Pru and Lily Part II

THURSDAY 6:40P.M. Lily
None of us could sleep, though the detectives had suggested we try. Aunt June and uncle Stan were up trying to figure out who had their daughter.
I walked into the living room to hear:
“Whom do we know named Pat?” aunt June asked her husband who was at her side.
“Did we go to school with any Pat’s?”
“I graduated with a few Pat’s, I need my year book,” aunt June got up and went into the kitchen for it.
I could barely keep my eyes open, I was so tired. “I’m going to go try to sleep,” I said, “Wake me if anything happens.”
Uncle Stan said, “Okay.” Then started looking through his yearbook.
I went into Pru’s room, which was now the guest room, and lay down. It didn’t take long before I fell asleep.
“So, there’s Pat Johnson, I didn’t ever talk to him, um…there’s Pat Martin, he was a nerd, I only talked to him once, but we were on good terms.” Aunt June was speaking out loud as she flipped through the pages.
“I knew a Pat Carlson, he and I hung out, but we lost touch after school,” uncle Stan spoke.
After they had looked through their yearbooks. They couldn’t find anyone who would’ve had a grudge.
“What about people from work, or people you met through friends?” Detective Hunter suggested.

FRIDAY 8:30 A.M. Pru
Pru woke up, not rested, but definitely sore, just in time to see the door open. Pru watched as Pat appeared.
“You know what? I was going to give you breakfast, but after you told my son I had kidnapped you, I changed my mind.”
“But you did kidnap me!” Pru yelled.
Pat came over and grabbed her throat, “I didn’t kidnap you, and I’m just giving you a better chance at life.”
“What horrible thing did my parents do? Don’t I get to know?” Pru asked.
Pat tightened his grip on her throat, “They were not smart in the choices they made.” Then he released his grip.
Pru grabbed her throat and took some deep breaths.
“Now, let’s lay down the ground rules. First, you keep your mouth shut; don’t speak unless spoken to. Secondly, don’t attract attention to yourself; no pounding on the hatch. And thirdly, if you behave yourself, I’ll let you out and you can help with chores. Do you understand?”
Pru nodded, “If you break the rules, you don’t eat.” Pat went back up the stairs.
Pru heard footsteps, but they were heavier, and more than two feet. She made the conclusion that she was under some barn, either horses or cows. Pru sat against the headboard, there wasn’t too much to do, so she picked up her knitting and started working on it.

FRIDAY 9:13 A.M. Lily
I awoke feeling strangely well rested. I went downstairs to find aunt June and uncle Stan sleeping on the couches. I looked at my watch; it was 9:13 in the morning. I walked into the kitchen to find a young officer sitting at the table reading a book.
“Hello,” I said politely, I walked into the kitchen and got a glass of water.
“Hello,” he looked up from his book, I noticed that he had really blue eyes.
“What are you reading?” I asked sitting across from him at the kitchen table.
“Four Blind Mice, by James Patterson. I found it in that box,” he pointed.
“That’s Pru’s book.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” he shut the book.
“No, it’s okay, Pru loved James Patterson, and she has all of his books except the one about golf. Her mom, my aunt June, gets them for her as soon as they come out.”
“James Patterson is really good, have you ever read his stuff?”
“No, I don’t read much,” I said truthfully.
“Oh…my name is officer Ryan Sanford.”
“I’m Lily.”
“Are you Pru’s sister?”
I laughed, “Almost, we’re cousins.”
Ryan smiled, “How are you doing?”
I shrugged my shoulders, my smile disappeared, “We were supposed to go to Wyoming for a wedding, and she didn’t show up. I almost feel responsible.”
“You shouldn’t,” Ryan said.
“But I do, I asked her to come with me, and now she’s gone.”
“We’ll get her back,” Ryan grabbed my hand.
“Has anyone called?”
“No, it’s been quiet since I got here.”
“Do you want to watch a movie? Just as something to do?” I asked.
“Sure.”

