Turn Back Time

by Stacy Claflin

  What were they planning to do with her now? She hadn’t even heard of their release from jail.

  The community leaders never let anything get in the way of what they wanted. And that was the big question—what did they want?

  Memories from her years in the cult flooded her mind like waves crashing over her. One event in particular clung to her mind. A young man had managed to escape the nearly impenetrable fence, but the leaders had caught him. They’d gathered the adults in the community together in the main meeting hall and put him on trial.

  The poor young guy hadn’t stood a chance. He’d disobeyed the leaders and tried to escape. He had escaped. Jonah made sure everyone knew he wouldn’t be defied again. The entire community had watched as the young man burned at the stake for his crimes against the leaders. Crimes far less than the ones that had sent the leaders to jail for more than ten years. Things they might blame Lottie for, and they would definitely blame on Luke and Macy.

  Overwhelmed

  Luke bolted upright in the bed, gasping for air. “It was only a dream.”

  Or was it? He’d dreamed of his mom tied up and tortured.

  He took a deep breath and his chest constricted. It was only a dream. He had no way of knowing where she was or what she was doing. For all he knew, there was a perfectly good explanation for her disappearance. Not that he could think of a single reason.

  Luke pushed the covers off himself and climbed out of bed, wiping sweat from his brow. It was still dark outside, but there was no way he was going back to sleep. He was surprised he’d managed to fall asleep at all.

  As his eyes adjusted to the little light in the room—Macy had always insisted on a night light—he noticed she was twisted up in the blankets. He leaned over and pulled them out from under her. She rolled over, mumbling but not waking.

  He selfishly wished she’d wake, so they could talk. He let her sleep, though. She’d had a harder time falling asleep than he’d had, finally taking some of her anxiety medication that she avoided unless she just couldn’t carry on otherwise.

  Luke paced the room, watching as she tossed and turned. Something scratched against the house. He arched a brow. That was strange, especially considering there were no trees on that side of the house.

  Another scratch, followed by a bump.

  He crept over to the window and lifted a blind, glancing around the backyard. Nothing was out of place.

  Scratch. Bump.

  Luke glanced down, but didn’t see anything. Not that he could see much with only a sliver of the moon casting light outside. He glanced around the yard again, still seeing nothing unusual.

  He reached for a flashlight, but then something moved just at the edge of his line of sight. A raccoon ran away from the house toward the far end of the backyard.

  Luke breathed a sigh of relief, only to return to the reality of his mom being missing and his wife drowning in anxiety. Macy rolled over, twisting the sheet around her, mumbling something that didn’t make sense. He walked over to her, softly kissed her forehead, and went out into the living room.

  It was too early to call anyone, but he wanted to get on with the day. He needed to find out if anyone had seen or heard anything. There had to be someone who knew something. It was just a matter of finding that person.

  Maybe it wasn’t too early to call the police captain. He had said to call him. At the very least, Luke could leave a message. He found his wallet on the coffee table, dug out the card with Fleshman’s number, and called him. As expected, it went to voicemail.

  Luke closed the bedroom so he wouldn’t wake Macy and went into the kitchen. “Captain Fleshman, this is Luke Walker. I’m calling to see if you’ve learned anything new about my mom. Please give me a call either way. Thank you.” He left his number and then hung up.

  Yawning, he set up the coffee maker to make a pot of strong coffee. He was going to need it. As it started making its noises, Luke leaned over the counter and stared outside. Everything was so peaceful. Too peaceful. He wished some of that would extend into his life. It seemed like he and Macy couldn’t catch a break these days. She had only recently recovered from a nasty car accident, and now this.

  Why hadn’t he checked on his mom the day she missed calling him? He should’ve noticed she hadn’t phoned. What if he could’ve done something to prevent whatever had happened?

  Luke’s phone rang next to the coffee maker. His heart jumped into his throat. Could it be his mom? He ran over to see the captain’s name on the screen. Luke swiped the screen, accepting the call. “Captain? Have you heard anything?”

