Gone.

I heaved out a large breath, tucking my hands into the pockets of my hoodie as I began to make my way down the street. Max, my German Shepard puppy, was running alongside me excitedly, his leash wrapped around my wrist. 

Unlike most normal people, I wasn't really that happy it was the weekend. I mean, yes, I loved the fact that I could sleep in and catch up on some homework - but with my family, nothing was ever 100%. I hadn't seen my ten year-old sister, Lily, since last Christmas, seven months ago. Mum had insisted she went and lived with her in America; apparently Zeke and I no longer needed the love of a mother, as we were already teenagers, but Lily simply had to be nurtured and cared for. I missed her a lot, but there was nothing we could do about it.

Zeke wanted to drop out of school already, but wasn't legally allowed - he was only fifteen. That didn't stop him from moodily playing his electric guitar and only ever completing his English and music homework  though- he wanted to be a songwriter, apparently. And dad, well, he didn't know how to handle two teenagers. He busied himself in his work and then accused us of avoiding him. It'd taken ten minutes of arguing to convince him to let me go on this walk alone, and in the end he'd just thrown up his hands and stalked off.

The crunching of footsteps had me raising my eyes off the pavement below me. A man, probably in his forties or so, was hurrying towards me with a shoulder satchel clutched to his side. He didn't even glance at me as he brushed past, checking the watch on his wrist hurriedly. Max strained against the leash in an attempt to smell the man, but I pulled him away quickly.

A couple of minutes later, I turned into a familiar street, spotted a familiar blackberry bush in the yard of a familiar house and I couldn't help but grin. One of my best friends, Sam, lived there. His parents had gone through a divorce at the same time as mine, and somehow we'd bonded over it. It was sort of funny, because I used to really dislike him in primary school - he was one of those kids who beat you at everything, especially sport. I'd always been jealous of him, until, at a friend's birthday party, I'd beaten him at a game of Chubby Bunny. Ever since then, we'd been competing with each other like mad.

"HEY!" I yelled towards his house, pulling Max to a stop. He just stood there for a second, staring at me with his large brown eyes, before sitting down abruptly on his hind legs. I couldn't help but smile.

"HEY YOURSELF, YOU IDIOT," Sam's familiar voice shouted back, one of the front windows opening. His room was conveniently placed at the front of the house - perfect for throwing things at. Sam's head poked out through the window, his hair ruffled. "I just got Katie to go to sleep, I bet she's gonna wake up now."

"Oh," my smile fell a little bit as I scrunched my nose up apologetically. "Sorry about that."

Sam just rolled his dark eyes, offering me a grin. "Don't worry, Babydoll. I'll just dump her at yours if she starts crying again."

"Sam," I protested in exasperation. "Don't call me that! And take better care of your sister!"

"Yeah, yeah," Sam smirked. A quiet wailing sound started from inside the house and he pulled his head back in, disappearing temporarily. I heard him curse, then his face appeared again. "Sorry Babydoll, Queen Katie calls. What time is your dad coming home tonight?"

"Probably eight, maybe nine," I glanced down as Max shifted around restlessly.

"Can I come by around seven, then? I'll bring her royal highness too."

"Yeah," I laughed, nodding. "Sure. And I'll whip you in Mario Cart - again."

Sam just snorted, then pulled himself back inside the house, shutting his window in the process. I shook my head with a fond smile, letting Max pull me away from the house as birds squawked above our heads.

Little did I know, that was the last time I'd ever see Sam. The last time I'd ever hear Katie cry, and the last time I'd ever scream and giggle as I ran away from that one, overly-protective magpie that would swoop at Max and I every time we walked past its tree.

Little did I know that I'd never see this street again, that I'd never see these houses again, or that I'd never have to jump over that mudpit outside the apartment block that had been under construction for more then a year. 

Little did anyone know, in fact, that I was never going to be seen again by any of my neighbours, or that my life was about to change, so much more then it had before. 

Because as I rounded the nearest corner - in that one moment, one second - I was gone.