FRIDAY 12:31 P.M. PRU
Pru’s hands were beginning to cramp up and get sore from knitting, so she placed her knitting down.
“What else can I do?” she asked herself. Then she saw her backpack. Inside it she found a permanent marker. The walls were made of wood and were looking a bit boring. Pru started writing in a medium size.
“In this place where I am stuck, maybe I’ll find a little luck. I’ll get out of this place, and heal the bruises on my face…” she wrote onto that poem so that it went from as high as Pru could reach, down to the floor, and probably only a foot wide.
From her backpack she found a pencil and went to a different wall, she sketched out some animals and a little bit of scenery. Once she thought it looked good in the pencil, Pru outlined it in permanent marker.
She heard the hatch trying to open.
She heard a male voice say, “Pru?”
She ran up the stairs, “Yes, I’m here.”
“My father put a lock on the hatch, but I promise I’m going to help you.”
Tears came to her eyes, “How?” she asked.
There was silence, then Cole said, “I don’t know.”
“You’d better get out of here before your father catches you. We’ll both be in trouble.”
“I’ll be back later,” and then Cole was gone.
Pru stayed for a moment, just listening. She heard a horse, she knew she was under a horse barn.

FRIDAY 1:32 P.M. Lily
Aunt June and uncle Stan woke up to the phone ringing. Ryan and I came from the kitchen, he put on headphones and started the machine. He signaled to Uncle Stan and he picked it up.
“Hello?”
“Your daughter is smart, but are you? Any guesses?”
“Did you go to high school with my wife and I?”
“No questions, only guesses!”
“Are you Patrick Martin?” he asked.
“No!” and the phone call ended.
We all looked at Ryan, he shook his head, “Sorry, we just don’t have super powered technology.”
“What about Pru’s cell phone? Can’t you trace it?”
“I’m not sure, let me call Detective Hunter.” He went outside and called.
“Why can’t we think of who it is?” aunt June asked as she started to cry.
Uncle Stan got up and sat next to her, “Don’t worry honey, she’s strong, we’ll get her back.”
I left my aunt and uncle there and went outside.
Ryan was just finishing up the phone call, “Okay, bye.”
“So?” I asked.
“The FBI is coming in, they have all that kind of high tech stuff.”
“So we’ll find her once they get here?”
“Only if the phone is on.”

FRIDAY 1:38 P.M. Pru
Pru had finished her mural, it depicted a field with a tree, a horse, a few rabbits, a few cats, and a dog. She sat back admiring it, “I’m so bored.”
The hatch opened a little bit, “Come here!” Pat yelled.
Pru walked up the stairs quickly. “Yes?”
“This kitten has been rejected…you can take care of it!” he handed me a small kitten.
“What do I need to do?” Pru asked, looking and the black and orange ball of fur.
“Bottle feed it,” he handed down a small bottle and a can of baby formula. “Keep it alive and keep it healthy.” And the hatch was slammed.
Pru carried the small baby down the stairs and put it on the bed, it started to cry. “Don’t worry, I’ll be right back,” she said as she went into the bathroom and made a bottle.
When it was just right Pru walked back into the bedroom. The little kitten wasn’t really moving, it was just lying there crying.
Pru picked up the small thing and held it to her chest and gave it the bottle. As it ate, it stretched out its little paws.
“You need a name, um…what about Hope?” the kitten didn’t respond, but Pru liked the name.
The kitten finished the bottle, and then just rested on her chest. She closed her eyes, and they both fell asleep.

FRIDAY 5:07 P.M. Lily
The F.B.I. arrived around 5 p.m. They turned my aunt and uncle’s house into their headquarters. There were computers and equipment everywhere.
My cousins George and LeAnn, Pru’s siblings were just trying to go on with their lives. LeAnn went to work, and George playing in his fort. When Pru’s older sister Anabelle arrived, she helped me in staying strong and telling uncle Stan and aunt June that everything would be okay.
The FBI tried to track Pru’s cell phone, but it wasn’t on. They decided it would be best if they left the machine on, in case the phone was turned on.
“We’ve got a hit on a fingerprint from your daughter’s car!” an FBI agent said.
Aunt June and uncle Stan ran into the kitchen.
“His name is Patrick John Greene.”
Both aunt June and uncle Stan looked at the computer.
“Oh my god!” aunt June said.
“What? Who is he?” Anabelle asked as we all looked at the computer.
“Who is he June?” uncle said.
Aunt June was quiet for a minute, “Stan do you remember the night we met?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Well, that night I had been talking to Pat before we were introduced. He had asked me on a date and I said yes. We had come to that party together. Then we met, and I guess I forgot about him.”
“So he’s mad at you because I married you?” Uncle Stan asked.
“Patrick was sort of possessive in the small amount of time we had met. We worked together, and slept together twice before I met you. He considered that to be our binding tie. To him it meant we were going to get married. But I met you and told Pat I wasn’t going to marry him, he freaked out. I would’ve told you Stan, but then he disappeared.”
“So where is he now?” uncle Stan turned to the agents.
“Seems to be that in 1982 he disappeared, no more taxes, no nothing. But he has relatives we’ll go talk with.”

