Finding Opal

Chapter 6

Chapter

          Address, Address, I chanted in my head as I scrolled through the Google search of Opal’s street name. 

          Google, as I found, was very helpful in providing information I needed involving Opal.  I found her birthday, a portion of her old school records, and even an interview of her on her news channel where she lived before she moved to Betty Valley. 

          I was still working on finding her current address, but with my luck with all the other stuff I didn’t know I needed I figured I wouldn’t have that much more searching to do.

          Then it hit me.  The very first time her story was on TV the cops were in front of her mailbox while being interviewed, and the camera panned over her house.  That had to be the answer to my dilemma.

          I clicked onto Channel 5’s website and went to the specials ribbon.  The drop down tab, to my expectation, had the first Opal special.  Mid click I panicked if it wasn’t on the video I wouldn’t have any way to contact Opal’s parents.  Pushing past the ridiculous “fear” I focused on the video on my laptop screen.

          Again I saw the flashing lights, the crying parents, and the police tape.  This brought chills down my spine as I remembered every detail of Opal’s story.  The fear I had from childhood returned to my in an icy blast that exploded in my face. 

The fear of being kidnapped. 

          This was why I never left home with my friends.  This was why I couldn’t live a normal childhood.  At that moment I realized why I felt such a strong need to save Opal.  If I saved Opal, in a way I was saving myself.  I was proving to myself that kidnapping could be resolved if someone cared enough.

I realized that I knew I couldn’t let this case go.  This wasn’t just a phase or whatever my parents wanted to call it.  This “case” was a broken part of me that I needed to fix.

          I couldn’t even imagine going out with my friend(s) and not having fear someone was going to take me; it was too good to be true.  The thought that if I saved Opal this could come true for me urged me again.  This was something that would save two people with one action.

          Tuning back into reality I noticed the special was over and the replay or share options were on the blackness of the full screen mode.  I clicked replay and studied every motion the camera made.

          After about ten minutes of intense searching I finally found what I was looking for.  A police officer appeared on the screen and began talking about possibilities of where Opal might be.  This time watching the special I wasn’t looking at the officer, but at the mailbox.  The numbers were blurry but not impossible to read.  I waited patiently for the camera to zoom into the officer from the distant shot, and then I paused the second the motion stopped.

          Leaning toward the screen and squinting my eyes to focus, I could make out the numbers.  7941!  I got the numbers!  The banner at the bottom of the screen had the street name, Blind Oak Lane.  7941 Blind Oak Lane!  I was so giddy I laughed out loud. 

          There was just one thing left to do now.  Pay Opal’s parents a little visit.

7941 Blind Oak Lane.

          I made it.  Barely, but I made it.  Biking is hard when you aren’t athletic, even if it was just a few blocks away. 

          I took off my helmet (safety first) and leaned my bike on their mailbox.  I reached out my hand and stroked the mailbox; this was a landmark that I had reached all by myself.