The Wanted Missing

9

"What's even beyond the gate? Is this even worth it?" Emrie commentated, pulling a bobby-pin from her bangs. She twisted it up and inserted it into the lock, picking at it. She unlocked it, opened it, and walked off.

Two or three hours went by, and she reached the city, leaving behind the small town the orphanage was in. She began to run, until she found the first alleyway, in which she went into the center of and sat down against the wall. She steadied her breath and soon fell asleep.

"Hey? Hey!" Emrie woke to someone shaking her shoulder furiously. When she opened her eyes, she found a black and blue outfit, filled with badges and weapons. She noticed a name tag that read: 'Officer C. Allburg.'

"What?" Emrie said, mainly to herself. She looked up, coming face-to-face with a blonde-haired hazel-eyed woman, with her hair pulled up into a bun.

"Where are you supposed to be, kid?" C. Allburg questioned.

All Emrie did was blink.

"Kid?" C. Allburg said, "What's your name at least?"

"Oh. Uh... Emrie." She replied to the officer.

"Last name?"

"Lucas."

"And your age?"

"16."

"Alright. You're going to have to come with me. You're too young to be out here on your own. I'm Officer Cameron Allburg. You can trust me." Stated Allburg.

Emrie looked around, seeing if she could run anywhere. If she went to the Police Department, they could find where she came from and take her back. She didn't need that after coming so far.

"I'm sorry, I can't go with you." Emrie looked to the officer's utility belt, spotting pepper spray.

'Really don't want to do that, but it's my last resort.' She thought to herself.

"Why not?" Allburg asked.

Emrie shrugged. "I'm headed somewhere." She said, reaching as fast as possible to the spray, knocking the officer back a little and then spraying her in the eyes. Allburg yelped in pain and reached up to her face immediately, and Emrie sprung up, grabbing her bag, and took off.

"What did you just do?!" Emrie scolded herself aloud, mentally smacking herself.

She pocketed the pepper spray, and ran, and ran, and ran, knowing nothing of what was to happen next.

Alex McCollough searched the area on the orphanage's property, frantically for Emrie Lucas. Everyone was looking for her. Lunette and Marinette called places nearby, and no one had seen her.

"If this is because of Marsh leaving, I'm going to attack someone!" Alex yelled to himself.

"Kids! Come inside!" Marinette called to them all. They all started to the door for lunch, and Lunette left the table early for one last call on the phone. When she returned, she looked happier, yet angry at someone.

"Kiddos, we need the most recent photo of her that we've got." She said calmly. She ten turned to Marinette, pulling her aside. Alex listened intently. "They had a run-in with her this morning. Haven't seen her since."

Alex shot up from his seat and barreled up the stairs into Marsh's old room. There had been a time when Marsh was still here that he'd snapped a photo of Emrie while she was reading. She had looked up just when Marsh clicked the button to take the photo, and in the photo, she looked so curious. Alex had recently been going through Marsh's room, dusting and just cleaning while Marsh and Emrie were out doing something, and he'd run into the photo in the top of the closet.

Alex climbed up to the top of the closet and snatched the photo, running downstairs into the kitchen and handed it to Lunette.

"Here." He boldly stated.

"Thank you, Alex." She said, looking over the image.