Even The Lost Can’t Be Found

It was a warm day in our sunny little town, I was walking with my little brother which I had done many times before. I was greeted by everyone I passed with a simple wave, an ear-to-ear smile or a cheerful hello. We made it to the: park where I was sitting on a bench watching Gabriel run and play when a man approached me. He seemed familiar but I couldn't put his face together. He was tall, with black hair and well groomed shaggy facial hair. As he sat down next to me I turned towards him and couldn't hold the shudder that went through my body. Underneath his ringlet hung hair were thee most shocking electric blue eyes I had ever seen. We conversated for a while, laughing throughout the conversation I thought he was nice yah know, kinda charming. That all changed in an instant when he said “I have a g*n and if you two don’t come with me now I'll shoot both of you” I was star-shocked I looked at him in horror and disbelief, just hoping it was a joke “act like everything is okay” he snapped back and nudged the g*n into the side of my rib cage. I turned to Gabriel who was playing with another kid and shed a single tear through my fake smile “f-five minutes” I said with a stutter while holding my smile as my single tears fell slowly down the side of my face “what do you mean five minutes?” he asked “Gabriel is playing with some other kids and if It llrab him now he’ll cause a scene and im guessing thats not what you want.. So five minutes''. “We’re going for a drive with my friend Baba” I told him while holding back more tears “where to Sissy?” he could tell I was worried as we had both never seen this person before. I tried to reassure him with “we’re going on an adventure” in fear of what was to come. We held hands and exited the park. When we entered the parking lot a lady and her kids got out of a van and started making their way towards the park “hey bub nice to see you again” she said to me, our abductor put one hand on my hip and pointed the g*n through his jacket at my spine. I wanted to yell for help or give her some sort of sign that I was in danger but I could feel bn the cold g*n barrel on my back and I dreaded the fact that he would hurt Gabriel or the lady or even her family so I smiled and replied “hi its nice to see you too” and continued walking with my head down. He put us in the front seat of his truck and drove for what felt like hours. Gabriel had fallen asleep in my arms to the continuous hum of the beaten down truck. I finally worked up the courage to ask “Where are you taking us". Silence. "At least tell me your name” more silence. His low husk voice said “you can call me Bryan ”. “Please….. Bryan you can let us go, I won't tell anyone and you'll never see us again plea-” “shh that's enough talking” he interrupted, more tears slowly started to break through the surface “please he's only four he won’t remember anything and I wont say a thing I promi-” “I SAID ENOUGH” his yell shaking Gabriel awake. After I calmed him down I tried one last time “please” I whispered “you don't have to do this'' holding Gabriel tightly in my arms. As we carried along the long road I tried to recognize something that could tell me where we were or where he was taking us, a landmark or road sign of some kind but there was nothing, this was the furthest I’d ever been from my town, hell, I’ve never even been outside of town before. We drove along the main road and turned right on a bumpy gravel road still silent without a word being said. It had just started to go into nightfall. After a time we stopped outside of a large metal and wire gate. “Get out” he turned to me breaking the long silence “what?” I replied “get out the truck are you deaf? Do you want me to repeat it again? Get out of the truck! get out now go!” I lifted the handle and shifted my legs towards the door “stop” he said, I glared at him “leave him here” he grabbed and twisted my wrist back to try and loosen my grip on my brother “what no please no” I begged, he pulled out the hand g*n placed the barrel between my eyebrows and c****d the lever “leave him in here and get out now”. I tried to hold back my tears but my eyes had other ideas “please don’t hurt him, he's like a son to me, he’s all I have” I pleaded with heartache in my voice as I placed him on the front seat to continue sleeping. I stood outside the trunk with my hand slightly above my shoulders as the g*n was still pointed at me. He lowered the g*n to Gabriel who was still sleeping and I flinched in fear. I didn't care whether I lived or died, I just wanted him safe. Bryan then said “now open the fence in front of us and don’t try anything….. Or else” I slowly closed the door and moved towards the gate, the headlights made it hard to see, Bryan kept his blue eyes on me like a hawk and the g*n on Gabriel. I turned to the gate and lifted the latch.