Gone (Gone #1)

by Claflin, Stacy

  Something poked into her back. Macy sat up and saw something shiny in the bale. She pulled out what appeared to be a tube of lipstick. She pulled the top off to find exactly that.

  Why was there makeup in the hay? She tossed it on the floor and lay down again.

  Macy shivered, starting to get cold. As she readjusted her position, she noticed that the hay below her had grown warm. Maybe she could use it to hold heat. She sat up and dug her fingers into the hay, pulling out as much as she could, earning several scratches. That didn't matter. When she had a nice pile, she lay back down, and pulled as much of it over herself as possible, using it like a blanket.

  It didn't take long to warm up. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to rest. She could hear hooves moving around above her. She hoped the ceiling was strong. The last thing she wanted to deal with was a cow or horse falling on top of her.

  Guilt

  Zoey Carter closed her laptop in frustration. She had spent the last two hours searching for anything she could find on that Jared guy. It was as if he had ceased to exist. That wasn't possible—she had chatted with him. She could still remember his photo: an adorable selfie taken at one of his baseball games.

  He was so sweet and had wanted to know what Macy liked. Jared had been so excited about their upcoming date, and had had a million questions. He didn't want to mess anything up, and Zoey had been more than happy to help him out. Macy had never had a boyfriend or gone on a date or anything. Her dad was so over-protective; he wouldn't let her do anything.

  He wouldn't even let her watch PG-13 movies until she turned thirteen. Zoey always made sure they watched the good ones at her house so Macy could see what everyone else was seeing. Kids were always making fun of her, and Zoey didn't want to give them another reason.

  The door opened, and her mom came in. "Has anyone heard from Macy yet?"

  "No." Zoey frowned, fighting tears. "She's going to be okay, isn't she?"

  Her mom walked over and wrapped her in a hug. "I sure hope so."

  "But she would have called me. Why hasn't she texted or anything?"

  "Well, her wall post sounds pretty upset. If she really wants to get to her parents, she would stay away from contacting you because she'd know they would call you first."

  "Still, she should let me know if she's okay. She should know I can keep a secret."

  "You know in a case like this, it's more important to break secrets, right?" Her mom raised an eyebrow.

  Zoey rolled her eyes. "Of course. But she should tell me, you know?"

  The landline rang.

  Her mom gave her another hug. "I'd better get that. Maybe it's news about Macy."

  Twirling a strand of jet-black hair, Zoey looked around her room. There had to be something she was forgetting. Something that would give an important clue. There was no way Macy had run away. If anyone would have seen it coming, it would have been Zoey. They told each other everything. Well, almost everything. There was that one thing she hadn't told Macy.

  Macy had been looking forward to that date so bad. It was all she had talked about for the last week. She spent more time planning what to wear than she did on anything else. She was as excited about sneaking out as she was about going on a date with Jared. She had been tired of being a goody two-shoes, and couldn't wait to prove she wasn't anymore.

  She spun around in her chair, looking at all the things that reminded her of Macy. Would Macy have run away with Jared? To spite her parents?

  Had the thrill of sneaking out with Jared been enough to unlock her wild, crazy side? Was that why she took off with him? A smile tugged at Zoey's mouth. Maybe that was it. This could have been a loud, defining moment for Macy. Think of the fun times they could have when she came back, assuming her parents got the message and finally gave her some permission to have fun. They were probably going crazy right now not knowing where Macy was.

  Zoey's mom came back into the room. "I'm sorry to do this to you, but we have to go down to the police station."

  "What? Why?" Zoey felt like she had been punched in the gut.

  "The police want to question anyone who could know anything about Macy's disappearance."

  Zoey ran her hands through the length of her hair. "Isn't there a twenty-four hour wait or something? She ran away, didn't she?"

  "The police aren't assuming anything. She met with someone online that nobody can even locate. They want to eliminate all possibilities."

  "Wait. You mean they think she might have been kidnapped?"

