Have You Seen Me?

In the Valley of the Shadow

Im not gonna make it to daylight. Faint light cuts through the cave creating a beam above me. Dust particles danced through the triangle shaped source of light, breathing them in through an open mouth. The air cuts through the cracks in my lips and past the desert of my tongue, down my sandpaper throat, to the bowels of my sarcophagus lungs. A ripple of wind creeps through as I wheeze. The air is hot tonight. Mid July in Arizona. I've been missing for three weeks. My name is Mia Jackson, I have dark brown hair, Green eyes, I'm 5'4, 132 pounds. Have you seen me? I was wearing a pink polka dotted swimsuit, a pink band-T, jean shorts, and white Nikes.

The box tv hummed and the screens glass sparked with static as color filled the screen. She sat in a white lounge chair sitting next to its morning talk show host, Heather Franklin. She had on make-up but it didn't help cover the bags under her eyes. 

"She just came down stairs and said "Okay mom, I'll be back." She was smiling and picked her towel and bag up. And I said "Okay honey," and I was so focus on work, I didn't even notice she hadn't left. And she clears her throat and I look up at her and she goes. "Aren't you gonna tell me you love me?" and I smiled and I said"I love you my girl," -" Her voices tinges "-and she goes "I love you mom," and then she just walked out the door." Mrs. Jackson sniffles as she begins to cry"I would always tell her I loved her right before she would leave and I was so consumed with work that day, I almost didn't get to tell her I loved her for what could be the last time." Mrs. Jackson pauses as she wiped her eyes with a tissue.

"And that was the last time you saw her?" Heather Franklin, Tv personal, asks 

"June 27th, she walked out that door at 6:23 am. For morning swim, like she did every morning." Mrs. Jackson dropped her face into her hands

"I'm sorry," she says after a moment

"So as of today, July 11th, Mia Jackson has been missing for approximately two weeks, Police say they have no new leads. More-" The tv turned to fuzzy black and white static and the horrendous sound blared from the tv. After a few moments it cut back in ceasing that vial sound.

"Please, if you have my baby just let her come home. Mia baby, if you can hear me, mamas gonna find you okay. I love you my girl," Mrs. Jackson says and the screen goes black

It's been one week since I got away. I should've just stayed. I wheeze out, my stomach begins to eat itself, striking my torso sending out jolts of pain. I've have a head ache for nine days. I want to smash my head against a wall, but I do not have the energy. I'm going to die. Does that make you feel good? You're still winning in some way. What? Why are you looking at me like that? Oh, did i hit you over the head too hard? You want me to tell you how you killed me? You had been watching me for a while, I'm not exactly sure how long. You had approached me two days before, on the 25th. I was coming up the cut, you jolted past, your dog leading, pulling you behind. I stumbled back, shock tensed my body. I mumbled under my breath, but I didn't scream. You had gotten a hold on your dog and came back to apologize.

I stood back in the sand watching you come toward me, I take another step back.

"I'm sorry about that, still training him."

You had a smile on your face as you spoke.

"No worries, you just took me by surprise," I say with a light hearted tone

That red and black jeep pulls up quick taking my attention from you. He jumps out of the driver seat just as quickly as he'd pulled up.

"Mia. You ready?" He asks

I could tell by the way he said my name, he was concerned.

I nod.

"Sorry again,"