Hello Little Girl

Chapter 34

As far as train rides go, Mary didn’t think the trip out of Liverpool was all that bad. Aside, of course, from the fact that she was barely even holding herself together. Part of her was so tense at the thought of getting Wendy back she could barely breathe without letting out a sob of relief, while the other part left her hands itching to strangle the girl. Her mind pounded with questions of why in hell Wendy would pull something like this, but the empty feeling in her gut told her she knew the answer already.

That didn’t mean she would listen though.

The train came to a jerky stop and Mary leapt to her feet, hardly waiting the doors to open before she was already elbowing her way out of the station, not even apologizing as she clawed through.

It was a pleasant—and strangely—sunny day, and there was a lightness in the air that Mary wasn’t quite used to as she hurried down the sidewalk, using memory alone to guide her. She knew the B&B wasn’t too far from the station. In that picture they had taken so many years ago, she remembered hearing trains in the distance as the shutter had clicked shut. If she had been able to stop and enjoy the day, she supposed it was the kind of afternoon she would spend sun bathing or napping. Instead, she was much too wired for either of those things.

The B&B came into view suddenly, and Mary’s heart nearly burst with the relief and anger that flooded into her stomach. On one hand, she was about to get her daughter back. On the other, however, she was about to get her daughter back.

The only thing that kept her from sprinting head long for the old house was knowing that she would look like a psychopath, so every step she took called for all the self-control she could muster. Her head whirled with possible scenarios. Of course, Wendy would be horrified and embarrassed and most likely angry, and Mary had no idea how to handle that. The only thing she knew was that Wendy was coming back with her. Whether the younger girl liked it or not.

Mary’s legs were trembling as she climbed the steps to the B&B. She didn’t know if Wendy have even used her real name to get a room, the girl was dodgy enough to think of covering her tracks. Trying to keep herself calm, Mary opened the doors wide and strode into the building, immediately scanning the front room for any sign of her daughter. There were none.

“Can I help you?” A woman walking briskly towards her asked. Mary opened her mouth, but failed to say anything. The woman wasn’t the one she recognized from running the place before, and there was an ugly sneer on her face that Mary didn’t quite like. She shut her mouth hesitantly, only to open it again seconds later. This time, she was able to speak.

“Yes, I was wondering if you could help me find someone.” Mary said firmly, and she was pleased to find that her voice sounded relatively normal; empty of a shake or tremor. The older woman frowned, peering at her suspiciously. “What is this about?” she asked icily. Although a little irritated by the woman’s hostility, Mary smiled and tried to stay friendly. “Well, ma’am, it seems like my daughter has run away from home, and I have reason to believe she may be staying here.” She said shortly. At the last minute, Mary had decided to be honest. There wasn’t any real reason to be cagey about the affair. She just wanted to find Wendy and bring her home with as little fuss as possible—the thought almost made her laugh.

The woman warmed a little hearing that, and there was a pinch of worry in her voice the next time she spoke. “Oh, well.” She said, turning and ducking into the other room for a second before returning with a large black book. “A couple days ago we had a very young couple check in under the name Presley, could your daughter have been with someone?”