FIREPLACE MYSTERY:THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ANNALEE AND ANNABELLA

Submitted into Contest #211 in response to: Set or begin your story in a room lit by the flickering flames of the fireplace.... view prompt

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Mystery

The fireplace is blazing, the flames are lighting the entire room, a nice time and place to tell you about a mystery that has encompass a town called Glacier Bay. The disappearance of twin sisters Annalee and Annabella has ripped the town apart and fueled rumors that has gone on for years.

Glacier Bay, a town filled with the most beautiful mountains, the most beautiful snow-filled forest and the most beautiful town. A dream for all those that live in Glacier Bay. But the beautiful town has a dark past something we don't ever want to talk about.

There is a reason why Glacier Bay is called the mystery capital of the world. Through the years of Glacier Bay's existence countless of people have gone missing. Many of the missing have been tourist. Many of the missing have been found buried under the snow on top of Glacier Bay Mountain. Others have not been found or ever heard from again.

The disappearance of Annalee and Annabella is the most famous missing case to date. What is most disturbing is the twins were so beloved. They had no enemies. Their parents had no enemies. So, what happened to the twins?

It all began two months before the twins disappeared during the height of the winter season. Glacier Bay gets filled with many tourist. The tourist like to mingle with the locals especially with the young ladies.

Annalee and Annabella were beautiful girls who were very out-going. They loved to talk to the people and they were so very curious. They loved going to the mountains and explore. For days Annalee and Annabella would roam the forest. This would always make their parents nervous. Winter has always been the twins favorite time of the year, seeing the town filled with so many people always made the twins happy.

Families would bring their kids. The twins would show them around town including their favorite spots. The twins would build snowmen with the kids, have snowball fights and scavenger hunts. The twins were two balls of energy. But with every bright light darkness follows.

The twins were as beautiful as the stars that hang in the night sky. Their beauty brought unwanted attention. Annalee and Annabella's parents were strict when it came to boys. They weren't allowed to date until they were sixteen.

The twins weren't boy crazy, that's saying a lot about teenage girls. Their parents were happy about it so they didn't pay too much attention about what their daughters were doing.

In the two months leading to the twins disappearance, Glacier Bay was a hot bed of activity. Many people came in and out of town. Nothing that hasn't happen before. Some of the people were rowdy. Others weren't.

The twins were always happy to see the town full. There smiles were huge and captivating. They waved at everyone. They talked to everyone. The people loved talking to the girls. No one ever had anything bad to say about the twins.

The night before the twins disappeared business was the same. Tourist flocked in and out of town. Annalee and Annabella were seen in the town doing what they do best, talking to the people and having fun. There was nothing to fear. No one expected something sinister was going to envelope our small town of Glacier Bay.

The morning of the disappearance Glacier Bay was quiet. A fresh batch of snow the night before. It took until the afternoon for us to come out of our homes. There was something off about my town. We weren't smiling or talking. It's as if we didn't want to leave our homes. We sensed our town wasn't going to be the same after today. For the first time in a long time Glacier Bay was quiet.

We didn't understand what was happening until we heard the sheriff was at the Malloy house. All of us went to the Malloy house to see what was happening.

When we go to the Malloy house, we saw an unexpected scene. Not only was the sheriff there but also the Feds. Through the window we saw Mrs. Malloy crying. Mrs. Cohen asked Deputy Miles "What is happening?" Deputy Miles was in tears. He just said the twins. He couldn't say anymore. He was either in shock or he was told not to say a word.

Sheriff Huxley came out of the house and told us "Annalee and Annabella have disappear." We were in shock. Many began to cry. Sheriff Huxley asked us if we saw the girls. Everyone looked at each other, fear was in our eyes. It was as if no one wanted to talk. Around dinner time many of us left back to our homes expect one person Hazel Monroe.

Hazel is the twins best friend. They were known throughout town as being inseparable. We always talked about the twins being beloved members of the community. Hazel was also a beloved member of the community.

She was seen throughout Glacier Bay with the twins, taking part in the town's activities. The difference between the twins and Hazel is that the twins were beautiful, all the attention was on them. Hazel just blended into the background. The boys never paid Hazel any attention. What did Hazel know about the twins disappearance?

Sheriff Huxley talked to Hazel about when she last saw the twins. Hazel told the sheriff she last saw the twins at the ice rink and she last talked to the twins that same night. Sheriff Huxley let Hazel go.

We came up with our own theories. One of them is the obvious, the twins ran away. That theory is too hard to believe. Why would the twins want to run away? The next theory is another obvious one, the parents did it.

That theory is too much to handle. Mr and Mrs. Malloy are two of the most amazing people. They are kind and caring parents, always giving back to the community. But secrets lie deep within us.

As the investigation into the twins disappearance heats up sheriff Huxley finds the story Hazel told the sheriff to be filled with holes. Sheriff Huxley brings Hazel to the sheriff's station. The sheriff sits Hazel down and tells her he does not believe her story. Hazel starts to cry. She tells sheriff Huxley the truth.

Yes, she did the see the twins at the ice rink, then she followed them to the coffee shop where they met with two boys. She follow them out of the coffee shop and to the lead trail leading to the mountains, then she lost them. The last thing Hazel tells the sheriff was that she didn't talk to the twins later that night. Sheriff Huxley releases Hazel.

Hazel story was corroborated by Mrs. Martin, the owner of the coffee shop. She also saw the twins the day before they disappeared with two boys. Then she watch them leave and head to the trail. Sheriff Huxley sent his deputies to the trail but when they came back, his deputies told him the trail was full of snow. What were the twins doing at the trail?

Mr and Mrs. Malloy saw their daughters when they returned home that evening at 7 and then at dinner. Mrs. Malloy last saw her daughters at 9:30 when they were talking on the phone. She didn't hear what they were talking about. She went to bed, woke up the next morning and her girls were gone.

Phone show the girls were talking to an unknown number. The number was untraceable. Nothing ever came of that number or what the twins were doing at the trail.

In the ensuing days Glacier Bay was a hot bed of activity. Missing posters were hung on every lamp post, every tree, in every store and in every home. The town was litter with missing posters. The media descended on Glacier Bay. All of us who loved the twins gave interviews. We show their picture all the time. Mr and Mrs. Malloy pleaded for the safe return of their daughters. We broke down whenever we saw Mrs. Malloy crying.

Search parties were assembled. We looked in every nook and cranny of Glacier Bay. The twins favorite places even the mountains. Four months we looked, no trace of the twins were ever found. The media stayed in Glacier Bay for as long as they could eventually they left. They promised to keep their names alive but they never did.

Hope in ever finding the girls was fading. We kept searching and searching until there was nowhere left to search. We didn't want to stop but we couldn't find any trace of the girls. Sheriff Huxley couldn't find any trace of the two boys the girls were seen with.

In the years that follow Annalee and Annabella's memory were always with us. Their laugh and smile are still a constant presence in our lives. Whenever we are down we think about the twins and we smile. We keep their memory alive by continuing to do the activities they always loved to do.

We as a community will never stop searching for our beloved twins. Yes, rumors have continued to spread about the twins. I believe none of them. In my own way I continue to search for my girls. I will never stop searching. My girls are out there somewhere. I am to find them.

August 16, 2023 23:29

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