When You Were Young

"It's nothing," Molly said. "I deserved it."

"Who hit you?"

"It's not important. Are you hungry? I can make us something for breakfast." She didn't wait for him to answer, instead bustling into the kitchen to search among the fallen pots and pans for something to eat.

"What happened to the others?" Joey asked.

"I'm not sure," Molly said. "They've disappeared."

"Disappeared? How?"

"They fell into a pool of water and never came up."

"Are they dead?" His voice quivered as he asked this question. Samantha and the twins had called him names and treated him badly, but he didn't want anything bad to happen to them. Especially not poor little Samantha after what had already happened to her last night.

Molly rushed over to him to take him by the shoulders. "No, they're not dead," she said. "Veronica and David are going to find them. They're going to find a way to bring them back."

"How?"

"I don't know, dear. They'll think of something."

"Is there anything we can do?"

"We can pray to ask God to bring them back safely to us," she said. She took his hand and together they kneeled down on the floor. Joey closed his eyes and visualized the faces of Samantha, Prudence, and Wendell.

God, please let them come back, Joey thought. They were mean to me, but they're not bad kids. Wherever they've gone, please let them come back safe. The face of his mother crept into his thoughts then. And wherever Mommy's gone, please look after her and make sure she comes back too. Amen.