  “Not yet, Luke. I’ll call you as soon as I do.”

  “Wait. I didn’t wake you, did I? I shouldn’t have called so early.”

  “No, I couldn’t sleep either. As soon as it’s time for breakfast, I’m going back to the shelter to speak with some other volunteers there. Maybe one of the morning crew knows something.”

  “I can’t thank you enough, Captain.”

  “We’re doing everything we can. I hate that your family is dealing with another missing person.”

  “Is there anything else I can do?” Luke asked. “I feel like I should be doing more.”

  “From my experience, missing older people tend to show up alive. The best thing you can do, aside from calling anyone who might have heard from her, is to carry on with your life. Go to work, take care of your wife. There isn’t any evidence of foul play. She may just show up, having decided on a whim to take a small trip.”

  “That’s not like her.”

  “I know, but it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve seen someone her age do that.”

  Luke sighed. He was certain his mom hadn’t done that, but maybe there was some other rational explanation. “Thanks again. Call me anytime, okay?”

  “I will. Maybe someone at the shelter this morning will know something.”

  “Let’s hope.” Luke said goodbye, ended the call, and poured some coffee.

  Something crashed in the bedroom. Luke put the coffee pot back and bolted out of the room. He turned on the light. Macy sat up in bed, her hair wild, and some books from her nightstand were strewn across the floor.

  “Are you okay?” He ran over to her and untangled her from the sheets.

  She gasped for air and shook. “I had a nightmare.”

  Luke replaced the books, sat next to Macy, and held her close. She continued trembling in his arms. A lump formed in his throat. How was he going to hold it together between his mom’s disappearance and Macy’s anxiety? He could barely function. How could he take care of her? He rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head. It was all he could do.

  “Do you think she’s okay?” Macy asked.

  “The captain says—”

  “What do you think?”

  He took a deep breath. “I hope she is. It isn’t like her to take off without saying anything.”

  “That’s what worries me.”

  They sat in silence. Luke watched the minutes pass on the wall clock. Macy shook harder. His thin t-shirt dampened from her tears. It was enough to make his own eyes mist. He held her tighter. “Let’s get some breakfast.”

  “I-I can’t eat.”

  “We have to. Neither one of us had dinner last night. What do you think Mom would say about that?”

  Macy swallowed. “She wouldn’t stand for that.”

  “Exactly.” Luke rose and helped her out of bed. “The captain says the best thing for us is to continue on with life.”

  She stared at him, her eyes red and bloodshot. “You think we should go to work?”

  He pulled a wisp of hair from her face. “What would you tell the kids you work with?”

  Macy frowned. “To keep their schedules as normal as possible.”

  “We should take your advice. Sitting around here will only make us stir-crazy. Let’s get some food.” He took her hand and led her toward the door.

  “Maybe I can speak with one of my colleagues today. I’m sure someone wo
uld help me through this.”

  “That’s a good idea.” A small amount of relief washed through Luke. He didn’t know how to help her with her anxiety. “We’ll eat, and then I’ll drive you to work on the way to my office.”

  “You don’t want me driving?”

  He thought back to her car wreck and her long hospital stay afterward. Though Alex had believed someone else had been behind the accident, Luke had always thought Macy had a panic attack and lost control of the vehicle. She had no memories of the collision or the moments before, so nobody really knew for certain.

  He turned to her and kissed her forehead. “I just want you safe.”

  Macy stared at him like she wanted to protest, but she said nothing.

  Looking

  Alex knocked on his dad’s door and went in before hearing a reply. Dad glanced up from the computer screen, took off his glasses, and rubbed his eyes. “Did you send everything to my editor?”

  “Yeah. Just got it off to him. Do you mind if I take a break? I want to see if there have been any similar cases to Lottie’s disappearance.”

