The Vanishing Girls Of Willow Creek (Willow Creek, #1)

Chapter Three

Before my dad died, he owned a bike shop. Everyone in town knew it was the best place in town to get your bike, or car, fixed.

"Did you know any of the people who went missing?"

"Three girls from our school went missing. Hope Walters and Chloe Brooks. I didn't know either of them personally. I only saw them in passing."

"What about the third girl?"

"Huh?" She broke free from a daze.

"You said there was a third girl. Who was she?"

I could see her looking around, as if trying to avoid the question.

"Mom?" I grabbed her hands, forcing her to look at me. "Who was she?"

A single tear ran down her cheek.

"Her name was Elena Phillips." She detached her hands from mine, wiping her eyes, desperately trying to hold back more tears. "She was your father and I's best friend."

Oh my god.

"Mom, I'm so sorry. I had no idea."

I handed her a napkin, which she used to wipe her eyes.

"It's okay sweetheart. There's no way you could have known."

"Did they find her?" I asked, hesitantly.

She shook her head. "No. They thought she ran away. No matter how much we all told them that Elena wouldn't have done that."

I got up from my seat, now sitting next to my mom, hugging her and rubbing her shoulders.

I remember one time when I was five or six, I couldn't sleep.

It was pouring down rain outside, with occasional claps of thunder and flashes of lighting.

I usually love lightning but I couldn't stand thunder.

I went downstairs to get a glass of water. Instead I was disrupted by the sound of sobbing. My mother's sobbing to be exact.

She was sitting in the kitchen looking at what appeared to be a photo album. Tears were freefalling down her flushed cheeks.

I poked my head in, "Mom?"

Immediately she perked up, wiping the tears, and putting on a smile.

"Hey honey. What are you doing up?"

"I couldn't sleep."

Just then a clap of thunder sounded, causing me to jump.

"Come here," my mom said, arms open.

I instantly ran and jumped into her arms.

"Why were you crying mommy?"

"Me? It's nothing darling. I was just looking at old photos."

I looked over at the album that now sat on the kitchen island.

It was opened to a picture of my mom and dad. Only there was another girl with them. They were all smiling really big at whoever was taking the picture.

"Who's that with you and daddy?"

"That's your Auntie Elena."

At this point, I could not remember meeting Auntie Elena.

"How come she doesn't come over?"

My mom inhaled deeply. "She moved away a long time ago." Then, she switched on a dime. "Now, let's get you some water and off to bed, little missy."

"Okay mommy."

Then she took me back upstairs and stayed with me until I fell back to sleep.

"I remember now. You were looking at a photo of the three of you and crying." I looked at her. "You told me she moved away."