FRIDAY 6:18 P.M. Pru
The kitten crawled on her chest, waking Pru up. “What are you doing? She asked. The kitten’s head turned toward the sound of her voice. Her eyes had yet to open, but the kittened meowed at her.
“Are you hungry?” Pru asked, the kitten meowed.
Pru put her hand under the kitten and carried it into the bathroom to make the bottle. Once it was done, the kitten ate as Pru walked around the room. The kitten was wedged in Pru’s elbow and she held the bottle in her hand, so she had one free hand. With it, she wrote more on the wall.
She was writing the songs she loved. “The rose,” “Walking in Memphis,” and all the rest she could remember. The entire sidewall was covered with songs. The opposite wall was her mural and on the adjacent wall her own writings.
Pru became tired, so she placed Hope on a pillow and laid on her stomach. She wrapped her arm around the kitten’s pillow.

FRIDAY 8:15P.M. LILY
I hated not knowing where Pru was. The fact that the FBI had nothing to go on but a name that nobody could find a body for. I finally walked up to the head agent.
“What do you have?”
“What?”
“What do you have on this Patrick Greene fellow? What do you have on where Pru is?”
“We’re talking with his relatives. We’ve also gotten a few letters off the surveillance tape at the rest stop. We’re comparing those to the list of white vans registered in this state, especially those that live within a 60 mile radius of the rest stop.”
“And when you get anything, what will you do?”
“I’ll talk to Stan and June.”
“Good,” I said and headed back inside. “Anabelle, how are they?”
“My mom just went upstairs with her sleeping pills. Dad’s out in the garage looking through all his car books trying to figure out what’s wrong with Pru’s car.”
“What about LeAnn and George?”
“LeAnn is still at work, and George is out in his fort still. I don’t know what he’s doing.”
“How about you Anabelle, how are you doing?”
“I’m fine…I’m just making a list,” she said writing something down.
“What kind of list?” I asked.
“A list of things I’ve meant to say to Pru or do with Pru.”
“She’s coming home Anabelle,” I said touching her shoulder.
“I know, but it’s hard,” Anabelle put her hand to her face.

FRIDAY 9:03 P.M. Pru
“Pru?” A voice woke her.
She looked up to see Cole coming down the stairs holding a tray.
“Cole? What are you doing?”
“My father sent me down, I’m proving I can behave. So you can come up.”
“What do I have to do?” she asked.
“Just behave and help the kitten, the mom rejected her.”
“Do you know why your father is doing this?”
“No, but I think he’s serious about making you my brother’s bride.”
“What about your mom? Where is she?”
“She died last year in a car wreck.”
“Where?”
“Hinckley.”
“Okay, so my parents didn’t kill your mom, then what could it be?”
“I don’t know…just be good, I can’t stay.” He said and left.
Pru ate quietly and then made the kitten another bottle. She petted the kitten’s soft fur as she ate. Hope reminded her so much of Goose, her cat at her parent’s house.
With nothing else to do, Pru put the kitten in her lap with the bottle propped up and started to knit again. The kitten finished it’s bottle and then just sat there.

FRIDAY 9:45 P.M. LILY
“The grandmother’s talking. She says her son lives in Askov, or last she knew. There was even a white van registered to a Mr. Pat James. He’s not answering his phone. We’ve assembled a team heading up there as we speak.” Agent Murray said.
I listened carefully, but this seemed too easy. “Are you sure this is the guy?”
“We’ll find out, won’t we?” Agent Murray smirked.
I walked over to the rock in the front yard and sat down. “What am I going to do?”
“Meow!”
I turned to see Pru’s cat Goose looking up at me. “What are you doing outside?” I asked, Goose rarely left the house.
He jumped up on my lap, I knew he knew something was wrong.
“Don’t worry, she’ll come home,” I petted his head.

