Blue Crescent

Finding Erin

Maddison

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday, Happy birthday

Happy birthday to you

“Thank you, Mom. Dad,” I said happily.

“Here’s my gift,” Mom said, handing me a red box with a white ribbon on top.

“What is this?” I asked, shaking the box.

“It’s a surprise, Baby,” Mom answered, slicing the cake.

“And here is my gift for my beautiful lady,” Dad said, showing me a pink box.

“Dad, you should have at least wrapped a ribbon around it.” Mom laughed.

“You girls are very particular with the wrappers, ribbons, and all that stuff. It’s what is inside that matters, isn’t it?” He joined Mom in laughing.

“You don't have to spend much on presents Mom, Dad,” I said, walking towards their seats and hugging them. “You both are the best gift I ever had.”

Mom and Dad stood up and gave me a hug.

“To our Barbie’s sixteenth birthday,” Dad said, raising a glass of wine.

Mom took the bottle of wine from the table and raised it overhead. “To our Barbie’s sixteenth birthday,” she said before clinking it with the glass Dad was holding.

***

“Bye Mom, Dad.” I waved my parents goodbye before heading for the gym.

It was our first practice for the incoming interschool cheering competition. My parents usually drive me to school before going off for work; something that I am really happy about. I guess Emma was right—Someday I would have a family to call my own.

I actually didn’t think that one day I would find a home. Ah, I could still remember meeting them for the first time at the orphanage when they introduced themselves to me.

Hi Baby, I'm Selena Greene, and from now on, you can call me 'Mommy,' okay?

Hello Maddison.. My name is Dr. Steven Greene. You can call me 'Daddy.'

I could still recall the smile on their faces. Looking at them, I felt like I finally found what I have been missing in my life—family. They would drive me to school, fetch me after class, take me to a vacation, celebrate my birthdays, buy me fancy clothes and toys, and everything that I never got the chance to experience growing up with. I was the happiest girl ever.

One day, I found a box in my mom’s room sealed with tape. I asked my mom what it was, and she said the box contains the memories of her first adopted daughter.

“What happened to her, Mom?” I asked.

She closed her eyes and wept.

“She went missing, Baby. We have done everything that we could to find her, but nothing happened. Weeks later, the police knocked at our door and gave me an earring which I confirmed hers.” She sobbed.

Dad seemed to have heard us and came in saying they chose not to talk about it since then. I wasn’t aware that he was already home so I was terribly sorry for him to catch Mom crying over a painful memory. To be honest, I suddenly felt displaced. It felt like I was competing with someone already dead, but I chose not to think too much about it.

Meanwhile, school was a different story. If home was heaven, school was hell. Bullies were everywhere, and when I said “bully,” it was definitely coming from the school’s certified bully: Andrew. If not for being the son—No, scratch that—an illegitimate son of this rich family who owned the school where I had to go to everyday of my life, he wouldn’t even be famous by any chance.

He was a total jerk and a pain in the ass. He and his friends would spill their drinks all over me at the cafeteria. They would put foreign objects in my locker—bugs, roaches, poop, dead rats, and all kinds of disgusting creatures just to piss me off. They would block my way, and if I insisted on going against them, my life would literally be miserable. That’s when I met Hannah—the daughter of Mr. Princeton who worked at the school library. She was the only badass who had the guts to face Andrew and fight against, and for that, we became friends.

Andrew started hating me to the core when I discovered he was gay. I caught him smooching with another guy inside a male restroom when I passed by one morning before my class, and he threatened to dismiss me from school if anyone finds out. I didn't really care about his sexuality at all. I mean, it was none of my business. Besides, everybody has the right to be accepted and respected no matter what. I just couldn't get why he hated me so much since day one. Perhaps it was only because I discovered his darkest secret.

“Sorry, I’m late,” I said, looking at the coach and joining the other girls.

“Maddison, the next time you’re late, I’ll kick you out of the cheerleading competition. Do you understand?” Coach Sean said, shooting daggers at me.

“Okay, let’s start from the top. One, two, three, four! Five, six, seven, eight! Eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. One more time!”

Coach Sean’s attention was at his stopwatch while counting.

“Do it again!” he said in a loud voice to which we followed.

***

“Everyone, stay right here,” Mrs. Shaw said. “All of you boys, come with me. We’ll go find Erin.”

Leaving us at the cabin, I still couldn't forget my dream. Everything was real, and I know I wasn’t dreaming. How did I ever go naked? The last thing I remember was taking a short walk for some fresh air while watching the moon. I had no idea but for some reason, I felt myself drawn to the moon. I know I found myself in the woods one time, but this was something different. Nature was so close to my heart that it seemed like its existence embodied me.

“How long are we gonna stay here?” One of the campers said, making the rest of everyone talk and express their fears.

“I guess we have no choice but to stay here until Mrs. Shaw and the boys arrive,” Lisa said.

“I wanna go home . . .” Amy said.

“Me too, I miss my mom and dad so much,” Sophia cried as the others joined her in tears.

Hannah, Olivia, and I, could only look at each other and take a deep breath. Just then, Mrs. Shaw and the boys came in rushing inside the cabin, shaking in fear.

“Get in, quickly! Close the door! Move!” Mrs. Shaw ordered.

She took her phone out and dialed 911 again, hoping to get help.

“Hello 911, What’s your emergency?” the operator answered.

“This is Mrs. Shaw. Please send help immediately. One of our students was found dead. She was brutally murdered by . . . a beast . . . or something,” Mrs. Shaw said.

Hearing her words made everyone panic and cry louder.

‘Everyone, stay calm. Help is coming, okay? Help is coming. They assured me that,” she said, pointing to her phone.

All at once, a loud banging sound made us scream in terror.