  Dad frowned, the creases around his eyes deepening. “They still haven’t heard from her?”

  Alex shook his head. “I just talked to Nick, and he says nobody knows anything.”

  “Is there anything we can do to help?”

  “I’ve already posted about it on my blog. A lot of people have seen it, but again, nobody knows anything.”

  Dad twisted his mouth, looking deep in thought. “I’ll link to your post on my blog. Somebody has to know something.”

  “You’d think.” Alex stepped toward the door. “Thanks, Dad.”

  He nodded. “Have you heard from Macy or Luke?”

  “They both went to work. That’s all I know.”

  “I’ll give her a call in a few minutes.”

  “She’ll appreciate that.” Alex headed upstairs to his childhood bedroom which was also his office. He flung himself onto the twin bed and rubbed his temples, worried not only for Lottie but also his sister. Though she was the older of the two, he’d felt the need to protect her since they were teenagers.

  The only thing he could do now was to help find Lottie, who was practically Macy’s other mom. He’d already written up a lengthy post, telling the world as much as he could about the sweet lady, and he’d included so many pictures, it had slowed the post’s load time.

  Sighing, he sat up. If there were any other similar cases, maybe that would help them find Lottie. He didn’t know how, but it seemed to be the only thing he could do. The police had already talked to all her neighbors and the people she knew at the shelter—other volunteers and the women living there.

  Alex grabbed his laptop and started searching. It was kind of sad that he knew what to look for without thinking. Between his searches when Ari had been missing and all the work he’d put into his blog for missing kids, he was practically an expert on the subject.

  After close to half an hour, he gave up. There were no similar cases. The only other missing retirement-aged people were those with memory issues who had wandered off, confused. That didn’t describe Lottie. They’d played Scrabble recently, and she’d kicked Alex’s butt—and he hadn’t been going easy on her.

  His phone rang. He reached for it, hoping for good news. It was an unknown number. He was tempted to ignore it, but what if it was someone with information on Lottie?

  “Hello?” he answered.

  “Is this Alex Mercer?” asked a distressed-sounding female on the other end.

  “Yes. Who’s this?”

  “My name is Crysta and my boyfriend is missing. You blog about missing people, right?”

  “Yes. Usually kids—”

  “But your latest post is about that lady, right?”

  “She’s family. I—”

  “Please help me. I know what you’re thinking. He probably ran out on me. But he didn’t. I swear. And besides, he’s young. Twenty-one. Practically a kid, right?”

  Alex didn’t reply. She was right about one thing. He had been thinking the boyfriend had just left her.

  “We’re really happy. Once we get on our feet financially, he’s going to propose.”

  “Okay. Tell me what you know about his disappearance.” Alex opened a blank note on his computer, ready to take notes.

  “Rory went to work last night, but didn’t come back. He works as a janitor at night. That’s how he pays for his place at the Meriwether.”

  Alex typed it out. “The Meriwether?”

  “It’s a low-income apartment. You have to work and pay your rent on time to live there. He’s been there for like six months. See? He’s responsible. Please write a post about him. I’ll email you anything you need. Pictures, anything.”

  “Okay. You found my unlisted number. I assume you have my email address.”

  “I do. Thank you!”

  “Wait. You’ve reported this to the police, right?”

  Silence.

  “Hello?”

  “Well, I’d rather not. He has a record. If the police find him…”

  “A record or a warrant?” Alex asked.

  “He’s trying to improve his life! It’s for unpaid parking tickets. He didn’t kill anyone or anything dangerous like that. You said you’d feature him.”

  Alex muttered under his breath. “Fine. Send me what you have.”

  “Thank you!”

  “Don’t mention it. And when you find him, you should tell him to pay those tickets.”

  “I will. Trust me.”

  “Send me the email, or I can’t post anything.” He ended the call.

  What had he gotten himself into?

  Layers

  Macy stared at the portrait of a mother and baby giraffe hanging behind Lucy.

