A+story+from+number+18

PLEASE COMMENT ON THIS STORY!!!!! IS IT **GOOD FOR THIRD TRIMESTER PIECE???

Police car lights flash, sirens cry and wail, and people hurry about. But everything is blurry to me. //This can't be happening!// I say over and over again to myself. //It just can't be happening//. It's amazing how an afternoon swim with your father in the lake can turn from fun to the worst thing that you could ever imagine happening in just a matter of minutes. It was a foggy day at the beach, but we had driven two hours to get there. So, as my dad put it,"We're going to stay at this beach even if there's a tornado, hurricane, earthquake, monsoon, tsunami,and a volcano eruption." I was tired with in a half hour, but my dad refused to get out of the water. He was a great swimmer, and he took to the water like a fish. "Why don't you get the innertube, Rose." My father had suggested as a way of resting my pitiful self. My father, with his dark hair, easily bruising skin, and 6' 3" figure, was a great person. He was always the first to help me when I needed something, and I knew he could almost always be trusted. (I say almost because you can't really trust him when it's a matter of "who ate the whole chocolate cake out of the fridge.") I was just doing what I was told, getting the innertube, but now, I feel terrible. I should have stayed. I really should have. But how could I have known? Nobody could've predicted it. I joyfully bounced up the path to our car, my world suddenly just filled to the brim with happiness. I felt light as a feather, like the earth no longer controlled me. I felt free. Until a prickly, empty, scared feeling poured into me, yanking me back down to earth. I dropped the innertube and raced to the lake. Something inside me was not right. Something was wrong. My father was nowhere in sight. Nothing but our small cooler suggested that someone had even been there at all! "Dad! DAD? DAD!" Nobody answered. I'm not the kind of person who bursts into tears when something goes wrong. In fact, I'm actually pretty good at working things out. But nothing like this had ever happened to me. My brain instantly turned to mush. If you've ever gotten seperated from your parents, perhaps at a mall, festival, or at any other kind of large gathering, you probably know what I'm talking about. You just can't keep cool. And if you were a little kid at the time, you probably burst into tears. I didn't know what to do. My first and only thought, to hail a car, was the one that I chose. Of course, it was only until later that I realized I didn't know the people on the road, and for all I knew, I could've hailed a mass murderer. But I got lucky. "STOP! PLEASE!" I screamed and flapped my arms and did everything imaginable to get people's attention. Busy people. Busy lives. They can't prepare enough time in their stupid, tight lives to stop and help a frantic girl by the side of the road. Then, I get the dumbest idea of all time. But it seemed that Albert Einstein couldn't match it, at the time. If I went in the middle of the road, a car would have to stop sometime, right? Just to avoid hitting me. And I figured that if my plan didn't work, and I got squished by a car going 65 miles per hour, at least I could join my father in wherever he might be going. I pulled myself into the middle of the road as a white Dodge rattled past. It was nearly an inch from my stomach. Still, it kept going down the road. That's when I realized how incredibly, utterly stupid my plan was. I tried to get out of the road, but I was too late. A red minivan thundered towards me. //This is it!// I said to myself. //Rose Brooks dies here!// But I did not die. The minivan stopped, and a couple leaped out, both screeching at me. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING, LYING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD LIKE THAT! WE NEARLY KILLED YOU!" The woman screeched as she pulled me up. She was quite strong. I was trying not to sound panicky, but what could I do? If a parent is missing, you're going to sound panicky. It's just how things work. "MYDADDISAPPEAREDINTHELAKEANDIDON"TKNOWWHEREHEWENTPLEASEHELLLLP!" I wailed. "SLOW DOWN! WHAT HAPPENED?" The woman ordered me to tell her. I started out slowly. "My dad and I were at the lake, I went somewhere, and when I came back, he was gone. Can you help me?" Immiediatly, the look on the woman's face softened. "Let's go look for him, then." She said softly to me. And to who I thought was her husband, she said, "Larry, why don't you stay here and call 911." I was frightened when she said this, but I figured she was preparing for the worst. Still, my heart started to beat faster. "ROSE!!!" My mother pulled me out of my flashback. I guess my mom had been talking to a policeman. "Do you think you're willing to answer a few questions?" "No." I murmured, and mom said something to the policeman. He nodded his head and walked away. Let's just say that my dad wouldn't be driving me home that night. Maybe, I thought sadly, he would never drive me anywhere again. I was totally lost. Do I burst into tears? Do I act calmly? Or do I just curl up into a little ball on the ground? I asked myself. I didn't have time to answer, for a blue Hyundai skyrocketed into the parking lot. My Uncle Dave immeidiatly bolted from the car. Since he was diagnosed with cancer last year, he had become a very fast man. My guess was that he just wanted to get in as much as he could in life before the disease took over him. Because, it was true: cancer would be the death of him. "Oh, Rosie! What happened?" He moaned as he came to my mother and I. I wondered how he knew what had happened. Did someone call him while I was in flashback mode? "Dave, oh! Thank you for coming! I didn't think you got my call! I'm so worried, Dave!" Mom hugged him, and she started to tell him what happened. I could see my uncle, arms stretched, waiting for a hug from me. I didn't really want a hug, though. It probably would've made me feel better. But all I wanted was my dad, that day, that happiness I had felt. I wanted it all to come back. "Rose, are you all right? You know, I'm sure they'll find him. And he'll be all right, and someday, we'll be laughing about it." A cold river of tears started to run down my face. I knew my uncle was trying to make me feel better, but honestly, I didn't believe a word of what he said. I didn't think my father would ever come back, or that I'd ever be laughing about what had happened. I waited by the lake until my mother and uncle shook me gently on the shoulder. "I think we shoud go, Rose. It's two in the morning. I think the police can take care of things." I was led to the car, and I silently slid into my seat. "Do you want me to stay with you for a while?" Uncle Dave asked my mom, who responded, "Yes, I think that would be fine." I was waiting for my dad to tell me that it was all right, to pat me on the back and say, "Everything's okay. Just go to sleep." But he was not there. The car pulled away from the lake slowly and silently, and I suddenly wished that I wouldn't have left. As I watched the lake disappear into the darkness, I felt something leave me. I sagged against the seat, tired and bewildered, but could not fall asleep. I could only think of my father, that whole, painful journey back home.

