Hidden Magic

Kidnapped

Rosie woke up the next morning with a feeling of dread. The painful sickness was still there too. She toppled over to the bathroom, not even bothering to look at the time on her wall clock, and set the shower running. When she looked at herself in the big bathroom mirror, she looked tired; sleeping last night hadn’t been so easy.


Rosie sighed and stepped into the hot embrace of the shower. It felt so relaxing and refreshing against her clammy skin. About twenty minutes later she stepped out, brushed her teeth and went back into her room. For the first time she noticed the post-it-note stuck to her bedroom door. It read:


Work at a un-speak-ably early hour today, remember to wake Amy up. Hope you’re feeling better. I’ll be worrying about you all day xxx.


Rosie stared at the note, and then felt even more dreadful when she finally looked up at the clock on her bedroom wall; it was nine o’clock. In the morning! Their school started at eight, thirty!


“Oh, s***,” Rosie breathed, and ran to her wardrobe, throwing on a grape, circle neck jumper, and yesterday’s blue jeans. She grabbed her shoes and school bag as she raced out, and knocked frantically on Amy’s door.


“Amy! Get up now!” She yelled, pounding her fist even harder on the wood. “Amy!”


Amy opened the door, groggy eyed and looking confused. She gave Rosie an half-awake bitch stare, and said, “What is your problem? For god’s sake, shut the hell up before I accidentally punch you in your annoying, ugly face.”


“Banter later, get dressed.” Rosie gave her a shooing motion. “Now!”


“What time is it?” Amy asked, yawning.


“A little past nine.”


Amy’s eyes grew wide and she banged the door shut the door in Rosie’s face and started chucking things around noisily in her room.


Rosie sighed, and walked quickly down the stairs, grabbing some fruit and water bottles, and putting them into her bag. She fished around the kitchen for the keys as Amy came pounding down the stairs.


“Come on,” she said, hopping whilst pulling her shoes on. “Let’s go already.”


“It wasn’t me who took ages to get dressed,” Rosie pointed out, and finally found and grabbed the keys before shutting the front door behind them.


They hit the quiet street at a fast run, which seemed harder for Amy as she was wearing black, high wedged boots.


Pretty soon Amy was trailing behind with Rosie shouting for her to hurry up. It was hot outside, which didn’t help. The one day where it’s actually sunny in England, how ironic, Rosie thought sarcastically as she ran the last street to the school.


“Come on, Amy, quick,” Rosie said breathlessly, ready to ring the bell at the closed gates. There was a high-pitched scream and Rosie whirled around.  But when she looked she couldn’t see anything, or hear anything. Amy was gone.


Rosie’s heart beat sped up to lightening speed, as she said in a very un-steady voice, “Amy?”


There was no sound but the slight breeze in the air, there were no cars, no...Nothing. It was deserted. Rosie turned back to the gates and pressed the bell, again, and again, and again. When the gate finally opened, she dashed through as quickly as she could. She crashed into the receptionist’s office, and threw her shaking hands down on the desk.


The receptionist looked at her hands, and then up into her face with a perfectly calm expression, as if this happened all the time. “How may I help you?” She asked.


“My sister,” Rosie choked out, “she...she...”


“Why don’t you sit down, honey?”


Rosie did as she was told and took a seat across from the receptionist. The lady put her young, folded hands on the table, and smiled sympathetically as she swept her long caramel-blonde hair out of her pretty face. “Now, honey, is your sister pregnant? Don’t worry there are lots of things we can...”


Rosie interrupted her, “No, she, she...”


“Breathe.” The receptionist’s voice was calm, and her smile kind. Rosie, again, did as she was told and took a few, deep breaths, and then began to talk.


“We were late, and...and we...” Tears ran tracks down her cheeks, and Rosie squinted her eyes, trying to push them back. “And we...were late, and she just...just...disappeared.”


“Disappeared?” The receptionist asked.


“Yeah, I heard her scream.” Rosie shuddered. “And then...and then, she just wasn’t...there.”


The receptionists calm failed, and she quickly picked up the phone after handing Rosie some tissues, and then walked into a small room to the side.


Rosie sat there, breathing heavily. What had just happened? Everything had gone from bad to worse, and her stomach was killing her more than it had been before. She keeled over in pain, and then braced herself on the chair next to her. She thought she was going to be sick, her heart was thudding in her chest again, but this time it wasn’t about Amy, it was...something else.


“Are you okay?” Rosie looked up and saw the receptionist standing worriedly over her. She was still holding the phone in her left hand, and Rosie could hear the muffled speaking of the police on the line.


“I’m fine,” Rosie said, and shook her head. “Just in shock, that’s all.”


The receptionist nodded. Rosie checked her name-tag and saw her name was Megan Brown.


“Miss. Brown, can you get me a glass of water please?” She asked. She could see that the receptionist was dying to leave the room and finish her frantic call to the police.


