel her head pounding just a bit, probably from how fast she was spinning.
She repeated this process for exactly three hills. She'd walk up to the top, slide her backpack down the other side, and roll all the way down. But when she got to the top of one hill, Mary's legs began burning from the strain of walking so much. Her stomach growled once more, and she was too tired to continue.
"I...need...a break…" Mary huffed and puffed, her cheeks red and splotchy from heaving and taking in so many breaths. Once she finished, she laid her chin on Mary's head, holding her close as she saw just how far the hills seemed to go. There seemed to be no end to them. The beautiful but dispiriting sight made Mary sigh. "This is gonna take forever."
"Hey, kid."
"Hm?" Was that a voice she heard? Mary looked around. She didn't see anyone else here. Or was it someone she couldn't see?
"Down here. Right below you."
Below her? Mary looked down...only to find a set of eyes and a mouth on the grass beneath her. "Yeeek!" Mary yelped, falling backwards on her rear once again. But she did have the presence of mind to make sure not to roll down the hill.
"Oh. Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you," The hill told her in a deep, baritone voice that made it sound like a man.
"Uhh...it's okay," Mary's nerves gradually began to ease. Still, this was another shock to her system. First talking grapes, now talking hills? What was next? Magical unicorns? Talking household appliances? Aliens riding bicycles into the night sky? "Who are you?"
"You can call me Navarre," The sentient hill—Navarre—replied. "You're probably gonna have a hard time getting to the exit on foot at the rate you're going."
Mary puffed her cheeks out. Did he really need to remind her of how enormous this place was? But she knew he wasn't wrong. "Yeah. I wonder if there's a way I can get there faster."
"If you want, my friends and I can help you," Navarre told her.
"Wait, really?"
Navarre nodded.
"But who do you mean by your friends?"
"They're all around us."
Mary looked up, suddenly seeing faces on every hill she saw. All of them smiled at her. Some of them sprouted large, grassy arms, waving at her. She had no idea they could do that.
"We can help you get to the exit," Navarre said, sprouting a giant grass arm of his own. "Just hop on my hand, and I'll pass you to the next hill. They'll carry you to the next one, and so on."
"Really?" Mary couldn't believe how generous Navarre and his hill buddies were being, and they had only just met. "Thanks so much!" With a smile, she threw her backpack on her back, held Mimi close, and walked onto Navarre's leafy palm.
The mountainous, grass-covered hands felt more like elevators, descending to the ground at a slow, steady pace, stopping right in front of another one, with the two of them forming a bridge so Mary could walk to the next one. The process was repeated for at least twenty hills. Mary had to admit, this way was much easier, and she could see hawks and eagles soaring across the sky, the sunlight pouring down on the world making their bodies look completely black against the light. Plus, this was much easier on her legs. It wasn't long before one of the large grass hands stopped at the bottom of one hill.
"And there's the exit!" The hill that was carrying her exclaimed.
But when Mary saw the exit, she could only stare, eyes wide in confusion. The red door had been smashed to pieces, with large chunks of it scattered all around the exit. She could see the bridge leading to the next car. "What in the world happened here?" Mary asked out loud.
"Some magical deer destroyed it," The hill right above her replied.
A magical deer? How could a deer single handedly destroy a thick metal door? With its antlers? Mary was sure deer antlers couldn't go through metal. Glass, maybe, but not metal as far as she knew. Still, she made it to the exit without difficulty.
She turned around to face the hills behind her and shouted, hopefully loud enough for them to hear, "Thank you all so much for helping me!"
"You're welcome!" A chorus of jubilant voices responded back, with the hills raising all their grassy hands, waving her goodbye.
Mary held onto Mimi as she turned to face the door and walked through the broken entrance. This time, she didn't feel as afraid to cross the bridge to the next car. With a smile on her face, she looked forward to whatever was in the next car. Still, she did think that maybe it'd be fun to live in the hill car. Surrounded by nice friends, rolling on the grass, watching a turquoise sky, without a care in the world. It would be absolute bliss. But she didn't see any food in the car, nor anything else like bathrooms or private places where she could change her clothes without anyone seeing.
She shook her head. Maybe living in the hill car wasn't the best idea. But any place that didn't have her mother in it was good enough for her.
