10 Days After Girl Goes Missing, Sister Tells Dad To Follow Neighbor

Panic

Elaine’s world had just come crumbling down around her. She sat panicked in the mall while her husband, Ben, called the Delaware Police Department.

Never in her wildest dreams did she think that an hours-long trip to the grocery store would turn into a ten-day nightmare. One of her daughters was gone, and it was all because she had left them alone.

Calling The Police

As soon as Ben called the police, they came within ten minutes. He tried to explain what had happened, but he, too, was overcome with emotion and concern.

They didn’t even know how it happened. All they wanted the police to do was to start searching the area immediately. They couldn’t let too much time pass by. But would the police find Misha in time?

Misha and Maddie

Elaine and Ben were parents to two daughters, 12-year-old Misha and 9-year-old Maddie. The girls were inseparable and did most things together despite their 3-year age gap.

But Elaine could see that Misha was growing up, and sometimes she wanted to do things on her own that her younger sister Maddie didn’t want to do, like hang out in the mall. And this is where the trouble started.

Wanted Different Things

Maddie still wanted to play outside and ride her bike, whereas Misha was at the stage of makeup and clothes, and she always wanted to be in the mall to hang out and be cool.

But although Misha wanted to do different things now, Maddie still wanted her sister to hang out with her too. She couldn’t accept that part of their lives were possibly over now.

Doing Her Own Thing

Maddie felt like her sister was now wanting to do her own things and was no longer interested in riding bikes and playing in the park anymore. She felt like she was losing her sister.

But then, one day, that all changed when Misha invited her to go to the mall with her. But Maddie wasn’t so sure about it. “I don’t know, Misha. If Mom finds out, we’ll be in trouble. We’re not supposed to go to the mall alone,” Maddie said.

Ice Cream

“But we’re not alone. We have each other, and besides, Mom will be out shopping for groceries. We can grab a quick ice cream and come back.”

Maddie didn’t have to think twice when she heard the word ice cream. As soon as their mother left, the two sisters set off to the mall. Little did they know that danger was lurking close by.

A Hidden Agenda

Since the mall was within walking distance, the sisters quickly made their way to the busy mall on foot.
Maddie was excited, thinking about the ice cream flavor she was going to choose.

But Maddie had no idea that her big sister had a hidden agenda for wanting to go to the mall. She was hiding something from her family, and her secret would cost her dearly.

Smiling At Her Phone

The first thing Maddie wanted to do was get the ice cream, but her sister stopped her in her tracks. “Just give me a moment. We’ll get the ice cream soon. I just have to do something.”

Maddie didn’t know what Misha was up to, but she was constantly smiling at her phone and typing away at a fast pace.

Suspicious

Misha then took her hand and led her through the mall. “Come on, let’s go this way.” But Maddie grew very suspicious because she knew the ice cream shop was in the opposite direction of where they were going.

“But Misha, you promised me ice cream,” Maddie protested. She was getting tired of Misha’s delays.

“Don’t worry, we’ll get it now. I just want to meet my friend,” said Misha.

Left Alone

Maddie became angry and hated that Misha used her to meet a friend. She thought Misha invited her so that they could spend some time together as sisters.

But things would take a terrible turn when Maddie eventually got her ice cream. Misha had left her to own devices, and when Maddie looked around for Misha, she was nowhere to be found.

Worried

Misha had ordered two ice creams with their favorite flavors and then told Maddie to sit down and wait for her to come back.

Maddie didn’t think that anything was wrong. She happily sat and enjoyed her ice cream. But when the minutes started to tick by, and Misha’s ice cream had already melted, Maddie became very worried.

Why Are You Alone?

The man behind the ice cream counter came to her table and asked if she was okay when he saw that Maddie had gotten up several times to stand by the door.

“Hey, sweetie. Are you okay? Why are you alone here? Where’s your big sis?” That’s when he saw the terrified look on Maddie’s face. Something was wrong.

Still Waiting

Maddie couldn’t even talk. Her mind was racing, trying to figure out what had become of Misha as an hour had already passed by.

“Don’t worry, let’s get hold of your parents, okay?” Maddie gave the man her mom’s number, and he quickly phoned Elaine. “Um, Ma’am. I have your daughter Maddie in my ice cream shop, she’s been crying, and she doesn’t know where her sister is.”

Not A Good Feeling

Elaine raced to the mall, having just discovered that her daughters weren’t at home where she had left them hours earlier. But she was relieved to hear that they were actually at the mall. But something gnawed at her gut, and it was not a good feeling.

Something was telling her that she had to be ready for some bad news.

What’s Going On?

As soon as she got to the ice cream shop, she saw Maddie sitting and looking very worried. “Maddie, what’s going on? Where’s your sister?”

But all Maddie did was burst into tears. She held her close. Elaine could see that something was horribly wrong.

“Ma’am, I called mall security to try and locate your missing daughter,” said the ice cream lady.

