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The Disappearance of Kayley Harrison

a mother's worst nightmare

By MelPublished 2 years ago 5 min read
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No mother ever imagines a day at the park turning into this. She just wanted to take her five year old daughter out for a day at the park to get some fresh air; if she had known what was to come.. she would have never suggested to leave the house.

**

The day started out just as sunny as it was bright. Kayley had begged for me to take her out to the park; she went on and on in the car ride down about how she was going to introduce Matilda to the tire swings. Matilda was the doll she's had since she was a baby. I started calling the doll after the little girl from the movie Matilda, and it just sort of stuck. Kayley's first word was actually Mateela; I still remember how proud of her I was.. I didn't even care that she mispronounced the name originally. Eventually, she did learn how to actually say the name though.. and I miss the mispronunciation she used to do every single day she grows older.

Once we got to the park, Kayley ran out of the car the second I unbuckled her from her booster seat. The park was the one place where Kayley never liked to wait for. She would always tell me that I already know she'll be at the park, so she never had to wait for me to load everything out of the car in order to go play. I watched as she ran over to the tire swing, a smile curving across my face, before I grabbed the picnic out of the trunk and walked over to a picnic table located over by the playground. I began to set out the juice box and sandwich for Kayley; usually, when we came to the park she barely ever was able to concentrate on her lunch so I left it out for her to nibble on every now and then.

I couldn't help but smile as I watched my beautiful little girl running around; hopping from one piece of equipment to the next, joining in with other kids who were also playing. She was so social among the crowd; definitely got that from her daddy. I waved at her every time she looked over at me, a smile growing across my face during each time. I seriously couldn't imagine how my life would be if she wasn't in it.

**

An hour went by. The park started to die down as families began to leave one by one. Although Kayley's sandwich had only been half touched, I began to wrap it back up and place it back inside the picnic basket; I'll just give it to her later when she's begging me for a pre-dinner snack.

"Kayley, five more minutes!" I shouted out towards the park as I began cleaning up our table. My eyes scanned the park to try and find her to give her another one of my "world-famous" mom-waves, "Kayley?"

Leaving the basket on the table, I walked into the play structure and scanned past all the kids for the little red headed girl wearing the polka dotted red and black dress. "Kayley," I spoke out again, "It's time for us to go home. We can come back here tomorrow."

Nothing. Every time a kid who wasn't Kayley ran past me, even more worry flushed throughout my face. Where could she have gone? The park wasn't even that big in the first place. "Kayley!" I shouted out, peering behind different parts of the playground equipment hoping she was just hiding from me. She hated the part when we had to leave.

Suddenly, my feet stopped short. I bent down to pick up the baby doll lying on the ground near where the tire swings were located. Matilda. Kayley never parts from this doll. "Kayley!" I screamed out. My knees eventually gave out as I fell into the mulch. Fear rushed through my mind as I screamed for my daughter yet again.

Parents of other children gave me dirty looks as they walked past; almost as if they were wondering what the hell I was doing screaming some child's name over and over again while holding onto some kind of doll. But eventually, another mother bent down next to me.

"What's going on, ma'am?" She placed her hand on my back as I was kneeling down in the mulch in front of the tire swing, Kayley's doll being clutched so close to my heart. I couldn't even get the words to leave my lips.

"Are you alright, ma'am?"

"It's my daughter." I managed to get out, "She was here one second, and gone the next."

"Are you sure?" The woman pulled out her phone.

"This is her doll," I held the baby doll out for her to see, "My daughter never goes anywhere without it attached to her hip. I just found this laying on the ground here by the-" I couldn't even finish my sentence.

"I'll call for help. We'll find her." The lady dialed 911 on her phone and placed the phone on her ear.

"Please." I pleaded, "She's all I have." I fell to the ground and clung to the doll as if it was actually Kayley, herself. She's all I have.

**

"So what happened?" The cop asked, notebook and pen in hand.

"I was just calling for her so we can get ready to go," I responded, "I don't know what happened. All I know is that she was here one second, and just gone the next."

"Is there anyone else she could have gone home with? A husband.. boyfriend.. family friend-"

"No," I quickly answered, "It's just me. There's nobody else."

The police officer wrote some notes down on his pad.

"I found this doll right here by the tire swing," I held out Matilda to him, "She never goes anywhere without it. If she left willingly, there is absolutely no way she would have gone without this doll. She-"

"Ma'am. We will find her. I am just going to have to ask you to calm down for me, please. We will-"

"I can't calm down." I replied, "My daughter is nowhere to be found. I can't just calm down."

"I understand ma'am but-"

"You understand?" I scoffed, "Do you have kids?"

"Yes I do."

"How would you feel if they just up and disappeared on while you thought that you had a pretty good watchful eye on them?" I asked him, "I don't even know how she's feeling right now. Is she terrified? Is she crying? Is she d-" I couldn't even let the word come to mind.

"Ma'am we are going to find her. Don't you worry about a thing. I will let you have your little girl in your arms yet again." He put the notepad back in his front pocket, "My name is Officer John Lincoln, and I promise you that we will bring her back to you."

He held his hand out to me which I shook, "I appreciate that, John."

Short Story
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About the Creator

Mel

Ever since I was a kid, I've always wrote for fun. I never saw anything of it; I just wanted to write just to write. That's why I love Vocal.

she/they

instagram: stufflestream

tiktok: mercuryandme

youtube: Melon Melon | TheMelonVlogs

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