Unbeknownst to Mary, her number shot up eight digits, rounding out to 124.
An hour had passed since the Summers discovered that Mary had gone missing. Todd drove all throughout the neighborhood to see if he could find her on his own. He came up empty, as did both Dana and Reagan. They wasted no time calling the police once they made it back home. Police cars, with their red and blue sirens flashing in the morning light, congregated in front of the Summers house. Dana sat on the living room couch, bawling into her hands while Todd could only rub her back with one hand, unsure of how to console her. Reagan sat with them, holding the note in her hands. Several officers came in to ask questions, with one of them writing things down in a notepad he carried with him. At one point, Reagan gave one of the officers an item belonging to Mary so his dog can track her scent.
"So when was the last time you saw your daughter?" The dark-skinned officer asked.
"Last night," Todd answered, his eyes glassy and moist from oncoming tears. "I tucked her into bed and made sure she was asleep. We don't know exactly when she left."
"She left this note," Reagan handed it to the blonde officer, and he took a minute to look it over.
"Are you sure she's not at a friend's house?" The blonde officer questioned.
"Yes! She never goes anywhere on her own, especially on foot!" Dana snapped, slamming her hand on the couch cushion she sat on. "She's autistic, for God's sake!"
"Has she ever run away before?" The first officer asked.
"No. Not ever," Reagan replied, glancing at the officer's name tag—Haywood. "She's so shy she never ventures out on her own. She's never even walked to school."
The two policemen exchanged looks. Oftentimes, when a child of Mary's age would run away, they'd wind up coming back, whether due to fear, or just getting hungry. Since they didn't know what time Mary actually ran away, as she was already gone when everybody else woke up, they could tell something more serious was afoot. There was a difference between a child claiming they'll run away, and actually going through with it.
"Have you seen anything suspicious before this?" The blonde officer, whose name tag read Lowell, inquired. "Like, weird people hanging around, or vehicles you don't recognize?"
Everyone shook their heads no. The two officers rubbed their heads in confusion. "Are we allowed to request Amber Alerts if we don't have a description of a vehicle?" Officer Lowell asked.
"I'll have to check," Officer Haywood pulled out his walkie-talkie and walked out the front door.
The Summers family hated how helpless they felt in this moment. Mary could be out there somewhere, all alone, possibly scared, and there was nothing they could do about it except wait. What if she had been kidnapped? Neither Dana nor Todd dared to think something so horrible. Reagan could only think about the note Mary left, and the words scribbled on it completely consumed her mind. Questions without answers drowned her in a constant stream. Why does Mary think nobody loves her? What made her think her life was a lie? How was it a lie? Was last night's incident the straw that broke the camel's back? Guilt weighed heavy in her heart. Maybe if she had done more to stop Dana from restraining her yesterday, or all the other times before that, would Mary have stayed? She wished she could just go out there and try her hand at tracking down Mary again, but as of right now, the police advised against it.
But she didn't want to sit here and do nothing. Sure, the police were more qualified to do this, but just sitting here was making Reagan feel restless. Pacing around the room didn't help. Her stomach growled, and she looked over at the dining room table. Her French toast was still on its plate, with the syrup having completely melted into the bread. Hunger overrode her worry, and Reagan figured she could at least get this done and over with. She took the bread into her hand and ate it, chewing it slowly, hoping time would move faster. The toast was lukewarm, almost cold, but she didn't care. She could hear the officers asking her parents more questions, like if they had gotten into any fights or how their relationships were. All she could do was hope that Mary was okay, and hopefully not kidnapped by some creep.
"Reagan?" Her father's voice pulled her out of her reverie. She didn't turn around to look at him, continuing to eat her French toast. A warm hand snaked around her, pulling her close to his sweater. She could feel the subtle, prickly hairs that formed his goatee brushing against the top of her head. Tears trickled out, and after Reagan finished her toast, she couldn't keep them in anymore. She buried her face into her father's chest and cried. All Todd did was wrap another arm around her, stroking her back and allowing her to cry.
"We'll find her. We won't give up. Not ever," Todd whispered reassuringly, though she could tell the statement sounded forced, what with how shaky his voice was. "We'll do all we can to find her and make sure she's safe."
