Chapter XLX:

The Civil War only lasted for four years. In those years, I ruined Maddie’s life. It started with her siblings disappeared.

I stood in the middle of the swamp.

“Okay! I know it was you! Give her back!” I shouted. There wasn’t even any wind. I glared at the empty space.

“Where are you? Get out here now!” I yelled. “Give her back! I know you took her! Why her?” I turned when I heard footsteps walking up to me. There she was again. She had no emotion on her face except her a cold smile on her face.

“You took her, didn’t you?” I asked.

“No,” she said.

“You’re lying,” I said through gritted teeth.

“No,” she said again. “I never lie.” I feared that she was telling the truth.

“Then where is she?” I asked.

“Gone,” Luna said.

“Well… bring her back!” I shouted. She shook her head.

“I can’t,” she said.

“You can’t… or you won’t?” I asked.

“Can’t,” Luna said.

“But why?” I asked. The wind roared over the sky again. The frogs and the crickets filled the silence. The whole time we talked she never lost that smile. Seeing her face made me want to scream. I wanted to strangle her. She knew where Penny was and wouldn’t give her back. I blinked once and she was gone. Something told me that it wasn’t the going to be the last time Maddie’s siblings would disappear.

Three days later, I was right. It was little Jack. He was only three years old. The last time we saw him was last night. Or was it the night before. I couldn’t remember. I just woke to hear wailing. At first, I thought it was part of my dream. When it got louder, I sat up. Maddie trembled and bit on her nails.

“Maddie, what’s wrong?” I asked. She looked up with tears in her eyes.

“Jack’s missing!” she wailed. I let out of bed right away.

“Where did he go?” I asked.

“I don’t know! I don’t know!” Maddie wailed. I pulled her into my arms. She cried against my chest.

“Shhh. Shhh. Don’t worry, we’ll find him,” I whispered. She looked up at me with desperation in her eyes. I had to convince her that I met that. Meanwhile, I knew otherwise.

We spent the day looking around in the swamp. The more I looked, the more I noticed something. Why did he even wander outside?

“Do you think he wandered off to town?” Maddie asked.

“Does he know how to get to town by himself?” I asked. She paused for a long moment.

“No…” she said at last. I could see a little bit more of her soul dying in her eyes. I pulled her into my arms again.

“It’s okay,” I said. “We will find him.” Why did I keep lying to her? I already knew the outcome. Jack was already long gone. We would never find him.

And I was right. Just like with Penny, we never found Jake. Maddie started to keep her siblings close by her. She wouldn’t let them out by themselves. I didn’t blame her. But I couldn’t tell her what happened. Maddie wouldn’t believe me anyway. I could’ve sworn I saw Luna smirking at me while we were looking out in the swamp.

Something told me that she wasn’t done either.