Unknown at the moment

"It was a stormy April evening in 1792, you'd think everyone would be indoors, children all tucked in their beds safe and warm, the parents relaxing after a normal busy day. That's not the case for everyone in the small village of Hopewell. You can hear their yelling, shouting, and cries echo through out the surrounding forest. "ELIZABETH! ELIZABETH! ELIZABETH PORTER!" The cries were filled with hope that little Elizabeth will call out I'm here. Elizabeth never came home after playing out by the woods earlier that morning, so a frightened Mother calls out to her husband who was working in the fields across the house that their daughter is missing. The search went on all through the night. soaked, cold, and dead inside, the parents Martha and Henry went home with little to no hope that their six year old little girl, Elizabeth would be found safe. The village kept searching for a week until they talked to the parents, "I have no idea how to tell you this, but it's been a week and no one has seen or heard anything. I'm afraid that there isn't much more we can do. With it being coyote season, we may have to accept the fact that, she's gone." For weeks, the villagers can hear the sobs and screams coming from the Porter residents by Martha. Until one day, the house was still and quiet. Martha and Henry ended up taking their lives because they couldn't bare the fact that their only child that they loved was gone. For many years, young teens used to go to the Porter house on a dare because its said to be haunted by the ghosts of the parents who still cry out for their missing daughter. So class, that's the history of Hopewell and the missing child. I want you all to write a short essay about what you think of what could have happened to Elizabeth and to write down reasons to support your choice. On Halloween, you'll all share it with the class. That includes you, Molly. Just because you're new here doesn't mean you get a free pass now." The students all look at her as she starts to slowly sink into her chair. The last bell for the school day rings. All the students quickly get up and head to the door to go home talking amongst each other. Molly puts on her hood on her hoodie and heads out the door. As shes walking down the hall, holding onto her school books like some armor against her chest, a group of kids were doing the cough talk "freak", "loser". Molly was different then the rest of the kids of Hopewell. She was into goth stuff, while the rest were either cheerleaders or farmers children who supplied the town with food. Molly's mom was a painter who recently divorced her dad because he was to deep into gambling, drinking, and drugs. Molly's mom wanted a fresh start for them. Molly did have a younger sister a few years ago, but she was killed in a car crash caused by their dad. "Mom, Its raining harder!" Molly whimpered to her mom while clutching onto her doll. Molly, her mom Jean, and Molly's little sister Lily were in a car going down a back road during a rain storm. "I know sweetie, we're almost home. How are you holding up guys?" Jean called out trying to help keep the girls calm. "Good." Lily answered. Lily was five and was a splitting image of Molly. Blond curly hair and brown eyes. "I just want to go home." Molly whimpered some more. Molly was seven. "I know baby we're almost there." Jean puts on some kids songs on the radio to help. They all started to sing If you're happy and you know it. "My doll!" Lily whispered and took off her seat belt to get out of her car seat to get her doll off the floor. Since its dark in the dark, Molly didn't see her do it. Jean realized what Lily did and went to quickly turn around her seat taking her eyes off the road for one second, "MOMMY!" Molly let out a blood curdling scream pointing to the road. Jean quickly looks back at the road and sees three deer standing in the middle of the road. She went to slam on the breaks, but they gave out! Molly's dad said he fixed them that morning but he must have forgotten too because he was drunk again. Jean swerved and not realizing she went down a steep hill. The car was rolling and rolling. You can hear glass breaking, everyone screaming, metal crunching, branches snapping. By the time the car had finally stopped rolling, the car was on all four tires and the bottom of the hill. Jean was coming too lifting her head off the steering wheel. Her face was covered in blood. She turned to Molly, "Molly baby are you alright?" Molly had a gash on her face but shake a her head yes. Jean then realizes Lily isn't there. "Lily? LILY!" She limps out of the car and turns on her phones flash light screaming for Lily. Everytime she yelled, thunder rolled. Molly is calling for her mom and Jean is looking for Lily. Molly manages to get out of the car and goes to Jean. "Molly, where's Lily?!" Jean starts to panic more and more. Jean tells Molly to go by a huge boulder and yo stay there. Jean is limping more and trying to scream for Lily, but now it's getting to the point where they were turning into throat blocking and throat burning sobs. She takes a few steps more up the hill and sees Lily's foot. The rest of her body is covered by tall grass so all you see is her little foot. Jean starts screaming so loud that even the banging from the thunder couldn't cover it. Molly didn't live far from the school so she had to walk to and from. She has to walk through the cemetery and go on a trail through the woods to reach home. A head stone catches her eye. It was an Angel head stone. You can tell its seen better days. What got her attention was that there were fresh flowers on the grave. She continues