Category : Stories

Sub Category : Suspense/Mystery

The mystery surrounding the little girl's disappearance had sent the small town into a frenzie. 


People began locking their doors, something uncommon in a town like this. Everyone knew and trusted their neighbors up until now.


 Every Sunday in the summer the locals would gather at the park settled in the middle of town. Picnic tables covered in red and white checkered table cloths would be filled with food. Hot dog trays covered in foil, freshly cut watermelon filled the Tupperware. You could hear the kids squealing as they play tag on the grass. The older ladies would sit around in their chairs gossiping while sipping their ice tea. 


It was the night before labor day, the last barbecue of the summer. The town's people went all out every year for this. A big movie screen was set up, blankets and chairs scattered on the lawn, everyone waited for the movie to start. 


Putting away the last of the food, Lorianne Miller rushed over to be with her family to watch the movie. 


"Where's Patricia?" Lorianne whispered casually before she planted her bottom in the chair her husband had set up for her. The evening breeze picked up and she slipped on her sweater.
"I thought she was helping you?" Tom Miller responded without taking his eyes off the screen.
"No, she wasn't with me," Lorianne said beginning to feel a little worried. 


Patricia Miller had just turned eleven. She was a shy girl, but had many friends. "She's probably over with the Rylee's," Tom mentioned as he pointed over in the direction where they were sitting. It was already dark out and they couldn't see if she was with them. Lorianne bent down, trying not to be in the way of the movie, she wandered across the lawn to where the Rylee's were sitting. 


"Hey Cheryl, is Patricia with you?" Cheryl looked over at her daughter, Sarah, "Have you seen Patricia,?" Sarah looked towards her mother, then up to Lorianne, "No, I haven't seen her since dinner," she said looking a bit confused. 


Lorianne started to feel nervous. She pulled out her phone to see if she had any missed calls, but there was nothing. 


Lorianne walked back over to her husband who was sitting with their younger son, Robbie. 
Tom saw his wife headed his way without Patricia, and he sat forward in his chair. "She's not over there?" he asked. Lorianne just shook her head. "I'm going to call her, I'll be right back," she said walking past her husband. 


Feeling a bit worried now, Tom stood up and followed his wife. "Sit tight buddy, I'll be right back," he told Robbie before he headed off. 


Lorianne stood there next to her husband listening to Patricia's phone ring and ring on the other end until she heard her daughters voice, "Hi, it's Patricia leave me a message and maybe I'll call back," beep. Lorianne quickly hung up. 


"She probably found a friend to watch the movie with," Tom said trying to not worry his wife. "Stay with Robbie, I'm going to run to the house, call me if you see her," Lorianne said then ran off.


She opened the front door to their little craftsman home to the left of the park, "Patricia, are you here?" Lorianne hollered headed to her daughter's room. 
Her door was closed, but she could see an outline of light coming from the other side. 


Lorianne flung the door open, "Patricia, you should have told me you were..." the room was empty. "Patricia" she yelled as she ran through the house. She stopped to check her phone again. Nothing. She dialed her daughter's number, this time she heard it ringing. She followed the ring into the kitchen. Patricia's phone was on the floor flashing. The back door off the kitchen was open and one of the dining room chairs was on the floor. 


Lorianne's hands began to tremble and she screamed, "Patricia!" She ran out the back door, there was no sign of her daughter. She dialed her husband's number, tears welled up in her eyes, with a blink a tear fell down her cheek.


Her husband answered quick, before he even said hello, Lorianne cried out, "I think someone took our baby." 
"What, slow down, why are you saying that?" He said with a panic in his voice. "Just come home," she demanded then hung up.


She hung up with Tom, then called 911. Lorianne grew up in this town and she had never had to call the emergency number. 


Moments later, Tom and Robbie rushed into the house. Lorianne hung up the phone and ran to her husband and son to give them a quick hug. "Her bedroom light was on, but she was gone. I called, and heard her phone ringing in the kitchen, then I saw this," she said while walking Tom to the fallen chair and open back door. 


Tom ran out of the back door after turning on the back porch light. "Patricia!" he hollered. 




"Tom, the police are here," his wife hollered from the back patio. 


It felt like hours since they noticed their daughter had been missing. The Miller's were impatient as they answered the many questions the cops had for them. "Shouldn't we be out there looking for her, she could be hurt," Tom snapped. 


"We have people out looking for her, but answering our questions will help us in our investigation, Mr. Miller," the detective said. 


Lorianne sat on the couch holding Robbie, she thought she was comforting him, but it was the other way around. She kept looking at the door, hoping she would see her baby girl come through. 


Suddenly, there was a quiet knock and Mrs. Miller stood up and ran over, swung open the door to see Sarah Rylee and her mother. "We heard what happened and wanted to come over and offer any help we can," Cheryl said. "The whole town is out looking for her," Sarah added. 


Sarah and Patricia had been best friends since kindergarten. The families had gotten close over the years and Lorianne was happy to have them there. 


"Come in, please," Lorianne said as she gestured for them to come in. 


"Detective, this is Patricia's best friend, Sarah and her mother, Cheryl," 
 
Cheryl and Lorianne exchanged a quick glance, then Cheryl and Sarah went off to answer the detective's questions. 


Robbie had fallen asleep on the couch. After the detective left, Tom and Lorianne thanked Cheryl and Sarah for coming by.


"I will send Brad over to meet you at the park with the others." Cheryl said to Tom before leaving. 


Lorianne would stay at home with Robbie just in case Patricia turned up, while the others met at the park to search for her daughter. 


The last time Sarah said she saw her friend was at dinner. They were planning to watch the movie together, she said that Patricia was cold and wanted to run home first to grab her sweatshirt. She didn't want to tell her mom because she was afraid she'd get into trouble. Lorianne had told her daughter several times to bring a sweater, but as usual, Patricia didn't listen.


It was close to midnight and practically the whole town was gathered at the park with flashlights. There were a few cops with their search dogs, with one of Patricia's shirts in hand, the officer let the dog sniff it, then they were off. The search for Patricia had begun. 


Meanwhile, back at the little craftsman home, Lorianne lay on Patricia's bed. Her dirty pajamas still lay on the floor from that morning. Curled up in a ball, clutching her daughter's pillow, Lorianne bawled. 


Morning came, the sun peaked in through the blinds. Lorianne's eyes were swollen, she sat up and all of her emotions came flooding back. She ran into the living room looking for any sign of Patricia. Instead, she heard the doorknob rattle, the front door slowly opened. Standing there, looking exhausted, was her husband. Discouraged and tired, they ended the search for Patricia.


He didn't have to say it, she knew her daughter was gone. When Tom saw his wife, he fell down to his knees, and cried. Lorianne sunk down next to him, still wearing the sundress from the night before, she screamed, looking up, "Why? Why my baby?," 


The death of Patricia rocked the little town, and in some ways, changed it forever. They never solved the case, to this day, it remains a mystery. 


The Miller's were never able to pick up the pieces. Tom and Lorianne, once high school sweethearts, no longer spoke. Lorianne drank away her pain, while Tom and Robbie moved away. 


Lorianne stayed in the little town, afraid to be far away from her her daughter's spirit. She still slept in her bed. Some say she still talked to her daughter as if she was still there. She never recovered. 


Eight years later, another Labor day picnic in the center of town, another young girl went missing.