Where was she? Zack and I ran to the library first, as soon as he and Kala got to the house. I hopped in Kala's vacated seat.
"The library. It's the only place she knows how to get to from the house," I said. Zack nodded and pulled out of my driveway.
He pulled up to the library and I ran in. I pulled up the photo of Callie I'd texted everyone and ran to the checkout desk. I interrupted a lady checking out her books.
"I'm so sorry, but this is an emergency," I said, turning to the librarian.
"Have you seen this girl? She may have come in here a little while ago. Maybe carrying a black garbage bag?"
"Sorry," the librarian said, looking at the picture. "No. I haven't seen anyone like that today. I'll keep my eye out. What's her name? I can page her and see if she's here."
"Thanks, that won't help. She's Deaf. She wouldn't hear you. Is it okay if I look around?"
"Sure," the librarian said. "I'll check the women's washrooms, too."
I thanked her as Zack came running in.
"Any luck?" He asked. I shook my head. "I'm going to check the stacks, study rooms, wherever I can think of."
"I'll take the reference section upstairs and the study rooms. Meet you back here?"
I nodded and took off through the shelves, running up and down and getting some interesting looks from people.
"Come on, Callie," I said to myself. "Be here. Please!"
Turning a corner I ran into a woman and her child.
"Watch it!" She said angrily.
"I'm sorry. I'm looking for my daughter. Have you seen her?" I asked her, showing her the photo on my phone.
"She's cute. No. Sorry I haven't. Have you tried calling her name?"
"She's Deaf," I said. "Otherwise I'd be screaming her name. Believe me."
"Oh," the lady said. "I'm sorry. But no. I haven't seen her."
I thanked the lady and nodded at her kid as I took off through the rest of the shelves. I looked everywhere. Even the kid's section. Nothing. Nowhere. She wasn't here.
I went back to the front where Zack was talking with the librarian.
"Nothing?" He asked as I came up to them. I shook my head.
"She's not in any of the washrooms," the librarian said. "I even checked the employees washroom. I'm so sorry. But I'll keep my eyes out for her."
I gave her Zack's phone number and asked her to please call if she showed up.
Zack and I got back into his car and started driving through the neighborhood. I checked the park, but had to be careful. There were a lot of people with little kids. I asked a few mins with strollers if they'd seen Callie. No one had.
"I don't know what to do!" I cried to Zack as we got back in the car. "Where could she be?"
"Did you try her phone?"
"Sarah did. She left it behind."
Zack ran his hand through his hair and looked around.
"Alright. Let's drive the neighborhood and see if we can't find her wandering somewhere."
I agreed because I didn't know what else to do. I kept running texts with Sarah, and Dan, Nicole, Mike, Pete and they relayed to whomever else they had recruited.
By dinner time, no one had any news. No one had seen her. We had no idea where she could be.
The police were also scouring the neighborhood and the area around the Children's Home in case she'd gone there. Media had started gathering outside the house. Vultures. I kept my head down as Zack pulled into the driveway.
Sarah came outside as soon as we pulled up.
"Nothing?"
I shook my head and hugged Sarah.
We went into the house and I spoke with the officers who were inside. They had her picture, and had sent it to all their officers. An Amber Alert was issued.
Sarah and I sat on the couch. Sheri, Callie's social worker, was still over and helping.
"This isn't reflective of who you are as parents," she assured us. "Callie, well, Callie has never had healthy coping mechanisms."
We nodded.
Zack and Kala stayed the night. Mike and Dan and Nicole left but said they'd be back in the morning if we still hadn't found her. Pete and Patrick said they were going back out to look some more.
"I feel so useless," I said to Sarah. "Just sitting here doing nothing. Where is she? What danger is she in? Is she somewhere warm?"
Sarah just leaned into me.
Zack and Kala kept everyone caffeinated. I know Sarah and I both dozed off at different times. Neither of us slept really, though.
Somewhere out there our daughter was hiding and hurting. And we couldn't tell her she was safe here.