he’s not the mastermind. They want the people above him, don’t they?”
Dad sat back in his chair, smiling. He didn’t say a word; he just beamed with pride.
“Okay,” I said, “I’ll stay out of there and I won’t say a word. Not to Molly or anyone else. Just make sure Molly isn’t there when it happens.”
Dad nodded.
I told him about discovering the marijuana plot and promised to get him the coordinates off of the GPS unit. I didn’t tell him about the ATV or hiding in the cave.
We sat in silence while the music, arcade games, and squeals of dozens of little girls continued to fill the air.
Dad shifted in his chair. “Dylan, in two months school starts. You can keep searching for Hannah until then, but after that, your mom and I need you to come home. When school starts, it’ll be time to stop. Do you understand?”
I looked at him and thought of the vow I made to never stop searching. I didn’t want to think about it now. I knew school meant colder weather, soon followed by a blanket of snow, and I knew school wasn’t optional.
He looked at me, still waiting for an answer.
I didn’t like it, but the fact I had a deadline to find Hannah just made me want to search harder, faster, and further than I had before. I nodded. “If I haven’t found her by then, I’m done searching the forest.”
“Find her, Dylan. Find her and bring her home.”
* * *
We arrived home after dark. I wished Amy happy birthday one more time and said good night to everyone.
I was halfway down the stairs when I saw dirty footprints on the carpet leading from the sliding-glass door to my room. I froze. The footprints were small and made by someone who was barefoot. They were about the size Hannah would make.
I climbed down the rest of the steps quietly. My door was half open. Enough light was coming from the stairwell that I could see someone curled up in a ball under my comforter. The person was quietly sobbing. The whole bed was shaking, and I could hear quick shallow breaths. I pushed the door open and propped myself against the doorway so I didn’t lose my balance.
My throat swelled. “Hannah?”
“I’m so sorry, Dylan.”
It wasn’t Hannah. “Molly?”
“I’m so sorry.”
I turned on my light.
“Don’t look at me,” she cried. The only thing I could see were her dirty bare feet sticking out of the comforter.
I walked over to the bed. “Molly, what’s wrong?”
She reached out and pulled the comforter tight around her head. Her exposed forearm had a huge bruise on it.
“Oh, my God. Oh, my God, Molly, what … what happened?”
“You told me to be careful. You told me and I wasn’t.” Molly pulled her arm back in. “Tony found the pictures on my computer. He smashed it. He smashed everything.” Molly choked as she said, “And then he ...”
“What did he do?”
“I’m so sorry, Dylan.”
“You have nothing to be sorry about.”
Molly broke down as she said, “All those letters to my dad are gone. You were right. I should have been more careful.”
“Oh, no,” I said. “What did he do?”
“I’m so sorry, Dylan. I’m so sorry.”
“What did he do?”
Molly pulled the comforter tight around her head. “Don’t look at me.”
“Molly, I’m going to help you.” I tried to remain calm. “I’m going to help you. Don’t move. Okay?”
She started to sob harder.
“Let me tell you what’s going to happen. I’m going to get my parents. They’ll know exactly what to do. Don’t move. I’ll be right back. I promise they’ll help you.”
“Dylan, I didn’t want this to happen.”
“I know.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Just don’t move. I’ll be right back.”
I ran upstairs and found Dad in my parents’ room and Mom just closing Amy’s door, having made sure she was asleep. I gathered them together and explained how Molly was hurt, and they both followed me down to my room.
“Molly, where are you hurt?” Mom asked.
“My head,” Molly said,
Dad sat back in his chair, smiling. He didn’t say a word; he just beamed with pride.
“Okay,” I said, “I’ll stay out of there and I won’t say a word. Not to Molly or anyone else. Just make sure Molly isn’t there when it happens.”
Dad nodded.
I told him about discovering the marijuana plot and promised to get him the coordinates off of the GPS unit. I didn’t tell him about the ATV or hiding in the cave.
We sat in silence while the music, arcade games, and squeals of dozens of little girls continued to fill the air.
Dad shifted in his chair. “Dylan, in two months school starts. You can keep searching for Hannah until then, but after that, your mom and I need you to come home. When school starts, it’ll be time to stop. Do you understand?”
I looked at him and thought of the vow I made to never stop searching. I didn’t want to think about it now. I knew school meant colder weather, soon followed by a blanket of snow, and I knew school wasn’t optional.
He looked at me, still waiting for an answer.
I didn’t like it, but the fact I had a deadline to find Hannah just made me want to search harder, faster, and further than I had before. I nodded. “If I haven’t found her by then, I’m done searching the forest.”
“Find her, Dylan. Find her and bring her home.”
* * *
We arrived home after dark. I wished Amy happy birthday one more time and said good night to everyone.
I was halfway down the stairs when I saw dirty footprints on the carpet leading from the sliding-glass door to my room. I froze. The footprints were small and made by someone who was barefoot. They were about the size Hannah would make.
I climbed down the rest of the steps quietly. My door was half open. Enough light was coming from the stairwell that I could see someone curled up in a ball under my comforter. The person was quietly sobbing. The whole bed was shaking, and I could hear quick shallow breaths. I pushed the door open and propped myself against the doorway so I didn’t lose my balance.
My throat swelled. “Hannah?”
“I’m so sorry, Dylan.”
It wasn’t Hannah. “Molly?”
“I’m so sorry.”
I turned on my light.
“Don’t look at me,” she cried. The only thing I could see were her dirty bare feet sticking out of the comforter.
I walked over to the bed. “Molly, what’s wrong?”
She reached out and pulled the comforter tight around her head. Her exposed forearm had a huge bruise on it.
“Oh, my God. Oh, my God, Molly, what … what happened?”
“You told me to be careful. You told me and I wasn’t.” Molly pulled her arm back in. “Tony found the pictures on my computer. He smashed it. He smashed everything.” Molly choked as she said, “And then he ...”
“What did he do?”
“I’m so sorry, Dylan.”
“You have nothing to be sorry about.”
Molly broke down as she said, “All those letters to my dad are gone. You were right. I should have been more careful.”
“Oh, no,” I said. “What did he do?”
“I’m so sorry, Dylan. I’m so sorry.”
“What did he do?”
Molly pulled the comforter tight around her head. “Don’t look at me.”
“Molly, I’m going to help you.” I tried to remain calm. “I’m going to help you. Don’t move. Okay?”
She started to sob harder.
“Let me tell you what’s going to happen. I’m going to get my parents. They’ll know exactly what to do. Don’t move. I’ll be right back. I promise they’ll help you.”
“Dylan, I didn’t want this to happen.”
“I know.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Just don’t move. I’ll be right back.”
I ran upstairs and found Dad in my parents’ room and Mom just closing Amy’s door, having made sure she was asleep. I gathered them together and explained how Molly was hurt, and they both followed me down to my room.
“Molly, where are you hurt?” Mom asked.
“My head,” Molly said,
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