The Silent Girl

29.

'Jim'

"And how tall do you think Ella is?" The police officer asks me, sat in front of me, a clipboard on her lap.

"I think she is about 5'11" I answer nervously. "That was it the last time we checked."

"Ok, have you got a recent photograph of her?" She asks, looking up from writing something down.

"Yeah, got one yesterday" I mumble, pulling my phone out of my pocket and going to the photo icon. My throat hitches when I see her sat around her best friends, laughing. Oh, what I would do to be back in this moment.

Yesterday, I took Ella to the hospital to check out her burn. I had to take an important work call and then when I got back, Ella was gone. No trace of her leaving. I decided not to panic and wondered if she had got called early to see the doctor. But after, I looked everywhere over the hospital, got the cameras checked. I concluded to ring the police.

And here I was, talking to the police about my missing daughter.

"So, Mr Brood, this disappearance was out of ordinary, so let's just hope that Ella needed to clear her mind and has gone for a walk. We will start searching the area and begin to look for anything that could help us." She pause, looking down at the clipboard and back up. "I need you to do an important job, you're job is to not worry too much, go home, get some rest, work out if there is anything you have to help our job and give me a ring if you hear or see anything ok?"

"Ok"

'Meanwhile'

'Ella'

I was so scared.

I don't know where I was, nor where I was going.

All I know is that I don't want to be with Amber, Amber's mum and mostly my mum.

As I walked down the unfamiliar road, I wondered about my dad, Noah, Luke and Micky back home all looking for me.

What was I thinking? But the question now on my mind was, how do I get back?

I've taken the time, to clear my head, sort my issues battling in my head. Now I needed to go and battle them, but how...?

'Half An Hour Later'

'Jim'

"Where is Ella?" Luke asks, taking off his coat and hanging it up on the coat hanger.

"She's gone" I mumble. "I don't know where she is"

"What do you mean?" Noah raises his voice at me, showing a concern for my daughter.

"We were in the hospital, I had to take a work call and when I got back, she was gone. I asked people, I got the cameras and it doesn't show her leaving, the camera that was probably use, wasn't working. I've been to the police, they are looking for her." I tell the three, confused and concerned looking boys.

The three of them, put their shoes on and racing out of the door before I could even protest or stop them.

'Noah'

We climb onto our bikes and begin to cycle, we travel the whole of our little town looking for our Ella.

Then it begins to rain. It pours down.

And to think, our poor little Ella, is out there somewhere. Most likely alone, in the pouring rain.

But then I hear hope.

My phone begins to ring in my back pocket, my common ring tone, filling the air. Micky and Luke back to me, giving me a confused look.

I grab it and answer the random number. Hoping.

"N-noah" I hear our girl from the other end.

"Ella" I yell frantically, over the noise of the rain. "Ella, where are you?" Luke puts his own phone to his ear, calling someone.

"N-noah, I can't hear you" She crocks, she's coughing loudly. "I don't know where I am, please h-help me"

"I'm going to" I say loudly. "Just tell me, anything you can see"

"I'm in a phone box, there is a dirt road, and woods and its getting dark and I'm scared" She crocks again, sobs filling the sound through the phone, hurting my heart.

"Ella, stay in the phone box ok?" I tell her.

"I am" She cries. "I'm sorry."

"It's ok, deep breathes, we'll find you." I tell her.

"It's beeping, this call is about to end and I don't have anymore mon-" The phone beeps in my hand and it hangs up. She's gone. But she is in a phone box.

"Come on, police station."

The three of us have never rode as fast as we could, our legs hurt, we were wet, tired and we were cold.

But we had to find our Ella.

'end of 29.'

it has been ten days im sorryyyyy :(

but, it's half term :) and im going to the beach!

Posted: 28.5.22