Traffic

Ch 30: Lost

        Kelly hesitantly agreed and followed, dragging Trace with her, to the backyard. She sat in the hammock and Trace sat beside her. Peter stood nearby, looking as if he was about to say something, but Tabitha interrupted.

        "Can we play catch?" She asked eagerly.

        "Of course we can play catch, Tabby. Get your hat and the gloves and ball."

        Kelly smiled as she watched Tabitha play with Peter in the backyard. She sniffed, starting to tear up as she reminisced of being that age.

        "Do you remember playing catch and tag and hide and seek with me and Fred, Kelly?"

        She nodded, "I do. It was so much fun. I wish I could go back and relive it."

        "Well. We'll be home by tomorrow, and I'll buy a brand new baseball and glove just for you and we can play it in the backyard, just like old times. How's that sound?

        "That sounds wonderful," Kelly said, sighing and resting her head on Trace's shoulder as they gently swung in the hammock with the evening air blowing gently and the smell of dinner cooking coming from the open kitchen window of Peter's house. She heard the horns beeping and cars squeeling down the street on the other side of the house where the city lay, but all she cared about was this little patch of green grass that was closed off with a fence, closing them in to their own happy world where everything was perfect.

        Trace sat next to his sister, his arm resting comfortably around her shoulders. He felt he needed to hold her or at leats be touching her at all times or she might slip away. With every blink of his eyes, he felt he'd wake up and Kelly would, in reality, be dead. But as he opened his eyes after every blink and saw his baby sister sitting beside him, picking away at a peanut butter and jelly, he smiled. He couldn't stop himself from laying kisses on her head every once in a while, just to show her how happy he was.

        The next morning, Kelly gave a fond goodbye to the little girl she'd already grown attached to and to Peter's parents who were kind and loving towards her, even though they didn't know why she and Trace had been staying there. Peter didn't divulge any information for fear Kelly would hate him.

        Soon, though, they were on their way to the airport and Kelly was feeling sad for having to leave, but so entirely happy for being able to go home at long last. She longed to be in her mother's arms and tasing her mother's food and cuddling with Fred while watching girlie movies and eating junk food with Trace. She grew more anxious for home with every passing minute.

        As they drove, though, they started driving right into a thunderstorm. It soon grew more feirce and rain almost blinded Peter as he drove. Kelly longed to stand in the rain, and took her time walking into the airport upon arriving. Trace had to drag her inside and to their gate before they became late.

        But as it turned out, they weren't late at all. Their plane was delayed from the storm and with every second, more people gathered around, anxious to board the plane. As more people gathered around, Kelly grew more anxious. People bumped her, she was surrounded, she got stared at by grown men, which made her sick to her stomach. She wished she could make it stop, that she could push these people away and get some space, but she couldn't. She felt the walls closing in around her and the doors and windows seemed to drift farther away. She sat on a bench and began choking from a panic attack.

        Immediately, she felt an arm around her and she was being moved. When she next realized it, she was away from the normal route of people and in a small section of the airport. She looked towards her rescuer seeing not Trace, not Peter, but her Master.

        "I've got you now, and you're no getting away again," he said through gritted teeth before pulling her behind him towards a different plane.

        "Scream, and I'll kill your brother. I've got my friends everywhere, as you well know, and they won't hesitate to do it, I promise you."

        Kelly was more frightened than she'd ever been. She wanted to get away, but had no means by which to do it. She felt like she was going to drop dead at any moment, and honestly, she wished she would.

        "I'm going to get you ready for that auction and I'm gonna get myself a girl who doesn't try to escape and who can handle a little friendly threatening, because you, kiddo...you can't take a hint."

        She struggled to get free, but when she felt something sharp on her back, out of natural instinct and fear, she cooperated, being led farther and farther away from her brother and the only friend she'd ever know.

        Trace, unlike Kelly, was back near the plane. He had gone forward to ask the stuardess if she knew when the plane would be ready to go. He told Kelly he'd be only a second, and he saw her sit on a bench. When he returned, she was nowhere to be seen.

        "Kelly?" He asked, "Kelly!" he yelled louder. Suddenly, he saw her walking away with a man. He ran towards her, but was knocked down, almost instantly unconcious. He was able to say her name one last time before he blacked out.

        When he awoke, he was laying on a bench, being poked by a policeman's flashlight. The dim, early morning light stung his eyes as he sat up, "Where--Where am I?" he mumbled, rubbing his tired eyes.

        "Central Park. This isn't a zoo, sir, please take your leave."

        With that being said, the cop walked away, leaving Trace alone to remember what had happened. He had lost his sister again, unable to find her or know where she was. All he knew for sure was that she was back in the system, probably being raped as he sat there.

        His worst fear was for Kelly, but a close second, was having to break the news to his mother and sister.