Shocking Morning
That morning, I woke to an unsettling silence—the kind that presses down on you, heavy with the sense that something is wrong. Blinking the sleep from my eyes, I turned to share a dream with Mom, only to find her side of the bed empty. A wave of panic swept over me. “Mom?” I called out, my voice ricocheting through the stillness, met only by silence. Then it hit me—sharp and hollow, like a punch to the gut. She was gone. Fear and confusion flooded my mind, each thought more frantic than the last. Where could she have gone? Why hadn’t she woken me?
Shocking Morning
The Kidnappers’ Story
Later that day, one of the kidnappers informed me, far too casually, that Mom had been moved to another location. His tone felt practiced, his gaze deliberately avoiding mine. I didn’t believe him for a moment. Why would they separate us? What were they hiding from me? Questions churned in my mind, each one fueling a deeper suspicion that her disappearance was far more sinister than they were letting on.
The Kidnappers’ Story