  "Nobody knows. There are a lot of child predators out there. That's why I'm always telling you not to give out any personal information."

  Zoey took a deep breath. "But I talked with Jared. He was nice. I saw his picture."

  "Did you ever meet him?"

  She shook her head.

  "If you want to help Macy, we need to go downtown."

  "Can I have a few minutes to get ready?"

  "Sure, sweetie." Her mom squeezed her shoulder and left the room.

  Zoey closed her door, then put her ear to it to make sure her mom really had walked away. She grabbed her jacket and slipped it on, opened her window, and climbed out onto the ledge. She looked at the woods that faced her back yard. Could Macy actually have been taken by some pedophile?

  Zoey stuck her hand into her pocket, grabbed a box and pulled out a cigarette. She lit it and took a puff, holding it in for a moment. Letting her breath out slowly, she tried to relax.

  She'd started smoking to look cool around the new kids she'd been hanging out with, but now she actually felt like she needed one. If her mom knew she was smoking, she would have a fit.

  The last thing Zoey wanted was go to the police station. What if she said something that could get Macy into trouble? What if she got herself into trouble? Could they charge her with something because she knew her friend was going to sneak out? By law, she was only a kid.

  Her heart sped up as she thought about different kinds of worst-case scenarios. What if they sent her to juvie? What if everyone hated her for keeping Jared a secret? She didn't let her mind go to the absolute worst case—something actually happening to Macy.

  As much as she didn't want to admit it, deep down she thought that might be the most realistic option. If Macy had planned to run away with Jared, she'd tell Zoey and not post it for everyone.

  Zoey took another drag.

  Guilt punched her in the gut again as she thought about the other secret she was keeping from Macy—the one far worse than smoking.

  What if Macy had found out about that? Would that have been enough to send her over the edge to run away?

  Zoey took one last drag, then smashed the cigarette into the roof tile next to her. She needed another one, maybe the whole pack, but there wasn't time for that. She climbed back into her room and sprayed some air freshener. Then she opened her door and listened for her mom. She could hear her downstairs, talking on the phone.

  Zoey grabbed some clothes and ran to the bathroom for a quick shower. What should she tell the cops? She should probably stick to Jared and what little she knew about him. She kicked herself for not downloading his picture.

  Maybe one of Macy's other friends had talked with Jared and had been smart enough to save the picture.

  Zoey got out of the shower and brushed her teeth to get rid of the last evidence of her new habit. She looked in the mirror, examining her teeth, and then she brushed her long, black hair. She promised herself that the next time she saw Macy, she would come clean. She would tell her everything. The thought that she'd caused Macy to run away ate at her.

  There was a knock on the door. "Are you ready yet, Zoey? They're expecting us at the station."

  "Hold on!" Zoey grabbed her black eyeliner. She gave her eyes a smoky look before putting on some mascara. She loved her exotic eyes. They were so dark and mysterious, thanks to her dad's Japanese roots.

  Her mom drove her to the station in near-silence. Zoey really didn't want to talk about anything, and her
mom usually respected that.

  When they pulled into a parking spot, her mom turned to her. "Just tell them everything you know. Don't be nervous, okay? You're not in trouble. Everyone just wants to find Macy. You're her best friend, and you might know something that no one else does."

  Zoey nodded. "Sure, Mom." She got out of the car, not wanting to talk about it any more.

  They walked into the station together. Her mom told the officer at the front desk why they were there, and he filled out some paperwork. Then he looked up at Zoey's mom and then back to Zoey.

  "Are you adopted?"

  Zoey rolled her eyes. If she had a dollar for every time some ignorant bonehead asked that, she would be rich. Because she looked so much like her dad, everyone assumed she couldn't be related to her fair-skinned, auburn-haired mom. "My dad is Japanese."

  The buffoon looked around. "Where is he?"

  Zoey narrowed her eyes. "Isn't that the million-dollar question? Probably Japan, but who knows? If you figure it out, let me know."