FRIDAY 10:16P.M. PRU
The hatch opened as Pru was knitting. When she saw this new person, she stopped knitting.
“Pru?” he asked, he had bright blonde hair.
“Who are you?” Pru asked picking up Hope in her hands.
“I’m Brad, you’re soon to be husband,” he said sitting at the end of the bed.
“I’m not marrying you,” Pru said.
Brad jumped up onto his knees on the bed, “But my father gave you to me.”
“I’m not some present, your father has no right to give me away.”
“You do not talk bad about my father,” Brad touched Pru’s foot.
She pulled her foot away, “Leave me alone, please.”
“Well I’m not just going to do anything to you until we’re married. I’m a Christian through and through.” Brad got off the bed and went back up stairs.
Pru took some deep breaths, “What the hell is going on here?”
Pru held the kitten closer and gently rubbed her furry head.


FRIDAY 10:34 P.M. LILY
I hated being stuck at this house while the feds did all the work. I wanted to be there as they busted Patrick Greene. When I heard Agent Murray talking on his phone. I ran into the house.
“What?” I yelled.
“Patrick Greene is dead.” He said solemnly.
“Where is Pru?”
“Wait a minute, let me explain. Some one set Pat Greene up. His van is missing and he’s been dead at least a week. An apparent suicide.”
“Who has Pru then?”
“We don’t know, we think Pat Greene was in on the original plot, but he decided to end the partnership.”
“So how do we find Pru?”
“We find the partner,” Agent Murray said, turning to one of his agents.
“Agent Murray!” I yelled, “When will you find Pru?”
He turned around angered, “Soon, just let us do our job.”
I hated the way he was ignoring me, I tapped him on the shoulder. When he turned, I punched him. “You don’t even care, do you?” I yelled as Officer Sanford pulled me out the door.
“Lily, calm down,” Ryan said as he sat me down on the bench. “You need to calm down.”
“Why? That man in there is not helping us find her. They’re doing nothing, they’re stupid!” I couldn’t contain myself.
Ryan took my face in his hands, “You have to trust them, and they are working hard to find Pru.”
“Well, if Pat Greene is dead, why is the man doing this?”
“I don’t know,” Ryan said as he hugged me.

FRIDAY 11:57 P.M. PRU
Pru hadn’t even realized she had fallen asleep until the hatch door had slammed shut. She looked around it was darker than usual. The kitten stirred in her arms. Pru saw a dim candle coming from the direction of the staircase.
“Cole? Is that you?” Pru asked.
“Yeah, it’s me,” the voice sounded slightly different, but Pru thought it was just because he was whispering.
“Cole, you have to get me out of here, your brother’s as crazy as your dad,” Pru whispered.
The candle moved and Pru realized it was Brad, not Cole. She put Hope on the bed next to her.
“Oh my god,” She whispered.
“He’s not going to help you,” Brad said.
“Brad please you have to understand my situation. I didn’t really mean it.” Pru laughed a little, “It was a joke.”
Brad set the candle on the nightstand, “Am I laughing?” he grabbed Pru’s leg and pulled her to the edge of the bed.
“OW!” she cried as her back was still extremely sore.
Brad pulled off Pru’s sweatpants she was wearing, and then pulled off her underwear.
“Brad, don’t do this, we’re not married.”
“So?” he asked, not looking at her.
“So, if you wait until we’re married, then I’ll give myself to you in anyway you want,” Pru pleaded as Brad got on top of her.
He looked into her eyes, “Really?”
“Yes, but we have to be married.”
“Really?” Brad said as he gently touched her face.
Pru didn’t want his grimy hands on her, but she still smiled, she rolled them so she was on top.
“Really, but we have to be married,” she leaned in and kissed him. His mouth was disgusting. “Now you have to leave before we make God angry.”
Brad smiled, “What God doesn’t know…” and he grabbed Pru’s bare ass.
“Brad, god sees and knows all,” she got off of him, and started putting her pants back on.
“Okay, fine, but you remember me.”
Pru forced a smile on her face, “How could I forget.”
Brad kissed the back of Pru’s neck before we headed back up the stairs.
Once the hatch shut, Pru put her hands to her face and started crying.
Hope came over and rubbed against Pru.
“It’ll be okay,” Pru told Hope.
Pru carried Hope and her bottle into the bathroom and placed Hope on the floor. She ran the water in the sink and she washed her mouth out.
Pru felt disgusting, she wished she could shower, but there was no shower. Hope started making noises, so Pru picked her up. She made her a quick bottle and let her eat as Pru walked around the bedroom. Pru grew tired, so she lay on the bed. Hope sleeping on her chest.