My mother, the next day, came downstairs with red face and puffy eyes. I guess she had been crying, but I don't want to think about it. It's just kind of odd to picture one of your parents crying. That's when the whole thing hit me. I realized really, just how bad it was. To make my mom cry, and to make my uncle silent. Uncle Dave, who was staying with us for a bit, pulled my mother aside and had a chat with her, which was the first thing he'd said that morning. My mom came back to the table all fresh and new looking, with that fake cheery voice that parents give you when something bad has happened. I wasn't looking for that cheery voice. I was looking for actual emotion. Dad was missing. They knew it was a big deal, I knew it was a big deal. We all agreed. Why couldn't we show it? I hated it. Absolutley hated it. The phone rang, making everyone jump. "Hello?" My mother answered the phone with a tense voice, expecting the police to deliver some sort of news about dad. "Oh, hello Mrs. McGarnagy. Of course. Thank you for the invite. But I'm not sure if we can make it. Can I call you back? Okay. Yes, thank you. Bye." "Who was that?" "Mrs. McGarnagy. She wanted to invite us to a father daughter dance." "Oh, Vicky..." My uncle whispered. "No, it's fine. I mean, she didn't know..." The rest of breakfast was very quiet and awkward. The only things that we said to each other were: "Can you please pass the millk?" or "May I borrow your napkin?" I knew that this awkwardness would most likely last for a long time. I didn't want it to, but what could be done? I had no power over the situation. It's not like I could just go back in time and make things right. It couldn't change anything. And that's what scared me the most. All of a sudden, I felt a great urge to get outside. I didn't care where, or with who. Aliens could have abducted me, and it wouldn't have bothered me one bit. "I'm going out." I announced to everyone. I started to head towards the door. "Where?" My mother asked. But I couldn't answer, for I was already out the door. I actually had no idea of where to go. I just knew I had to go somewhere away from home. Fearing my mom would get mad and yank me back into the house, I started to walk. Just walk. I thought about dad, and where he was, and if he was thinking of me. I just hoped he was okay, wherever he was. I just didn't want him to be dead. //Please// //don't// //be dead!// I prayed in my head over and over. I walked aimlessly for about 30 minutes before coming on somewhere I thought would be a good place to stop. An old, forgotten park, onm the edge of the woods. I had forgotten all about it,(just like everyone else) but I was happy that I had found it now. It's old woods, rusty playground, and run down eating areas held so many memories. It felt kind of familiar, that old park, but I couldn't put my finger on exactly why. I sat down on the grass and just thought. Thought about everything that happened. Thought about how much would change if my dad was not found alive. Where did he go, anyway? How could he just disappear? It seemed like that only happened in movies, but perhaps I was wrong. I didn't know. It was confusing. I remembered how fun that day had been. Why had it changed? What had gone wrong? Was it my fault? No, it was not my fault. I know that's what my dad would say. I heard footsteps behind me. The sound ripped me out of my thoughts, and I turned around quickly to see who it was. "Hi, Rose." My uncle's familiar voice said. "How...?" My mouth hung wide open. I had no idea how he found me. "I followed you. I know, it might seem wrong, but your mom said we couldn't just let you wander the streets. I thought you'd be fine, but... I knew your mom was worried. I actually thought you'd notice me, but you seemed like you were pretty much in your own world. You know, I thought it was pretty interesting that you picked this place to go to. I thought you had forgotten about it." "I still don't know where we are. This park does seem a little familiar, but I can't put my finger on why." "Don't you remember? You used to love this place when you were a little kid." "Really?" "Oh, yeah! You're dad always took you here! You loved it! Absolutley loved it!" I had to admit that I was feeling a bit uncomfortable. I was happy that my uncle was talking to me, but did he have to follow me? Then I realized how idiotic I was. //You want people to talk to you, and when they do, you want them to go away!!! What on earth is the matter with you?// I screamed in my head. I urged myself to speak. Finally, after about five minutes of silence, I said, "I don't even understand why my dad is gone. It doesn't make any sense. Did I do something wrong?" "No. You didn't do anything wrong. Sometimes things happen for strange reasons, Rose. You just have to figure out what they are." "Do you think there's really a reason for this? How can you say that when it's your own brother?" "Trust me, there's always a reason for things to happen. Think of the human body. Nothing happens if it isn't nessecary. And I'm sure your dad would say the same." I think about this. I guess it would make sense. But it's MY dad. There are millions of other dads in the world. Why did MINE have to disappear? I asked this to my uncle. "Like I said, there are reasons for everything. But Rose, you have to think of everyone else. All the kids in the world that don't even have one loving parent. Or the kids who don't even have one responsible adult in their lives. I know this may sound odd, but you can't just think of yourself. If you do, let me assure you, you won't be happy for a very long time." I didn't mean to sound selfish, but I didn't really care about everyone else in the world. It was my dad who was missing. Not theirs. My uncle's cell phone broke the silence that had formed. He answered it. "Hello? Yes, I found her. No, like I said, she's fine. Yeah, I'm talking with her. We're at that old park...what's the name again?... yes, Asbury. That's the one! Pick us up?... why do you need to... okay, okay! We'll be waiting at the front. Honestly, why can't you tell me what's going on? Fine. Goodbye." "Was that my mom?" "Yes, it was." "Why was she calling?" "I don't know. She was calling to see if I found you, but then she said she was going to us up and take us somewhere. She didn't say where, though." I got an uneasy feeling as I realized that the police station was only about fifteen minutes down the road from where we were. My mom got to the park a little later, her face looking worried. "Get in the car." Is all she said to us. It felt like we were going to be kidnapped by her. But I got in the car, and we drove off. (Rather fast, in my opinion.) My uneasy feeling had been correct. We stopped right outside the police station, not even bothering to park. I decided not to remark on this, as my mom was in a great hurry. "Vicky, why are we-" My uncle started to ask, but then I he figured out why we were there, and became quiet. We entered the station, and my mom said to the person at the front desk, "The Brooks are here." "Officer Benson is waiting for you. Let me phone him and tell him you've arrived."

