Chapter One

The sound of cars, buses and trains violently honking their horns as they rushed down the roads to their destinations. People walking up and down the busy streets, usually with a cell phone up to their ear or a shopping bag on their arm. Seemingly every light in every building on, even though it's only 4 p.m. in the afternoon. This was the life of 14 year old Maria Ellis, growing up in the heart of New York City; and she always kept a great attitude about it.

She was always happy, full of laughter, smiles, and jokes for everyone at her public school. She rarely stopped talking, and when she did, she was singing. She was beautiful, with her deep blue eyes and long curly brown hair, and no one failed to recognize it. Everyone knew Maria, and not a soul didn't enjoy her presence. She gave great advice, and knew how to deal with anyone's problems; but that all changed the day she saw the inside of the grey van.

She walked from school to her downtown city apartment everyday, usually with her neighbor and best friend, Kelsey. But that day Kelsey just happened to be home sick with the flu, and Maria was left to walk the busy city sidewalks alone. She wasn't afraid, though; Kelsey had been sick before, and Maria always made it home safely by herself. But that day was just different.

She passed by the candy shop she and Kelsey usually stopped in on their way to and from school. They'd buy a pack of gum in the morning, and a handful of miniature chocolates on the way home. But that day Maria had no money in her pockets, so she just stopped to look in the window. She saw Mortimer, the 83 year old German man who worked behind the counter. He was a kind man, and always had a story to tell his customer about his days as a kid back in Germany. At the moment Maria was looking in, Mortimer was serving a small girl and her mother rainbow lollipops. Maria sighed at the sight of a good piece of candy then turned to head home.

That's when she felt a pair of eyes on was the weirdest feeling she'd ever experienced; she felt like someone was watching her. Spying on her. Following her. But since she couldn't see nor hear any evidence that this was true, she shrugged off the creepy feeling and continued on her way.

She turned a corner onto a familiar block; she could see her apartment building. She started humming a show tune when she felt it again.

Someone watching started running, running as fast as she could in cheap flip flops through crowds of unfamiliar faces. She didn't know what exactly was going on, but her instincts just told her to run. "Hey, watch it little girl!" She heard come from what sounded like an older Jersey woman. Maria was breathing hard, but she was almost home. And that's when the hands came out and grabbed her.

It all happened so quickly; she didn't even notice the van that sped up to the sidewalk next to her. Two pairs of arms popped out of the side doors of the van, and grabbed at Maria. "No! Let go!" She yelled, thrashing and screaming. But the hands were stronger, and pulled her in before anyone could come to her rescue.

People started worrying. The van immediately drove off from the sidewalk, but in time for someone to get the license plate number. The police were called, Maria's family, her single mother Melissa and 16 year old brother Tyler, were notified of her disappearance. The whole city knew about it, so it wasn't long before Maria and her captors were found.

The license plate number belonged to an old grey van, owned by an ex-bank robber turned kidnapper. He'd had his eyes on Maria since he'd gotten out of jail for robbing a convenient store in New Jersey a few months prior, watching her walk home everyday. He wanted her, needed her, and he'd have her. He couldn't get her by himself though, so he and three friends of his set out that day with one plan in mind; to get the pretty little brown haired girl.

Fortunately they'd left the van in plain sight in front of the abandoned gas station where they'd been keeping Maria, so the police had no trouble finding the kidnappers along with Maria. But Maria was gone.

Not literally, but the mental and physical pain she'd faced those three days she was gone had changed her. She would barely speak; told only one detective and her mother what she'd been through. Otherwise she stopped talking. Stopped laughing. Stopped singing. Staying at her public school wasn't a choice; due to her mother's work schedule and Tyler's after school drum classes every other day, Maria would have to walk home. And even with Kelsey, she wasn't able to do it.

The one day she went back to school after the events, she and Kelsey tried walking home together. Maria wouldn't speak to Kelsey at all, but once they reached the candy shop Maria couldn't breathe. All the things that had happened to her came rushing back and overpowered her. She fell to the ground and Kelsey had to call 911. Mortimer kept an eye on Kelsey while she waited for the paramedics to come and take Maria to the hospital. "She went into shock, Mrs. Ellis," a paramedic told to Melissa, "but she's fine now. You are free to take her home." But home wasn't even safe anymore to Maria. She could look out her bedroom window and see the exact place she'd been taken. The pain was too much to bear, so the only choice they had left was to move.

"Out of sight, out of mind, they say sweetheart. Thing's will get better, for all of us, I promise," Melissa said as they all stepped into their new suburban home in Pennsylvania. "I still don't see why we had to leave New York altogether," mumbled Tyler. "It was time for a change in scenery anyways, Ty. Be thankful you get to experience new things," Melissa said back to Ty. He rolled his eyes and went upstairs to check out his new room. "Maria, dear, do you like it? Do you like the new house?" Maria slightly smiled but kept her down, usual as of lately. Melissa sighed. "Things will be alright honey. You start Queen's Academy tomorrow, and Ms. Morrison will be taking you home. You remember her, right? The older woman with the black SUV. She will drop you off across the street and watch you walk in. You'll be fine, I promise. Now why don't you go wash up for dinner, we're having spaghetti. Your favorite, right?" Maria left for the bathroom with no response to her mother.