17 hours Read online

17 hours

  By:Ainsley Bargaine

  I'm sitting in my bed seized with fear. What have I done? I'm a horribly friend! I think. Everything is blurry and I'm so scared. I don't know what to do. OK, allow me to back up and explain. Maybe I'll calm down a little.

  Me and my best friend Sarah were walking down Main Street and looking at the China plates in the window. We were singing songs about foods and places. It went like this. Sarah would say, 'I like strawberry's.' And I would reply with a place. Like- 'Colorado has strawberries.' It went on like that for a long time. I was silly- but it passed the time.

  “Ooh!Sarah exclaimed. I bet Mom would love that one for her birthday!We were shopping for presents for her Mom, and we decided to take a surprise trip to the stores to look around.

  “I think that pink one would be better,I say pointedly. I'm getting tired- can we go get some ice cream from next door?Sarah waves me off.

  “Fine, fine. I'll be there in a minute. Just let me pay for this. I shrugged and walked across the street. Of course the room was packed. I stumbled through the door to get in line. While I waited I looked out across the street. I saw Sarah talking to a guy- holding out the two plates we had looked at before. In a few minutes I was at the front of the line.

  “Um- can I have a double strawberry in a waffle cone, and a vanilla with sprinkles and fudge please?I say this so quickly I have to repeat. One guy behind me snorts. I shoot him a glare, then instantly feel ashamed. I don't look at him the rest of the time. I stuff change into my jeans and run over to Sarah. She was still talking to the guy. I noticed that he had big muscles, that bulged under his red shirt. I hadn't given it a second thought though- I just figured that Sarah was flirting. Typical.

  “Sarah!I call. Then all the sudden that muscle dude lunges at Sarah. Her smile fades. She screamed and dropped the China plates. I call her name but the dude throws her over his shoulder and runs for the car.

  I drop my vanilla ice cream and run after them.

  “Stop!I yell. Fire! Over here! Somebody HELP!I scream as hard as I can but all the people aren't watching or something. I still don't get how people can be so blind. Sarah's kicking and yelling with all her might- but I'm too far away to reach her.

  Sarah sees me and shouts, strawberry!I blink- I don't understand.

  “Sarah!I say desperately. I reach down for my cell phone and hit 911. It takes forever for the officer to pick up.

  “Hello, what's your emergency?The officer says into the phone. I try to tell her what happened but I'm sobbing uncontrollably by now.

  “It's OK, just tell me what happened and everything will be OK. She sounds so reassuring- I want to believe her.

  “My friend- s-s- she just got ki-kid-kidnapped!I wail into the phone.

  The officer presses into the details. ?hat time, where? Can you describe the victim, and the kidnapper? “

  I cry some more when she says victim, it just sounds so.... movie-ish.

  I told her everything I knew and the officer thanks me. She promises that they would take care of my friend. Shakily I press END on my phone. I put it back into my pocket and walk down the street. My house is only down the lane. I open the door to my house and run into my Mom's office.

  “Honey, what's wrong? She asks, looking concerned. I sob out the whole story and she snatches the phone off it's hook. She dials Sarah's mom's number. It took a long time- but I'm pretty sure I heard screams and wailing.

  Mom hangs up looking grim.

  Then here I am now- in my room. All alone. Scared for my best friend, who has been abducted for about 4 hours already.

  I felt like a big baby- but I started to cry again. Why Sarah? He should have taken me instead. I feel awful.

  The next day my other friend McKenzie came over. It was really awkward. We started talking about Sarah- and what she was like.

  “She was ALWAYS on her phone. McKenzie says.

  “And she never took 'no' for an answer. I remembered. We watched a movie but we didn't get all the way through. The blonde in there was always on her phone and me and McKenzie just broke down. She paused it and I turned it off. We went up to my room hugging.

  “What do think Sarah would do in this situation?McKenzie sniffs.

  I just shake my head. I don't know.... she'd come after us, probably. Slowly McKenzie lifts her head. Then I guessed it.

  “No, bad idea, BAD idea. But know I'm thinking, of course Sarah would come after me.... it's the least I can do..... I change my tune.

  “OK, maybe we could pull this off?McKenzie grins.

