wail. What was the point of trying to get away? So she could go back to school and have everyone laugh at her and call her fat?
What was she fighting for, really? Was going back really so important? She could imagine the comments her "friends" were probably leaving on that post about her running away. They were probably telling her to stay away, saying good riddance. It was probably her most-liked post of all time.
Memories
Alyssa stood by the window in her bedroom, staring into the woods behind their house. She had run out of tears, but not grief. The longer Macy was missing, the more it ate away at her. She thought of the last thing she had said to her daughter the night before. It had been an irritated list of things for her to do over the weekend.
Why hadn't she given Macy a hug? Told her how much she loved her? A fresh lump formed in her throat. Sure, her kids annoyed her with their selfishness and lack of responsibility, but they were teenagers. Being moody and messy was practically in their job description. Alyssa hadn't forgotten being a teenager. Why couldn't she be more understanding? She had always promised herself that she wouldn't turn into her mom.
She was like her own kids in many ways, now that she thought about it. She was focused on her appearance, going to the gym daily. She was also busy distracting herself from the pain of the recent direction of her marriage.
Alyssa looked around her room. She missed the days when she and Chad would spend hours in there, talking and dreaming. If only he was there to hold her. Alyssa wanted to pour her heart out to him, but she couldn't even bring herself to leave the room and find him.
He had been in his study, avoiding her since they found out about Macy. He probably felt guilty—as he should. He was the one who had driven Macy to run away, if in fact that was what had happened.
Macy had to have snapped and run off, not wanting to be controlled any longer. Alyssa could remember hating control when she was a teenager. She had wanted so badly to be seen as an adult.
Her eyes landed on her old scrapbooks, sitting under a pile of other books. She hadn't looked at those in years. She walked over and picked them up, sliding the other books onto the shelf. She took the scrapbooks to the bed and opened the one that had Macy's baby pictures.
Alyssa couldn't help smiling at the memories in front of her. She needed to look at these more often to remind herself how much her kids meant to her. It was easy to forget when they threw their snarky attitudes at her, but seeing the old pictures made her heart swell with love. They were the same as they always had been, only bigger now, and rightfully wanting some independence.
She flipped through the pages until she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer. She gave into their heaviness and rested her head on top of one of the pages, giving into sleep.
Fear
Macy watched the rain drip down the wall next to her. She hadn't heard the truck return, and had no idea when Chester would be back. She was no longer hungry. She had spent so much time skipping meals that it got to the point where being hungry felt good.
Her stomach stopped rumbling while she was crying earlier, and she was grateful for some kind of pleasure. She wasn't sure how long the good feeling would last. Usually it went away when she saw or smelled food. The soup above was probably disgusting from sitting there so long, and knowing that helped her stomach to continue feeling good.
With every passing minute, she became less and less convinced she'd be able to get out. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get even one bale on top of another.
She thought about her brother. What did Alex think of her disappearance? He was so hard to read these days. They still got along, but they weren't close. It was as though something had come between them. His teasing bothered her more because of that, but she never said anything, not wanting
What was she fighting for, really? Was going back really so important? She could imagine the comments her "friends" were probably leaving on that post about her running away. They were probably telling her to stay away, saying good riddance. It was probably her most-liked post of all time.
Memories
Alyssa stood by the window in her bedroom, staring into the woods behind their house. She had run out of tears, but not grief. The longer Macy was missing, the more it ate away at her. She thought of the last thing she had said to her daughter the night before. It had been an irritated list of things for her to do over the weekend.
Why hadn't she given Macy a hug? Told her how much she loved her? A fresh lump formed in her throat. Sure, her kids annoyed her with their selfishness and lack of responsibility, but they were teenagers. Being moody and messy was practically in their job description. Alyssa hadn't forgotten being a teenager. Why couldn't she be more understanding? She had always promised herself that she wouldn't turn into her mom.
She was like her own kids in many ways, now that she thought about it. She was focused on her appearance, going to the gym daily. She was also busy distracting herself from the pain of the recent direction of her marriage.
Alyssa looked around her room. She missed the days when she and Chad would spend hours in there, talking and dreaming. If only he was there to hold her. Alyssa wanted to pour her heart out to him, but she couldn't even bring herself to leave the room and find him.
He had been in his study, avoiding her since they found out about Macy. He probably felt guilty—as he should. He was the one who had driven Macy to run away, if in fact that was what had happened.
Macy had to have snapped and run off, not wanting to be controlled any longer. Alyssa could remember hating control when she was a teenager. She had wanted so badly to be seen as an adult.
Her eyes landed on her old scrapbooks, sitting under a pile of other books. She hadn't looked at those in years. She walked over and picked them up, sliding the other books onto the shelf. She took the scrapbooks to the bed and opened the one that had Macy's baby pictures.
Alyssa couldn't help smiling at the memories in front of her. She needed to look at these more often to remind herself how much her kids meant to her. It was easy to forget when they threw their snarky attitudes at her, but seeing the old pictures made her heart swell with love. They were the same as they always had been, only bigger now, and rightfully wanting some independence.
She flipped through the pages until she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer. She gave into their heaviness and rested her head on top of one of the pages, giving into sleep.
Fear
Macy watched the rain drip down the wall next to her. She hadn't heard the truck return, and had no idea when Chester would be back. She was no longer hungry. She had spent so much time skipping meals that it got to the point where being hungry felt good.
Her stomach stopped rumbling while she was crying earlier, and she was grateful for some kind of pleasure. She wasn't sure how long the good feeling would last. Usually it went away when she saw or smelled food. The soup above was probably disgusting from sitting there so long, and knowing that helped her stomach to continue feeling good.
With every passing minute, she became less and less convinced she'd be able to get out. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get even one bale on top of another.
She thought about her brother. What did Alex think of her disappearance? He was so hard to read these days. They still got along, but they weren't close. It was as though something had come between them. His teasing bothered her more because of that, but she never said anything, not wanting
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