Chapter 4
The Missing Children

THE DAY AFTER

THE HOUSE in front of Andi Lee's belonged to her neighbor Mrs. Mickey Andrews and her fourteen-year-old daughter Minnie.

Andi crept above the wooden shelves of her mother's bedroom, leaning the binoculars against the window. She shrieked, as her left leg knocked out Coraline Lee's most treasured porcelain ballerina.

"Sorry, Angelina!" Andi exclaimed as she wiped the drop of sweat on her tiny forehead.

The little girl sighed a breath of relief as the music box doll rolled over the stuffy knotted floor mat.

Andi turned her head back to face the window. She stuck her tongue out and in an instant, revealed a look of extreme disgust.

"Well, it has to be her." She muttered quietly to herself.

"How dare that snotty little girl mess with me." She pointed firmly at the neighbor's house at an angle as her peripheral view watched Mrs. Andrews' expensive car slowly back out the driveway.

It was the place where Andi had the worst Halloween of her life.

***

Coraline Lee pulled her tight black-laced dress at least below her thighs. She was anxious, but had been extra careful not to ruin the party especially since it was the first time Andi had been invited over at the Andrew's. She straightened her tailing witch hat from the front and back before she took in a breath of confidence.

She delicately picked up the microphone on the blue fiberglass table that had been wrapped with velvet black cloth and stapled with adorable paper ghouls. She cleared her throat twice and began speaking with her best impression of dracula.

"Hello ladies and gentle ghosts." She opened her mouth and revealed her razor-sharp fangs to the crowd.

"Unfortunately, Mr. Andrews can't join us today because of personal reasons I wish to keep on behalf of his family."

"But, it's all good fellas, because a minor inconvenience won't stop us from going trick or treating!"

Mrs. Lee smiled across the wide living room that was oozing with Halloween paraphernalia and spooky decor. She nodded, having seen that she had gotten everyone's attention, but her heart sank heavily at the sight of two raging twin Harry Potters.

"Hey Andi," Minnie teased. "Those pair of glasses look better on me don't you think?"

"You think?" Andi held onto her round, thick glasses and tried to shrug her off.

Minnie was three inches taller and flipped her orange hair furiously as she crossed her arms around her chest.

She did not seem happy about it at all.

"Hey, I said give those to me!" Minnie took a hold of Andi's braided hair and pulled them vigorously as Andi tried to escape.

"Ah." Andi shouted. "Or what?" She hissed at her, gripping too a single braid of Minnies hair. Minnie screeched in false pain, attracting the party-goers' attention.

"Or I'll kill you."

Andi was terrified than shocked at what Mrs. Andrews had tried to pull off with her daughter, but whatever the reason, her intentions seemed as dark and deviled as the mask she wore that day, so she threw her glasses at Minnie and stormed off.

Andi never went trick or treating there again.

***

"Andrea Lee! Where are you, Baby?"

Andi was rattled by the loud noise caused by her own mother. She hastily unfolded her still shut eyes but stood up from her lying position at once.

"Mom." She shook her head at the late realisation.

She had fallen into a nap for a good three hours and had struggled to climb down the wooden shelves. She stuffed her long coat and hat in the drawer of the shelves and was petrified by the sound of her mother's voice.

After all, Andi promised that after Halloween she would never play detective again.

Mrs. Lee came rushing over, her shiny bald head was covered with a beanie.

Coraline Lee put a hand over her right chest and looked to her side before looking at Andi again.

"You scared the hell out of me, Baby." Andi watched her mother take her into her own arms.

Her mother held her head tight as she stroked her daughter's cheek. She knew that Coraline had just finished gasping and weeping in front of their box type television.

NEWS LIVE: 32 year-old woman identified as Mickaela Andrews was found dead in her own vehicle, today, Friday November 2 in Sacramento, California. The cause of her death is due to multiple stab wounds. No known suspect can be concluded yet as of 5PM today. Reports following the event state that the former TV host went searching for fourteen-year-old daughter Minerva Andrews who was not at the scene of the crime and has now been reported to be 3 days missing. Three other children in Sacramento are reported to be missing at this ti—

"Baby, don't look." Mrs. Lee shoved her hand in front of Andi's face, she went straight for the little girl's pupils.

Coraline Lee's hands were not the biggest, but Andi's eyes were, and she had already seen the uncovered dead body of Mrs. Andrews.

"But if it isn't Minnie, then who?"

Andi knew that the mother and daughter in that house had the face of a needle, in short they were selfish little pricks who were always up to no good.

They were never Andi nor Coraline's cup of tea, but who would have thought that one day they'd both disappear forever. 

Who killed Mrs. Andrews?

Hi all favorite humans! Oh me oh my. the detective side of Andi is really beginning to show. Most of all if it isn't Minnie, who snuck into Andi' s closet? Is it a human or maybe something else? Oooo spooky stuff.

Keep those comments coming lovelies. Vote, Comment, and Follow!

hugs and bullies,
dilagmakata