Gone, But Not Forgotten
Part 1
Molli flicked her hair over her shoulder as she stood up. The customers had all gone, the till was locked, and she had the keys in her hand. She walked through the back door, and passed the keys across to Old Mrs Hallow, before putting her coat on, and picking up her backpack.
The doorbell chimed as she walked out, and she breathed in a gulp of the fresh air.
“Hey! Molli!”
Molli turned her head, and waved slightly.
“Lila. What’s up?”
“You’ve got a letter.”
Lila jogged over to Molli.
“Here.” She handed over the letter, before perching on the crumbling wall. Molli sat down next to her, “Hate this work experience. You’re lucky, you get to work with Mrs Hallow. I have to work with Mr Black, delivering post all week.”
“Could be worse. Alex is working with his dad.”
“Oof. That’s sad.”
“I know, right.”
Lila stood back up, and dusted the brick dust off the back of her trousers.
“I’ve got to go.” She said, “Mr Black will kill me if I don’t get all of these delivered. Enjoy your letter.”
With that, Lila walked off.
Molli strolled over to where her bike was chained up outside the shop, and unlocked the padlock – the code was easy, the first day that she and Alex had met. The code had been the same for years, meaning that either of them could use it, but now, she was mounting it, and pedalling down the small hill towards the cottages.
She went as slowly as possible, wanting to people-watch, one of the only interesting things to do in such a small village. She waved at the people she was friends with, ignored the rest, and saw with surprise that there were a few new people walking the streets. The people were probably on holiday, something that they would come to regret once they experienced one of the frequent rain showers.
Finally, Molli reached the bottom of the hill, and had come to the cluster of cottages that her family lived in, alongside most of the rest of the village. She chained the bicycle up, and opened the door – it was unlocked, so her mother must’ve been inside, however, she didn’t hear anything, so hung her coat up on the back of the door, and tip-toed upstairs.
Molli flicked her hair over her shoulder as she stood up. The customers had all gone, the till was locked, and she had the keys in her hand. She walked through the back door, and passed the keys across to Old Mrs Hallow, before putting her coat on, and picking up her backpack.
The doorbell chimed as she walked out, and she breathed in a gulp of the fresh air.
“Hey! Molli!”
Molli turned her head, and waved slightly.
“Lila. What’s up?”
“You’ve got a letter.”
Lila jogged over to Molli.
“Here.” She handed over the letter, before perching on the crumbling wall. Molli sat down next to her, “Hate this work experience. You’re lucky, you get to work with Mrs Hallow. I have to work with Mr Black, delivering post all week.”
“Could be worse. Alex is working with his dad.”
“Oof. That’s sad.”
“I know, right.”
Lila stood back up, and dusted the brick dust off the back of her trousers.
“I’ve got to go.” She said, “Mr Black will kill me if I don’t get all of these delivered. Enjoy your letter.”
With that, Lila walked off.
Molli strolled over to where her bike was chained up outside the shop, and unlocked the padlock – the code was easy, the first day that she and Alex had met. The code had been the same for years, meaning that either of them could use it, but now, she was mounting it, and pedalling down the small hill towards the cottages.
She went as slowly as possible, wanting to people-watch, one of the only interesting things to do in such a small village. She waved at the people she was friends with, ignored the rest, and saw with surprise that there were a few new people walking the streets. The people were probably on holiday, something that they would come to regret once they experienced one of the frequent rain showers.
Finally, Molli reached the bottom of the hill, and had come to the cluster of cottages that her family lived in, alongside most of the rest of the village. She chained the bicycle up, and opened the door – it was unlocked, so her mother must’ve been inside, however, she didn’t hear anything, so hung her coat up on the back of the door, and tip-toed upstairs.
Cinder Blaze Mirada Johnson
Je suis comme un dragon : dangereuse, fougueuse et magnifique.
Moonlight Dreams!
Gone, But Not Forgotten
Molli sat down on her bed, and laid the letter on her lap, and stared at it. Then, she opened the envelope. She put the now torn envelope to the side, and looked at the letter, or, more truthfully, the current lack of one. There was another envelope there, and Molli’s breath caught in her throat as she saw the name on the front – Mr Daniel Hale. Her older brother. Before she could think to regret it, she tore open the older-looking envelope, and unfolded the piece of disgustingly pastel pink paper, and started to read it.
“Dearest Mr Hale,
I missed you on Monday – or, at least, I missed your money.
You still owe me 10,000 pounds. On Friday.
You wouldn’t want anything to happen to your parents, would you. Or sweet little Molly. Or, maybe even to you.
Kindest regards,
P”
Molli felt sick. It was bad enough that someone had been blackmailing her brother. And it wasn’t made any better by the fact that the mystery blackmailer had spelt her name wrong. No-one seemed to spell her name right, except from her closest friends. Not even the person writing those… No. She was not going to think about that, not when there might be a new clue about Thomas.
Then, in a flash of realisation, she realised something that she’d heard many times before – Thomas disappeared on a Friday. Did that have something to do with the letter? And why had it only just been delivered? Surely if it had been posted eight years ago, it would’ve been delivered by now. And why was it addressed to her?
So many questions. And no answers. However, if there was anyone who would know the answers to such questions, it would be Alex. So, Molli went back downstairs, put on her coat, unlocked her bike, and set out towards the old railway lines, the letter safely in her pocket.
“Dearest Mr Hale,
I missed you on Monday – or, at least, I missed your money.
You still owe me 10,000 pounds. On Friday.
You wouldn’t want anything to happen to your parents, would you. Or sweet little Molly. Or, maybe even to you.
Kindest regards,
P”
Molli felt sick. It was bad enough that someone had been blackmailing her brother. And it wasn’t made any better by the fact that the mystery blackmailer had spelt her name wrong. No-one seemed to spell her name right, except from her closest friends. Not even the person writing those… No. She was not going to think about that, not when there might be a new clue about Thomas.
Then, in a flash of realisation, she realised something that she’d heard many times before – Thomas disappeared on a Friday. Did that have something to do with the letter? And why had it only just been delivered? Surely if it had been posted eight years ago, it would’ve been delivered by now. And why was it addressed to her?
So many questions. And no answers. However, if there was anyone who would know the answers to such questions, it would be Alex. So, Molli went back downstairs, put on her coat, unlocked her bike, and set out towards the old railway lines, the letter safely in her pocket.
Cinder Blaze Mirada Johnson
Je suis comme un dragon : dangereuse, fougueuse et magnifique.
Moonlight Dreams!