  “Macy?” Lucy asked.

  She pulled her attention away from the picture and looked at the woman who was about ten years older than her. “Sorry.”

  “Don’t apologize. Why don’t you tell me what’s on your mind? You wanted to talk to me, right?”

  Macy nodded and then sighed. “I’m experiencing some anxiety because of my mother-in-law’s disappearance.”

  “Understandable.” Lucy nodded. She adjusted her turquoise glasses and pulled a strand of black hair behind an ear. “Why don’t you tell me about your symptoms?”

  It felt like her heart would explode out from her chest, and sometimes she couldn’t breathe. How much could she tell Lucy without fearing for her job? Not that Lucy was her boss, but if she felt anything Macy said made her unable to perform as a child psychologist, Lucy had the obligation to speak up about it.

  “Macy?” Lucy asked again.

  “Sorry. Typical anxiety symptoms—racing heart, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, headaches, the inability to rest.”

  “Difficulty concentrating?” Lucy smiled sympathetically.

  “That too.”

  “Are you and your mother-in-law close?”

  Macy picked at a nail. “In some ways, closer than with my own mom. I can tell her anything.”

  “Anxiety makes sense in this situation, but I’m sensing there’s more.”

  Macy’s pulse drummed in her ears. She’d never mentioned to anyone at work about her own abduction. It hadn’t been an issue at the time. Other than some random nightmares and being jumpy when alone in public, it was almost like it had never happened.

  Lucy nodded for her to continue.

  “My car accident,” Macy blurted out. “It was traumatic, and now this.”

  “Not to mention your niece’s abduction. You’ve been through a lot in the last six months.”

  Macy buried her face in her palms. She was a mess. They would fire her for sure. Everything was crumbling down around her. Who was she kidding, thinking she could hold down a professional job helping children?

  “Is there more?” Lucy asked.

  Macy’s stomach twisted into a tight knot. Tears threatened. She needed to hold herself together. Her c
hest tightened. Coming to work had been a horrible idea. She never should’ve agreed to it. It was Friday, and her boss had said she could take the day off and decide about the following week on Sunday.

  A hand rested on Macy’s shoulder. “Whatever you say in here is held in confidence. Nobody’s going to think less of you. We all have our baggage. That’s why we talk to each other when we need to.”

  Macy relaxed, but the hot tears poured out like a floodgate released.

  The chair next to her scraped against the carpeting as Lucy dragged it closer and sat, keeping her hand on Macy’s shoulder. They sat in silence until Macy finally finished crying. When she sat up, Lucy handed her a tissue. Macy wiped her eyes and blew her nose. She felt a little better, but her colleague held her gaze, waiting to hear more.

  “I was abducted when I was fifteen.” Relief flooded through her after finally admitting it.

  Lucy’s eyes widened and her mouth gaped. “What happened?”

  Macy closed her eyes. Even the shortened version could take all day to tell. “I was stupid.”

  “Really?” Lucy arched a brow.

  “I know I was the victim, but there was so much I did wrong. I should’ve known better.” Her cheeks warmed. Even all these years later, it was humiliating to admit how easily she’d walked into the trap. She could’ve gotten herself killed, and nearly had.

  “Did you receive counseling afterward?”

  Macy nodded. “That was why I wanted to become a child psychologist. I was inspired to help other kids the way my counselor helped me.”

  “And you did it. You should be proud of yourself.”

  She squirmed in her seat as more silence passed between them. It was time she opened up. Maybe not about how she was abducted, but some of the things haunting her nightmares. She swallowed and picked at a nail. “A lot happened after I was taken.” Her hands shook, making it impossible to play with the nail. “I-I was restrained and starved. He eventually took me to this place—they called it the community. There was this guy Jonah who pretty much thought he was the savior of the world. It, well I…” Macy took a deep breath. She was talking too fast, and probably wasn’t making any sense. “That’s where I met Luke.”