My guest today is Elizabeth Reyes. Her works include Forever Mine, A Night Owl Review 5 Star "Top Pick". Today Elizabeth is sharing something new. We hope you enjoy it.
Elizabeth Reyes is a self published writer. Her debut YA romance novel Forever Mine is available now on
Amazon US,
Amazon UK and
B&N Nook. It's received great reviews and is the first in the series, The Moreno Brothers. The second in the series is due to be released in the next few months. For more on Elizabeth and to read more samples of Elizabeth's work visit her blog
The Beginnings.
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UNSPEAKABLE
Lydia didn’t bother with an umbrella as she rushed out the door pulling the hood of her coat over her head. Panic was beginning to creep in. The last time Tanner had wandered off it’d been almost an hour before they found him and she’d been that close to calling the police but it wasn’t raining then.
The water roared down the street. Would Tanner even be able to get across it? The Manning’s lived on the other side of the street. She made her way through the rushing water soaking her pants almost to her knees and rushed up the Manning’s walkway. She saw someone peek through one of the side windows. She rang the bell and waited. No one answered the door. Someone had obviously seen her. Maybe the doorbell wasn’t working. She knocked three times loudly. Finally someone turned the locks on the door. Rebecca Manning cracked the door open but just enough for her face to show. “Yes?”
The Manning’s had never been the friendliest people in the neighborhood and the two older teens were known to be bullies. So she’d specifically asked Wesley and Bruce to stay away from them.
“Hi, I was just wondering if Tanner was here. We can’t seem to find him and I know he’s wandered over here to play with Kelly before.”
“No,” Rebecca replied. “No, we haven’t seen him.”
Lydia stood there for a moment, not knowing what else to say. She’d been so sure she’d find him there. And Rebecca hadn’t bothered asking anyone else in the house. “Really so you haven’t seen him at all today?”
“Is that Tanner’s mom?” She heard Kelly ask from behind the door.
Rebecca closed the door a little more as if to keep Kelly from looking out. Lydia and Rebecca’s eyes locked for a moment then Lydia answered. “Yes, honey it’s me you haven’t seen him?”
“No she hasn’t.” Rebecca answered closing the door down to a few inches. “I’m trying to keep the cold out. Kelly’s been a bit sick these last couple of days.”
Lydia nodded. “Okay well I’ll let you go then. Please let me know if you do see him.”
She was officially panicked now. She rushed up the street. The boys were at the house next door and David her neighbor was talking to them. Lydia hurried to them.
“Lydia,” David said as she reached them. “I haven’t seen him but if you’d like I can help you look for him. How long has he been missing?”
Missing? Dear God. “I’m not even sure. But I’m really getting worried.” She thought about it for a moment. “About forty minutes maybe?” It seemed like an eternity already.
“Well just relax he’s probably around here somewhere.” He smiled but it did nothing to calm Lydia’s nerves. “We’ll find him. Just let me grab my jacket”
“Thank you so much, David. I’m gonna go home and call Sean.” She started to walk away then turned. “You boys keep knocking on doors. Hurry!”
Lydia gulped hard as she walked in her home. She called out for Tanner a few more times and when he didn’t answer reality sunk in. He was really missing, and in this horrible weather. She picked up the phone and when the call to Sean’s direct line went to voicemail she hung up and picked it up it up immediately. She tried his secretary’s line. Annie, his secretary’s cheery voice greeted her.
“Is Sean there I need to talk to him it’s an emergency.”
“Yes of course let me put you through.”
Sean answered on the first ring. The moment she heard his voice she broke down.
“Sean, Tanner’s missing!” She sobbed.
“What? What do you mean missing? Since when?”
Lydia struggled to speak clearly. “About forty minutes but he’s nowhere. We’ve looked all over the house the neighbors, the boys are out there looking now so is David from next door, and it’s pouring out there. I don’t know what to do!”
“Did you check Kelly’s house?”
“Yes, he’s not there. They haven’t seen him. What do I do Sean?”
“Wait.. It’s only been forty minutes. I’m leaving now if you haven’t found him by the time I get there we’ll call the police. Are you sure he’s didn’t fall asleep somewhere like in a closet or something?”
“I’ll check again.”
As soon as she hung up she ran to the bedrooms. “Tanner baby, mommy’s really scared now. If you’re hiding please, please come out!”
She checked all the closets and under all the beds she ran through the back yard checking the shed and even in the dog house. Standing on her tip toes she looked over the back fence and her heart nearly gave out the stream was almost to her fence. What if – she stopped her thoughts. She wouldn’t even consider the possibilities.
The sliding door to the patio opened. Lydia spun around it was Wesley. “Did you find him?”
He shook his head. “No. Where do you think he’s at, mom?”
“I don’t know! But we have to keep looking.” She walked toward him
“Are you crying?”
Lydia wiped her face. “No it’s the rain. Did you knock on everyone’s door?”
“Well not everyone’s but all the one’s he’d go to.”
“And no one’s seen him?” Lydia ran her hands through her soaking hair.
“Nope.” Wesley bit his lip. “Mom, the other day…he was asking me about the river.”
Lydia stared at him, terror raced through her veins. “What about it?”
“He wanted to know if I’d ever gone swimming in it. I said no, it was too dirty. But he said he wanted to.”
“Oh no!” Lydia rushed in the house. Sean said they should wait but she couldn’t anymore. She struggled to breathe steady as she dialed.
“Nine one one what’s your emergency?”
“Yes I need to report a missing child!”
