“What’s wrong?” Adrenaline cleared the last of the sleep from her head.
As if her question had reanimated him, he jumped up, groped for his trousers. “It’s Polly. She didn’t come home.”
“Wait.” Sarah scooted off the bed, her pulse scrambling. “Where’d she go?”
“With the other kids to the auditorium.”
Sarah pulled the dress over her head, yanked it down her hips. “And?” she demanded as she tugged on her panties and then her shoes. Please, no. Not Polly.
He stopped buttoning buttons. Stared at her. Terror in his dark eyes. “No one’s seen her since.”
32
Polly was cold.
So cold.
She tried to move. Couldn’t. Her hands were stuck between her legs and taped to her feet. She tried to scoot on her butt and fell onto her side. Her head hit a rock. She cried. The tape burned her lips.
God, help me!
Her silent plea shuddered through her. Made her stomach ache. She’d puked before. Almost choked. Had to swallow it or strangle to death. She’d peed her pants.
God, oh, God, where was she?
What happened?
She remembered going outside to talk to Matilda. She’d promised to meet Polly there. But she hadn’t shown.
Was she here, too?
Polly’s heart started that crazy pounding again. Felt like she was going to have a heart attack.
She wiggled, scooted, jerked until she got back up onto her butt. She couldn’t see. Something was tied around her eyes.
Listen!
If Matilda was here and taped up like her, then she might make sounds Polly could hear.
The air echoed in Polly’s ears. Like she was someplace deep under the ground. She was sitting on rocks. Hard. Bumpy. Not smooth or flat.
It was cold. She shivered. So cold. She didn’t hear anybody else. Just the water. Was she close to the ocean?
She tried harder to listen.
Her body started to shake again. She cried. Didn’t mean to. Couldn’t help it.
Kale! Please come get me! Mom!
They had to find her. They would be looking. She knew they would.
Her mom and her brothers wouldn’t forget her. Her dad wouldn’t let them.
Polly’s shuddering body suddenly stilled. Her insides got real quiet. Like she couldn’t think anymore. Just nothing. No feelings ... no anything. Then her thoughts came at her all at once.
What had happened to her?
Where was she?
