“Lily! Wanna go play on the swings with me?” yelled a girl. I looked at her. She looked just like me! A… twin?
“LILY! Come here and make my lunch! Don’t you dare burn the food,” screamed a voice. My Mother. I snapped out of my thoughts… no. My memories.
“Lunch… Right.” After I finished making lunch (being careful not to burn anything), we sat down at the table.
I slid back into my memories.
“Sure! Let’s go!” I answered. We ran to the playground without asking our parents. We swung back and forth, back and forth.
“Let’s go to the slide!” my twin sister said. We ran to the slide. Suddenly, a large hand grabbed my throat. I could hear my twin sister gasping for air. I looked over and saw that she was being choked. A large, muscular man was holding us, each in one hand.
“Which one of you is Jasmine?” his rough voice grumbled.
“M-Me?” stuttered my sister Jasmine.
“Yer coming with me.” the voice said. I felt the hand around my neck let go as I fell to the ground.
“JASMINE!” I ran after her as quickly as I could, but the man’s strides were as big as an elephant’s step. Too big for me to catch up. He shoved my sister into the back of a van and drove away.
“JASMINE!” I shrieked again. I could hear Jasmine banging on the walls of the van as it disappeared out of view.
“Mom,” I said, “Mom. Mom. Mom.”
“What, Girl?” Mom snapped back.
“Am I an only child, or do I have a sister?” Mom’s face immediately hardens.
Acting like nothing happened, she replies, “I didn’t even want you. Why would I want another kid?” I felt my heart shatter into a million pieces. I knew that Mom wasn’t truly my mother. After all, I was adopted. She didn’t have the love of a mother. It was the way she said it. How could she say that? But after all, ever since Jasmine disappeared, Mom had been harsh to me, she must’ve blamed me for not being able to keep her safe.
I had to look for my long-lost sister. I went upstairs into my room, trying to hide my face from Mom. I grabbed a small bag and shoved whatever I thought was necessary for my journey. Yes, I had no idea where in the world I was going, but I was going to give it a shot. I stayed in my room, waiting until it was silent. Hours passed, which felt like years. My clock changed from 11:59 to 12:00. I tiptoed to my door. Nothing stirred. Slowly opening my door, I quietly walk out. Downstairs, and out the front door.
I spent the next few days walking in the direction that the van sped off in the flashback. I knew that she was out there somewhere, and I couldn’t just let her go. I spent the next few days scouring the streets, asking everyone I met if they had seen a man with a van or a young girl who looked like me. I was relentless in my search, even though I had no idea where to start.
One day, as I was walking down the street, I saw a familiar face. It was the man who had taken Jasmine. He was sitting on a bench, smoking and looking around cautiously at other people. He was older now, with gray hairs peeking out from his dark brown hair.
I didn’t hesitate. I walked straight up to him and demanded, “Where is my sister?”
He looked at me with surprise, and although I thought I saw a hint of recognition in his eyes, he snarled, “What sister? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I didn’t believe him. I could see the lies in his eyes. I walked away, but not far from where he sat.
I followed him for hours, staying hidden in the shadows as he moved from place to place. Eventually, I saw him pull up in front of a run-down building on the outskirts of town. He went inside, and I knew that I had found my sister.
I waited until he had left before sneaking inside. It was dark and musty, and the air was thick with the smell of mold and decay. I was very tempted to run out and go back home. But I had to find Jasmine.
I called out her name, softly. I heard some stirring. People. As my eyes adjusted to the sudden darkness, I realized that there were about fifty children, ranging from five to twelve years old. All were sitting on the floor, each inside their own cage.
“Let us out!” a hoarse voice called to me. I looked at its source. It was a young boy, probably seven years old. His clothes were in tattered rags, his hair messy, and his body covered in streaks of dirt.
“I- I’m sorry, I don’t know how. I’ll come back. I promise.” I stammered. The boy’s eyes drained of hope.
I continued walking down the dark, cold building. The floor and walls were concrete. The children stirred as I walked past them.
“Have you guys seen a girl that looks like me?” I asked, “She’s eleven years old. Her name is Jasmine.”
The victims warily looked at each other. They all shook their heads slowly, too tired and hungry to speak. I turned away while continuing my walk and I wondered where my sister could possibly be.
“I think I know who she is,” a small voice says. I stop and whirl around.
“She was my friend. But one day, when the scary person gave us some bread and water, she finally snapped. She tried to fight back but was too weak. They took her away. But a few days ago, I overheard him talking to another man. They took her further into the room, where there are more people… where the scariest people are,” she shuddered.
“Thank you so much! I promise that I will try to free all of you. Thank you.”
I walked slowly, stealthy as a mouse. I walked deeper into the building. Little light flowed through the tiny, cobwebbed windows. The end of the prison was nearing. However, there were no guards. Lunch break, perhaps? I saw a cage, smaller than the rest. Inside it was a girl sitting on the floor, her hands tied tightly behind her back. She had long, brown hair, with specks of dirt. Her dark brown eyes gleamed in the dark and she had a murderous look on her face. Other than her expression, she looked just like me.
“Jasmine?”
Her head snaps towards me, her eyes glaring at me. “Who are you?” she asks.
“I’m Lily. Your sister.”
“Lily? I’ve had memories of you! We were playing outside once, and… and… they took me away!”
“We have to get out of here,” I whisper.
