Disappearance (COMPLETED)

Chapter One - The Beginning - ✓

"Life has many ways of testing a person's will, either by having nothing happen at all or by having everything happen all at once."

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Chapter One - Rose's point of view

Highland City - Florida

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"Come on, Rose! Wake up! You'll be late for school," mother called. It was a typical day in late May.  I go to Highland High School and school was almost over and finals are next week. After I was dressed, I ate breakfast and drove my brother Justin to school.

This was my typical routine. Every day I got dressed, ate breakfast, went to school, did homework, hung out with friends, and just lived. My past isn't that important. This part of my story doesn't really matter all that much. It's what happened that horrid June 7th.  That's where my true horror story begins. So here I go. This is my story.

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June 7th was the last day of school and it finally came. I finished my exams and got in the car to pick up Justin at his middle school. Of course, this day was like any other day. I had my radio on to 107.7 and drove the three miles to Highland Middle School. I always wait for him in the back parking lot because the lines for pick up were horrendous. Today, I waited in the parking lot a lot longer than normal. Finally, when all the other kids left I wondered why Justin hadn't come out yet. I locked my car and walked in the office.

"Hi ma'am, I am looking for my brother. Justin Lewis. He's in seventh grade."

"Yes, my records show that he never showed up for class today. Is there a problem?" the attendant asked.

"Yeah," I said, my brain calculating possible explanations, "I drove him here and watched him walk inside," I said with a million other things on my mind. I must've looked awful because the next thing I know she was dialing 911. 'Is this really happening?' I thought, 'Oh no, no, no... what has happened?' I was reeling from the mental hit I took from her words. She started waving her hand in my face and yelling, "Are you okay?" I heard a buzzing in my ears and that's when I blacked out.

I woke up later that night to a lot of people in a hospital room, one I assume is mine. 'Ouch,' I thought. I must've hit my head on the fall. Jeez, what happened? I looked around and no one looked very happy. I wondered what happened. What possibly could have happened to my brother to cause such worry? Where was he anyways? Wait... where are my parents?

"What's going on?" I asked groggily.

"Hello Rose. My name is Sergeant Ross. We have a serious problem on our hands. I am going to explain this in a way that will make more sense. Your brother wasn't the only one to disappear today and he didn't just disappear. He was murdered along with your mother and father. When we checked in with your grandparents, we found them murdered as well. This is a huge tragedy for everyone in this town. I'm sorry about your loss. Everyone is going to help you from now on. So, we will begin the rest of our investigation with you protected."

I zoned out. I heard what I needed to hear. By now everyone was crying hysterically. I wasn't. I didn't even comprehend what was going on. Wait, so my family was killed? All this thinking made my head hurt. That's when I blacked out again.

I woke up to the hospital room filled with officers and computers again. 'What the heck?' I thought. Then I remembered. I groaned.

"Oh, she's awake!" A random officer stated.

"Rose, can you please help us if you are capable of thinking right now?" A different officer asked nervously.

"Hmph. What do you need?" I didn't feel like helping but what other choice did I have?

"Well, after someone has been murdered we check for the next of kin. So after your mother, Amy, and your father, John, were murdered we tried to contact your grandparents. When they did not answer we figured they were out of the house. Then we received a distress call from their neighbor saying there was blood on the window. I'm sorry, Rose, but your grandparents were murdered as well. Upon learning this, we attempted to reach your aunt and uncle in California. In order to, we have to go through the police department. What we found there was quite disturbing. It seems as if your entire family was killed. We then called the FBI and got them involved. They reached out to everyone that's related to you.. by blood or by law. I'm so sorry, Rose, but over one hundred people were killed at the same exact time involved with your name. You are the only survivor at the moment. They were all related to you. We now have protection over you twenty four hours a day for seven days a week. We've been moving very fast, trying to solve this, but we keep coming up empty. We don't know how this is connected but we'll find it. For now, you're under Witness Protection."

"So, that's it? I'm all alone... I'm sorry officers but can I have a moment to think? Alone, maybe?" I asked with no emotion whatsoever. What the heck was going on?

"Yes, but we'll have to stand by your door. Try to sleep, Rose." I snorted. Yeah, sleep, you're funny.

When I finally realized what happened, I cried. I knew that if people could find a way to wipe out my entire family, no two agents could save me, either. Why should I stay here and wait for my death? For such a screwed up past couple of days I can surely think clearly. I know what I'll do. I'll live on the streets. It can't be that hard, can it? Take money, find a job, start a new life. I began pondering at the idea. New York City would be the place to go. It's big with plenty of things to do. I can also pursue the fact that I want to find out why this happened to my family. No one murders like this without a reason, right? Before logic broke into my head and I could change my mind I began taking out my IV drips and I looked out of the window... third floor. That meant no jumping. 'Think, Rose, think!' Slowly, I took down the curtains in my room and weaved them into a rope. Still crying, I triple-knotted it to a hook on the wall by the window. 'It's fate,' I decided and descended in the darkness of the night. I had no fear whatsoever. Something inside of me had snapped. Plus, either I died falling or I'd be killed so I had to try.

Once I hit the end of the rope I let go and fell quite a distance. I was disoriented at first but I was up on my feet in a matter of few seconds. I ran until I hit a main road where I could find my way home. At that point I was walking in the dark after bailing my only chance of protection. 'Stupid Rose,' I thought. I wont back down though. I was never one for denying a challenge. It took me a couple hours to get home and I figured the agents already noticed I was gone. 'Why me?' I asked myself, 'why do I have to go through this?' When I saw that there were no cops by my house guarding it, I ran inside my house and grabbed a huge duffel bag from the closet. I began filling it with things I might need. I took water bottles, crackers, my mother's jewelry, warm clothes, tennis shoes, my laptop, and money in my mom's dresser. I sat down on the floor in the middle of the living room.

I wanted to cry again but I found that I couldn't. I had beautiful memories in this house. I then sat in my bedroom for a while thinking about what happened. As every second passed the truth became harder to handle. I just could bear the thought. My whole family, murdered? Aunt Missy... gone? Mom and dad... I'll never hug them good morning ever again. My brother, Justin... I'll never go hunting with him again either. I got up and walked around, touching picture frames and old decorations. I wanted to take some pictures but I realized it would be to hard. I couldn't carry too much of my past. Just as I was about to leave the cops pulled up. I ran out the back door and I found I couldn't look back. I wanted to run in my house and have my mom tell me it was okay. It wasn't going to happen.