"Honey, would you take the girls to the park for me?" My mother asked my stepfather, Jason.
He scowled. Even as a child, I knew that scowling was probably his favorite expression. "Why can't Rosie take Anja to the park on her own?"
Rosie, my bright older sister, frowned at our stepfather. "Jason you know very well I can't do that. I'm only seven therefore I legally cannot leave the house on my own."
My mother only nodded. She looked weary and everyone knew she still had piles of schoolwork to do. Which is how my annoying stepfather Jason was tasked with taking us to the park. If I was being honest, I didn't want to go to the park, which was quite unusual in a three year old. But as soon as I saw the excitement light up Rosie's eye, I decided it was worth it.
Rosie had been down in the dumps ever since mom had married Jason. I couldn't remember my father, mainly because he had died when I was a year old. But Rosie remembered him clear as glass. According to her, he was the greatest person to ever live, except maybe our mother. I wished I had at least one memory of my father, but unfortunately, I didn't.
I didn't think Jason was that bad, after all he was kind and generous to everyone around him. But he hated going to the park because he claimed that he got 'bored'. Rosie had seemed to have devoted her soul to hating Jason. I had asked my mom once why Rosie was so mad that Jason was part of our family.
"Rosie's been having a tough time with getting over your father,'' Mom had told me gently. "But she'll come around and accept it. She loved her father more than anything. It's going to take time." I sometimes wondered whether that was actually true. My mom had never bothered to specify exactly how much time it would take Rosie, but 2 months later, she still hated Jason with every inch of her being.
Rosie handed me my fuzzy cobalt blue sweater and pumpkin orange hat. I slipped them on, and we stepped outside into the morning of a promising autumn day. The pompom of my hat sagged as Rosie and I skipped to the park, with Jason trailing behind us. My messy blonde hair billowed in the wind as crisp leaves swept past us, dancing in the wind like delicate ballerinas.
My sister was telling me a story, but I tuned her out. I scanned the trees, watching squirrels scamper around, gathering food to keep their families alive through the harsh winters of New York City. The buildings seated on the horizon reached for the heavens.
I saw the park around the corner and Rosie bolted. I saw no choice but to follow. "Kids, wait up!" Jason yelled at us as we took off full speed to the playground.
We dashed up the stairs and I sped down the slide with a loud "Whoo-hoo!'' Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jason smile at my sister and I.
"Let's go to the swings. Last on there is a rotten egg!" Rosie yelled, louder than I appreciated.
Running on the way there, I tripped over my miniscule feet. I fell face-first into the pebbles lining the floor of the park. I got to my feet and willed myself not to cry. A man dressed in a black suit jogged up to me. He looked very young, maybe his late twenties, but very professional. Especially when I noticed that he was carrying a brown leather briefcase about the size of a small child.
"Are you ok?" he asked me, tipping his black top hat which blocked my view of his face..
I backed away, terror suddenly coursing through my veins. I had been told to not talk to strangers, because if I did, then I would never see my parents or sister ever again. The thought was chilling to the bone. But then the stranger smiled. A smile that seemed to make the air warmer. A smile that was filled with sunlight. A smile that made me want to trust him. That was where I made my mistake.
"I'm fine,'' I told the stranger.
He nodded at me and, for only a second, I saw his eyes. They were a cobalt blue, the same color as my comfy sweater. And maybe it was just my imagination, but I could have sworn that his eyes seemed to flash a maroon red when we made eye contact. But he looked away so I couldn't check. I assumed that it was a trick of the light.
"Here let me give you some candy,'' he said, his voice soft and velvety.
Slowly, he unzipped the briefcase and tilted it toward me slightly. Half-heartedly, he waved his hand toward the briefcase; an invitation to take candy. I reached in cautiously and was swallowed by darkness.
Bouncing up and down, it took me a moment to register what had happened. I had been kidnapped. The man must've shoved me into the bag and was now running. My head thumped against the side of the smelly bag repeatedly. My last thought was that Jason and Rosie would be worried before the world seemed to tilt and everything faded to black.
I awoke and bit back a scream. I now sat on a swing. I gripped the swing's rusty brown sides as I peered down. It was hard to not cry. Below me, the countryside spread toward the horizon line. The evergreen trees and red-roofed houses stood in clumps, with various sizes. My toddler brain was slowly short-circuiting. Not only had I been kidnapped, but now I also sat on a swing approximately 200 feet in the air.
I was scared out of my mind. I tilted my head up and saw a hot air balloon. The woven basket was pristine and perfectly crafted, while the rainbow colors lifted my mood. Up until I saw who stood inside the balloon. The man from before stood there, but his hat and briefcase were gone.
I was shocked by the man's overall appearance. Without his hat, I could see every inch of his face. His blonde hair was swept to one side and flowed freely in the wind. A thin scar ran along his jawline in a gruesome red line which ruined his chiseled features.
"You're awake,'' he noticed. His voice no longer sounded reassuring, but scarily angry."I guess it's time.''
"Noooo!" I let loose an agonizing scream.
I tried to grab at the strings that held the swing to the hot air balloon. In an attempt to escape, my foot slipped and I toppled. Falling to the earth. I knew it was the end. This was how it ended. I was so young. But it would take a miracle to survive the fall. A miracle I didn't have.
Terror coursed through my veins but at the same time, a feeling of freedom appeared. I felt like I was flying. Soaring through the air like a bird. Trees became larger and larger as I plummeted. I hit the ground with such force that I might have created an indent in the earth. I could almost imagine the evil man laughing with glee as I lay here, dying.
My breath became ragged and I gasped for breath. Everything hurt. My eyes fluttered and they closed permanently. My hammering heart slowed to stop. Then the pain ceased and I never took a breath again.