  He raised his eyebrows. "Okay. Unknown." He scribbled more on his paper. "You two can have a seat over there." He indicated toward the waiting area.

  Zoey followed her mom to the chairs. Her heart raced as she looked around at the plain, white walls and numerous windows. Yelling came from somewhere down a hall.

  Just as she was getting ready to jump from her seat and run back to the car, she heard familiar voices. She looked up to see Macy's parents and brother walking out from behind the main desk. They must have been questioned. Her mom and dad stopped at the desk and talked with the loser filling out paperwork.

  Zoey's mom went up and gave Macy's mom a hug. Alyssa burst into tears, and the women held each other. "Oh, Valerie. I can't believe this is happening."

  Zoey looked away, afraid of crying herself.

  Alex sat down next her. His eyes were red and puffy.

  "You okay?" Zoey asked, feeling stupid. Of course he wasn't.

  "They have, like, a million questions. They're acting like Macy's dead." He shook his head and took a deep breath.

  "She's fine. You know how tough she is. I'm sure it's like her update said. She wanted to get away from everything."

  Alex shrugged. He looked into her eyes but said nothing.

  Zoey looked over at their parents. They were talking with each other, paying no attention to the two kids. She put her hand on top of Alex's. He flipped his hand over and laced his fingers through hers.

  "I don't know what I'll do if anything happened to her." He cleared his throat. "I couldn't—I mean, what would I do?" His eyes shone with tears.

  "She's going to be okay." She squeezed his hand. "She is. You know what? She's probably off having the time of her life with Jared, with no clue what she's putting us through."

  He nodded. "I hope. When she gets back, I'm gonna beat the crap out of her."

  "Alex. We're leaving," Chad called.

  He squeezed her hand before standing. They held their eye contact, their fingers lingering also. Before Alex reached his parents, he mouthed, "Call me."

  Zoey nodded.

  Identity

  A thud woke Macy up. She opened her eyes, confused.

  "I see you've made yourself comfortable."

  The trap door was open, and she could see her captor staring down at her.

  "Do you want something to eat?"

  She sat up, nodding. "And something to drink."

  He laughed. "I'll bet you're thirsty after moving those bales around. I'll get you something, but you have to do one thing for me, Heather."

  Heather?

  "What?"

  "Call me Dad."

  Dad? Had he lost his mind? Then she remembered in the truck, he said something about her looking like his Heather. "Why?"

  "Because, Heather. I'm your dad. I need to hear you call me Dad."

  "Tell me your real name and I'll think about it."

  He glared at her. "You know my name, Heather. It's Chester Woodran."

  Chester? His name was Chester? No wonder he was such a jerk. With a name like that, he'd have to be mean to get any respect.

  "Well?" He narrowed his eyes.

  "You're not my dad! And I'm not Heather."

  He shook his head. "See. That's exactly why I need you to call me Dad. As soon as you do, you'll get your food and water. One more chance."

  "Never."

  "I'll come back and see how agreeable you are later." The trap door slammed shut, and she heard the same click as before.

  Was that why Chester had taken her? Had something happened to Heather, and he was trying to use Macy to replace the girl? If he thought she was going to call him Dad, he had another think coming.

  Tears poked at her eyes as she thought about her family. Did they know she was missing? She wasn't sure how long she'd been gone, but since she had sneaked out of the house, they wouldn't have found out until the morning. Maybe not even late morning, if it was one of those days when her parents let her sleep in.

  Even if they did know she was gone, would they know where to look for her? She had to be several states away, if not more. Would her friends have figured out that something was wrong? She had told her closest friends she was meeting Jared. Would they be worried that she hadn't texted them about it?

  Burying herself further into the bed of hay, she gave in to the tears until she was sobbing and shaking. Where were her parents? What were they doing? What about her annoying brother? What she wouldn't give to even see him and put up with his relentless teasing.