"Officer Lowell!" Another policeman dashed into the house, approaching Lowell with a blanched, wide eyed expression. "One of the canines picked up a scent down at Cascade!"
Cascade? Everyone's heads shot up. That was a road not too far from here. Officer Haywood stole a glance at the Summers' family. "Want to come with us?"
Instead of answering outright, the trio made a mad dash outside. It took all but seconds for them to get in Todd's car and make the short drive to Cascade road. When they got there, police cars dotted the little park, with many officers already examining the slide and the swings. A German shepherd was sticking its nose into one of the holes in the jungle gym, giving a low whine as it tried to paw towards the center. As soon as they pulled up, the Summers' made their way to the jungle gym.
The female officer holding the dog by the leash flashed a despondent glance towards Officer Haywood. "Sorry. The trail stops here."
Having heard this, as she was within earshot of them, Reagan's mouth fell agape. How could a scent trail stop in the middle of a park? It wasn't raining, so Mary's scent couldn't have washed away.
Dana let out a scream before crawling into the jungle gym to reach for something. Lying on the ground was a single, pink ribbon trimmed with lace. "This is Mary's bow!" Dana shouted tearfully, taking the delicate bow into her hands and crawling back out from the jungle gym.
"Really?" Todd asked as he and Reagan clustered around her to get a good look. The ribbon did indeed belong to Mary. Reagan even recognized it. It was one of a set that she bought for Mary for her seventh birthday.
Reagan remembered that day all too perfectly. She and her father had gone to the mall to get birthday presents for her, and they passed by a Claire's store. She heard Mary say to Mimi once that she wished she had new ribbons, as her other ones were getting worn out and dirty. Mary had asked her mother once if they could buy new ribbons. Dana said they would, but on one condition: That Mary stop flapping her hands and bouncing her legs forever. Reagan saw the way Mary's face blanched, her desolate, wide-eyed stare, and the look of utter rejection and sorrow she had before seeing her run like the wind. Reagan tasted bile in her mouth at the sight of her mother telling Mary that the only way she'd ever get anything she wanted was if Mary stopped being herself. Stopped being autistic. Stopped being authentic. Reagan didn't want to see that look on Mary's face ever again. Not if she could help it, though she still wound up seeing it more often than she wanted. She bought new ribbons at Claire's, and seeing the radiant smile on Mary's face when she saw them made it all worth it.
That day, Reagan came to realize that Dana's refusal to buy Mary's new ribbons wasn't simply a refusal. She was actively trying to keep Mary from having anything nice as punishment for being autistic, disguising it as inciting her to motivate herself to adapt to Dana's idea of normal. That moment wasn't the first time Dana refused to buy Mary something nice, or to let her do something she wanted, even when the both of them knew it wasn't a big deal. She wondered if Mary just flat-out had enough of constantly being rejected for being herself over and over again. Was that what made her run away? If that was the case, Reagan didn't blame her. Still, Mary was out there, all alone, completely vulnerable. Anything could happen.
Instead of having a fun weekend like they had planned, the Summers focused all their efforts into finding Mary. Todd and Reagan drove around the neighborhood, looking for her. Todd in his car, and Reagan on her bicycle. Dana remained at home, posting about Mary's disappearance on social media, figuring that would be a good way to get the word out. The police searched further out. Search parties scoured the woods, with twigs snapping underneath their shoes and people calling Mary's name far and wide. They were met with nothing. Reagan even made missing person posters and stapled them on every telephone pole she could find. This was far better than sitting around doing nothing. Unfortunately, all efforts came up empty.
On Sunday night, the Summers found themselves at home, unable to do much of anything. The house felt...emptier without Mary in it. When Reagan did her homework, she expected to find Mary sitting on her bedroom floor, reading a book or playing pretend with her toys and stuffed animals like always. But it was eerily silent. Tears trickled down her face as she put her homework away.
It wasn't the same without Mary. Guilt and yearning weighed heavy in Reagan's gut. She fell face first down onto her bed and cried into the comforter, wishing she had done more to help Mary. Done more to stop this from happening.
"Mary...Mary...please be okay...I'm so sorry!" Reagan bawled and her tears stained her comforter, but she didn't care. She wished she could do something, anything, to get Mary back.
