Chapter 87 The Past Comes Calling
Chapter 87 The Past Comes Calling
Mia’s POV
+25 BONUS
“Mommy, where are you?” My voice echoed through our house. The hardwood floors creaked under my mary janes as t searched each room. “I’m gonna find you!”
Hide and seek was our special game, the one that always made Mommy smile even on her sad days. And she’d been having more sad days lately, especially after Daddy started working late.
“Found you!” I giggled, spotting her shadow behind my bedroom door. She swooped me up into a hug that smelled like jasmine and safety.
“You always do, clever girl.” She peppered my face with kisses until I squealed. “Now it’s my turn to seek. Remember the rules?”
I nodded solemnly. “Don’t go past the garden gate. Stay where you can hear me call.”
“That’s my smart cookie.” She covered her eyes, starting to count ‘One… two…”
I ran on tippy–toes, trying not to let my shoes click against the floor. The garden was my favorite hiding spot, full of Mom’s roses and the big hydrangea bushes perfect for ducking behind.
The afternoon sun painted everything golden as I weaved between flower beds, looking for the perfect–spot. A butterfly danced past, its wings catching light like stained glass.
“Meow?”
The soft sound made me freeze. A kitten? I’d been begging Daddy for one, but he always said no.
“Here, kitty kitty.” I followed the mewing toward the garden gate, forgetting Mom’s rules in my excitement.
The man standing there was tall, his shadow falling long across the grass. He held a tiny orange kitten that pawed at the air.
“Would you like to pet her?” His smile seemed kind, even if his voice was scratchy like he had a cold. “She’s very friendly.”
I knew I wasn’t supposed to talk to strangers. But the kitten was so cute, its fur like sunset clouds.
“I’m not allowed past the gate,” I said, but took a small step closer.
“That’s okay.” He crouched down, holding the kitten through the bars. “See? You can reach her from there.”
I stretched out my hand, fingers just brushing soft fur. Something sharp pricked my neck.
He suddenly leaned in close to me. I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my neck. Then darkness.
The concrete floor scraped my palms as I stumbled through darkness. My pretty white socks were dirty now, torn at the knees where I’d fallen. Somewhere far away, water dripped with a steady plink–plink–plink. The kitten is gone.
“Mommy?” My voice echoed strangely. “I want to go home now.”
No answer. Just more dripping, more shadows. The air smelled like old metal and something burnt.
A sound made me freeze. Not water this time, but crying. Soft, like someone trying very hard to be quiet.
I followed it, feeling my way along rough walls. My fingers caught cobwebs that made me want to squeal, but I remembered what Mommy always said about being brave.
Then I saw him. A boy tied to a chair, his head bowed. He was crying silently. He looked bigger than me, maybe scho the kids I saw walking home with backpacks.
“Hi.” My voice came out small. “I’m lost.”
He jerked up, eyes wide in the dim light. “How did you- you shouldn’t be here!”
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Chapter 87 The Past Comex Calling
+25 BONUS
“I was looking for a kitty.” Tears tliteatened as I remembered the range kitten that had disappeared. “But now I can’t find Mommy”
“Shh!” He glanced frantically toward a door I hadn’t noticed. “They’ll hear you.”
“Who?”
“The bad men.” His voice shook slightly. “They took me too. Said thy father had to pay or…” He swallowed hard.
I moved closer, studying the ropes around his wrists. They looked scratchy. “Does it hurt?”
“I’m fine.” But his brave face crumpled slightly. “My father… he said they could kill me. That I wasn’t worth the money.”
“Sometimes my father says he wants to get rid of me. But my mother says he’s drunk.” I went closer to him. “Can I help you undo it? Mom taught me how to tie my shoes. I can try.”
I tried several times. Then the rope came loose. We made it.
“I didn’t understand what was happening.” I took a shaky sip of tea. “I just knew he was scared and alone, like me.”
We tried to escape, but were quickly caught again. This time, both of us were beaten by a smelly man who smoked. We were tied up again.
I cried. But then I got tired and I stopped crying. We started talking again. I said I was hungry. I wanted to go home. We then started telling each other stories. I told him about the best house I wanted to build.
I don’t know how long time passed. At first I was hungry. Then I slowly felt sleepy. My stomach stopped rumbling
Sirens wailed in the distance, getting closer. “They’re coming!” His voice cracked with hope. “Someone found us!”
Heavy footsteps thundered above. Shouts echoed through the concrete walls. The bad men were arguing, their smoke–rough voices angry now.
“Here.” Kyle twisted awkwardly, something glinting in his bound hands. “Take it quick.”
“What is it?” I reached for the shiny thing, my small fingers closing around cool metal.
“My mom’s special necklace. She said angels blessed it.” He glanced nervously at the door. “It’s supposed to keep me safe, but… you should have it. For your happy house.”
“But-”
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“Promise you’ll build it someday?” His eyes were intense, even in the dim light.
Before I could answer, the door burst open. Men in dark uniforms flooded in, their flashlights turning shadows into day.
Someone shouted. “We’ve got two children here!”
Everything blurred after that. Being carried out into blinding sunlight. Mom’s tears as she crushed me to her chest. Doctors and police asking endless questions.
Now I know, that boy is Kyle.
I never talked Kyle again. Until fifteen years later, when he interviewed me for a secretary position without a flicker of recognition in his storm–grey eyes. Neither do I. (2
My mother brought me an ice pack for my swollen eyes. Mom moved quietly around the kitchen, making tea for me. Gas huffed
hand. softly, bumping his nose against my
I recalled almost everything. Although I wasn’t sure if those fragments of memory were completely real.
Everything I thought I knew was just smoke and mirrors. A magic trick where nothing was what it seemed. Like a fairy tale that got twisted somewhere along the way.
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Chapter 87 The Past Contex Calling
+25 BONUS
I feel like fate is playing a joke on me. It turns out that Kyle and I have known each other for a long time. He “loved” me. Ironically, I was even once Kyle’s “true love.” But he thought it wa Taylor. As a result, I got into an almost desperate and Asuffocating marriage. And in this marriage, I was hurt all over.
Do I blame anyone?
Kyle for his silence, Taylor for her hypocrisy, and me for my ignorance. I don’t understand why God has allowed me to go through all this. I’m willing to accept that Kyle only sees me as an relevant person because he loves Taylor so much. But the truth is such a ridiculous play.
I can’t help but crying silently.
