Missing

Dad

I creep out of bed, being careful not to make any noise. I grab a pair of long pants, a t-shirt and a jumper and get changed. I grab my phone off my bedside table and hurry down the stairs. The floor boards creak quietly as I go down the steps. I walk past the kitchen towards the back of the house, where I can sneak out the side door. The air outside is cool and the street is dimly lit, with only a couple of street lamps. The doughnut shop is about a five minute walk from my house, three minutes if you run. I start off in a quick jog, as I turn the corner I speed up, turning my jog into a run as the message sinks in. While I run one thought keeps circling around in my head; Dad is alive, I have to get to him.

The doughnut shop is bright pink with pictures of doughnuts painted on the walls. The lights inside are off and the alley around the back is dark. I pull my phone out of my pocket, turn on the torch and shine it down the alley. About halfway down the alley there is a huge dumpster, lying on the ground next to it is a lump of blankets.

"Dad?" I call out quietly.

"Lily?" I hear a voice call out, as the lump of blankets moves revealing a person.

"Dad!" I cry out, as I see the person turn around showing dads face.

"Lily! Come here!" Dad calls, joy showing on his unshaven face.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, running over to him to give him a hug.

"It's a long story" Dad replies, the grin on his face disappearing.

"Are you in trouble?" I ask, worried by his sudden change.

"No... Well, yes" Dad stammers.

"Did you rob a bank?" I ask, remembering what the police said.

"No!" Dad exclaims, clearly in shock.

"That's what the police think, they're looking for you." I respond, a little embarrassed that I had expected that from him.

"I thought this might happen. The police blame crimes on missing people because they can't say anything. I'll tell you what happened, but you have to promise not to tell anyone but Mum and Luke, OK?" Dad asks, very serious.

"OK, I promise"

Dad begins to tell me of how he started gambling a couple of times a week, with a friend, but then he kept going more and more often and couldn't stop. Dad explains that he started to get into a lot of debt with some dangerous people, who will do anything to get their money. He says that he couldn't pay them and now they wanted their money.

"So that's why I had to leave, to protect you, Luke and Mum" Dad finishes.

A police siren sounds not far away.

"I have to go!" Dad says, panic showing on his face.

"I love you. Tell Mum and Luke that I love them too. Goodbye" Dad says, as he gives me a hug and then turns and runs down the alley, away from the sirens and away from me.