Lucy sighed out at the cemetery that was located across the street. She
sighed and thought, 'Oh, Lizzie. If only you were here."
Wait.
Lucy flipped back her shoulder-length curly black hair and closed her deep sapphire-blue eyes. Lizzie had only been kidnapped. That didn't mean she was dead. But, her poor older sister! Every day, Lucy had searched for the sixteen-year-old girl. But what was a ten-year-old to do?
Lucy didn't know. She glanced at the clock. The blue numbers glowed 12:26 AM. She groaned exasperatedly and slipped on her fluffy pink slippers and down the hall to her fourteen-year-old brother, Benjamin's, room. Ben looked like Lizzie, with brownish-blonde hair and deep brown eyes. She was surprised to find him awake.
"Lucy!" Ben gasped, pleasantly surprised.
Lucy slid onto his lap and whined, "Ben, what happened to Lizzie?" she demanded, knowing that he didn't have a clue.
Ben shook his head, holding his little sister close. "I-I don't know, Luce, I wish I did. Then we could help her. Or-or at least find her." His voice was soft, sad, and unsure.
Lucy sat silently, letting his soothing voice linger in the air. 'Or at least find her.' That scared Lucy. A lot. It made her think of all the news headlines:
ELIZABETH MARIE BATZE OF OAKLAND: REPORTED MISSING.
LIZZIE BATZE NOT FOUND. KIDNAPPING QUESTIONABLE.
SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD GIRL BELIEVED DEAD. SERVICES TO BE HELD MONDAY.
And more. The last one made Lucy cringe. It was early Monday morning.
"Ben, I don't want to go to Lizzie's funeral! We don't even know if she's dead! IT'S NOT FAIR!"
Ben stroked his sobbing sister's hair, deciding not to tell her that Lizzie had been missing for almost five months and the odds of her being alive were almost zero. All he said was, "I know."
Lucy felt herself growing sleepier and sleepier. She dozed off in her brother's lap.
Lucy woke up at 4:13 the next morning, remembering that today was the day of the service for Lizzie. Feeling tears start to reoccur, she crept down to her brother's room. She could hear him snoring before she reached the door.
"Don't disturb him."
Lucy whirled around at the familiar voice to find no one around her.
Wait.
Lucy flipped back her shoulder-length curly black hair and closed her deep sapphire-blue eyes. Lizzie had only been kidnapped. That didn't mean she was dead. But, her poor older sister! Every day, Lucy had searched for the sixteen-year-old girl. But what was a ten-year-old to do?
Lucy didn't know. She glanced at the clock. The blue numbers glowed 12:26 AM. She groaned exasperatedly and slipped on her fluffy pink slippers and down the hall to her fourteen-year-old brother, Benjamin's, room. Ben looked like Lizzie, with brownish-blonde hair and deep brown eyes. She was surprised to find him awake.
"Lucy!" Ben gasped, pleasantly surprised.
Lucy slid onto his lap and whined, "Ben, what happened to Lizzie?" she demanded, knowing that he didn't have a clue.
Ben shook his head, holding his little sister close. "I-I don't know, Luce, I wish I did. Then we could help her. Or-or at least find her." His voice was soft, sad, and unsure.
Lucy sat silently, letting his soothing voice linger in the air. 'Or at least find her.' That scared Lucy. A lot. It made her think of all the news headlines:
ELIZABETH MARIE BATZE OF OAKLAND: REPORTED MISSING.
LIZZIE BATZE NOT FOUND. KIDNAPPING QUESTIONABLE.
SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD GIRL BELIEVED DEAD. SERVICES TO BE HELD MONDAY.
And more. The last one made Lucy cringe. It was early Monday morning.
"Ben, I don't want to go to Lizzie's funeral! We don't even know if she's dead! IT'S NOT FAIR!"
Ben stroked his sobbing sister's hair, deciding not to tell her that Lizzie had been missing for almost five months and the odds of her being alive were almost zero. All he said was, "I know."
Lucy felt herself growing sleepier and sleepier. She dozed off in her brother's lap.
Lucy woke up at 4:13 the next morning, remembering that today was the day of the service for Lizzie. Feeling tears start to reoccur, she crept down to her brother's room. She could hear him snoring before she reached the door.
"Don't disturb him."
Lucy whirled around at the familiar voice to find no one around her.