Crossed Destinies

1. Callie

I laid in my room. My parents screams could be heard from miles away. They have been fighting almost nonstop since Elizabeth got kidnapped in front of me ten years ago. I can still remember the day perfectly. The memory was edged into my mind.

* * * Memory * * *

"Can you keep an eye on Elizabeth?"

"Of course!"

"Good girl."

Mom disappeared behind the house. I turned back to look at Elizabeth. She lingered close to the street.

"Lizzy! Get over here! Mom doesn't like us by the street." I stated.

"But I'm just looking at a car." She said back. She stomped on the ground as if to emphasis how far she was from the actual street.

Out of nowhere, a big black van pulled up. Three men quickly got out. Two of them grabbed Elizabeth.

"No!" I screamed. "Get off of her!"

The other man hurried over to me and grabbed my hand. He held me back so I couldn't lunge at the others. He seemed to look at the driver, as if asking what to do.

"She's no use to me." He stated.

The man holding me shrugged and threw me back, causing me to let out a loud scream. The men were already in the car and drove off.

Mom's screams echoed through the silence followed by her sobbing. Dad quickly came out from the back. He hated when we interrupted him from doing his work.

* * Next Memory * *

"You have to tell us what you remember about the men that took your sister." A chubby police officer demanded coldly. He seemed to be tired and losing all patience.

"I told you everything I remember!" I practically screamed back at him.

"Well, tell it again!"

"There were four men in a large white van."

"I thought you said it was a black van."

"That's what I said!"

"No. It's not. Was it a white van or a black van, Calina?" The police officer leaned in. His breath reeked of coffee.

"I..." I searched my memory. My thoughts were a jumbled mess.

"Okay. I think we have had enough for today." My mom said, soothingly.

"Mrs. Bearings, we need your daughter's cooperation. She saw the kidnapping take place." The police officer stated, looking up to my mom.

"I understand that, Officer Jacobs. But Calina is also a 7 year old child. She is tired. She needs her sleep." Mom said, using her tone that always made Dad let whatever the topic was go.

Just like with Dad, the police officer let the subject go and he let us leave.

* * * End of Memory * * *

It was my fault that Elizabeth was still missing. I couldn't describe the men clearly. I couldn't describe the van.

Suddenly, something was slammed against the wall and shattered. I jumped, and turned my attention to the wall. I waited to see if there was a scream. I was surprised that no scream followed the crash.

My attention fell over to the picture that was on my desk. It was a picture of my family. A picture of when my family was actually a family. Mom and Dad had an arm around each other. Huge smiles on their face. Elizabeth and I had our arms around each other. Our cheeks pressed together as we looked at the camera. Huge smile took up our faces.

"Lizzy. Where are you?" I asked the picture quietly.

I missed her so much. Elizabeth would be turning 15 next week. I couldn't help but wonder if she is alive. Would she live to see her 15th birthday? Did she live to see her 13th? Did she live to see her 10th? Hell, did she live to even see her 6th?

I let out a groan. I could still picture Elizabeth's terrified look when they tossed her in that van. That was the only time I have ever seen her scared. Elizabeth was independent, even at age 5. She never showed much emotion. It was happy or nothing. If she wasn't happy, you couldn't read what the actual problem was.

Despite only a two year age difference, I was the complete opposite of Elizabeth. Where she could hide her emotions, I was like an open book. I couldn't hide my feelings. The only way people didn't notice is if they didn't care enough to look.

I grabbed the picture and slowly rubbed my thumb against Elizabeth's picture.

"Lizzy. I miss you... Where are you? What did those men do to you?" I asked, as if Elizabeth could answer me.

A door slammed downstairs, causing me to jump and drop the picture frame. The glass shattered.

"No!" I screamed.

I desperately tried to clean up the glass, but I realized the frame broke as well. Tears streamed down my face. The only thing I had the linked my family together was shattered. I tried to pull out the picture, but it ripped slightly as I pulled it out.

I bit down on my lip. It wasn't ripped too bad. I could still keep it.

"Callie, honey." A voice came from the doorway behind me. I spun around to find my mom.

"Mom?" I questioned quietly. She only came in my room after a big argument with Dad. If she was here, that meant that Dad was the one to storm off. He would no doubt come back drunk.

"I think you should know...." Mom paused.

I stood up from my chair and took a couple steps towards my mom.

"What is it, Mom?"

Tears slid down her cheeks. Her attention was on the floor.

"Mom?.."

She looked up to me slowly. She took a deep breath, before speaking.

"Your father and I..."

She paused again. She took another deep breath as more tears slid down her cheeks.

"Mom?"

"We're getting a divorce."