Abduction

10: Blast from the Past

The next day at breakfast it was just Steve, Annette, and I. It was a Monday now, so Jacob and Elizabeth were at school. It felt weird to be skipping my school, I wondered if people there had found out about my story. What could they be saying?

I cleared my throat, "So, I live two hours away from my school now. What's the plan there?"

Annette nodded, "We discussed that. We know it will be hard to adjust but we're going to have to register you at the school near us."

"I already lost my parents and had to meet new ones, but now i have to lose my friends and make new ones too. Great." I mumbled as I stirred my coffee cup around.

She frowned, "At least you'll have Jacob and Elizabeth! We can do our best to register you for the same classes you were taking before too to ease the transition."

I ignored her comment and pulled my phone out to text Stacy. She hadn't been answering me at all and we haven't talked since the night of the party. I was still trying to get in touch with Blake too. It felt like no one trusted me anymore.

Steve spoke up, "Hey I've got an idea, what if I went and registered you for classes and you and mom went out to the mall to get some clothes of your own."

"That would actually be really nice." I smiled. I have had enough of borrowing Elizabeths clothes for every occasion.

Annette grinned, "Meet me in the car in half an hour."

---

I got into the car and she started to drive towards the mall. I decided to take a risk and ask, "Do you think we could go to my house and see if my stuff is still there?"

"Oh, sweetie that's very far away and I doubt much is left." She noted.

I sighed, "This is just the last chance I might have to live out my past."

It went silent for awhile until she pulled the car over and pointed at the built in GPS in her car, "Type in your address."

I grinned and began to type, "Thank you."

---

The drive over to my hometown was surprisingly not bad. I spent the time talking to Annette and learning about her career and life in general. She told stories of some of her favorite, and least favorite, memories of us three kids growing up. Eventually, we pulled up to my house.

"So this is where you've been the past fourteen years." She breathed looking at the house, which looked extremely tiny and old compared to hers.

I nodded and pulled my house keys out of my purse, "Yup, every day has been spent here."

She shook her head, "It's just mind-blowing that you were so close and we never knew. I figured they would have gone to the other side of the country and change your name but they hid in plain sight."

I got out of the car and walked over to the front door. When I unlocked it I felt very dizzy and nervous. I pushed the door open and saw many things were missing, but they left the big items like our couch and tables.

I wondered down to my room, with Annette following close behind me. I pushed the door open and saw everything was still there. They hadn't even come into my room since i left for the party Friday night. I grabbed a bag and began to stuff things into it. I looked over to see Annette looking at the photos i had taped all along my wall. All of them were of my parents, Stacy, and Blake. She pointed at them, "You look happy."

I nodded, "I was. Those four people were my rocks.. but now they can't even bother trying to contact me."

She began to take them off the wall and put them into her purse, "You'll definitely want these."

I shrugged and held my bag up, "Ready to go?"

She was confused, "That's all? One bag?"

I nodded, "I never really had that much and I don't wear most of the stuff I do have."

She began to walk out of the house until I told her to wait in the car while I grabbed one more thing. I rushed over to my parents room and noticed many things were missing, which made sense because the main things they would need was clothes. I went over to my mother's vanity and opened her jewelry box. I sighed as I saw so many pieces of jewelry she had worn many times throughout my life and I remembered each piece.

I picked up one of her favorite bracelets, a charm bracelet from my father. It was plain silver with only four charms on it, an E, M, and L, our initials, and a small heart. I stuffed it in my pocket and met Annette back in the car. I knew it was the last time I would be allowed to come back here and my heart was filled with sadness as I watched the house I grew up in fade from the rear-view mirror.