FRIDAY 11:59P.M. LILY
I was no longer allowed in the same room as Agent Murray. He promised he wouldn’t press charges if I stayed away. Ryan was in charge of keeping me in his sight at all times. He was growing on me, but I knew this was a terrible time to try to get a boyfriend.
It was getting late, and I was really tired. So I went into Pru’s room and slept on the bed. Ryan was ordered to sleep in front of the door on the floor.

SATURDAY 7:14 A.M. PRU
“Rise and shine!” a voice yelled, waking Pru up.
She slowly opened her eyes to see Pat standing there.
“Wake up, you’ve got chores to do,” he set down a tray.
“What?” Pru asked rubbing her eyes.
“I’m allowing you to help the boys with their chores.”
“Really?” Pru said jumping up. Hope waking in her arms.
“Eat your breakfast, and afterwards come up stairs, but if you try to run, you’ll be back in here.”
“Okay,” Pru said nodding.
Pat went back upstairs and Pru ate quickly. When she finished she changed her clothes and made hope a new bottle before she headed upstairs.
Cole was the first thing she saw, he was grooming a brown horse.
“Hello,” Pru said holding Hope.
“Hello, my father told me you are to groom and saddle that horse over there,” he pointed behind her.
Pru turned to see a painted horse, a very pretty painted horse of white and black.
“Just groom and saddle?” Pru asked.
“Yep.”
“Okay, where is the brush?” she asked.
“Everything you need is over there,” Cole didn’t look at her, just pointed.
“Cole, what’s wrong?” Pru asked walking towards him.
“Don’t! you’ll get in trouble.”
She stopped, turned around and then walked towards the horse. Pru knew she couldn’t groom and saddle a horse with Hope in her hands, so she found a small box and put some hay in it. She put Hope gently down. Hope didn’t move, so Pru set her bottle down next to her.
Pru picked up a brush and started brushing the horse.
“Cole, what’s this horses’ name?”
“Teddy,” and he was quickly silent again.
Pru felt uneasy as she finished grooming, she then picked up a comb and got out the snarls in his mane and tail.
Once he was all groomed, Pru carefully put on the saddle blanket, and then the saddle.
“Cole, do you want the saddle tightened right now? Or are we going to do it later?” Pru asked.
Cole didn’t say anything, just came over and shoved Pru aside.
“Ow!” she said.
“What?” Cole asked as he tightened the saddle.
“You hit a bruise,” she said.
“On your back?” he said pulling up the back of Pru’s shirt. He back was covered in bruises. “What happened?”
“ I hit the back of the van when Pat slammed on his brakes.”
“Who’s Pat?” Cole asked lowering the stirrups of the saddle.
“Isn’t that your dad’s name?” Pru asked.
“No, his name is John, my uncle’s name is Pat.”
“Oh my god,” Pru was stunned.
“Okay, we’ll talk later, get on the horse.”
“What?” Pru raised an eyebrow.
“You’re going to help us move cattle.”
“Should I take Hope?”
“Who’s Hope?” Cole asked.
“The kitten,” Pru said picked up her and the bottle.
“You have to take her, but take her in…um…” he looked around and grabbed a white bag. “This is a clean grain bag, use that.”
Pru gently placed Hope into the bag, but held the bottle in her hand.
“Get on Teddy, and then I’ll hand Hope up to you.”
Pru quickly got on Teddy and Cole handed up the bag. Pru wrapped the cord around her neck.
“Okay, wait here.” Cole said as he went back and got on the other horse. “Follow me,” Cole said passing her.