her way home. When she makes it to her new house she can see that the moving truck is there for the last load. She did like the look of their new home but she does miss L.A and her friends. It was a big white house with a wrap around porch and plenty of land. Molly got inside and see movers all over the place, placing boxes where there supposed to go. Jean was in her painting office when she sees Molly. She walks out into the kitchen to greet her, "Hey baby how was your first day?" Molly shrugs her shoulders. "It went." Jeans face turned sympathetic knowing that the move and Divorce is hard on Molly. "I know its hard baby, but you do have to admit it, you're new room is huge! You have all of this space to explore, and you will make new friends. Just give it time. It'll all work out for you." Molly grabs a couple of cookies off the counter and was about to head upstairs when she over heard one of the moving guys ask, "There's three boxes left, they're labeled Lily, which room do these go in?" Molly's hear sunk. "Oh.... um... the attic please." Jean said with a heart full of pain. As soon as the workers passed Molly to go upstairs, Jean covers her mouth gently and goes into her painting room and gently shuts the door. Molly lets out a defeated sigh, knowing she might not see her mom for the rest of the day now, throws away the cookies since she lost her appetite and continues her way upstairs. She ends up bumping into a worker. "We're all set ma'am." Molly reaches into her wallet and pulls put two fifty dollar bills for their tip. "Have a good day ma'am." She watches them head down stairs and as soon as she hears them shut the front door, she heads to her room. She gently shuts her door and then looks around. There's a bay window with cushions that let in enough light so that Molly doesn't need to turn on the light. She moves her mattress so she can lay down and relax. She just lays on her back staring at the ceiling getting lost in her thoughts. Her moms screaming when she found Lily echoes in her mind. These past few weeks have been hard on Molly since she had to help her mom pack up Lily's things. "Doctor Greene to I.C.U Doctor Greene to I.C.U." Molly's sitting on her hospital bed after getting stitches on her face and a cast on her arm. Jean sits at the chair next to her bed with a look of death all over her face. "Mommy?...... Mommy?" Jean snaps out of it and looks at Molly. "Yes baby?" Jeans voice was crackling and squeaky sounding from all that screaming. "Where's Lily?" Molly asked Innocently not fully understand the situation. Jeans eyes start to water and her lip curling. "She's down stairs baby. When Aunty Beth gets here, I have to go down there for a little bit, okay?" Jean starts to play with Molly's hair that had spots of blood from her face cut. Molly gently shakes her head in agreement. "Where is she? Where's my family?!" Molly's dad was yelling in the halls. Jean quickly turns facing the door, with a killing glare. She turns and gives Molly a peck on her forehead telling her she will be right back. She gently shuts Molly's room door and then walks up to her Husband. "Richard!" She roared. He went to go and hug her then Jean punches him making him fall to the ground. "You said you fixed them! You lying son of a b***h! You killed my baby! YOU KILLED LILY!" Jean starts to kick Richard over and over again. Then Nurses pull her away from him. "Now is not the time. Molly needs you. Don't go to jail." The nurse whispered to Jean. "Jean?" Her sister Beth was there to help with Molly. Jean then runs to Beth and hugs her. She starts to sob on Beth's shoulders almost falling. Beth manages to get the strength to lift Jean up back on her feet and hold her. "She's gone Beth! My baby is dead!" Jean tries to say after each sob. Beth shushes her petting her head to try and give Jean some comfort. "I know sweety I am so sorry!" She whispers in Jeans ear. "Go to her. You need to face this now so that you can be there for Molly." She makes Jean look at her do that she can comprehend what she told her to do. Jeans eyes were red, under her eyes were black. She has stitches going from one side of her forehead to the other, she has a leg brace on and is supposed to be using her crutches, but the adrenaline is still going crazy in her that she really can't feel that pain. Jean shakes her head yes and wipes the tears off her face and points to Molly's room. Molly was playing with her dolls hair and making sure the band aid that the nurse gave the dolly was on good when she heard the door open and seen Aunt Beth come in. Molly's thoughts were interrupted by a scratching sound that was coming in from her closet wall. She stayed laying down and was looking at her closet waiting to see if something might pop out. After the scratching intensified it suddenly stoped. Molly took a breath. She didn't realize that she stopped breathing. She goes down stairs and sees her mom making dinner. "Hey baby did you start unpacking yet?" Jean was putting chopped onions in a pot that had sauce in it. Molly sits at the breakfast bar. "Not yet. I think there's a mouse in my room by the way." "Oh dear." Jean brushes her hands after washing them and leans on the counter facing Molly. "Well this is an old house and it hasn't had anyone living in it for a while so I guess we shouldn't be surprised that if we have some critters here and there." Molly lets out a sigh and starts playing with some flowers that are in a vase. Then she remembers that they're the same kind of flowers that are at that one grave she saw earlier. "Aren't they lovely? Our neighbor and her husband stopped by when you were at school and dropped