“Found your sister, have you?” A familiar, deep, rough voice says. Jasmine’s kidnapper.
“LILY! Come here and make my lunch! Don’t you dare burn the food,” screamed a voice. My Mother. I snapped out of my thoughts… no. My memories.
“Lunch… Right.” After I finished making lunch (being careful not to burn anything), we sat down at the table.
I slid back into my memories.
“Sure! Let’s go!” I answered. We ran to the playground without asking our parents. We swung back and forth, back and forth.
“Let’s go to the slide!” my twin sister said. We ran to the slide. Suddenly, a large hand grabbed my throat. I could hear my twin sister gasping for air. I looked over and saw that she was being choked. A large, muscular man was holding us, each in one hand.
“Which one of you is Jasmine?” his rough voice grumbled.
“M-Me?” stuttered my sister Jasmine.
“Yer coming with me.” the voice said. I felt the hand around my neck let go as I fell to the ground.
“JASMINE!” I ran after her as quickly as I could, but the man’s strides were as big as an elephant’s step. Too big for me to catch up. He shoved my sister into the back of a van and drove away.
“JASMINE!” I shrieked again. I could hear Jasmine banging on the walls of the van as it disappeared out of view.
“Mom,” I said, “Mom. Mom. Mom.”
“What, Girl?” Mom snapped back.
“Am I an only child, or do I have a sister?” Mom’s face immediately hardens.
Acting like nothing happened, she replies, “I didn’t even want you. Why would I want another kid?” I felt my heart shatter into a million pieces. I knew that Mom wasn’t truly my mother. After all, I was adopted. She didn’t have the love of a mother. It was the way she said it. How could she say that? But after all, ever since Jasmine disappeared, Mom had been harsh to me, she must’ve blamed me for not being able to keep her safe.
I had to look for my long-lost sister. I went upstairs into my room, trying to hide my face from Mom. I grabbed a small bag and shoved whatever I thought was necessary for my journey. Yes, I had no idea where in the world I was going, but I was going to give it a shot. I stayed in my room, waiting until it was silent. Hours passed, which felt like years. My clock changed from 11:59 to 12:00. I tiptoed to my door. Nothing stirred. Slowly opening my door, I quietly walk out. Downstairs, and out the front door.
I spent the next few days walking in the direction that the van sped off in the flashback. I knew that she was out there somewhere, and I couldn’t just let her go. I spent the next few days scouring the streets, asking everyone I met if they had seen a man with a van or a young girl who looked like me. I was relentless in my search, even though I had no idea where to start.
One day, as I was walking down the street, I saw a familiar face. It was the man who had taken Jasmine. He was sitting on a bench, smoking and looking around cautiously at other people. He was older now, with gray hairs peeking out from his dark brown hair.
I didn’t hesitate. I walked straight up to him and demanded, “Where is my sister?”
He looked at me with surprise, and although I thought I saw a hint of recognition in his eyes, he snarled, “What sister? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I didn’t believe him. I could see the lies in his eyes. I walked away, but not far from where he sat.
I followed him for hours, staying hidden in the shadows as he moved from place to place. Eventually, I saw him pull up in front of a run-down building on the outskirts of town. He went inside, and I knew that I had found my sister.
I waited until he had left before sneaking inside. It was dark and musty, and the air was thick with the smell of mold and decay. I was very tempted to run out and go back home. But I had to find Jasmine.
I called out her name, softly. I heard some stirring. People. As my eyes adjusted to the sudden darkness, I realized that there were about fifty children, ranging from five to twelve years old. All were sitting on the floor, each inside their own cage.
“Let us out!” a hoarse voice called to me. I looked at its source. It was a young boy, probably seven years old. His clothes were in tattered rags, his hair messy, and his body covered in streaks of dirt.
“I- I’m sorry, I don’t know how. I’ll come back. I promise.” I stammered. The boy’s eyes drained of hope.
I continued walking down the dark, cold building. The floor and walls were concrete. The children stirred as I walked past them.
“Have you guys seen a girl that looks like me?” I asked, “She’s eleven years old. Her name is Jasmine.”
The victims warily looked at each other. They all shook their heads slowly, too tired and hungry to speak. I turned away while continuing my walk and I wondered where my sister could possibly be.
“I think I know who she is,” a small voice says. I stop and whirl around.
“She was my friend. But one day, when the scary person gave us some bread and water, she finally snapped. She tried to fight back but was too weak. They took her away. But a few days ago, I overheard him talking to another man. They took her further into the room, where there are more people… where the scariest people are,” she shuddered.
“Thank you so much! I promise that I will try to free all of you. Thank you.”
I walked slowly, stealthy as a mouse. I walked deeper into the building. Little light flowed through the tiny, cobwebbed windows. The end of the prison was nearing. However, there were no guards. Lunch break, perhaps? I saw a cage, smaller than the rest. Inside it was a girl sitting on the floor, her hands tied tightly behind her back. She had long, brown hair, with specks of dirt. Her dark brown eyes gleamed in the dark and she had a murderous look on her face. Other than her expression, she looked just like me.
“Jasmine?”
Her head snaps towards me, her eyes glaring at me. “Who are you?” she asks.
“I’m Lily. Your sister.”
“Lily? I’ve had memories of you! We were playing outside once, and… and… they took me away!”
“We have to get out of here,” I whisper.
“Found your sister, have you?” A familiar, deep, rough voice says. Jasmine’s kidnapper.
