TRIGGER WARNING, KIDNAPPING AND MENTION OF MURDER
Yesterday, my daughter had done he normal routine. Got up, went to the white shack at the end of our road, waited for the bus, and got to school. I’m not too sure what had happened. At around 2:30, I had gone down to the shack and waited for my daughter. The other parents had left by 3:00.
I was thinking she maybe got in trouble or something normal. I hadn’t gotten an email by 6:30 PM, so I decided to call the school.
“Hello?,” I said. “Principal Adams speaking, how may I help you?” I took a quick minute. “My daughter didn’t show at her bus stop.” A hot stinging tear had came out of my eyes. A voice in my head solemnly. “She’s gone.” That voice repeated. I hung up the phone and stared at the ceiling fan. “If she’s not back by tomorrow, I will call the police.” I repeated to myself until I calmed down and eventually dozed off to sleep.
Beep, Beep. My alarm blared. It was 6:30 AM. I walked to my daughters room and knocked. I waited for a minute until busting in the room to see nothing.
“911, what is your emergency?” I held back my tears and I mumbled “My daughter is missing,” “Okay sir. What is your daughters name?”
After 5 minutes a missing report was sent out and the case spread to other dispatchers. I could hear all the lines ringing in the background. “Sir, there are a lot of missing reports currently.”
The line disconnected.
I heard cop cars, fire trucks, and ambulances’ sirens blare throughout town. I decided to sit down on the couch to calm my mind. The news had been on.
“12 new missing reports have been reported in the last 30 minutes. The cops have still not found a suspect, or any of the kids.” I could feel tears stream down my face.
Hours turned into days as days turned into months. No kids have been found, and apparently that day, 56 kids went missing. Cops have been patrolling the town all day, everyday since the ultimate kidnapping thing happened. People believe that the same kidnapper had kidnapped and done unspeakable things to those kids.
It has been 6 months, and we are still searching for the kidnapper and potential murderer.
One day, the news blared throughout the house. “A camera of the suspected kidnapper has been found buried deep in the ground of Ridgewood Forest.” The news reporter played the tape.
A man in a mask can be seen by a suspected kid holding the camera in fear. We could hear screams. A kid that sounded like my daughter had said “Help me daddy.” The camera shut off as it was than buried.
About 100 parents flooded the meeting room.
The camera had been tested for fingerprints and they have found nothing. I could hear all the concerned parents sigh, and some start to cry. I could feel my head spinning as I started to get dizzy. The world spun as I stood in fear.
It had hit the 7th month mark, and police were starting to give up on this case, until one officer recognized the man’s voice. Officer Vada questioned me about my daughter. It was than confirmed that my daughter had cried for help before the clip ended.
We were able to make out the man’s voice after 10 months of constant searching, replaying footage and searching for evidence of the kidnapper.
The man’s name was Marvin Iter.
He was sentenced for life as he admitted to killing 56 kids. Marvin was put in solitary confinement with constant security making sure he didn’t escape.
Hundreds of parents lost their kids that day.
One Wednesday evening, officer Vada asked me for a personal office meeting.
I said yes, and that one evening my daughter was found injured badly, but alive.
“Thank you for saving me daddy.” Her voice was in fear.
I than got a firm hug from my daughter. She smiled, and I smiled back.
I went back to Officer Vada, and asked if the other kids were okay, or if it was just my daughter who was alright.
She responded “Your daughter was the only one found.”
I felt a wave of guilt rush through my body.
I wanted to help those poor kids. So I did. We ended up finding 24 kids. Sadly, it wasn’t all of them. But at least those kids were safe.
I felt good about myself. I was at Home. I had everything I needed. Food, water, a roof over my head, and my loving daughter.
Although, my daughter had been acting weird, and looked a little different I didn’t suspect anything.
Until I realized that that kid was not mine. And my kid is still out there.