these off as a welcome to the neighborhood gift." Once dinner was done cooking, Molly and her mom sat at the couch since she has to set up the table tomorrow. "So, What's on your mind?" Jean asked while covering her mouth mid chewing. "Huh?" Molly Questioned. "I'd expect you to start finding ways to beg me to go back to L.A by now. I mean we've been here for two days and you haven't really complained at all like a normal fifteen year old. So What's up?" Jean asks while scrapping her bowl to get the last little bit of chili. Molly's barely eaten her dinner. She looks at it while continually stirring it. "I don't know I guess I really haven't had time to find things to complain about yet. Can I paint my room?" Molly asked hopeful that she'll say yes. "Sure. We can go in town tomorrow and we can pick that up while I go grocery shopping. What color were you thinking?" Jean asked before taking a sip of some red wine. "I was thinking of purple. Or Red." Jean raised an eye brow. "Purple?" She was a bit shocked with that color idea coming from Molly who loves dark colors and things. "Yeah, like a dark purple." Jean looked up, "Oh okay I was nervous at it first. I thought you were getting out of that phase. I got you a little something while I was in town getting dinner. Its not much so please don't get to excited." Jean leans over the couch and pulls out a brown paper gift bag. Molly couldn't help but get excited and quickly opened it pulling out a very old book. "Be careful love, it's a very old journal. It belonged to George from the 1700's. Someone was having a yard sale after her grandmother passed away and just wanted it all gone." Molly scanned the first page. George put down about how his dad was away hunting for a week with his Uncle and he was upset that he had to stay behind with his mom and siblings. "Thanks mom, I will definitely be reading this a lot!" Molly gives her mom a hug and heads into the kitchen to put her dirty dishes away. "Im gonna get back to work, Mrs. Kelly wants the painting done before the end of this week and I have a little over half of it done. It's getting late, so you've got an hour then it's lights out, we've got a busy day tomorrow." Jean sets her dishes in the sink and then heads into her work space. Molly grabs the book and heads upstairs to her room. She plops on her bed and begins to read the journal. "February 12 1792 Some day, my father will want to take me hunting with him. I don't know why he avoids me, but he does seem to favor Susie, Emily, and Jacob then I. It's like no matter what I do, I'll never be good enough. Mother is the only one who loves me. I just have to wait until Father notices me I guess. Ever since Mother and Father got into a huge argument a couple years ago, everyone here walks on egg shells. February 20 1792 Father finally returned home. He managed to get a couple of deer, five rabbits, and about seven foxes. That should last us a while until he hunts again in a couple months. I over heard Mother and Father talk about a huge increase on the coyote population near by so they need to keep a closer eye on the children. Apparently uncle's dog that went with him got loose and was attacked and killed by the coyote's." Molly became distracted by the same scratching noise in her closet again. "Okay Moll Doll, the hardware store is right over there, here is $50, get your paint and if you happen to see any mouse traps there also grab a couple. If I finish before you I'll meet you back at the car." Jean then heads into the shop leaving Molly to go across the street. Molly hears giggling coming up behind her and turns and sees two girls about her age. "Oh god its her. I wouldn't be surprised if she kills animals and dances naked outside at night." "What a freak!" They whispered to each other, but Molly was able to hear them. She puts up her hood and heads to the hardware store. She was just about to reach the other side of the road when she heard a name that causes her so much hurt to hear. "LILY MAY TANNER!" A mother grabs a little girl about six years of age before she got onto the road that had cars driving on it. "You know better!You could get hurt, or worse!" The mother then picks up the little girl. Thankfully she didn't look anything like her sister or she may have broken down right there. Molly turned around not paying attention and bumped into some coming out of the store. Everything he was carrying was now all over the sidewalk. "Oh my gosh I'm so sorry!" Molly started to help him pick up everything. "You're okay i space out a lot also." She hands him a small box of screws and gets a good look on his face. He was very attractive. He looks about seventeen with black hair and brown eyes. "Names Jay, but my family calls me Justin." Molly almost couldn't say a single word. "Im.... uhh... Molly. Again I'm so sorry!" Jay did the hand gesture to let her know to not worry about it. "It's all good! I haven't seen you around before. New here or just visiting?" Molly cannot help but stare at him. She can't help but blush a little bit. "I just moved here with my mom. Gonna grab some paint for my room." Jay smiles which makes Molly's heart do flips. "That's cool. I actually work here. My grandpa owns the place. It's been passed down for many years. Here I'll help you with the paint just let me take these to that car over there." Jay rushes to the car and hands everything to the lady in the driver side. She can't help but stare and his butt in those dark blue jeans. He makes it to the front doors and opens them for Molly. She follows him through the store passed lumber, plumping, tools, and finally the paint. "So what color do you