Vanishing Girls

Chapter Fifty-Three

In the long, endless hours that followed she tried to move twice, but the pain in her chest was too great. She drifted in and out of a sleep filled with dreams of her sister; sneaking into her bed in the middle of the night, as she often did, snuggling and laughing all night until the daylight crept through the window. Each time she woke, she was devastated anew to find herself in this black nightmare, pain coursing through her body with every breath. She prayed for the boy. Surely the boy would find her and get help.

The next time the door slid open, the dull gray light of either dawn or dusk leaked into the chamber. From where she lay, curled towards the wall, she heard two sets of footsteps draw closer. One set heavy, the other set light. The boy. She didn’t dare look over her shoulder as hope surged inside her again in the warm glow of the flashlight that shone down on her.

“I—I don’t understand,” the boy whispered.

The fear in his voice told her that he would not save her.

“This one’s mine,” said the man. “One day, you’ll get your own.”

Hot tears streaked her face and a large hand reached down and wiped one of them away. “Shhh, hush now,” he whispered. “Hush now, my sweet Ramona.”