Officer Benson came about a split second after he was phoned. He was a hefty man, maybe in his late forties, with graying hair and a red face. "Hello. I'm Jay Benson. I've been working on the case of your missing husband."He shook all our hands, showing no emotion. Was this good or bad? I couldn't tell. "Would you please tell us what's going on?" My mother asked, clearly not interested in greetings, but in getting down to the point of things. "I surely will, if you would please come into my office." We trailed into the man's office, which was about the size of to standard sized broom closests put together. We all squeezed in. "We've found you're husband. I'm very happy to say that he is alive, and in good condition. He is now at Southwest Memorial Hospital." I could tell my mom was unbelievebly relieved (so was I) and that she was sprouting tears, and inhaling and exhaling deeply to try and control herself. (So was I.) But I still had more questions. My uncle spoke up and answered them for me. "How, when and where did you find him?" "We found him about four hours ago, curled up on a rock. We think that he may have swam too far out, and gotten swept away,by some large waves, possibly. It was a very foggy day, as you know, and not many people were at the beach. We figured that he bumped his head numerous times, and managed to pull up onto that rock before falling unconcious. That's why he didn't call for help. And one question for you: is he a fast swimmer? For my story to be true, he would have had to swim a very long distance in a very short amount of time." "Yes, he was a very fast and strong swimmer. He won a few swimming medals when he was a kid. Now, a question for you: Why didn't you find him faster?" "He got pulled out very far, farther than we expected. And since nobody was out on the water, we got no reports of anyone seeing him. That's why we took so long to find him." "And why didn't you just tell us what happened over the phone! I was worried that we were going to need to identify a dead body!" "I like to deliver happy news in person." "But is it really worth a family being scared to death over?!?!" My uncle asked angrily, voice rising. "Dave, just be happy that he's okay." My mom whispered, happy tears pouring down her face. She placed a cooling hand on my uncle. He sat back in his chair, thinking. "May we have a lift to the hospital?" I asked, since everyone seemed to be engulfed in their own thoughts. "Of course. I'll send for somebody to take you."

