News Headlines: 13 year old teen goes missing after terrible storm besieges Hawk County
“Mayor, Mrs Simmons is here to see you.” The secretary of Hawk County’s mayor said as she peered in from behind the door.
Mr Stone, the ruthless mayor of Hawk County turned in his swivel chair to face his secretary. He frowned at her.
“What does she want this time?” He asked in his gruff voice.
“Sir, you know her kid hasn't been found after the storm.” The secretary replied in a concerned voice.
“And what does she want me to do about that? We are already trying our possible best to find her child. She should go home and pray instead.” The mayor said angrily.
“Sir, I have tried to send her home. But she wouldn't leave until she sees you.”
Mr Stone sighed, then lifted himself off his chair. He walked towards the door and the secretary stepped aside for him. He walked towards the reception where a bowed figure sat.
“Mrs Simmons.” He said.
The bowed figure raised her head. Her eyes were red and sunken and there were worry lines around her eyes and mouth. She looked haggard; like she hadn't slept for days. She was dressed in black to show her grief for her missing child.
“Mr Stone, please.” She dropped to her knees, fresh tears leaking from her eyes. “ Please. My child… my child.” She wailed.
The mayor pasted a fake wide smile on his face and bent to raise her up.
“Mrs Simmons, please get up. Please.” He raised her up gently and sat her back on the chair. He sat with her.
“We are already trying our possible best to find your daughter. The cops has been going on a search for her since we heard of her disappearance. Her school bag was found near the broken bridge that spans the river. That means she’s close. You need to go home and rest.” The mayor said as he patted her shoulder comfortingly.
“But what if she's never found or what if…what if??”
“There's no what if, Mrs Simmons. Let's be positive. We will find her. Go home and pray for her, you hear me?? We will not stop looking for her.” He reassured her.
Mrs Simmons nodded and stood up slowly, then walked out of the office, her shoulders hunched. The mayor exhaled in relief.
Days later, the body of Ellie Simmons washed up on the shores of Hawk County’s sea. It seemed she had somehow drowned during the storm. It was assumed that the day of the storm, she had tried to cross the bridge but it had broken underneath the shoving of the winds and rain. It meant she had fallen into the river and drowned. When Mrs Simmons came to the mayor’s office, she tore at her hair and clothes and screamed at the top of her lungs. Her only child had been taken away from her.
Wendy was sitting with her friends when she noticed the girl standing at the edge of the park. She was wearing a white long gown and she looked lonely. The girl was probably her age or a little bit younger. Wendy turned to her friend, Becky.
“Hey, who’s that girl?” She asked as she pointed behind her.
“What girl?” Becky asked, looking at the place where Wendy was pointing. Wendy turned back to look at the edge where the girl on white was standing but she was no longer there.
“She was there just now. She walked into the woods maybe.” Wendy replied. Becky just shrugged in response.
On her way back from school the next day, Wendy saw the girl on white again; but closer this time. She was standing in an alley. Her hair hung wet and loose around her petite frame. Her lips were blue and the skin around her eyes were tinged blue. She stared at Wendy with dead eyes. Wendy recognized her as the girl they had posted on TV as missing. Wendy had also seen the news where they had found the girl’s body. As she started to walk towards the girl, the girl faded into nothing. A chill ran through Wendy's spine. And she ran all the way home.
Wendy was floating on her back in the swimming pool. She stared at the grey clouds overhead and wondered if it was going to rain. She also thought of the girl she had seen. She wondered why her ghost was appearing to her and what the ghost wanted from her.
She swam to the edge of the swimming pool and made to leave it when the ghost of Ellie Simmons appeared in front of her.
“Your dad killed me.” The ghost said.
“What do you mean by that? My dad's not a murderer.* Wendy replied.
“He didn't fix the bridge and so, I died. He was supposed to fix the bridge when it was weak. He was paid to. And he didn't do it. Now, I'm dead and my mother's alone and sad."
Wendy was stunned into silence. Her dad was paid to fix the bridge and he didn't?? Now, somebody had died because of it?
“Tell him to fix the bridge before another person dies. Tell him to fix everything. Tell him to turn himself in.” The ghost warned. Wendy just stared at the ghost.
All of a sudden, Wendy's mouth and lungs started filling with salty water. She couldn't breathe. She felt like she was drowning. She clutched at her neck and tears streamed down her cheeks.The ghost stared at her sadly.
“Will you speak to your father?” The ghost asked.
Wendy nodded in fright as her eyes bulged. Soon, there was a release and Wendy coughed water. “I will. I will.” She said as she retched. When she was done, she looked up. The ghost was no longer there.
Wendy waited for her dad to come home. She sat on the couch and chewed slowly on her chips. Her throat still hurt and her nose burned. She dreaded that feeling she had gotten when she was choking on the salty water.
Ever since her mum died and her dad became the mayor of Hawk County, he became ruthless and cold. It was like when her mum died, all rhe softness and light that used to be in her dad died too. Like, her mum took everything with her when she died. Her dad rarely had time for her anymore, almost like he didn't care. Almost like he didn't have any human feelings.
She glanced at the clock. It was 8pm. He would be home soon.
Keys jangled and the door swung open. The mayor entered inside and when he saw his daughter sitting on the couch, gripping the back of her neck tightly, he knew something was wrong. Normally, she would have gone up to her room before he came back from the office. After his wife died, it was like Wendy withdrew from him. She just sort of grew up, matured more than her age. It almost felt like she didn't need him anymore.
She turned to look at him and he saw the fear in her eyes. He closed the door behind him and went to sit with her.
“What's wrong, Wendy?”
She placed her hands in her laps and wringed it.
“I..I think I’m being followed. Or at least, I was. I don't know.”
“Followed by who??” He asked, his voice soft. He wanted to clasp her hands in his, but he was afraid she might reject him.
“I would sound crazy.” She looked at him with desperate eyes.
“You can talk to me.” The mayor said.
Wendy looked at her dad. His voice was soft and his eyes pleaded with her. He looked like he wanted to reach for her but was scared to.
“I'm being followed by a ghost.” She watched to see his reaction but he just patiently waited.
“Ellie Simmons. She keeps appearing to me. I don't know. She just sort of torments me. She keeps telling me to tell you to fix the bridge. She said you killed her.”
The mayor watched his daughter as she spoke. He could see that she was tortured. He didn't know that his daughter would have to suffer the consequences of his actions. He didn't even know that someone would die. He had always planned to fix the bridge but when his wife died, something just switched off inside of him. He just couldn't care that much about anything. It didn't help that Wendy had withdrawn from him either.
But now he could see how tormented she was.
“Dad, I almost died. Please fix it. Please, turn yourself in.” Wendy was crying now. “Please.” She kept whispering. “I don't want to see her anymore. I just want her to rest. Please.”
The mayor wrapped his hands around his daughter. This time, she leaned into him. He felt her tears wet his shirt. And he nodded.
“I will fix everything. I promise. You don't have to see her anymore.” Everything included their relationship too. He was going to fix everything.
