I couldn't believe it was already getting dark out, I walk home from work everyday at the same time 7:00 pm and everyday it seems to be getting darker and darker out. What more could I expect though, it is fall and winter isn't too far from reach. Riley's going to be disappointed though. I know how much she loves being outside and running around with her friends seeing as there isn't much to do in our apartment. I'm going to have to bump her curfew up a little bit, as much as i love seeing her giggle and smile with her hair blowing in the wind, it's not the right neighborhood to be playing around in after dark.

It takes me approximately 17 minutes to walk from work home every single day, and of course I made it home right on time again. I reached for the doorknob and when I went to turn it I realized it was locked. That seemed odd, Riley gets home from her friend Marissa's house every single day at 5:30 and she hardly ever locks the door. As strange and it seemed I reached down in my satchel and opened up the side pocket to pull out my house key. I unlocked the door and stumbled inside over the step.

Our apartment looked dead. It looked exactly like it did when I left at eight this morning. "Riley, I'm home!" I shouted out waiting for her little head full of chocolate brown curls to bounce down the stairs when she never came. I ran up the stairs so fast as though someone was chasing me, right to Riley's bedroom and she was nowhere to be found. Panicking a little I yelled one more time, "Riley! Are you here?" I whipped my forehead off and I felt a layer of sweat on it, I was starting to get nervous, very nervous

I quickly ran over to the phone, I picked it up as fast as i could and dialed the numbers of Marissa's mom's number and fast as my little fingers could move. Ring. Ring. "Hello?" "Patty!" I spit out what I had to say as quick as possible, "Well, we dropped her off at 5:30 like always, and I watched her walk inside and close the door behind her as usual. I haven't heard from her since." Rushing her off the phone I said goodbye and hung up. I searched the apartment one more time and the counters for a note or a trace of anything that she was there. But she wasn't.

It was 7:47 on a school night, where could she possibly have gone. I was so concerned. I ran out the door without even shutting it completely behind me. Not even knowing which way to go, or where to start i took a left and ran down the street calling out here and there my sister's name. I got half way around the block when I fell to my knees and started to break down. Tears started to fall out of my eyes. I started to imagine what my life would be like without her. It would be nothing. It would be pointless.

I forced myself up off the ground and ran all the way back around until I was standing in front of our apartment. I looked down at my watch 7:59, where could she be? Wait, something was different. The door was closed, completely closed. I ran up to it and swung it open to see my little sister sitting on the couch watching her favorite TV show. "Riley!" I ran over to her not sure whether to lecture her or hug her. So i hugged her. "I was worried sick! Where have you been?"

Confused and a little annoyed because I was bothering her during her show, she rudely replied "Mom was here when I got home, looking through your clothes actually, and she took me out for ice cream!" Why was mom here? In my clothes? Ice cream? I got up a little p***ed off and walked over to the phone to give my mother a piece of my mind.