Just outside her bedroom door, Todd stood and watched the scene with furrowed eyebrows. He wished he could go in there and comfort his oldest daughter. But a part of him advised against it, insisting that Reagan needed her space right now. He refrained, as there was something else he needed to do. But that needed to wait until morning, as it was too late in the day to do so right now.
"I'm leaving! Bye!" Caitlin got on her scooter and rode down the street, zipping towards school, which was only a few blocks away. She barely noticed her mother calling out to her, but she didn't pay her any heed. The wind brushed right past her as she turned a sharp corner, reveling in the cold air chafing her face.
"I can't wait to ask Mary to come with us to the zoo!" Caitlin said to herself out loud, swiping her foot against the concrete beneath her to make her scooter go faster.
When she got home from school on Friday, her parents said they planned to take everyone to the zoo next weekend, and they suggested inviting Mary and her family along. Or invite just Mary, if the rest of the family couldn't come, and if that was the case, they'd do all they could to make sure she had a fun time while accommodating her autistic needs, like find a quiet place to go if it was too loud. Caitlin couldn't wait to tell Mary all about it when she got to school.
The blacktop was abuzz with activity, overflowing with children when she got there. Oddly enough, Caitlin didn't see Mary anywhere. She tied her scooter to the bike rack and made sure it was secure before heading to the blacktop. There wasn't any sign of Mary anywhere. She did catch sight of Leo, with his signature buzz cut, naturally tan skin, navy blue hoodie and black jeans.
"Leo!" Caitlin ran over to him with a bright smile and an enthusiastic wave. Leo gasped a little, as his friend rarely ever greeted him with anything less than loud enthusiasm, but his shoulders relaxed upon seeing her.
"Hi, Cait. What's up?" Leo replied with his sheepish smile.
"Not much. My parents and I are gonna go to the zoo next weekend!" Caitlin effused, jumping up and down, the two tiny pigtails at the base of her neck bouncing, reflecting her movements. "I really hope they still have the red panda exhibit!"
"Cool! I wish I could go," Leo said, adjusting his backpack with one hand. "I'd love to see the elephants and the lions again."
"By the way, have you seen Mary around?" Caitlin asked after she calmed down. "I don't see her anywhere."
"I saw her dad going inside the school earlier, but not Mary," Leo answered. "That is strange, though. It's not like Mary to miss school. Maybe she's sick or something?"
Caitlin crossed her arms, figuring that would be the case. "Probably. Who knows?"
They weren't too bothered, so they decided that if Mary showed up tomorrow, they could tell her about the zoo. The two friends talked and played on the blacktop right until the bell rang, calling them inside for classes. When the kids set their things down and sat at their desks, they realized Mr. Bryant wasn't here yet. Several kids exchanged perplexed expressions. This was odd. Mr. Bryant was never late for class. He was always here before them.
"Now this is weird," Leo said. "Are we getting a substitute or something?"
Leo's question was immediately answered when Mr. Bryant came into class, with heavy books in hand. But something was very off, and the kids knew it. He had a big frown on his face, and his eyes looked glassy, like something terrible had happened to him. He also didn't immediately greet everyone right away, as he always did so before class. Instead, he set his books down in silence. The air in the classroom became heavy with silence. Caitlin couldn't believe it. Even the kids who rarely ever quieted down unless the teacher told them to were completely silent. What was going on?
After a minute, Mr. Bryant got his things in order and stood at the front of the classroom. "Hello, everyone. Normally I'd say good morning, but…" His voice wasn't big, booming, and enthusiastic as it usually was. It had a sad, desolate undercurrent, and was almost a whisper. "I have some very sad news today."
Everyone broke into a chorus of whispering. Normally, Mr. Bryant would gently advise everyone to quiet down, but Caitlin and Leo could see that he wasn't even in the mood to do that.
"This past weekend, Mary Summers went missing. No one knows where she is or how she went missing," Mr. Bryant finally explained.
Yet another chorus of whispers followed. Ice ran over Caitlin and Leo's faces as the meaning behind their teacher's words sank in. Mary was missing? How? When? Why? Several children immediately began inundating Mr. Bryant with questions.
"Was she kidnapped?"
"Did she run away?"
"Is she okay?"
"What happened to her?"
Mr. Bryant slowly shook his head. "As of now, we don't know. The police are looking for her as we speak," He said.
