Chapter Seventeen
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Panic surged through me as i rushed to the elevator, my hands trembling as i pressed the button. The elevator seemed to take forever, each second stretching into an eternity. when the doors finally opened, I bolted out and ran to the building’s security desk.
“Excuse me, please,” I panted, barely able to catch my breath. “my son, he’s missing, did you see a five- year–old boy come through here?”
The security guard looked up, his face calm but serious. “no, ma’am, we haven’t had any through today.”
children come
My heart sank, and i fought to keep my voice steady. “are you sure? he’s only five, dark hair…”
The guard nodded, checking the logs. I’m sorry, but no one matching that description has been seen leaving or entering the building.”
My vision blurred with tears as i turned to leave, desperately trying to calm myself, i needed to find ethan. “If they haven’t seen any child entering or leaving the building,” I whispered to myself, “then he must be around here somewhere.”
Just as I was about to go search for Ethan, my phone rang. I fumbled with it, hands shaking as I answered. It was Robbin.
“Hey, Tash-”
“Robbin, I…I…I can’t find Ethan!” I cut him off, my voice breaking into sobs.
“Tash, what do you mean you can’t find him?” he asked, concern lacing his voice.
“I…I got back from the store and…the door was open…and…and he’s not inside! I can’t find him anywhere! “I was stammering so much, the words tangled up in a rush of panic.
“Calm down, Tash,” Robbin said firmly, but I could hear the edge of worry in his voice. “I can’t hear you clearly, you’re breaking up. Take a deep breath and tell me what happened.”
I tried to steady my breathing, but every breath felt like a ragged sob. “I came back…the door was open…. and he’s gone, Robbin! I don’t know where he is!”
“But the security guards said they hadn’t seen any child going out,” I stammered, my voice barely steady. What if-”
“Alright, Tash,” Robbin cut in, his voice calm but firm, trying to bring me back to reality. “You need to calm down. Ethan is a smart boy; he wouldn’t have gone far, want you to head back to the apartment and check for Ethan again, okay? If he still isn’t there, then go to the security room. They’ll need to check the CCTV cameras.”
I took a shaky breath, trying to let his words sink in. “Okay,” I replied, feeling a little more grounded.
“Why hadn’t I thought about the
wash over me at the same time.
Campras?” I muttered to myself, feeling a wave of guilt and relief
“Alright, Tash,” Robbin continued, “do that, and I’ll call you in a bit, okay?”
“Okay,” I repeated, still trying to keep the panic at bay.
Chapter Seventeen
+25 BONUS
I hung up and took a deep breath.
I hurried back to the elevator, my heart pounding against my ribcage. I jabbed the button repeatedly, as if somehow it would make the elevator arrive faster. The small screen above the door indicated it was in use, slowly descending from the top floor. I glanced at my watch, feeling every second drag on painfully. It was taking forever. What could be taking so long?
I started pacing in front of the elevator doors, my anxiety rising with each step. I tried to take deep breaths, but they were shallow and quick, barely filling my lungs. My mind raced with possibilities, each one more terrifying than the last.
Had he wandered into someone else’s apartment? Was he playing hide–and–seek, thinking it was just a game? Or worse–had someone taken him? I shook my head, trying to push that thought out of my mind. No, I couldn’t think like that. He had to be close. He just had to be.
The elevator was still taking its sweet time. I glanced around, wondering if I should take the stairs, but it was fifteen floors up. What if Ethan was just hiding somewhere in the apartment building? I couldn’t waste time running up and down staircases. I needed to be calm, think rationally, and follow the plan Robbin had laid out for me. But how could I stay calm when every fiber of my being screamed that something was wrong?
I pressed the elevator button again, even though I knew it wouldn’t make a difference. It was just something to do, something to keep me from spiraling into a full–blown panic. I stared at the numbers above the elevator door, willing them to change faster
I looked down the hallway, debating whether to start knocking on doors. It was a huge building, with so many places a curious five–year–old could get lost. I couldn’t even remember if I had locked the apartment door behind me.
I took a shaky breath, trying to remind myself that the security guards hadn’t seen him leave. If they were right, he had to be somewhere in the building. But what if they were wrong? The thought sent a shiver down my spine. No, I couldn’t let my thoughts go there. I had to stay focused and find him.
The elevator finally dinged, and the doors slid open. I rushed inside and frantically pressed the button for the fifteenth floor. The doors closed agonizingly slowly, and the elevator began its ascent. My foot tapped impatiently on the floor as I watched the numbers tick upward. How many floors could there possibly be in this building? Why did it feel like it was taking forever to get to my floor? I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to control my breathing. I needed to stay calm, to think clearly.
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