Vivian woke up to the soft morning light filtering through the blinds. She knew Max had left and her body ached, a pleasant reminder of the night before, of the fire that had burned between her and Max. But as her eyes fluttered open, a sense of unease crept up her spine. The bed beside her was empty, the sheets slightly tangled as if Max had gotten up in the early hours of the morning.
She pushed herself up on her elbows, glancing around the room. She couldn’t hear Emma’s usual morning giggles or the sounds of her little feet padding across the floor. The silence was unnerving, too quiet for a house that normally buzzed with life, even if it was just the two of them.
Her heart sank as she pushed the covers off and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She had been so caught up in the heat of the moment with Max that she hadn’t thought about Emma. In the past, Emma’s early morning wanderings were never a cause for concern, but today, something felt different.
“Emma?” Vivian called softly, her voice laced with concern as she stood up. She walked toward the door of the bedroom, peering out into the hallway. The sound of the coffee machine running in the kitchen didn’t seem to ease her anxiety. The house was unnervingly quiet.
She called again, a little louder this time, “Emma?”
No response.
Her pulse quickened. It was unlike Emma to be so quiet in the mornings. Usually, she would be sitting at the kitchen table, coloring, or running around the house, her energy boundless. But there was nothing.
Vivian’s heart began to race as she rushed down the stairs, her bare feet slapping against the wood floor. She called Emma’s name again, panic creeping into her voice. She checked the living room, the kitchen, the hallway, the bathroom-but there was no sign of her daughter.
The front door was still locked.
A sense of dread washed over her as her thoughts spiraled. Max had just given her a sense of security that she hadn’t felt in years, but now… now she was alone again, in this house that suddenly felt too empty. What if something had happened to Emma? What if someone had come for her?
Vivian’s mind raced back to the night before, the chaos of everything that had happened. Ruth, Hannah, Daniel, all of them, pulling at the threads of her life. She shook her head, trying to force the thoughts away. She needed to focus.
Her phone buzzed suddenly, and she jumped, her heart skipping a beat. She quickly pulled it from her pocket, hoping it was Max, but when she saw the number on the screen, her stomach dropped.
An unknown caller.
“Hello?” she answered, trying to mask the tremor in her voice.
A pause. Then a low, grating voice came through the receiver, sending chills down her spine.
“Vivian,” the voice said, his tone mocking, sinister. “I have your daughter.”
Her breath caught in her throat. The world around her seemed to blur, as if everything slowed down. The phone slipped from her hand for a moment, but she quickly grabbed it again, holding it to her ear with shaking hands.
“What-what do you want?” she managed to choke out, her heart pounding in her chest. The world felt like it was closing in around her.
“You’ll listen carefully,” the voice continued, smooth but cold. “I have Emma, and if you ever want to see her alive again, you’ll come alone. No police, no Max. Understand?”
Vivian’s mind was spinning. The thought of Emma in the hands of someone dangerous made her stomach lurch. Her protective instincts kicked in, the desperate need to find her daughter rising to the surface. She couldn’t do this alone-she couldn’t. But the kidnapper had made it clear. No one else. Not Max, not anyone.
“Who are you?” she demanded, her voice shaky but determined. “What do you want with her?”
The voice on the other end chuckled darkly, a sound that made her stomach turn. “It’s not about what I want. It’s about what you’re willing to do for her. Meet me in the park at noon. Come alone, or the consequences will be… severe.”
Vivian’s hands trembled as the call ended abruptly. She stood frozen for a moment, staring at the phone in disbelief. Emma… Emma was gone. And she was alone to face whatever this was.
Her breath hitched as a wave of panic washed over her. She had no idea who this person was or why they had taken Emma, but one thing was clear-the person knew her. They knew exactly how to get to her, how to hurt her.
A hundred thoughts raced through her mind. What should she do? Should she tell Max? No. The kidnapper had been adamant. Max couldn’t know. He couldn’t be involved.
But how was she supposed to go into this alone? How could she leave Emma’s fate in the hands of a stranger?
“Max,” she whispered under her breath, feeling the weight of his absence more than ever. He would know what to do. He would make everything right. But the kidnapper had been clear. No Max. She couldn’t risk Emma’s life on the off chance he would try to intervene.
Vivian had no choice. She needed to go alone. But every instinct screamed that it wasn’t safe. She didn’t know who this person was, or if they truly had Emma in their grasp, but she had no other option.
She had to find her daughter.
Without thinking twice, she grabbed her jacket and stormed out of the house, her heart pounding in her chest as the door slammed shut behind her. She wasn’t even sure if she had locked it, but it didn’t matter. None of it mattered right now. Emma was everything.
**______**
The drive to the park was a blur. Vivian’s mind was a whirlwind, unable to focus on anything other than the cold reality of what was happening. She had no plan, no backup. Just the hope that somehow, she would find her daughter alive and unharmed.
As the park came into view, a sense of dread settled over her. The trees loomed like dark sentinels, and the open spaces seemed to stretch on forever. She slowed down, the nerves in her stomach twisting painfully. Every part of her told her to turn around, to call Max, to tell him everything-but she couldn’t. She couldn’t risk Emma.
She parked the car on the side of the road, just outside the gates of the park, and stepped out, her heart in her throat. The air was cool, and the sky above was overcast, casting everything in a dull gray light. Vivian’s breath came in short, shallow bursts as she walked through the park entrance, her footsteps echoing in the silence.
She reached the clearing where the kidnapper had told her to go. The wide, empty space felt surreal, like a stage for some dark, twisted play. She stood there for what felt like an eternity, her eyes scanning the area for any sign of movement. But nothing. It was eerily quiet, the kind of quiet that only existed before something terrible happened.
Suddenly, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and she whirled around at the sound of footsteps behind her. A man, dressed in dark clothing and wearing a baseball cap pulled low over his face, emerged from the shadows. His presence was intimidating, and Vivian instinctively took a step back.
“Where is she?” she demanded, her voice trembling but fierce.
The man didn’t answer. Instead, he stepped closer, pulling out a phone and holding it out to her. “She’s waiting for you.”
Vivian hesitated for a moment before taking the phone, her hands shaking as she pressed it to her ear.
“Emma?” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
A soft, shaky voice came through the receiver, and Vivian’s heart shattered at the sound. “Mom… I’m scared.”
Vivian’s eyes welled with tears as she heard her daughter’s voice. “Baby, I’m here. I’m coming. I’m going to get you out of there.”
The kidnapper’s voice interrupted. ” Just like I told you. No cops. No Max. Come alone, or you’ll never see her again.”
Vivian’s heart pounded as she stood there, holding the phone to her ear, her entire world in that one fragile moment, knowing she had no choice but to obey if she wanted to bring Emma home alive.
The kidnapper’s final words rang in her ears as he hung up, leaving her standing alone in the park with nothing but fear and uncertainty ahead of her.