Caitlin buried her face in her arms, her teacher's words reduced to little more than white noise. Mary was truly gone? What happened to her? Questions without answers swirled through her mind, overriding everything else. Even as classes resumed, Mary remained on Caitlin's mind no matter what. She occasionally exchanged worried looks with Leo, and his furrowed eyebrows and moist eyes told her all she needed to know about how he was feeling about all this. It didn't seem real. Mary was never absent from school for as long as the two of them had known her. Their whole bodies buzzed, and they wished they could just get out of class and look for her, but the kids knew they couldn't. It was against the rules to just run out of the classroom, but they hated feeling so restless and...helpless.
Lunch time was a quieter affair than it usually was. Caitlin and Leo sat next to each other at the long tables like they usually did, but didn't have it in them to talk. All they did was eat their food in desolate silence. Furthermore, even if they wanted to talk, they were sure they wouldn't be able to hear each other over the cacophony of all the other kids screaming and palavering all around them. Finally, recess came around, and Caitlin and Leo made it to their spot on the blacktop, managing to find a moment to talk now that they were away from the crowds.
"Mr. Bryant said the police are involved. That's gotta mean it's super serious, right?" Leo asked, his voice trembling.
"Yeah. I watch some crime shows with my mom sometimes," Caitlin replied. "They say if someone's missing for more than two days, people can file a missing person's report...or something."
"But what happened to her?" Leo dropped the question. The two of them knew they had no answers, but the Latino boy couldn't keep it in. "You don't think she was kidnapped by some creep, do you?"
"I don't know," Caitlin answered, sliding against the chain link fence as she sat down on the concrete. "I'll ask Mom about it when I get home. Maybe I can help her put up missing person posters or something."
The duo knew there wouldn't be much they could really do to help search for Mary. Mr. Bryant didn't say much about how she disappeared, and he was likely just as much in the dark as they were. Leo could only look through the holes in the fence, kicking a stone through one of them.
"You don't think she's...I dunno...dead?" Leo suggested.
"No! Absolutely not! She can't be dead!" Caitlin snapped. Tears trickled out from her eyes when she shouted her answer, and Leo flinched, backpedaling to give her some space.
"Sorry...I shouldn't have said that."
Caitlin gritted her teeth as she kicked part of the fence in front of her. She wished she could just run out of the school and search for Mary on her own. Just get on her scooter and ride all through town. Caitlin just knew that Mary couldn't be dead. There was just no way. Not unless something actually proved that she was. Until that happened, Caitlin refused to think the unthinkable.
Just like that, her plan to invite Mary to the zoo with her family went up in smoke, and in the worst possible way. Caitlin didn't feel like sticking around here anymore, so she picked up a stick and began sliding it against the chain link fence as she walked, with Leo following next to her. What could they even talk about at this point?
"I don't know why everybody's making such a big deal about it."
The duo froze when they realized who that voice belonged to. Caitlin looked to her right and saw Greg and two of his friends conversing with one another just six feet away. Greg had his arms crossed and had a smug look on his face, having not noticed Caitlin and Leo passing by him.
"So what if Mary's missing? I say good riddance!" Greg exclaimed. "I'm sick and tired of that stupid baby getting special treatment all the time. Now we don't have to put up with her anymore."
Fire ran through Caitlin's veins in that moment. How dare he talk about Mary like that! Caitlin gritted her teeth. Leo, sensing the danger signal, put a hand on her shoulder and wordlessly shook her head, advising her that getting angry wasn't going to solve anything. Caitlin knew this, but hearing Greg talk smack about Mary like that...her blood continued to boil.
"Don't you think you're being a little mean?" One of his friends—Caitlin remembered his name was Tyrus—pointed out. "I mean, I'm not the biggest fan of her either, but you heard what Mr. Bryant said. The police are involved, and that means something really bad happened to her. Like, super duper bad. Maybe she got kidnapped or something."
A valid point.
"Come on, Cait," Leo whispered, tugging on her hoodie. "Let's go. He's not worth it."
It took everything Caitlin had just to wrench her face away from Greg, and she turned on her heel to walk away. But only walked two steps.
