A Mother's Fear
830 Words
The car crawled to a quiet stop and Selene's eyes faltered open, glancing around the unfamiliar ambiance of the building stretched before her—her home.
“We're here, ma'am…” the driver announced, stealing Selene a glance from the rearview mirror.
Selene forced out a nervous smile, pushing the door open and finally stepping out.
“Thank you,” she mouthed, her eyes still taking in the place as though she were trying to grasp what felt so wrong.
“Welcome, ma'am…” the guard by the door greeted, pressing a polite bow.
“Where is Leo?” Selene asked first.
“In your room, ma'am….” he answered.
Selene exhaled a quiet breath and nodded, hastening her steps as she hurried into the house.
“Ava?” she called, panic coiling low in her stomach as her eyes stretched across the entire living room.
The Ava she knew would one hundred percent be by the door when she walked in—of course to question her, nag about how carelessly she was living her life, and how she needed to be more of a present mother.
“Ava?” Selene called again, and this time when no one but the echoes of her own voice answered, she bolted on her heels, scurrying up the stairs and straight into Leo's room.
“Leo, baby….”
The words caught in her throat as her eyes took in the emptiness of his room.
In your room, ma'am….
The guard’s words replayed in her head. She let out a relieving breath.
Of course.
She pressed a smile onto her face as though to shrug aside the fear swallowing her whole as she walked out, waddling toward her own room as cold sweats broke across her forehead.
“Everything is fine, Selene… there’s nothing to worry about,” she consoled herself in a shaky voice, her feet slowing to an unsteady stop before the tall door of her room.
“He could be inside… sleeping, Selene… you have absolutely nothing to worry about,” she breathed, trailing her fingers to the doorknob and pushing the door open as her eyes lit up with hope—
only to come crashing down when there was not a single sight of Leo nor Ava.
Fear seized her spine.
“Leo?” she screamed, covering the room in a matter of seconds, her breath uneven and ragged.
“Ava!” she called again, frantic and loud, breaking down.
“Where are you, baby? Where are you?” she bawled, pacing, her fingers threading through her hair as her mind spiraled.
“Miss Selene?”
A voice sliced through the air and she looked up, landing her gaze on the guard from outside, quietly walking his way into her room.
“Where are they?” she asked, lurching forward as her eyes dug into his face.
He raised a brow, as though confused too.
“Where is my son!” Selene screamed.
“He… he… he…” he stammered.
Selene's knees buckled and she almost crumbled to the ground. She knew exactly what this was. She had seen enough violence to understand that no doubt—Leo was in danger.
“They were here just minutes ago…”
She shoved him out of the way and rushed through the dimly lit hallway in seconds, racing down the stairs and back into the living room, her eyes searching the place for her keys when the guard came following quickly behind her.
“I’m calling the police, ma'am…”
“Don’t,” Selene hissed, cutting him off, the fear inside her melting into anger. Whoever took them, she would find out—and no, this would not end well for them.
“Can I have your phone?” Selene said, only stretching out her hand, her eyes refusing to meet his as anger bubbled within her.
“Sure,” he pressed the phone into her palms.
She tucked it into the hoodie she had on—one Marina had provided for a good disguise in deserting the hospital.
“If perhaps she returns when I'm out… try to reach me as soon as possible.”
“Yes ma'am….”
Selene stretched her hand again.
He raised a brow.
“Your gun,” she mouthed.
He let out a nervous laugh, as though in disbelief he must have heard her wrong.
“I said your gun,” Selene snapped, this time her red, blazing eyes meeting his face.
He swallowed a tight breath and shoved it out of his back holster, putting it into her hand.
Selene’s fingers tightened around it, her feet just about to lurch into motion when the guard blurted out something that rooted her still to the spot.
“I think I know who took them…”
She turned.
“He stopped by a while ago, ma'am… introduced himself as Damien.”
Selene's stomach clenched, a painful swallow sliding down her throat as his words sank in.
- Writer
