Vanish

When they stop for gas along the way, the worst thing possible happens. Walt is left in shock.

   Peridot woke to the sound of an alarm she couldn't remember Mother setting. She looked around, and for a second she couldn't remember where she was. Then it came back to her.

   She honestly didn't know if they could've found a more dumpy place to rest. The dirty, peeling wallpaper was decorated with a trashy yellow and pink flower pattern. The carpet was a sickening shade of green that clashed with just about every other color in the room. She was glad they were only staying one night; she didn't know how much longer she could stay. She hoped the conditions in their new home would be better.

   The motel didn't serve breakfast -- yet another sign to Peridot that it didn't live up to its advertisements -- so after about an hour on the road they ordered something that resembled breakfast from a McDonald's drive-in. Peridot hated fast food; even though she hadn't been able to directly tell them, she knew her family knew that. How could they have missed it with her refusal to eat any fast food they had ever ordered before? This time she didn't make a big deal out of it, though. They were stressed enough already without her being annoying because of their food choice. She choked it down because she knew they would probably be having a late lunch, and she was hungry.

   Walt turned on the radio so that the car would be filled with the same awkward silence as the day before, and Peridot silently thanked him for that.

   Exhaustion from the last few days poured into her, and she fell into a deep sleep. Nothing disturbed her; not the classic rock station or the bumps in the freeway.

---

   Walt looked again at his sleeping sister. She must have had a hard last few days to be so tired. He would've fallen asleep too if he didn't have to keep his eyes on the maps and tell Mother when to turn. He was awful at reading maps; he wished Mother would just get a debt. Whenever he asked, she got angry and informed him that she wasn't wasting her money on a technology that would do something that he would do for free himself. She then went on to tell him about why technology even did a worse job than him. She told that story about the time Lizzie Alma nearly drove into a river because her GPS told her to.

   He knew her real reason now, though he hadn't when he first asked that. It was about the money. She wished she could afford a GPS, but she couldn't. Not anymore. So they were stuck with him, the lousy alternative.

   He hated Mother for doing that to them. They needed that money, and he had no desire to move to Mexico. Would that even solve the problem? Wouldn't there be debt collectors in Mexico, too?

   Walt knew his sister was confused. As smart as she was for her age, she was only 9, and she couldn't figure this out. He couldn't either. He just wished he had the answers to give her.

---

   Peridot turned her head dazedly to see herself again shaken awake by her brother.

   "We're stopping for gas. We should go to the bathroom, and then we could probably grab a snack for the road," Walt explained. She nodded as she pulled on the sweater she had brought. Winter was coming, and the harsh winds made it feel like it already had. Even with her jacket on, she hurried so she wouldn't get cold.

   It was a chain. She remembered the name vaguely from otyher family road trips in which the circumstances were much different. She found the restroom in the back. When she was done, she was surprised to see two men standing outside the bathroom, seemingly waiting for her. One was tall and one was short. Walt was away getting snacks, so he didn't see them.

   She saw the handkerchief coming. Chloroform. She could smell it before she tasted it, and she wished she could scream so Walt wouldn't let them get her. It was too late. Her vision blurred slightly before she lost consciousness.

---

   Walt didn't know what to think. He had heard the bathroom door creak open, but by the time he got over there, Peridot had been nowhere to be seen. He looked around the gas station, wondering if she had just wandered off to look for that snack. This gas station was just in the middle of the freeway, so she couldn't have gotten far without knowing how to drive. She had no means of transportation, and he didn't see why she would've left without telling him anyway.

   "Did you see a little girl leave? Small, bright red hair, and really, really quiet. Ringing any bells?" Walt could hear the desperation in his own voice as he questioned the man at the counter. He could only hope he had the answers, because he didn't know where else he could look. This wasn't like his sister. She always knew where she was and understood where people wanted her to be. She didn't wander off on her own.

   "Uh, yeah, I think I saw her. 'Bout this tall?" he gestured at Peridot's approximate height. Walt nodded so he would continue, "She left with some guys. Figured they were with you. She didn't seem to be resisting, so I thought it was fine." Walt's panic rose to an all-time high. Peridot had left with some men? She knew that wouldn't be okay. She wouldn't have done that willingly.

   "We aren't travelling with any men. Can you describe them? How long ago did they leave?"

   "A couple minutes ago. There were two of 'em. One was tall and the other was short. They both had sort of dark hair."

   "Are you sure she was going willingly? They didn't hurt her?"

   "I don't know! I didn't see too well. You better call the cops and report her missing." Walt mumbled something and shook his head as he ran out the door. Mother stood waiting by the minivan. When she saw him, her face morphed into a mask of fury.

   "Where have you been? I've been standing out here for 20 minutes waiting for you inconsiderate arses to get out of the damn bathroom!" She looked around and noticed the absense of one of her children, "Walt, where the hell's Peri?"

   "Did you see her come out here with some guys? One short and one tall? We have to find her!" Walt was at his wit's end. He thought he was going to break down and burst into tears.

   "No..." His mother barely breathed the word. She sank down the side of the car until she sat down in front of it hugging her knees. She knew them. Fury rised in Walt. It was her fault Peridot was taken. It made him sick that she would ever associate with someone who would kidnap a young, disabled girl.

   Walt hated seeing his mother like this. She was quaking on the ground, terrified and guilty. He decided to ask the stupid question.

   "Shouldn't we call the police?"

   "Don't be silly. We're on the run. They're already looking for her. Calling will only help them find us." It had worked. Mother was using her slow, condescending tone, which was how she was motherly. She was takng control of the situation. He wondered what her plan was. They didn't knkow where to start looking for Peridot, and Mother completely fell apart whenever she heard anything about these men.

   Peridot had to be okay. She had to. He didn't know how he could live with himself if he never saw her again, and there was no way he would ever leave without her. That wasn't even a question. Right then, he would just settle for knowing she was okay.

Reviews

[Terra Hart]

Well, at least the mother is worried, and it's good she took over the situation. Although I do wonder how those men caught up to her so quickly.