"All the better," Greg hissed without any hint of empathy whatsoever. "I hope whoever snatched her kills her. We'd all be better off—"
Greg had no chance to finish his sentence, as Caitlin tackled him to the ground, screeching and howling. Greg's friends backed away as the blonde girl pinned him to the concrete before using one hand to smack him across the face. Then another, and another, repeating the process as much as she could. Greg attempted to push her off, but the wild girl refused to budge, using all the strength she had to pummel the redhead's face in. Leo rushed in to try and pull Caitlin off by wrapping his arms around her waist, but his efforts were futile. Other kids gathered around, watching the brawl play out before them, while a few others ran.
"You're awful!" Caitlin screamed right in Greg's face, with spit flying right into it. "You take that back right now!"
"No way! Get off me!" Greg used one hand to push on Caitlin's face, hoping that would deter her. She simply brushed it off and closed a hand into a fist.
"Cait! No!" Leo tried to grab her arm, but she moved too fast for him to catch up. Unfortunately for her, Greg moved his head to the side, avoiding the punch. He used one leg to kick her in the stomach. Caitlin's airway cut off, and she found herself unable to breath. Greg crawled out from underneath her, finally free from the assault. Her blonde hair tumbled about her beet red face, and she shot a wild glare at the startled redhead, baring her teeth like a predator ready to strike.
"I'm gonna make you pay for that!" Caitlin roared, attempting to sprint towards him to do more. Thankfully, Leo and Tyrus managed to hold her back by clutching the back of her hoodie.
"Not if I get you first!" Unsatisfied with simply seeing her being held back, Greg readied a fist and almost made a dash towards her.
"Oh, no you don't!" A hand pulled on the back of his sweater, preventing more carnage. He looked up, seeing Mr. Bryant with a severe look on his face. "Care to explain to me what's going on?"
"Crazy Caitlin started punching me for no reason!" Greg was quick to point at Caitlin.
"Greg was talking trash about Mary! He said he hopes some guy kidnapped and killed her!" Caitlin shot back.
"It's true! We all saw it!" Both Leo and Tyrus proclaimed in unison.
Mr. Bryant could only sigh. "Caitlin. Greg. Come with me to the nurse's office," He gestured for them to follow. Knowing it was useless to disobey, the two enemies flanked him as they made their way back into the school building. The school nurse looked them over, and other than a few scratches, neither child had much in the way of serious injuries, so she handed them some band-aids to put on their wounds. Mr. Bryant stayed with them the entire time. Seeing that the air between them was tense, he kneeled down to their level.
"Caitlin, I know you're upset about Mary going missing. I am, too, and what Greg said is unacceptable. However, you know that resorting to violence isn't the right course of action," Mr. Bryant reminded her, his tone gentle but firm. "The next time you hear someone make light of Mary's disappearance, come and talk to me about it."
Caitlin remained grimly silent.
"And Greg, it's not right to make light of a classmate going missing," Mr. Bryant told him. "You should never claim that someone who's gone missing should die or get killed, even as a joke. Imagine if your mother or older sister went missing. Would you like it if someone said they were happy if they went missing?"
Like Caitlin, Greg remained silent. Mr. Bryant gave a defeated sigh, knowing these two were steadfast in their silence. "I won't force you two to apologize, but you'll both be on the bleachers for the rest of the week, and tomorrow you'll stay after school with me for detention."
"Hey! That's not fair!" Greg suddenly shouted.
"Should have thought of that before you said Mary'd be better off dead!" Caitlin hissed.
"Caitlin," Mr. Bryant drew out Caitlin's name in a warning tone. "Let me handle this."
As much as Caitlin hated to admit it, Mr. Bryant did have valid points, so she accepted her punishment without complaint. She was just happy that Greg was getting punished as well. He had no right to make cracks at Mary like that. Not about her best friend. But in all honesty, detention and sitting on the bleachers at recess was nothing compared to knowing that Mary was gone, and possibly would be for a long time. The rest of the school day passed uneventfully, but the restlessness gnawed at Caitlin's soul like a snake coiling around its prey.
When the final bell rang, Caitlin was one of the first to sprint out of the building. She unhooked her scooter from the bike rack and raced down the street. But instead of turning on the street that would lead to her house, she went in a different direction. She zipped down several streets, passing by the park on Cascade street, and arriving at a bright yellow house. Mary's house. Just as she arrived, a school bus stopped at the bus stop. Reagan exited the bus with a forlorn look on her face.
