Linn

She was a small girl, and her heart was pure. Her mother was in jail, and her father was abusive. He made her promise not to tell anyone what he did and made her cover up all her bruises. Still, she was a sweet girl with a sad smile and a slow walk. Linn Bray was a good girl, the girl next door. One day, while she was at school her phone, went off and, she sweat at the thought of it being her father. It wasn’t. It was Sam, Samantha Quinn was Linn’s best friend and was the only one who knew about her father. Linn looked at the text, it read: LINN! YOUR DADS HERE!!!!! GET OUT OF THAT CLASS! Linn knew exactly what to do. She asked her teacher, Mrs. Lewis, If she could stay in this class for a little while. Mrs. Lewis was skeptical but let her stay. 

“Thank you, I’ll Tell you why after I can make sure that it’s okay for me to leave.” She said with a breath of relief.  

“You’re very welcome Linn. Just pretend that you’re here for an extension class.” Mrs. Lewis smiled. 

They both stood in the room with the next class, Linn knew that her father would wait at least until lunch. Or until he was forced to leave. Mrs. Lewis decided that she needed to know what was going on so, she asked 

“Linn?” 

She waited for a second. Convinced that Linn heard her, she said it a little louder. 

“LINN?” 

“Yes?” Linn answered. 

“Please tell me what’s going on. I need to know or you can’t stay in here.” Mrs. Lewis looked at Linn with a confused but stern look. 

“If I tell you, you have to promise not to go to anyone about it.” 

“Okay, Linn. I promise.” 

“I have to stay in here because my dad’s in the building, and he can’t be around me at school. It’s not going to go down smoothly if he is.” Linn was serious. She had tears in her eyes just thinking about what she’d just said. 

“I don’t understand. You need to be more specific, why can’t you tell me?”  

“My dad abuses me.” Linn was balling, tears were just happening even if she didn’t want them. 

“Oh Linn, I’m so sorry.” Mrs. Lewis was almost crying with Linn. 

“I’m fine, but I need to stay in here until he’s gone. 

“Okay, well if you ever need to talk to I’m here.” Mrs. Lewis looked sincere, even though she tried to hide it, she was about to cry. 

“WOW!” Stacey said in amazement. 

“I know right! My student told me and I’m thinking of telling child protective services.” Mrs. Lewis broke her promise to Linn.  

You see, Mrs. Lewis wasn’t a very good person herself. She couldn’t keep a secret to save her life. You heard the sweet beginning of Linn’s story by a girl who has hope for everyone but herself. Yea. I’m not all about happy endings like her, and she can be like that, no judgment here but I show the whole truth. Not just the nice part. Ms. Lewis had told Stacey, one of her friends, about Linn and, kept none of her promise. 

“You should. This isn’t just a little discipline.” Stacey said to Mrs. Lewis. 

“I don’t know, Stacey she told me not to tell anyone.” Mrs. Lewis confessed. 

“Then...” Stacey paused, thinking of what to say. “Never mind.” 

Stacey knew that if she asked why she was told then Mrs. Lewis would start a whole problem. She decided to just tell CPS herself... 

“Hello? This is Child Protective Services, is there a problem?” A woman had asked Stacey on the other line.  

Stacey tried to speak, but for some reason, no sound came out. 

“Hello? Is there a problem?” The woman said once more. 

Stacey hung up. She couldn’t do it, but she knew she had to. She called again hoping for someone different to answer. 

“Hello? This is Child Protective Services, Is there a problem?” A man had answered this time. 

“Yes. A child is being abused by her father.” Stacey quivered in fear. This call made her think of when she was abused by her mother and told no one. 

“Okay, ma’am. Where is the address? Do you have the child with you?” the man pronounced calmly 

“I don’t know the address. I don’t have the child either.” She said almost in tears. “Can you give me a second? I can get the address.”  

“Yes, get the address and call me back.” the man hung up. 

Stacey looked at her phone, thinking of a way to get the address of the girl. 

She thought, and thought, and thought, and thought. Then, she got it. ‘I can get it from Janes computer!’ She said to herself. She went to the school where Jane worked (Mrs. Lewis) and looked for her computer. When she found it, she noticed that there was no password. She went to the student files and found Linn Bray. Then found, 224 Sanely Road. She wrote the address down on a stray piece of paper she’d grabbed on her way out of her apartment. Stacey called CPS again. 

“Hello? This is Child Prote-” The man didn’t get t finish. 

“Yea I know. I’m Stacey, and I called earlier. I was told to call again when I got the address of the girl that’s being abused?” Stacey quickly spoke as she rushed out of the school.  

“Yes. Let me get Mr. Roberts for you,” he said. 

“Hello? I was told this is the girl from earlier?” Mr. Roberts asked. 

“YES! I got the address!” she excitedly said. 

“Okay.”  

“It’s 224 Sanely Road.” Stacey felt so happy that she was preventing this horrible man from hurting his daughter. 

“Okay. We’ll be there right away.” Mr. Roberts said. 

Sadly, when they got to the house Linn was gone. No one had seen her since her talk with Mrs. Lewis. Some people say that she ran away, and some say that she was killed and hidden. Some even say that her father told her to leave and never come back. No one knows what happened, but Linn was never found...