The last 24 hours...

Cardboard Box

Connie sprinted down the stairs and grabbed her coat and car keys as she heard the back doors slam shut. She leaped into the car which roared out of the drive and sped down the street. Connie paused and glanced around the area to try and see Grace. She tried Grace's phone which lead to answerphone then decided to try Sam's house.
Connie drove in silence watching the rain patter on her windscreen and the wipers going crazy to swipe them off. Rolling slowly, the car steadied outside a house without lights on or cars outside.
Connie growled and steadily drove around the town scanning the pavements and shop windows. 

Minutes seemed like hours until Connie pulled outside Grace's favourite place. Pulling open the heavy metal door, she inhaled the greasy air produced by the deep fat fryer behind the counter. The sound of sizzles of iced fries in hot oil and cars splashing through the rain outside fill the air as Connie scans around the room. A cold, damp girl is seated slumped over a cardboard pizza box in the corner of the American Diner watching the droplets roll slowly down the cold, half steamed glass glances up slowly at Connie with tired eyes. 

Connie pivots and strides briskly over to the greasy table where Grace was sat curled over a cold pepperoni pizza in a oily cardboard box. A scrunched tissue fell from Grace's hand onto the tiled floor as she began to sob. Connie pushed the pizza box - barely touched, apart from the pepperoni off the toppings, aside to take Grace's hand. Connie got up from the chair opposite Grace to squat next to her side and pull her into a tight hug as she cried loudly, sobbing into Connie's chest. 

"I need help mum, I need help." Grace sobbed as Connie assumed her by holding Grace closer to her. "I want to go home!" 

"It's okay." Connie whispered into her ear as they left the greasy diner, hand in hand into the drizzly,grey weather and drove home.