"Rose, get in the car!" This made me smile for some odd reason. Maybe because it felt normal. Like we were going back to normal. But I think we were straying from it even more than before. I couldn't get in the car just yet, though. I needed to say something to Mr.Benson. I went up to him. "Thank you for finding my dad, Mr. Benson." I whispered gratefully as I put my arms around him in an awkward hug. "You're welcome, Sweetie. And please, you can call me Jay." "Then you can call me Rose." I stepped into the car, my shoulders sagging from the exhaustion of worry. The worry was slowly disappearing, but it was not yet all gone. It would not fully disappear until I knew my dad was okay. But for now, I knew everything would be alright.Though I think I wanted to remain awake, my eyelids started to feel heavy. I silently went to sleep.

"Wake up. We're at the hospital." The next thing I knew, my mom and uncle were shaking me awake. I didn't know exactly where we were, or what had happened, but I followed my mom and uncle through a large and unfamiliar building. My mom stopped at the front desk, where she told the person working there, "We would like to see Jerry Brooks, please. I'm his wife, Victoria, this is his daughter, Rose, and his brother, David." That's when I woke up and realized where we were. The hospital. I was absolutley terrified. "Could you please wait a moment? I need to contact Dr. Berman. He's the man who is looking after your husband." Moments later, a tall man appeared. He looked busy, tired, and worn out, but he still managed to put a smile on his face and say, "Hello! I'm Dr. Charles Berman. I'm very glad to say that we think your husband will make a full recovery, but we are not yet sure. We still have to monitor him." "What do you mean you're 'not yet sure'?" "Well, Ma'am, we can never be sure for any patient. If we stop monitoring a patient, we never know what could happen. We'll stop monitoring him when we're 100% sure that he's okay." "Okay, fine. May we see him now?" I had to say, I was nervous. I thought this moment would be like on TV-where he daughter hugs the father and the show has a happy ending-and that's it. But what would I say? I was going to be shy, I just knew it. Shy of my own father. We opened the door. "Hello? Oh my god, are you okay?!?! We were all so worried about you!" My mom rushed over to my dad, and it did look like a TV show. But my dad just didn't look like my dad anymore. He looked older, weaker, more afraid than ever before. It scared me to death. I went over to hug him. "I probably gave you quite a scare." My dad said, making us all laugh nervously. My dad sort of cough-laughed. "That's the understatment of the month." I said, hugging him tightly. He had given me a scare (probably more than he could imagine) but I didn't care. Even living just one day knowing that my father could be gone from me forever was too much. I couldn't bear to lose him again. "I'm so sorry. I never should have gone out in the water when nobody was there. I just-I can't tell you how bad I feel about making you worry. I know you guys must have thought I was dead. I'm so sorry." He whispered into my ear. "It's okay, it's okay. It wasn't even your fault. You shouldn't feel bad." I told him. "But I still do." I hugged him one last time before my uncle asked to talk to my dad alone. I left the room, my worry gone. I knew my dad would be alright. I thouhgt that maybe, I had figured out the reason for my dad's disappearence. I thought that maybe it had taught me how you can never fully love someone until they are gone, and that you can always call on someone for help. It felt good to have a reason, even if it wasn't the real one. I left the hospital feeling absolutley complete, like everything was coming together smoothly. And it was. Everything was going to be okay.**

=EPILOUGE=

"I knew you had bad aim, but that was absolutley ridiculous!" She said in between laughs. "Why don't you stop trying to kill each other with frisbees, and come eat!" Uncle Dave said, eating some potato salad to demonstrate. A few months ago, my father had disappeared into the lake that we were now partying by. I knew that deep down, we all had a fear of the lake, but none of us showed it, except for my dad, who refused to go swimming. Since that disappearence, we've been closer as a family.(I am thinking that this may have been another reason for my dad's disappearence, but who can be sure? I'm not even sure if there was a reason.) We've had more parties, and we've just basically been around each other more. My uncle, even though he still has cancer, has slowed down somewhat, maybe because now, he realizes he should just enjoy life while he can, because you never know what life will throw at you. You never know.**
 * "HEADS UP!!!" My father yelled as a frisbee raced towards my mom's head. She ducked in the nick of time.