"Reagan!" Caitlin shouted, running over to the teenager so fast, one would have thought her house was on fire.
"Whoa! Caitlin?" Reagan recoiled a bit when the girl ran up to her, but took a minute to calm down as she processed her appearance. "What are you doing here?"
"Is it true?" Caitlin wasted no time asking her about Mary. "Is Mary really missing? What happened? Did she get kidnapped?"
"Whoa whoa, calm down a bit," Reagan advised. "Let's sit down on the porch and talk."
The two girls made their way to the porch and sat down. Caitlin sat on the concrete porch while Reagan sat on the black metal chair just behind her, figuring the younger girl needed some space. "I take it the school told you about it, huh?"
"Yeah. Mr. Bryant told us," Caitlin replied, turning around to face Reagan. Her mouth fell agape as she noticed grey bags weighing down Reagan's eyes. "But what actually happened?"
"Well…" Reagan groped around for an answer, looking all around the porch. "The truth is...she ran away."
"Ran away?" Caitlin repeated the words out loud, hoping they'd make sense if she heard them again. They didn't. "But why? Mary's never run away before. Why would she do that?"
"I don't know," Reagan held her backpack close to her chest, her voice desolate. "All we know for sure is that she disappeared before we woke up. I found a note she wrote in her room. She claims that nobody loves her and that her life is a lie. We've been searching for her all weekend, but...we can't find her."
The sorrow in Reagan's voice was clear as day, like glass that was close to breaking. Caitlin stood up and wrapped her short arms around the teenager. She knew the gesture wouldn't do much, but she figured Reagan needed some show of support. Reagan flashed a sad but grateful smile and wrapped one hand around the younger girl. Still, Reagan's answers only raised further questions. Why would Mary run away? Why did she think nobody loved her? Caitlin loved her, Reagan loved her, and her family did as well, and what did she mean by her life being a lie? Nothing made any sense.
"Sorry I don't have any more answers for you, Cait," Reagan told her. "My parents and I are just as confused about it as you are."
"It's okay," Caitlin said, wiping some stray tears with one hand. "Do you know if there's a search party being held? I can help you guys look for her."
"There is, but we can't go," Reagan answered. "You have to be eighteen to participate."
Caitlin stamped her foot on the concrete. "That's stupid! I can cover a lot of ground with my scooter, and you with your bike!"
"Yeah. I agree. But we have to do things by the book and let the police handle it," Reagan reminded her. "Believe me, I've been searching for her on my own all weekend."
The bags under Reagan's eyes told Caitlin all she needed to know.
"Greg was saying mean things about Mary in school today," Caitlin confessed. "I got mad and punched him. He said Mary's better off kidnapped or dead."
Reagan's face contorted into a snarl. "Can't even say I'm surprised. That little brat."
"I know I shouldn't have done that, but...I hate it!" Caitlin exclaimed, sitting down next to Reagan. "I hate that I can't do anything to help find her! And some people don't even care!"
"I know. It's so frustrating…" Reagan agreed.
The two of them sat in silence, in shared sorrow and solidarity. Caitlin knew she'd have to go home soon and face the consequences of her actions. She was sure her parents would be mad, but she didn't mind. Nothing could be worse than knowing her best friend was out there somewhere, scared and alone, possibly in danger.
"My family and I plan on going to the zoo next weekend," Caitlin murmured, her vision blurring with oncoming tears again. "They said I could invite Mary if she wanted to come. I really wanted to tell her about it and have her come with us…" Caitlin's voice broke.
Reagan slid off the chair and down to Caitlin's level, pulling her into a hug. Caitlin cried into Reagan's chest, unable to keep it in anymore. Reagan could only stroke the younger girl's back, rubbing her hand up and down. She knew the gesture wouldn't do much, but it was all she could do.
"Mary would have absolutely loved that," Reagan whispered. "I'm not giving up. I'll keep searching for her, no matter what it takes. If I hear anything, I'll drop by your place and let you know. Leo, too."
Caitlin nodded, her whimpers muffled by Reagan's thick sweater.
The two girls remained on the porch, comforting one another, swearing that they'd find Mary no matter what.