Department of Student Loans, Kidnap & Ransom

by Christian Hale

  Chapter Thirteen

  Ally had been waiting for the last twenty minutes. She did nothing but wait. Her phone sat silently on the table. She told herself to do something else. The message she had sent might not be replied to anytime soon. It might not be replied to ever.

  Then the phone vibrated briefly. Her message had received a reply.

  She read the text: ‘You are not welcome at our home. You are not welcome in our town. You have taken Elizabeth from us. Do not contact us again.’

  Ally put the phone back on the table. She then sat down on the floor.

  Ally felt sick. The reply from Liz’s parents was so much worse than anything she had expected. She knew that Liz’s parents were not fond of her, as they blamed her for Liz becoming an anarchist. And she had believed that they would likely blame her for Liz’s death. But she had hoped that they would at least tell her where Liz had been buried so that she could visit the grave.

  The clock showed 2pm. Ally lay down in her bed and stared at the ceiling. She decided that she wouldn’t be getting out of bed again that day.