23rd September 2006: I awoke to the smell of pancakes cooking away in the kitchen, it was 9am, I lay and gathered my thoughts as heavy rain pelted off my bedroom window, I was thinking about how I was just about to get promoted to assistant manager at my firm, money was tight lately and it would really help out. just then i the bed jolted as my daughter Casey ran from the hallway and jumped on top of me “daddy wake up, mommy’s making pancakes…chocolate chip, your favourite” I laughed and picked her up in my arms and brought her into a tight embrace “is she now? Well I better get dressed and come right down” I laughed as I tried to get up off of the bed. Casey ran back downstairs, i quickly got dressed and followed behind her. “Smells amazing hon” I said as my wife glanced over with a smile “yeah well it was Casey’s idea, I’m just the cook” she said with a fun sarcastic tone. I sat at the breakfast bar while Casey handed me a knife and fork and a half empty cup of coffee, she’d spilled the majority on the floor on her journey over to me. “Wow thank you Casey this looks amazing sweetie” I said as Evelyn places the pancakes in front of me and rolled her eyes while trying to hide a giggle “your welcome daddy” she said batting her long lashes as she watched me take the first bite. “Hey Casey, why don’t we go for a walk in the woods after breakfast? look for deer tracks” I said trying to swallow my mouthful “ooooooo yes please, I’ll go get dressed right away” she said excitedly, I chuckled as I watched her run up the stairs at lightning speed.
“C’mon Casey, times ticking” I shouted up the stairs, feeling impatient “coming daddy!” She yelled from over the landing as she appeared at the top of the stairs. Her curly red hair fell over her face as she tried to shove on her pink bobble hat, she had already put on her white coat with the fur hood and a pair of red snow boots “let’s goooooo!” She said in a sing sing voice, and off we went.
As we walked through the woods, the trees I twisted around each other at the top, casting a dark shadow onto the wood floor, the wind whistled through the leaves and the rain fell softly onto our faces “daddy I think I see a track” Casey shouted from up ahead “oh yeah, let me see” I ran slowly to catch up to where she was pointing to “your right, it is a track, good job honey” I said, feeling impressed. We walked further through the woods and chatted about school and what Casey had been getting up to, just then a tall man with his face half covered with a scarf stopped in our path “hey buddy e..everything ok? I said feeling uneasy “hand over the girl” he said in a deep, emotionless tone “what? No..no!” I said in a panic, he then pulled out sawn off shotgun and points it toward us “hand over the girl or I will shoot you in the f*cking face” he seethed. I stood in shock, a million things racing through my mind “please! Don’t hurt us” I pleaded “you have one more fucking chance, hand her over or so help me god I will kill you” I stared at his cold dark eyes and finally did the unimaginable. I handed over my only child to a masked monster. “Daddy no!!!! Please daddy help me! Don’t leave me” Casey screamed, tears streaming down her face “I’m so sorry” I said.
But what was I supposed to do, I didn’t want to die. I know what your thinking ‘worlds worst dad’ but I’m you know she’s not even my kid, not that she or anyone knows, her mom had her on a one night stand and I brought her up as my own. Right f*ck I need to get my story straight, we went on our walk and she was kidnapped by a mad man, well that’s actually true I just did nothing to stop it.
The next few weeks were hell, Evelyn was inconsolable, police were constantly in and out, taking statements and trying to find witnesses. I felt awful lying to my wife, twisting the story ever so slightly and I felt bad I really did but I was in too deep and soooo close to getting that promotion, I could make this right. We’d have more children, we could still have a good life.
7th October 2006: It had been 2 weeks since Casey was taken, we’d just returned home from putting up fliers when two police officers knocked at the door “officers, please tell me you’ve found her” Evelyn said, her voice cracking “can we come in, we need to talk” i gestured them inside “please sit down sir and madam” “I’m afraid a body has been found near an old shack in the woods, I’m really sorry but it appears to be Casey’s” Evelyn let out a scream that wasn’t a shiver down my spine “please god not my baby, not my Casey” I fell to the floor as I cradled my hysterical rial wife. Shit what have I done I thought. Will anything ever be the same? At least now she can never tell that I didn’t fight for her.
17 years later: I sat in my chair watching as my teenage twin boys played on their game station, Evelyn in the kitchen making my favourite..chocolate chip pancakes, when suddenly the phone rang “I’ll get it hon” I said as I picked it up from the side table “hello” “hello daddy remember me” my blood ran cold “wh..who is this?” I stuttered “oh I think you know exactly who it is and ill see you soon daddy” the line went dead. I stood in complete shock as I tried to come to terms with my new nightmare.