the abduction

Part One: the meeting

How many times her mother told her no, and how many times she didn't listen, nobody knew. Her mother was on the brink of losing herself since the stress was too great. Raising a child on your own is not the easiest. She was scared for her daughter but also for herself. She hated the boys she would bring over, how she would rush them to her room and close the door, never to emerge for hours. Late into the night she could here whatever boy it was making love to her, except she knew it wasn't love, all it was was sex to her daughter.

She tried talking sense into her. "Go to college, take running start. It'll be good for you, you'll better your education." Her daughter would only smile and say I'll think about it. And the very next day, another boy would be in their house.

She needed something to show her how dangerous it was to be meeting boys and then taking them back here. She knew she needed to contact her ex-husband to interfere. even if he wanted nothing to do with her. He didn't want anything to do with her for seventeen years, ever since she was born he fled the house never returning. She was the one to file for divorce, not him.

She picked up her phone to see if perhaps she had his number. Last time she saw him was about five years ago, but one never knew. She scrolled through the contacts on her list silently telling herself to delete some of the ones she had. Once she found his name she held her finger over the call button. Afraid that he changed his number or wouldn't pick up in the first place.

She finally pressed the call button and held the phone to her ear. It rang four times before someone picked up.

"James?" She was silent, afraid that saying more would anger him.

A raspy voice came over the phone. "What do you want, Carol?" He seemed upset, like she had called him dozens of times before this moment.

"It's about my daughter. She needs you."

There was a small chuckle on the other side. "She needs me? Did she say that, Carol, or did you say that so that I'll come take some responsibility? You know I want nothing to do with her. Nothing."

She hesitated again. "She really needs help. She's not right. I don't know what's wrong with her but she keeps bringing different boys to the house and...and." She stopped not wanting to go on, the rest was almost embarrassing to her. She took a deep breath. "She's having sex this way and that and none of it makes sense. Please. I need some help."

A large sigh was heard as he put the phone to his ear and spoke. "Fine. But I'm not meeting with her, I'll meet with you and we can discuss it." He paused a moment. "Saturday okay to talk, we can meet at the cafe in town."

"That sounds fine. I'll see you ten o'clock?"

"Ya, ten o'clock." He hung up after that. She sighed a breath of relief. She was finally going to get some help.

Saturday came all too quickly for her. Her daughter brought two boys home that week, one who even stayed a day. She couldn't imagine where her daughter was now since she never really spoke to her anyways.

She drove to the cafe, bought a coffee, and sat in the back. A few minutes passed and she saw James. He too bought a coffee and sat across from her.

"Alright, Carol, I'm here so what is it you want to discuss?"

"She's coming home with people I don't know, she doesn't talk to me, she sits on her computer all day when she's at home, looking at Facebook and Instagram. I just don't know what's gotten into her. She was never like this a few years ago."

He took a drink of his coffee. "Look, people change dramatically, she's probably just going through a phase."

"She doesn't talk to me, she doesn't look at me, she doesn't even say hello or goodbye when she's going to school. That's not a phase, James." She was getting upset but she remembered she had thought about an idea. "I have an idea and I want your opinion because you would need to be the driving force." He looked at her. "I want you to set up an account on Facebook and essentially catfish her into coming to your house and talking some sense into her. I can be there if that makes you feel more comfortable."

He thought a moment, taking another sip of his coffee. "I can do that. I don't have to tell her I'm her father but I can do that. If it makes you more comfortable and will stop you from calling me then I'm fine." He stood up. "Was that all you needed cause I have some things I need to do today."

She remained sitting. "That was all. Thank you, James."

"Ya, no problem." He turned and walked out of the cafe. Smiling to himself, knowing that he already had an account and had been talking to her daughter for weeks now.