Julianna checked her watch. The diamond decorated face of it heralded the time at a quarter to three, which meant her daughter's bus was late. Her ears pressed against the top of her head as she craned her neck to look further down the street. No sight of it. No one to ask since hers was the only child still young enough to be attending the Covenant's school on a bus. Anita usually rode home with her brother, but Cain, who just barely old enough to drive cited other obligations as an excuse. He had informed his parents that morning that his younger sister would have to find an alternative mode of transportation.
Anita had chosen the bus, but Julianna was wishing she had sent her husband to retrieve their daughter.
Five more minutes dragged by in silence; tail curling closer to her spine. She was just reaching into her coat for her cellphone when she heard the rumble of the oncoming yellow monstrosity. Ears and tail relaxed as the bus chugged along, leisurely drawing closer until it wheezed to a stop. The double doors swung open, but no child stepped off of the bus.
"Sorry, Ms. Hart," the driver said, and Jules blinked up at him in confusion. "Didn't see Anita on the bus today. Don't she ride with her brother?"
There was ice in her veins and a desert on her tongue. She swallowed hard but didn't reply, turning and retreating in the direction of the villa. The sound of the bus pulling away was white noise to the background of her racing thoughts. A million awful scenarios all bubbled up at once. Her pace quickened, she pulled her phone into view and checked for any missed calls, any unanswered text messages. She called Anita's phone, the simple one she had for emergencies such as these, but the child didn't answer.
The walk home turned into a run, the short distance made shorter by her urgency. Her heels snapped against the asphalt, coat flapping around her legs, threatening to trip anyone with a worse sense of balance.
She burst through the front door without closing it behind her. She moved further into the house without removing her coat, or her boots. White knuckled fingers held her phone in a vice, still waiting for a call or a text, anything to know that her daughter was safe. Julianna entered her husband's office without knocking, a gesture he would have preferred and she would have normally indulged in other circumstances. She was in a panic. Her typically neat appearance was ruined, and she didn't seem to be getting enough air.
"Anita didn't come home," she said when she was able, pushing hair away from her face with both hands. "She wasn't on the bus," she choked. "I can't get a hold of her."
Anita had chosen the bus, but Julianna was wishing she had sent her husband to retrieve their daughter.
Five more minutes dragged by in silence; tail curling closer to her spine. She was just reaching into her coat for her cellphone when she heard the rumble of the oncoming yellow monstrosity. Ears and tail relaxed as the bus chugged along, leisurely drawing closer until it wheezed to a stop. The double doors swung open, but no child stepped off of the bus.
"Sorry, Ms. Hart," the driver said, and Jules blinked up at him in confusion. "Didn't see Anita on the bus today. Don't she ride with her brother?"
There was ice in her veins and a desert on her tongue. She swallowed hard but didn't reply, turning and retreating in the direction of the villa. The sound of the bus pulling away was white noise to the background of her racing thoughts. A million awful scenarios all bubbled up at once. Her pace quickened, she pulled her phone into view and checked for any missed calls, any unanswered text messages. She called Anita's phone, the simple one she had for emergencies such as these, but the child didn't answer.
The walk home turned into a run, the short distance made shorter by her urgency. Her heels snapped against the asphalt, coat flapping around her legs, threatening to trip anyone with a worse sense of balance.
She burst through the front door without closing it behind her. She moved further into the house without removing her coat, or her boots. White knuckled fingers held her phone in a vice, still waiting for a call or a text, anything to know that her daughter was safe. Julianna entered her husband's office without knocking, a gesture he would have preferred and she would have normally indulged in other circumstances. She was in a panic. Her typically neat appearance was ruined, and she didn't seem to be getting enough air.
"Anita didn't come home," she said when she was able, pushing hair away from her face with both hands. "She wasn't on the bus," she choked. "I can't get a hold of her."
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Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 09-12-2016, 04:26 PM
RE: Miscalculations - by megs - 09-12-2016, 04:57 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 09-13-2016, 10:16 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 09-14-2016, 11:02 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 09-15-2016, 10:57 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 09-15-2016, 11:36 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 09-15-2016, 07:34 PM
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RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 09-18-2016, 01:57 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 09-18-2016, 03:39 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 09-20-2016, 05:45 PM
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RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 09-25-2016, 10:21 PM
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RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 09-27-2016, 09:00 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 09-28-2016, 02:16 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 09-30-2016, 02:05 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 09-30-2016, 02:49 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 10-02-2016, 04:03 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 10-02-2016, 05:17 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 10-03-2016, 10:39 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 10-03-2016, 11:23 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 10-05-2016, 10:57 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 10-08-2016, 05:56 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 10-09-2016, 11:03 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 10-10-2016, 10:50 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 10-13-2016, 03:07 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 10-15-2016, 05:57 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 10-23-2016, 01:33 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 10-26-2016, 01:27 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 10-27-2016, 11:00 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 10-27-2016, 12:12 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 10-28-2016, 10:41 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 10-29-2016, 10:50 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 10-29-2016, 03:35 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 10-29-2016, 04:48 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 10-30-2016, 10:50 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 11-17-2016, 11:48 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 11-18-2016, 02:26 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 11-18-2016, 03:03 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 11-19-2016, 12:47 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 11-19-2016, 02:56 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 11-22-2016, 06:08 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 11-26-2016, 08:06 AM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 12-04-2016, 10:06 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 05-15-2017, 08:36 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 05-16-2017, 10:56 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by megs - 05-21-2017, 01:39 PM
RE: Miscalculations [Closed] - by saronym - 05-25-2017, 11:44 PM