want? Behind you is the binder of colors we can make for you." As Molly was looking through the many colors she couldn't help but notice that Jay was looking at them also and she can smell his cologne. Is was mesmerizing to her. "You okay?" Jay asked. Molly had stopped moving the pages while being stuck in a safe by his scent and didn't realize it. "Yeah I'm just trying to picture what color would look best is all." He looks at her and scans her style. He then flips through a few pages and stops at dark colors. "These seem to be up your alley. Hey I have to help that customer I'll be right back." Jay sprints to the register to help a little old lady. Molly takes a look at the colors. "Greens, reds, blues, blacks, browns, ha purple!" She thought out loud. "K3467." She grabs a big can of paint and heads to the Register. "Hello again. I take it you found the color you wanted?" He scans the paint can. "Yeah I'd like K3467 please." Jay calls to another worker and asks her to work at the register so he can get the color started for Molly. "That'll be $27.98, need anything else?" Molly hands him the $50 and shakes her head no. After he gave her the change he writes down the color code and grabs the can and heads out back. "It's been over 200 since Hopewell gained its infamous Legend, Elizabeth Porter. The strange disappearance of a poor six year old girl whose body was never found. What has made this a strange missing child is that there was no sign of her anywhere. No shoes, clothes, or even blood. Most believe that if she were taken by coyote's that there would be signs of the attack or even a scream. There has been many theories about her disappearance such as her parents, Martha and Henry could have killed her and hid the body, or she may have went to the near by caves and couldn't get out. These are only a couple out of hundreds of theories that have been thought of since that tragic day.." Molly was watching the local news on the television above the store counter when Jay startled her by setting down the paint can. "Oh, sorry!" He couldn't help but let out a little giggle. "That story about Elizabeth, it's true?" Molly was a little shocked that the Legend is actually true. "Yeah I guess. Every year on Halloween they talk about it. Its quiet sad actually." Molly agreed. "Yes it is, don't get me wrong it's sad when this happens to a child, so what made her story so special?" Jay leaned in closer to her, "Well it's said that she was picked to marry the mayor of Hopewell's son who was born a year before Elizabeth. During those days, those type of titles were very important and respected. The porters were one the main families that kept the village fed by their crops and herds which would have made them wealthy. Now once Elizabeth disappeared, the town lost a big chunk of food and money even before Martha and Henry ended their lives." Molly was a little saddened that the town really didn't seem to care that a child was gone, only the money. Once Molly was finished she went to the car to see if her mom was finished. By the time she got to the car her mom wasn't there. She went to go inside and ended up seeing her mom and some guy talking and giggling. Almost like flirting. "And it starts." Being upset, Molly got into the car and slammed the door shut. An hour goes by and her mom heads out the door and opens the cars back door to set the groceries inside. "Im so sorry dear I hope you weren't waiting to long!" Molly just let out a sigh and put on her headsets and put her music on high. Molly and Jean make it home and Molly still isn't really paying much mind to her mom. "What's the matter sweetie? you haven't said a word on the way home." Molly wanted so badly to just flip out. She couldn't help but feel disgust that her mom was acting like a pretty little cheerleader at the store with that creepy looking guy. "Nothing. I'm just tired. I'll paint my room this weekend. I need to go to bed for school in the morning." Jean knew there was more that Molly wanted to say, but she just let it go and finished getting the groceries inside. "Okay I love you, good night baby." Molly headed upstairs with her can of paint to her room. As soon as she opened her door, her mom called out, "Did you happen to remember to grab mice traps for your room?" Molly groaned. "Crap im sorry i forgot them!" She went in her room and sat on her bed. She let out a sigh and couldn't help but think about Lily again. She wonders how she would look now. What would her personality be like? Would their parents be together still? She then happens to spot the journal by her pillow and decided to read more of it. February 23 1792 Father and Mother are arguing again. I don't understand them. Its like their purpose in life is to hunt, have children, and fight. I'm just tired of them being like this. I wish I had a normal family. Thankfully Mother gave me this journal so i can release some of this frustration in secret and not bother anyone. I had to stop by the porters home today to drop off some money for the wheat we bought and ran into Martha. She's so nice to me. Offering me some sweets her and Elizabeth make. I wish I was their family. I very rarely see Henry and when I do he's always busy and working. I guess that's what happens when you become a huge food supplier for a village, all work and no play. I'll admit I do envy Elizabeth. She has a life and family I wish for. Loving parents, a good home, huge goals, and wealth. Molly was interrupted by the scratching noises again. This time, there was a slight rumbling sound also. She figures that it might be squirrels because that's to much noise for simple field mice to make.