The Lost Girl

It was dark. The Sun had already disappeared over the grassy hills in a burst of orange and red, and the moon had already risen. I gazed at it from my bedroom window; how lonely it seemed. In the dark mass of the night's sky, it hung there, pale and cold. Even the sparkling stars were covered with cloud, and suddenly the dark sky seemed like a black hole, sucking me in until I was swallowed whole.
"Jack should be home now," I thought out loud.
Jack was my older brother, he was seventeen. We weren't like ordinary siblings; we never fell out. He had always looked out for me and taken care of me when I was ill. Jack was like the father I'd never had, and every time mum was on a night shift, he'd tuck me up in bed and kiss me goodnight, even though I was nearly eleven.
But not tonight.
Just after mum had gone to work, Jack had told me he was going to Mick's house. This wasn't unusual, they were best friends. But the look on his face told me that something was wrong. Horribly wrong. I tried to ask him what was the matter, but he shouted at me, and slammed the door. He was obviously very tense.
A cold, icy tear fell onto my lap, leaving a dark mark on my skirt. Where was Jack, and was he alright? He would never leave me alone like that, it just wasn't him.
Suddenly I heard something. It was faint at first, and then it grew louder and more frantic. It sounded as though someone was moving things around, like they were looking for something.
I crept out onto the landing. I couldn't see anything, but I could find my way by feeling for the edge of the soft, warm carpet under my feet. My hands were pale and trembling now. Every muscle in my body ached with fear, and I could hear my heart beat slowly thumping in my chest.
The noise was coming from Jack's bedroom. It had changed into a rattling sound, and the sound of feet lightly scurrying on the floor. Jack's voice began to ring in my ears,
"Promise me, Lucy. Promise me you'll never go into my room."
"I promise."
I had always kept that promise, until today. But today was different, and I couldn't bear to ignore the thing that was in Jack's room. I held my breath, and pushed the door open. Then I saw the thing that had made the noise, standing by the window.
It was a girl.
She turned around slowly, aware of my eyes glaring at her. She must have been about eight, with long blonde hair and sharp, blue eyes that looked straight though me. Her eyelids were red, and puffed out, she had clearly been crying. She was barely recognisable, but suddenly I saw who she was.
"Sophie?" I whispered, my voice shaking with shock. The little girl nodded timidly. Sophie was Mick's younger sister. I didn't know her well, but I knew enough about her to know that she shouldn't have been in my brother's room. Her father had been imprisoned for beating up another man. He had been released a month ago, and then shortly afterwards, his daughter, Sophie, had gone missing. And that was around the time when Jack had made me promise never to go into his room...
"But, how?" I stumbled. "Why are you here, Sophie?". Sophie walked over to my brother's bed and sat down, her eyes lowered. I perched next to her, trying to shut out the uncomfortable feeling that was growing in my stomach. Then, she took a deep breath, and for a second, I thought she might drop down dead. But instead, she told me her story:
"My dad sometimes went out late, and when he came home, he was drunk. Then sometimes he was cross with me, and he hit me," she murmured, beginning to snuffle. "After he came out of prison, I thought he would change, but he carried on." I suddenly felt so sorry for the little girl that I barely knew. I didn't realise Mick's dad was so horrible.
"One day, when dad came home, Jack was upstairs waiting for my brother. Dad hit me. Jack must have heard me scream. He ran downstairs, put his hand over my mouth, and brought me back to his bedroom." she explained. So, Jack was the innocent one in all this. He had saved Sophie from her evil father. But now he would be in big trouble if anyone found out. That was why he told me to stay out of his room!
"Where have you been living all this time?" I whispered sympathetically, running my fingers through her beautiful long hair. Sophie pointed to the ceiling, indicating the door to the attic. Of course, the ladder lead right down into Jack's bedroom, so no one ever saw her!
"Jack looked after me, and he gave me food. Sometimes he even climbed up the ladder to talk to me. He promised me that no one would find me up there. He promised that dad would never find me."
"But then tonight Jack looked cross. He said that he had hidden me long enough, and that he was going to finish it, once and for all." she gasped, tears pouring down her cheeks. "I tried to stop him, I really did. But he wouldn't listen. So, he's there now, at our house, with... with dad."
Suddenly, I felt terrified. If Sophie's dad was as violent as she had said, Jack didn't stand a chance. A huge lump welled in my stomach: what if Jack was hurt. Would I ever see him again?
What if he never returned?
What if he was dead already...