I’m walking along the beach with my feet sinking in the sand, waves crashing along the shore, and Ashley gossiping to her airhead friends. “Well my Momma buys me the most beautiful gowns to wear to all the party’s shes not invited to,” announced Ashley. I knew she was pointing at me with her stubby, manicured, hot pink nails because I could just feel the heat rising over me. Oddly that’s all she ever does is make fun of other people, just keep walking tall and proudly. That saying that always pops in my head and never stops repeating when I’m “told off” by Ashley. The effect just makes me slouch over even more when I’m walking and I don’t feel proud at all. This time I knew was going to be different, a scream coming off from the top of my lungs bounced out. Once I heard this I ran to my bike, and hopped on, then started peddling as fast as I could. Zooming down the sidewalks, I made it home right after it got dark. Oh boy I remember what happen when I came home this late last time and it wasn’t a pretty sight.

Oddly my parents weren’t home, or so I thought. I walked and sat down by our fireplace to wait for them to get home. After 5 minutes of nothing, “BOO!” was the one word the scared my head into outer space. My dad was the one who shouted boo but oh boy it did not seem like him at all. We sat together in the dead silence of the freezing living room, I was still recovering from the fright, my dad pulled out a little box of matches from his flannel shirt pocket. Pulling out the match, striking the box, then 1,2,3, he tossed the match into the pit. BAM! A blazing neon orange fire was made the heat ran through the room instantly. “We need to talk” are the four words that ruined it for me. Knowing this couldn’t have been good news, I ran outside and watched as all the smoke from the chimney came piling out. In California I could never remember when Christmas was, since there was no snow here, but I know that it's almost here when it was like I was chewing on the holiday cookies families in other houses were making. I finally was ready to walk back into the house and to hear the news.


I walked in and sat next to my dad, with the warm fire behind him he had his head in his hands. “What’s wrong? I’m ready from the news.”

“Well the news goes along with what’s wrong.”

Oh god, I thought.

“Your mother died in the hospital today, her cancer took over her life and the doctors couldn’t do anything to help her.”

I ran out of the room up the stairs and went in my my hide out, this was the last thing I needed in my whole life time. I had everything of my mom left in this little 2ft by 4ft closet and it was nothing near being enough. All of a sudden my jacket started to shake, I pulled out my phone and looked at the text I received from my MOM..... Carefully I read the text “R U ok? im alive meet me @ the park in a hour COME ALONE!” I slowly opened the door, crawled down the stairs, and snuck into my bedroom. Grabbing my jacket I yanked the window open and jumped out. Running to the park two blocks down, I just couldn’t wait to see my mom again.


I forgot how much the squeaking noise of the swings reminded me of so many old memories. The cold breeze ran across my face, nothing felt the same, all of a sudden I received another text from my mom saying “come 2 the swings”. Next all I knew was that I was at the swings. I looked at my mother and observed her, but nothing looked right with her either. Walking slowly around her I spotted the difference! “Your not my mom!’ I announced.


“How do you know?” asked my “mom”.


“ Well my mom didn’t have a scar on the back of her neck like her twin sister did. Right Ann?!”

“Well this is something you will just have to deal with!” Aunt Ann shouted at me.

“NO! NOW YOU WILL LEAVE ME AND MY FAMILY ALONE!” I screamed at the top of my lungs! “Oh really now we will see about that.”


“Maddy was last seen with her aunt leaving a gas station late at night but neither her or her aunt has been found.” That was the news Maddy’s father heard from the police officer earlier that morning, now if you can please help them find Maddy.