6 Chapter 6: Vanished

-Aunt Mae-

"How long has it been now?" Chase said fixing his hair as his partner invited herself into my car. It has been eighteen years since I last saw these two sinister creatures. "What are you doing here?" I said annoyed. I looked back at Chase, he was still fixing his hair while his partner Danielle reapplied her lipstick. "We were in the area playing high school sweethearts and I heard you lived in this nice little town. How cozy, am I right?", said Chase, I sat in silence, Chase continued, "The boss asked us to drag a nasty drunk wife beater down to him. You should have seen the way he died. He choked on an olive". Chase laughed hysterically while I rolled my eyes. "Get out", I demanded but they did not budge. "I want nothing to do with you and I don't want to ever see you two in this town again", I ordered. Chase continued to laugh, "Mae, sweetheart, come on; don't be so mean to me", he said flirtatiously. Danielle capped her lipstick, "why are you in an old lady form? Don't you like your real form? You know with a big bust and high cheek bones?" Danielle asked me while she rubbed her lips together. "What I do and choose to look like have nothing to do with the two of you fools!", I shouted and waved my hand with a little bit of my magic to kick them out of my car before I drove off.

I increased the speed and did not stop until they were out of my rear view. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. I thought I would never have to see those servants of Satan again. Whatever business they had in town was not my problem and was of little interest to me but Liz is here with me. I have to be very careful now that I know they are here. In this world supernatural creatures mind their own business and leave each other alone unless there is bad blood among supernatural groups. Chase, he does not have any manners and goes around ruining alliances between races. He is such scum. As for Danielle, she is his little pet; she follows his every order and does whatever Chase orders her to do. She has no backbone of her own and to be partners with the narcissistic Chase at that, they are a pair of destruction.

~ 3 days later ~

-Liz-

"Careful watch your step honey", my mom warned me as she helped me go up the stairs to my room. My injuries are healing well thanks to Aunt Mae's herbal ointment. I still have some recovering to do but I am glad I can sleep in my own bed tonight. As we reached my room my mom loosened her grip on my waist allowing me to walk on my own. "Honey?", my mom called for me and I turn to face her, "your father and I have been called to go into the office tomorrow. We will be gone for at least a month". A month!? "Did something happen at the company?", I asked disappointed. We just moved from the city a week ago and now they have to go back so soon? "The CEO is stepping down from the company so we have to take over management until a new CEO is appointed", my dad explained. "So, what you are saying is that I have to live in our new home alone for a month? I thought you said once we moved, you two don't have to go back to work until next month?", I argued. I understand their work is important to them, but I didn't want them to leave me so soon. The city is a 5-hour drive away and I just got discharged, this news was unsettling. "Oh honey, I am so sorry. I know we took a month worth of vacation to be with you but the company needs us right now. Since it is summer and you're not in school right now you can come visit us any time you miss us alright? We picked out a new car for you since your old one was totaled, it's in the garage and the key is on the kitchen table", my mother consoled me. It somewhat put me at ease to know I can visit them; it gave me a reason to go into the city. "Alright, fine. It's not like I can do anything about it. What time are you two leaving tomorrow?" I asked as I unpacked my bag. "We are leaving at 4am, it's a pretty long drive and the board meeting is at 10 in the morning", my dad replied. I gave a slight nod and continued to keep my hands busy. "We will leave you to unpack while we go and prepare lunch", my dad said gesturing my mom to walk out before him. They closed my door and left me alone to tend to my unpacking.

About an hour later my mom called me down for lunch. As I ate my lunch, my mom pointed out all the things I should and should not do while they are gone. She was very detailed and even went out of her way to write everything down for me. I guess they were trying to make sure I am comfortable before they need to leave tomorrow. I decided to enjoy the next 12 hours or so with them smiling instead of pouting. I helped my parents pack and later in the evening ordered pizza and had family game night until they had to go to bed. I cleaned up the Monopoly pieces along with the rest of the board games and retired to my room.

-Micah-

I watched Liz as she cleaned up the board games she was playing with her parents. I flew to the back yard and sat in the tree closest to her bedroom window. The smile she had on the entire day vanished as soon as she closed her bedroom door. She covered her face while letting out a very long sigh and started to pull her shirt over her head. To be courteous of her privacy I started to read Liz's journal I took the first night she moved in. I flipped the pages and landed on a random page towards the end. I couldn't help but chuckle at little Liz's journal entries. It was cute the way she talked about petty grudges against her enemy. I guess all humans have one person they just can't get along with no matter how hard they try. I flipped through a few more pages to read some more of Liz's deepest thoughts laid on paper. She missed her parents dearly growing up, but she never expressed it to them. She left her expressions all in this book and for some reason it saddened me to know that she felt lonely most of the time growing up. How could someone who look so happy all the time be this lonely on the inside and why didn't she tell anyone? I wonder, does she still feel lonely to this day?

~From Liz's journal entry – Today I had my spring play and I was the courageous sunflower who healed the whole town from the witch's magic! I thought I did a very good job! I went to look for my parents to ask if they liked the play but I didn't see them. They were supposed to be here today. They promised me they would leave work early to see my play but they didn't keep their promise. I was sad to see my friends with their parents telling them how they did. I guess sometimes parents just can't make it to their child's school events and this time is my 'sometime', but I am glad my nanny Sara came to support me. Although it didn't feel the same at least I didn't have to sit alone at the celebration banquet. I thought I would be okay, but when I came home, I couldn't stop crying. What is wrong with me? Did I miss my parents or was I mad they didn't come? I don't know, but I am a big girl and big girls don't cry. I have to continue to be a good girl so mom and dad do not feel bad. Maybe when I get older they will be able to see how good I was and they will come to my school events more often.