Frantic Search

Elaine’s heart raced as panic gripped her. She hugged Maddie tightly and then looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of Misha. Mall security arrived quickly and began to review the security footage to see if they could trace Misha’s movements.

Time seemed to stretch as they watched the security footage, but there was no sign of Misha. The minutes turned into hours, and the desperate search continued. Ben arrived at the mall, his face etched with worry and fear.

Police Involvement

Ben then contacted the local police, and soon, the mall was swarming with police officers. Elaine and Ben provided all the information they could about Misha’s appearance, what she was wearing, and any recent changes in her behavior.

The police assured them that they would do everything in their power to find their missing daughter.

Questions

Elaine’s mind raced with questions and worst-case scenarios. She clung to Maddie as if her life depended on it, tears streaming down her face. How did this happen? How could they have lost their daughter in a crowded mall?

Maddie already missed her sister and hoped that she would be found soon. She couldn’t imagine life without her.

Media Attention

Word spread rapidly, and soon, the local news picked up the story. A missing child, a frantic search—everyone in the community was on high alert.

The mall’s security footage was played on TV screens, and tips started pouring in. People claimed to have seen Misha in different parts of town, but none of the leads panned out.

Sleepless Nights

Sleep became a distant memory for Elaine and Ben. They took turns sitting by the phone, hoping for a call that would bring news of their daughter. Friends and family members took shifts to comfort and console them, bringing food and offering a shoulder to cry on.

Maddie was inconsolable, blaming herself for what had happened. Elaine tried her best to reassure her youngest daughter, but her own heartache made it difficult.

Her Friend

“It is my fault, Mommy. I shouldn’t have let her go to meet her friend,” Maddie tearfully said. Elaine sat bolt upright. She looked at Maddie in confusion.

“Sweetie, you didn’t mention to us that Misha was meeting someone. Who was the person?” Elaine asked anxiously.

“I don’t know, Mommy. She kept looking at her phone and smiling, and then she told me to wait in the ice cream shop to go meet her friend.”

New Information

Elaine and Ben immediately called the police. This new information could change the whole case. Elaine also called all of Misha’s friends and classmates, but to her dismay, none of them had seen or met up with Misha at the mall on that fateful day.

There had to be one or two more friends that they were missing who had seen Misha.

A Break in the Case

Days turned into a week, and the search for Misha seemed to be at a standstill. Elaine and Ben were exhausted, emotionally drained, and filled with despair. They clung to each other for support, desperately hoping for any sign of their daughter.

Then, a glimmer of hope emerged. A security guard at the mall reported seeing a girl who matched Misha’s description leaving the mall with an older-looking individual around the time she disappeared.

Misha Leaving The Mall

The security footage confirmed this, showing Misha walking out of the mall with an unfamiliar person.

The police now had a lead, a potential suspect, and a possible direction in which to focus their search. Elaine and Ben felt a mix of anxiety and relief, knowing that progress was being made. They were determined to bring their daughter home, no matter what.

Racing Against Time

The police launched a widespread investigation, questioning mall employees, reviewing security footage from nearby streets, and circulating Misha’s image in the hopes that someone might recognize her or the person she was last seen with.

The community rallied behind the family, organizing search parties and plastering missing posters all over town. Maddie knew that there was still hope in finding her sister.

Desperate Plea

Elaine and Ben made tearful public appeals, pleading for anyone with information to come forward. Their hearts ached as they shared stories of Misha’s laughter, her dreams, and the unbreakable bond between the sisters. The entire town was captivated by the heart-wrenching story, and everyone prayed for Misha’s safe return.

Days turned into nights as the search intensified. The police followed every lead, no matter how small, determined to bring Misha back to her family. The tension in the community was palpable, and everyone hoped and prayed for a miracle.

A Sister’s Determination

As the days went by, Maddie’s determination grew. She was tired of feeling helpless and wanted to take matters into her own hands.

She began researching online, looking for clues, and trying to understand who might have taken her sister. Late one night, she stumbled upon a blog post from a woman who had experienced a similar situation.

Chilling Story

The woman’s story was chilling: her daughter had gone missing, and she had followed a hunch that led her to a seemingly ordinary neighbor’s house.

There, she found her daughter, locked away and hidden from the world. Maddie’s heart raced as she read the account, feeling a surge of hope and fear. Had her sister succumbed to the same fate?

A Risky Decision

With a newfound determination, Maddie decided to take matters into her own hands. She had a feeling, a gut instinct, that her sister might be nearby. She knew she had to act fast.

Late one night, she sneaked out of the house and made her way to the house next door—the house of the neighbor they hardly knew.

Strange Noises

Maddie’s heart pounded in her chest as she approached the backyard. She had been hearing strange noises coming from next door for a few days. She saw a window slightly ajar and a flicker of movement inside. Her pulse quickened as she realized that this might be her chance.

Maddie climbed through the window, her heart racing. What she discovered once she was inside made her blood run cold.

Disclaimer: In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.