⌈ 𝘋𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘴, 𝘛𝘟 ⌉ 𝘈𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘭 16, 2020 ⌊ 3:05 𝘗𝘔 ⌋



Saris laid in her bed staring at the moving fan on her ceiling.

Tomorrow marks 10 years since Shawn left. With him left the woman she knew as her mom.

Over the years Clara started to despise Saris. She felt as though it was Saris's fault for her husband leaving her. That day replayed in Clara's head constantly, only adding fuel to the hate in her heart.

Clara cut a piece of the cake putting it on a paper plate for Saris. She was overjoyed that her baby was finally seven.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Shawn busted into the house immediately going upstairs. Clara oddly looked his way but shrugged it off, deciding to give him a moment.

After a while she heard shuffling and things being moved around causing her curiosity to peak. She stormed up the stairs attempting to see what Shawn was doing. She was clueless to his anger.

She opened the door, closing it behind her.

"Shawn you have to-" she looked at the bags he had packed and the empty drawers in the room, "What are you doing?"

"How long were you planning to keep this from me? Until she moved out?!"

"Shawn, baby I don't understand." Clara looked at Shawn searching for a clue in his eyes but all she saw was hurt.

"I'm referring to the little girl you had me raising thinking she was mine!"

Clara's face dropped and tears formed in her eyes.

"I- Shawn..."

"Shawn what huh? I don't wanna hear it!"

Shawn walked past her slamming the door behind him. Clara stared where he once stood trying to wrap her head around what had happened.

She's heard not a thing from Shawn since then. Thanks to social media she learned he later remarried and was still a truck driver.

Seeing Shawn living happily without her made Clara bitter. She took out all her anger on Saris and never once regretted it.

She no longer saw her daughter...she saw a little girl who ended her happy marriage. Clara made sure every day she hurt Saris as deeply as she felt inside.

Clara raised Saris to be very sheltered, so she was oblivious to half the stuff that happened around her. Including her mom's abuse.

Specifically around this time of the year Clara's attitude and abuse was the worst causing her to pick random fights with Saris. This is what led to Saris's boredom. Clara had taken her phone for the second time this month without proper reasoning.

Saris was 16, turning 17 tomorrow, and she personally thought she was too old to be getting her phone taken away. Although she'd never confront her mom about this she thought about it a lot.

Saris rarely had her phone leaving her with little to no distractions. School was the one place she excelled in and could do no wrong.

She was always first to turn in assignments, tests, and projects. She constantly studied in the library getting ahead in all her school work. She had the highest GPA in her grade and wished to make the valedictory speech at graduation next year.

Saris always wondered where she got her smarts from.

Not saying her parents were dumb but her dad barely passed highschool while her mom dropped out of her first semester or college. Her reason being, "It just wasn't fun."

Saris decided to beat the boredom like she always does by heading to the library to study. She loaded her backpack with her books and went to her mom's room.

She softly knocked on the door waiting for a response.

"What little girl!" Clara snapped on the other side of the door.

Saris slowly cracked open the door sticking her head in.

Clara sat in her bed with a tight lipped expression and her hair pulled back into a neat perfect bun. Clara was of course beautiful but the years definitely got to her.

"Um may I p-please go study at the library?"

Saris tended to stutter when talking to Clara. She was terrified of saying the wrong thing and getting in even more trouble.

Clara stared at her for a while until she said, "Yeah go ahead."

Saris took her head out and as she went to shut the door again Clara spoke, "Saris."

"Ma'am?"

"Get the phone off my dresser." Saris nodded and fully walked in grabbing the phone off the dresser, sliding it into her pocket, "And don't think you're getting it back just yet."

"Yes ma'am."

"Go on now." Clara waved her out the door."

Saris hurried out before Clara could change her mind. Saris started the 20 minute walk to the library.

Saris took in the breeze in the air and the beautiful sprouting flowers. Spring began not too long ago and Saris was loving the effect.

Five minutes into her walk she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. Looking at the caller id, Saris recognized that her "friend" Dylan was calling. Dylan was someone Saris met in freshman year. Before that she hadn't experienced friendship before.

As long as Saris could remember she felt as though she was missing a big part of her. She didn't know what though. Some of her felt found when she and Dylan became friends, but that was short lived.

Dylan was a nice girl who was in her first period class freshman year. That was the year they became really close and they were like sisters.

Over the years Dylan slowly started to drop Saris to where their friendship was almost nothing now. Dylan only really called unless she needed something, other than that she could care less about Saris.

"Hello?" Saris answered.

"Omg finally! I've been calling you since yesterday."

"My mom had it." Saris bluntly spoke.

"That's embarrassing." Dylan said, cackling.

"How so?" Saris asked, genuinely confused.

"Your mom still takes your phone?"

"Sometimes, and what about it?"

"Anyways, what have you been up to?"

"I'm heading to the library to do schoolwork."

"Oh girl, come to my house so we can do it together."

You mean I'll do it and you'll copy it.

Saris thought to herself. She didn't catch onto much, but she did catch onto Dylan's true intentions.

"Yeah I'm on my way there."

Saris took a right detouring to Dylan's house.

--

⌈ 𝘋𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘴, 𝘛𝘟 ⌉ 𝘈𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘭 16, 2020 ⌊ 3:05 𝘗𝘔 ⌋



"D'aire Brooks." The entire Brooks family stood up applauding and cheering.

They were currently at D'arie's graduation. They all flew in this morning in order to see the second oldest graduate. Everyone was extremely proud of D'aire for graduating with a degree in engineering.

The younger ones especially, they looked up to their older brothers and to see them succeeding gave them hope.

Tylear most importantly. Although everyone was hurt about baby Saris being taken, Tylear took it the hardest.

He struggled with doubting himself constantly with every decision he made. He was the one who felt like a part of him was missing. Tylear prayed every night that Saris was still out there and doing well, maybe she feels like she's missing something too.

Tylear was knocked out of his thoughts when his father, Jayceon, patted his shoulder. He looked around noticing everyone standing up since the ceremony was over. They all made their way out laughing and playing around waiting for D'aire to meet them.

Once D'aire met them outside they rode in the car until they stopped at the designated place for the balloon release.

Serena proposed the idea of celebrating the birthday and graduation together with the balloon release. They got everything ready and prepared to release the balloons.

Every year that the twins' birthday circled around, the Brooks did a balloon release as a way to always remember Saris. Many within the family had doubts but Serena, Jayceon, and their sons believed that she was 100% alive.

The years following Saris's abduction were filled with devastation from the family. Of course life continued, but Saris was always weighing heavy on their minds. Everyone who entered their house felt the love within it, but a hint of depression was always lingering within, and they could all feel it.

Although Serena and Jayceon tried to stay strong for the kids they still struggled. Kourtney being the oldest decided to step up and make sure everyone was straight. If it was just to talk, listen, or be a shoulder to cry on, Kourtney was always there.

While everyone sang happy birthday Tylear took the note he wrote out his pocket and tied it to the balloon.

He did this every year since he learned how to write. It made him feel like he was talking to her.

"Happy birthday to youuuu."

Everyone let go of their balloons at the last line and watched them get smaller and soon disappear into the sky.

Everyone struggled to blink back tears as they did every year.

Jayceon pulled Serena into his side for a hug as they looked up at the sky.

"We'll find her one day." he said, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

Serena sniffed, nodding her head.

☼ ☼ ☼

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Edited 8/9: some previous comments may have gotten deleted because of editing, sorry.

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