Footprints In The Sand - Michelle Horst Page 0,11

over his shoulder and leaves me in the dark.

“You can’t do this to us! Let her go!” I keep screaming the words over and over. My throat is raw and I taste something metallic. My body aches, my head hurts and my heart won’t stop thumping hard in my chest. My throat closes up until I can’t suck in any air. My vision goes spotty, red spots against the blackness of my surroundings. Pins and needles spread through my body until all I feel is ice cold.

~*~

Chapter Ten

Seth~

I follow every bit of news there is about the missing girls, hoping I’ll get some news about Lacey. They found a body in the woods, just behind the town. They said the body was mutilated badly and because of the rain we’ve been having for the last week it’s making the search for the other girls difficult. They haven’t released the girls name yet. I’m constantly filled with ice cold dread that it might be Lacey.

I log onto Facebook and my page is flooded with messages.

RIP Ember Banks.

Hope you find peace, Ember.

Heaven gained another angel.

I realize with a sickening feeling which quickly turns to relief that Ember Banks is the girl they found in the woods. It’s not Lacey! And then I feel horrible for feeling relieved. A girl was murdered.

I close my Facebook page with a pang of disgust. I feel like a caged animal. I wish there was some way I could help Lacey. I hate not knowing if she’s okay or not. I sit staring at the background picture Dad has up on the laptop, not really seeing anything.

Dad comes in and kicks his shoes off at the door. I notice the chunks of mud. “It’s raining. What were you doing outside?”

Dad looks at me from across the room and then he wipes tiredly over his face. “I’ve been helping with the searches. Lacey was taken close to the beach, so I thought I’d look there for any clues.”

“Really? When did they find out that she was taken close to the beach?”

Dad clears his throat and shrugs off his raincoat. “I can’t remember. Sure I heard it somewhere.”

“That’s so nice of you, Dad. Tell me when you go again and I’ll go with. I’ll do anything to help.”

He nods. “Sure.” For a moment he looks a little lost.

“Everything okay, Dad?” I get up and go to him.

“Yeah,” he nods quickly, “just worried that there is someone out there taking our children. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you.”

I pat him affectionately on his shoulder. “I know how to look after myself, Dad. Besides, this animal is only taking girls. He’s a coward. He’s weak to kill girls. The sicko must be one sadistic fuck.”

“Seth!” Dad snaps, “Watch your language.” Dad stalks off to his side of the RV.

“I’m going out with the guys tonight,” I call out before he closes the door behind him.

~*~

We don’t have a car, so I get Marcus to pick me up. His mom is cool about him borrowing it. We stop at Hayden’s house and Marcus shoots him a quick text to let him know we’re here. Seconds later, Hayden comes out and runs across the lawn to where we are. He gets in the car and slams both hands against the headrests. “Bonfire, dudes!”

“Where?” I ask, glancing out the window. We were going to hit the bowling alley but the rain seems to have stopped. I need to do something to take my mind off Lacey being somewhere out there, just for a moment.

“The woods. The guys want to scare the girls out of their panties, you know what I mean.” He falls back against the seat as Marcus pulls away.

“Seriously?” I snap. “The Banks girl was found out there just the other day!”

“So how cool would it be if we found another. We’d be on the news,” Hayden says all excited.

I dart over the back of my chair and slap him upside the head. “That’s fucked-up, man! Girls are being murdered! Show some respect!” My heart thumps heavy with anger. Hayden is really starting to work on my nerves. As we get older we have nothing in common anymore. He’s becoming such a dick.

“Yeah,” Marcus adds, “that shit is sick. I heard the one girl is from our school.”

I haven’t told either of them about Lacey. I tucked her so far inside myself I’m starting to think I dreamt her to life for that one day.

By the time we get to