“Of course, honey,” Miss. Brown said, and walked back into the other room.


A few minutes later she returned with a chilled glass of water, and even more tissues. Rosie took them gratefully, and sipped from the water. “Thank you,” she mumbled.


Miss. Brown sat in the not-so-comfy seat beside her, and leaned closer to her. Her voice was gentle when she finally spoke, “I’ve called the police, don’t be alarmed, but they just need to come in and ask you some questions, okay?” Rosie nodded, and the receptionist carried on, “then they will send out a search party for her, and they will keep an eye out. I’m sure they’ll find her.” The receptionist’s kind hazel eyes watered. “It’s going to be okay.”


Rosie surprised herself by hugging the lady, and crying some more. Miss. Brown patted her back, and talked calming words to her until the police arrived.





There were two officers, one man; who was short and chubby. His name was officer Joe. The other one was the exact opposite of Joe, he was at least six feet tall, and very broad. His name was officer Hank.


Hank sat in the chair Miss. Brown had occupied in the small, box-shaped office. A lot of light showed through the windows, and Rosie could see some of the students walking in and out of classes.


She gulped and met Hank’s faded brown eyes.


His expression softened as he smiled, revealing some very well cared for white teeth. Rosie thought he looked in his late forties, maybe early fifties.


His voice was just as kind and soft, “Hello, Rosie,” he said. “I understand you think your sister has been kidnapped. Are there any more details you can give us other than what Miss. Brown told us over the phone?”


“Um...no,” Rosie stuttered. “I just heard her scream, and then she just...disappeared.”


The officers nodded to each other, and Joe got out his notebook and pen. “Can you tell us what happened between yesterday morning and now?”


Rosie nodded, and thought back to yesterday. “Well yesterday we got up, went to school, it all seemed normal. Then I went to a friend’s house after school, and Amy went home by herself, I think.”


“Who’s house did you go to, and what did you do there?” Hank prompted.


“Just maths revision. I had to go home early because I was sick though.” Rosie didn’t realise she hadn’t answered the full question until Hank gave her a suspicious look.


“Who’s house did you go to?” He asked.


“A friend from this school, her name’s...” Rosie cried out as her stomach twisted in pain.


Hank rushed to her side, and put his hands supportively on her shaking shoulders. “It’s okay, just breathe. I know it’s a big shock, but you need to tell us.”


Rosie nodded; she didn’t know what was wrong with her. When she’d tried to speak Amber’s name her stomach had gone crazy, taking her speech away and giving her un-bearable pain.


She tried to carry on, being careful not to say Amber’s name. Something told her that if she managed to speak it, something would go horribly, horribly wrong. “I got a ride home...”


Hank interrupted her again, “From who?”


“My friend’s cousin,” Rosie said, and then carried on before he could ask any more questions, “Once I got home, I saw Mum and Amy. They were both fine. Amy seemed okay before she went up to her room, and she was this morning too.”


“So, what happened the rest of the night? What did you do?” Joe spoke up, scribbling more notes in his book.


“I just went to sleep. I was really beat...” Rosie felt like she was missing something, her mind was clouding, and she had to shake her head to get it to clear.


Rosie realised she couldn’t remember anything accept going into her room and sleeping. “And that’s all I remember about yesterday.”


Hank nodded. “So today?”


“We slept in a little late, so we were rushing. Amy seemed fine, there was nothing wrong with her. We ran to the school. I could still hear her behind me until I got to the gates, then I heard her scream.” Rosie’s eyes watered, and she had wipe them quickly to stop more tears falling down her face. “And then she was gone. Just gone, out of mid-air.”


Hank nodded and patted her shoulders before standing next to his partner and peering over his notes. He looked up after a moment. “Can you give me the names of your friends please?”


“I...can’t.” Rosie’s stomach panged


“Why?” Joe looked up, some of his greying hair was covering his confused expression.


“I...don’t know. I don’t think I should say.” She shook her head, and looked both of them square in the eyes, showing weakness wasn’t going to do anything for her. “They had nothing to do with this, and they don’t deserve to be questioned.” Rosie’s anger flared. “You should be out there!” She spat, “You should be looking for my sister, instead of here asking me stupid, irrelevant questions!”


“Miss, we understand, but...”


She interrupted Joe, “No, you don’t, I’m not hiding anything. I just want my sister back!”


“I think you should call her Mum,” Joe said, ignoring Rosie and talking to the receptionist. “Inform her on what’s happened.”


“My Mum will only agree with me,” Rosie said matter of factly. “Please,” her voice softened, “just find my sister, and I’ll answer anything you want.”


“I thought you weren’t hiding anything,” Hank said.


“I’m not,” Rosie said, though deep down she knew that she was.


Hank stared at her for a moment, then shook his head in frustration. “Okay. Come on let’s go, Joe.” He turned back to her and said, “Tell your Mum we’ll be in touch.”


Rosie nodded, and guiltily watched them leave the office