The Wanted Missing

16

Emrie woke up, sitting up off of Marsh. Not even a minute later, Officer Allburg came back in, placing the cuffs back on Emrie's wrists. They left the room, and went into the lobby. Marinette was sitting on a bench next to the front desk, messing with her purse's zippers.

"Oh, Marsh! Emrie!" She cried, shooting up from her spot and dashing toward the two. "Ma'am," Allburg started. "Stay a few feet back. I know these two should probably go back o the orphanage, but this one can't right now." She said, lifting Emrie's arm slightly. "You can take Marsh, he's fine. Emrie here... little different." Allburg pushed Marsh toward Marinette a little, and Marsh looked back to Emrie.

"Oh, thank you!" Marinette said, paying the fee to take Marsh, and they walked toward the door. Once again, Marsh was walking out of a door that Emrie had truly wanted to go through, without her. Marsh stalled, stopping in the doorway and pivoting toward Emrie. "I'm sorry," He whispered hoarsely, his voice cracking, and his eyes brimmed with tears. "I want to take you with, but I can't." He choked on his tears. "I'm sorry." He whispered again, the tears flowing down his face, and he walked out the door.

Emrie stood there, staring at the door, wondering why she'd gone though so much trouble and pain, for nearly nothing. Her jaw hung agape, and she scoffed. Tears sat on edge, and her throat was dry. She couldn't say anything, all she could do was stand, until Allburg pulled her back into the detention room. "Stay here." She said, leaving the cuffs on Emrie, and leaving. Emrie sat on the chair, staring at the cuffs on her wrists, thinking about why she had tried to get away from the officer in the first place. To find Marsh. "He'll figure something out." She whispered to herself, her voice breaking terribly. "Right?" Two tears fell down her cheeks, running off her face and into the lock of the cuffs. They were a little tight on her, and it hurt her wrists.

She reached her arms up to wipe the tears off her face as soon as she saw a different officer headed their way towards Emrie. He opened the door and entered. "Listen kid, they won't let us give you an actual prison sentence, but they will allow us to keep you here for a couple of nights. We'll let your family know as soon as possible. Do you have a number for them?" Emrie looked up to the male. "Bold of you to assume I have family." Emrie murmured.

"Well then where do you live, kid?" Emrie was so tempted to just throw herself at the officer. He was clearly an idiot, and she was tired of everything going on right now. Instead, she wore an angry snarl on her lips. She held herself back, just barely, and a few moments later Allburg returned. The male turned to Allburg. "Where does this kid live?" He asked, "She won't answer."

"Officer Quinn, this is Emrie Lucas. She's an orphan." Allburg said dryly.

"So? That still doesn't tell me where she lives." He replied snottily.

"An orphanage?" Allburg remarked, wondering what the heck was wrong with her co-worker.

"Which one?"

"The one in the tiny town just nearby. The nearest one?" She uttered.

"Oh."

"Come here, Emrie." Allburg said to the redhead, pulling out her keys. Emrie walked over to the older female, holding out her wrists. "I'll undo these if you don't try to run." Allburg said skeptically. Emrie nodded, understanding, and really just wanting to get the cuffs off. She figured she might as well give up on trying to get out, now that Marsh was gone. Allburg went through her keys until she found the L-shaped one for the cuffs. She released the cuffs one at a time.

"Thank you." Emrie said quietly. Allburg just nodded, taking Emrie out of the detention room, into a separate cell, away from all the other prisoners. "You'll stay here for your... uhm... I don't know exactly what I'm supposed to call it since it's not exactly a sentence." She said. "Well... sleep well? I guess." Allburg shrugged, walking out of the room, shutting the bar door behind her. Sure, Emrie had pepper sprayed this woman in the eyes, but Allburg still had a heart. Sort of.

Emrie knew perfectly well she wasn't sleeping tonight. Not knowing that Marsh was out there at the orphanage without her, and with all the noise of the other prisoners. And she didn't. She laid on the cot, staring at the ceiling with tears running down her face. It was cold, damp, and dark. She was alone in the silence once everyone else fell asleep, until the night guards came in. They walked past her "cell" several times. One specifically came by a couple of times.

"Hey." He said to her. "You okay?" Emrie sat up, facing him.

"Does it LOOK like I'm okay?" She said in a brattish tone the third time he asked. She was done. "Sure?" He said, not entirely sure. "NO!" She hollered. "I'm a freaking 16-year-old orphan! I haven't showered in a week! And I'm stuck here while my boyfriend went back home. Sure, I wished that I could get out of the orphanage, but I didn't mean like this! I ran away looking for him after he got adopted, and now look where I'm at!" She laughed painfully, then sighed. "We got here together, and if this STUPID city had juvie, I'd be spending an actual prison sentence here!" She screeched. "I just wanted to have a normal life for once, and I messed up... so bad." That last piece she said with a major voice crack. Tears were running down her face and she hadn't even noticed.

"Sorry. Just... go away." She sighed, lying back down and rolling over to face the wall. She listened until she heard him walk away. Emrie hugged herself tightly, stretching her arms across each other to grab her shoulder, and squeezed her eyes shut, silently crying. She laid there for hours, listening to footsteps until the sun rose. Just as it was rising, she began to fall asleep.

She slept for about thirty minutes before Allburg came to retrieve her for breakfast. "Not hungry." Emrie said, still lying in her bed. "Fine." Allburg said, walking away, leaving the bars open. Emrie rolled over, staring at everyone walking by to go to the cafeteria. "Hey, little girlie." A man said, stopping by her cell. "Why ain't you eatin'?" He asked.

"Get away." Emrie demanded, standing up from her cot and curling her hands into fists, preparing to smack him if he didn't listen.

"Oooh... feisty." He said, smirking. Emrie ran toward him, and grabbed the door, slamming it on him.

"Owww!" He howled. "Regret talking to me yet?" Emrie snarled at him. The man nodded, taking off, holding the shoulder that Emrie had slammed the door on. Emrie smirked, and laughed. This had been the best she'd felt for a while. Maybe her "sentence" wouldn't be so bad after all. Especially if it meant she got to slam doors on people's shoulders.