The Tombstone

Stories

One year later...
Spring 1996

"Breaking News: Police and volunteers are still searching for the missing fourteen year old girl, Samantha Barry. Barry was last seen three months ago on December 13th 1995. She is five foot one, has short brown hair and green eyes. If anyone has any information about the teen, please call the number below," the man from the news announced as he was obviously reading off a script from behind the camera. A sigh left Stephanie's mothers mouth, as they both watched the tv sitting on the couch in front. Both not taking their eyes off. This had become normal in their town, if anyone could consider it normal. About every three months, a new girl would go missing, between the ages of seven to fifteen. The police had been loosing it, trying to keep up with the disappearances, trying to catch the man responsible. But as they searched for one girl, another would go missing. And then another. And another. Like on a loop that was never ending.

At first, many thought the Cindy Miller case was some type of one time thing. But they all turned out to be wrong. Three months after Cindy was found dead, another girl went missing. But this time, no body found. And then three months after that, another went missing. And then another. And the cycle went on and on. But, with each missing, no bodies were ever found. The only one being seven year old Cindy Miller.

The two continued to sit there sipping their tea together. Sips between the people talking on tv, mainly the news. That's all Steph and her mother, Amy watched anymore. Well, not all, but most of the time. Always searching for updates on the case, or cases. But they all turned out the same.

It was a Friday that day, which meant it was Stephanie's day off. She continued to work at the pet store, but Mary was no longer there. She and her parents moved back to the Philippines about a month or so after Cindy's body was found. Her parents didn't believe their town was safe anymore; but that wasn't the whole reason why they moved. Mary's grandparents were sick, and her parents wanted to go back and be with them. They were very close. That day was very sad, the day Mary told Steph she was leaving:
"Don't worry. I'll come visit you. Hell, maybe you could come visit me," Mary said one day as they were walking home from work.
"Yeah, that would be great. But, I'll miss you so much," Steph declared to her as Mary made the same expression as her friend.
"I know. I'll miss you too." A long pause stumbled over them as the sound of their feet dragging cut the silence between them. "But, hey, I'll call you! We'll still talk, but, maybe not as much as I would like. I remember when I was younger my parents always complained about the service there. Where we lived, the service wasn't great. So, I might not be able to call you for awhile. But I will try, promise," Mary held her friends hand as they continued to walk their way.

It had almost been a year since Mary moved away, and she had only called Stephanie once. But the call was crackly the whole time.
"Sorry, I know ..... signal isn't ...... great. My gran....parents are getti...g worse. I'm spending l...ots of time with ... them. But I don't think they....have much ...l..onger," Mary spoke through the phone as her voice kept cutting in and out.
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Steph spoke back towards the cracks in the phone.
"Anyways, how have you....b...een?" Mary's voice asked in crackly tones.
"I'm doing alright. Things aren't the same without you. It's weird."
"I....know. It's...w..eird here t-too. Oh I'm sorry, but I h-have to ....go. My Mum is c....alling for me. I'll talk to you in a ...bit. It might be a while though. Love ya, talk yo....u later," Mary said as the crackling kept repeating.
"Alright, love ya too, talk to you later girl." And then the other line clicked off.
That call was in September, around Stephanie's birthday. Mary had forgotten to say happy birthday, but it didn't matter to Steph as much. All she cared about was talking to her friend.