  “Of course we can- cause we're true friends right?We make plans to leave in 30 minutes. I mean, I know this is hasty- but Sarah could be in real trouble! We need to save her- and fast. I throw in extra clothing, water bottles, food, and bathroom necessities. McKenzie walks to her house to grab snacks, clothes, her phone, and a GPS. That way if we lose each other- then we know where the other is!

  See? I tell myself. We've taken the precautions... everything will be fine. I try to feel better, but the butterflies in my stomach aren't helping.

  Before I know it we're sneaking down the ally's.

  “So where do we start?I say uncertainly. McKenzie just shrugs.

  “You said that the truck was black right? And that it headed west of Main Street?She tells me. We agree to start there. The air is getting darker, and colder. I wonder if my parents are worried. We left a note.... saying that we'd be gone for a few days. Now I feel guilty. What if my parents are worrying? What if they're calling the police? What of- a little voice speaks up in my head. Stop it. It says. You'll be fine. Listen to me. It's OK. You'll. Be. Fine. Stop freaking yourself out. I take a deep breath- and let it out. McKenzie glances at me, and then to the candy shop that is still open. I frown, but we head in anyway. I'm only going along with this though, because the employees might have seen where the car went.

  McKenzie approaches the cashier, rapping on the counter lightly. A young man scurries out of the back room.

  “What can I get you?He scrambles for words. I can see that he likes McKenzie. He does a bad job of hiding it.

  “Can I get some peppermints and um red licorice?My friend asks sweetly. The clerk blushes and rushes off to grab a bag of candy. He even added some sour straws!

  “Um, we had to many. They're on the house. He stutters. McKenzie glance's at his name tag.

  “Why, thank you David. She giggles. I decide that this is taking WAY to long. Sarah has been abducted and my friend was flirting.

  “Uh- did you happen to see a Black Sudan drive by here earlier this afternoon?I say hopefully.

  “Yeah, why?David answers.

  “No reason, our relatives were just wondering. I feel bad for lying, but what else could I say?

  David points. ?rove by the train tracks earlier. He still looks suspicious but I think that he hadn't figured us out yet.

  “Well, bye. McKenzie rushes, and pulls me out the door.

  “Gosh he was cute!She squeals right in my ear. I don't answer- just keep walking.

  We reach the train tracks in no time. Out of the corner of my eye, I spot a Black Sudan pulled over by a tree. McKenzie and I walk over to investigate. The doors are unlocked so we climb in and start searching.

  “McKenzie! I found a pink bracelet! Do you recognize it?I hold it up. McKenzie frowns, staring hard.

  “Oh! I gave that to her for her 12th birthday. She says suddenly. I nod.

  “We're on the right trail then. I say this confidently but I'm getting scared. I've never done anything like this before. We walk down the tracks, but soon we're too tired. McKenzie opens her phone to check the time.

  “10:02 PM. She reports. OK, I think quietly, that means
it's been about 4 hours since the abduction.

  Both of us fall into deep slumbers. I was blinking into the moon lit night when Kenzie's phone goes off. I bolt over, and answer it.

  “Hello?A shrill voice answers me.

  “Hello? McKenzie is that you? I need your help! The kidnappers, they- HELP!I hear screams in the background and a voice saying, “Figure out who she called, and what they know.” I hang up, breathing hard.

  I roll McKenzie over and we eat a quick breakfast of apples and water. As we eat I explain what had happened. Soon we're on the road again.

  Can you trace the call?Kenzie asks worriedly. I can tell she's nervous, the way she keeps shivering. I swing my jacket over her back and she gives me a weak smile.

  “Thanks. She whispers. For 2 hours, we walk along the train tracks, with nothing but country in front of us, and behind us. Finally I answer her question.

  “I think we might be able to trace it. But I'm not to sure. We can give it a go. She nods and digs out her cell.

  “Here, you try first. She hands it to me. I go to the received calls list, and sure enough it says 'Eddie Traunton. Larkspur, CO. My brow furrows. OK, so Larkspur is in Colorado, and the kidnapper is Eddie Traunton. There just isn't something right about ALL this information we're getting.

  “How is it that the bad guy- Eddie, just left his cell out for Sarah to use?McKenzie shrugs.

  “Let's hand it over to the police. I don't want to, but I guess it's for the best.

  We walk a couple more miles, and by then it's late afternoon. As soon as