Disclaimer: This story touches the sensitive topic of child kidnappings and is in no way meant to minimize the severity of child abductions and the AMBER alert system. The photo is of a real highway display and used only as a creative outlet to inform about such circumstances in order to spread awareness and caution of leaving children without supervision. Through the simple language and staggered story format, this text is meant to replicate how quick an event such as a child kidnapping could occur and how lost each victim might feel in the moment.
Found by Franco Machado-Pesce
1 hour ago
Two hours passed. At least.
Or well that’s what it felt like. Derrick was pretty confident in this though, he spent all that time waiting after school for a reason. Derrick frantically tried to shift around in his seat, but couldn’t move. His hands were bound and a seat belt strapped his waist down to a seat. His breathing had been distressed, but thanks to the sack over his head, he couldn’t hyperventilate. Yet. Oh God, will I pass out? The engine in the front of the car roared and the vehicle accelerated, shoving Derrick against the leather seats. Each small bump was a hill that lifted the car up into the air as it burst rapidly forward. They were running away. Derrick turned his head, following the voices that resonated around him.
“We’re almost there.”
3 hours ago
The bell rung and Derrick jolted to the park next to the school with his friends. He got out of class at 3:00 p.m. every day and his father would always pick him up at 4:00 p.m, leaving a huge gap in his schedule to have a bit of fun. It was such a regular schedule, that Derrick didn’t even have to think about it anymore. Day after day, he got used to it. In fact, Derrick could tell the time without checking a clock. Good thing too, especially because he forgot his Pokemon wristwatch at home today.
An hour can sometimes turn into an eternity, but not to these kids. The park was full of so much adventure and mystery. This playground in particular was so big that they discovered new hiding spots for their grandiose game of hide-and-seek. What his friends didn’t know was that once Derrick hid, he would never be found.
Isabella was a beautiful girl, whose pony-tails bounced up and down every time she would skip. With every sentence she said, a giggle would emerge that triggered a smile from Derrick. He would never admit it, but he was crushing on her… hard. Or well, as hard as someone can crush at the age of ten. DeMarcus on the other hand, sparked laughter in his own way. He was a complete fool who never understood the concept of a consequence, but he was also Derrick’s best friend. Through DeMarcus, the young boy learned that the most fun adventures arise from ignoring the rules. Derrick loved his companions, but nothing compared to his adoration of his sister. Jade was a couple months old, and although she received a lot of the attention in his house, her cute smile constantly gave him a reason to love her.
Derrick snapped out of his daze. It’s 3:30 p.m. The game began.
He explored the curves and turns of the playground, when Derrick saw a peculiar crevice between the slide and the ground that he never noticed before. DeMarcus would never find him there. Perfect. Derrick waited eagerly for his friend to pass. However, as time went by, DeMarcus never showed, until a pair of white and red Jordans appeared from the corner of Derrick’s eye. He held his breath and DeMarcus yelled, “Derrick, where are you man? I gave up like ten minutes ago, and Isabella already went home.”
Nice try, I know you D. Derrick waited until he heard his friend’s feet patter away, frustrated. He rolled out of his successful hiding spot, a huge smile on his face. He turned his head to find his brother-from-another-mother and rub this great triumph in his face, but DeMarcus was nowhere in sight. He must’ve been up in the structure. He had to be.
“DeMa-” an arm pulled him away before he could finish his sentence and dragged Derrick across the ground. Then everything was quiet, as if nothing happened.
Present
Derrick starts to think about his family as he sits still in his seat. He can’t move as his memories start to flush his head. The smile of his mother as she hugs him. Catching the first football that his father threw in the backyard. His little sister, Jade, as she sat in his arms for the first time after she was born. Her cry and laugh. They must be worried sick. I want to see my family again. Derrick starts to struggle again and he realizes that whatever had him bound is beginning to loosen. His little sister needs him.
I can get out. Derrick scrambles with more strength and his feet go free. Hope sparks in the boy as he starts moving his hands out of its restraints. Then, the car stops.
Time stops with it.
The door creaks open… and everything is a blur.