  Without realizing it, she cried herself back to sleep. She woke up when something tickled her hand, which was hanging out of the hay. She opened her eyes to find a black beetle crawling on her hand.

  "Augh! Get off. Off of me!"

  She shook her hand, but it didn't come loose. She used her other hand to flick it away. She wiped the back of her hand on the hay furiously, as though that would get rid of whatever remnants of the bug were left on her skin.

  Was she going to die in this room? Was this going to be the last place she was ever going to see? Sleeping in hay with bugs crawling on her, surrounded by rats and who knew what else?

  A loud crack made her jump. Macy buried herself deeper into the bale of hay, even though she knew it couldn't protect her. Rain slammed against the barn with such force that it practically shook above her. Thunder clapped again, and with it rainwater came dripping down the wall next to her. It pooled noisily on the ground.

  Did it flood down there? The rats weren't running for cover, so maybe—hopefully—that was a good sign. She could hear animals stomping around up above. They whinnied, mooed, and bahhed, making the storm even more eerie than it already was.

  Macy lay there in her hay nest, listening to the sounds of the storm and of the animals. It was the distraction she needed, and finally she relaxed for the first time since the ordeal had begun. Storms had always been somewhat comforting, in a strange sort of way. At home, she used to love watching the rainfall from her house. It was almost magical, even though she was too old to believe in that stuff anymore.

  The storm gave her hope, almost like a sign she was going to be okay.

  Her stomach rumbled along with the thunder and the hunger ate at her, making her feel weak and light-headed. She had been hungry before and knew this phase would pass. There was no way she was going to let him win. If nothing else, she would walk away from this skinny at last.

  Focusing on the storm, she ignored the hunger pangs. She thought of her poor old cat Snowflake. Imagining him beside her helped Macy relax further. He had always been able to sense when she was upset, and would show up to comfort her.

  As suddenly as it had begun, the storm stopped. The quiet rang in her ears, and all she could hear was the water dripping down the wall from the spaces above. Macy closed her eyes. She wanted sleep to take her away again, but it wouldn't.

  Her stomach growled again, rumbling over and over, making her light-headedness even worse. Her mouth wat
ered for food that didn't exist.

  At home, she could walk into the kitchen and grab anything—well, anything without meat or animal by-products. Alex always waved cheese slices in her face after she declared herself a vegan. Cheese had been her favorite, and was probably the sole cause of her muffin top.

  A noise caught Macy's attention, and she looked toward the trap door as it opened.

  "Did you enjoy the storm? I was watching it by the fire, listening to music while lunch cooked in the oven. How did you like it from in here, Heather?"

  "My name isn't Heather."

  "The sooner you come to terms with the fact that you're Heather, the sooner you'll be able to get out of here. For now, are you ready for some food?"

  "I'm not calling you dad."

  "That's a shame. I've got some food here for you. Can you smell it?" Chester waved his hands around, like that would send the smell her way.

  "Nope."

  "Are you sure you won't change your mind?"

  "I'm not Heather, and you're not my dad. I want you to take me back to my parents. Everyone's looking for me, you know. They've figured out by now that I'm missing. They'll find you."

  "Don't count on that, Heather."

  "They know something's wrong."

  He shook his head. "You posted a note online, telling everyone of your intention to run away."

  "What?" She sat up.

  "You didn't think I could figure out those passwords, either?" He laughed. "Snowflake415. Your precious kitty and the date you decided to become vegan."

  Macy gasped. "They'll still look for me. Even if I said I was running away." She clenched her fists. Would they, really? They had to. Her parents wouldn't shrug their shoulders and carry on with life if she ran away.

  "Your note said not to look for you, that you would come back when you were ready."

  She tightened her grip, digging her nails into her own flesh. "They won't believe it."

  "I think they will. I know all your typical typos, your lingo, and all the chat-speak. They'll have no reason to doubt you wrote it from your own account."