The Missing Sister

Once upon a time, there was a town. The town was in the middle of nowhere, and it wasn’t big, but it wasn’t small either. I lived in this town, and I am one of the very few people who witnessed the mysteries that happened here. Now, I am sharing them with you. 

It was late October. The red, orange and yellow leaves were a kaleidoscope of colors, like someone had painted the trees. The sky was an endless ocean of blue and white, while the snow-covered grass was turned white. 

My breath billowed around my mouth as I sat outside watching the river flow. It’s been two days since my sister, Mia, went missing. Wind blew through the tree top, roaring, and scattering crisp leaves across the ground. I tried to remember if she’d dropped any hints on where she was going. 

I couldn’t think of anything. The sun beat down on my back, keeping me somewhat warm in the snowy air. I heard footsteps coming towards me, crunching the leaves. I breathed a sigh of relief as my best, and only, friend, Zoe, sat down beside me. 

“I heard about your sister,” She said quietly. “I hope she’s okay.” I nodded, feeling a sob well up in my throat. “She doesn't just… vanish,” I said, focusing on not crying. “I know there’s more to this than we think, but I just need to make people see that.” the two of us were silent for a moment. 

“I believe you,” She said, “I know she wouldn’t do anything like this. I’ve met her, and I believe you.”. I nodded, allowing myself  to smile at her. She always knew the right things to say. 

She out her hand on my shoulder. “We’ll find your sister.”  I nodded again, and let a small, lonely tear drip from my eye. I felt the bitter cold seep through my jacket, making me even colder than I had been. I stood up, looking towards my house. 

“In going home,” I told Zoe. “It’s just… too cold outside. Wanna come over?” She smiled, nodded, then jumped up and walked beside me as I headed home. 

“Hmm, so, someone might have taken her, right? It’s the only exploitation.” Zoe said, “we need suspects, starting with…” She trailed off, staring at my neighbors house. Her mouth was hanging open and her eyes went wide with horror.  I followed her gaze and saw the person who lived across from me. He was carrying a knife. A knife, soaked in blood. 

“I-it might be something else,” I told Zoe, knowing she was thinking the same thing I was. “It might not be blood.” 

She turned to me, a wicked smile on her face. “Or it might be,” she said. “I know who our first suspect is!” I nodded, watching her as she watched him some more. I gently nudged her arm. “Come on, we can watch from my house.” I whispered. Slowly, she nodded, giving his house one last evil glare before we vanished into my house. 

It was very simple inside- a kitchen, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, living room, and a backyard. Nothing too complex. I walked up the stairs quietly to my room. I knew Zoe was following because she didn’t walk as quietly as me. I turned the door handle and pushed open the door, and me and my friend walked inside. 

My room had a bed (obviously), a dresser for clothes with my locked box on top of it. A window beside the bed, (just like Mia’s). Mine was nothing fancy, unlike Zoe’s. 

I don’t understand why, but Zoe had always like my room better than hers. I had joked before we should swap rooms, and she had nearly done it, if her mom hadn’t stopped her. 

“Alright,” I said, flopping on my bed and drawing the curtains open wide so we could clearly see his house, an one window where we ,right be able to see him if he walked by. “This sort of feels wrong.” I told Zoe. 

“Yeah, but,” she said, “what if he knows something? What if he did something to her? Then what?” I was quiet, remembering my mothers words as I told her Mia was missing. “Oh, well, that’s one less mouth to feed,” she’d said, then went back to cleaning. I clenched my fists. “You’re right, we have to find out what happen to her.” it was awful to admit, but I felt like she was taken. She wouldn’t do anything like this, and I knew she wouldn’t leave me like that. 

The smell of cooking food rose into my nose from downstairs. Mom was cooking something else. 

“What is he doing?” Zoe said softly, pressing her face to the glass. “What the-” I sat next to her, looking at the mans’ backyard. He carried a shovel, and was scooping dirt on top of… something. 

“You don’t think-” Zoe began, but I cut her off. 

“Tonight. We have to go into his yard. We have to find out what that is.” I said firmly, than looked at my best friend's worried face. “You don’t have to, if you’d like to go home. Or just not get in trouble.” she oped her mouth, then closed it, lost for words. Then, she straightened her back, and put on a dangerous face. “No,” She said. “Im going with you. That’s final.” I smiled, grateful that she’d said that. I didn’t think I could have done this without her. 

“Oh, ask your mom about a sleepover.” I said, although, I knew what she was going to say next. 

“She doesn't mind,” Zoe said, “she hates me either way, and I don’t think your mom will mind either.” I grinned, then nodded. 

“Yup.” I said. “Tonight. I’ll set the alarm.” I grabbed my phone from the dresser beside me and quickly set the alarm for midnight. “That’s when we strike.” 

The alarm had gone off. Me and Zoe stood huddled together beside his fence, clambering over the top of it. I dropped on the other side-his side- and grabbed Zoe's hands to pull her over with me. Both of us had on black clothes, hoping that even if this guy did see us, he wouldn’t be able to tell exactly who we were. 

“There,” Zoe said, pointing to the lump of dirt. My fear mounting, I crept over to it. Luckily, the shovel lay beside the dirt pile still, so we were able to uncover it, but, when I saw what lay there, I thought I was going to faint. 

My heart stopped, my body turned numb and into ice, I couldn’t even tell anything, my vision blurred and my ears rang. I hardly heard Zoe’s horrified voice. 

I was staring at the dead body of my sister.