Isobel

When Kristen walked into her little girl's room that morning she wasn't expecting to find what she did. "Isobel, the sun's up sweet heart, so should you be." She called as she came in. Kristen drew the light purple, butterfly decorated curtains on the far well before turning around.

She gasped. Her daughter's bed was empty. There was no sign of the bubbly, beautiful little eight year old she'd tucked in and kissed goodnight the night before. Her heart was racing as she processed what she was seeing and the world seemed to be years away as she searched her house and outside, calling desperately for sweet little Isobel.

Kristen didn't wait long before coming to the horrible conclusion that Isobel was really gone. Panicked, she made her way to the phone to call triple zero. "Police." She said. The next minute or so seemed like the longest minute of her life as she waited for someone to answer her call.

When she heard a voice on the other end, she spilled her story. "It's my daughter. She's gone. I put her to bed last night and went to get her up this morning and she wasn't there!" "You're daughter's missing madam?" "Yes." Kristen said, slowing down. "Ok. I'll send someone out to you, but please stay on the line with me." The person taking her call was calm and patient, a hint of soothing in her voice. "Now, what's your daughter's name? Can you describe her for me?" "Her name's Isobel and she's only eight! She can't be out there all by herself!" Kristen was becoming overwhelmed as the emotion spilled out. "Can you think of anywhere she might have gone?" "No. Nowhere. She's never left home before. Never run away. She's always clinging to me usually. This isn't like her. Not one bit."

The police arrived then and took a picture from Kristen. One of the three officers that had been sent out stayed with her while the others went out looking for Isobel. The hours passed in what seemed like slow motion. If she wasn't pacing around the house, Kristen was staring out the window or waiting by the phone or the door like someone would call or knock at any moment. It was the most stressful, agonizing time of her time.

Aside from school and work, Kristen had hardly been away from her daughter at all. Never once had she strayed or run away. Like she'd told the police officers, this wasn't anything like her daughter. It was very unusual. Isobel was normally so attached to Kristen. Always wanting to hold her hand, and if she wasn't she was never far away. She was always in sight.

At long last, there was a knock at the door. The two police officers had returned with Isobel. Kristen hugged her daughter tight. "Don't you ever do that to me again Isobel. You hear me?" "Yes Mummy. I'm sorry." Isobel was shaking in her mother's arms as she buried herself deeper and deeper into her Mum. "We found her in a park not far from here Ma'am. At the big tree near the playground."

"Where did you go?" Kristen asked curiously, studying her daughter. Just as interested as Kristen was to hear the story, the two officers came inside to hear of Isobel's adventure. "I went looking Mummy." Isobel said simply. "Looking? What for?" Kristen knelt in front of Isobel, her face full of concern. "For Grandma Isobel." Kristen's mother, also Isobel, had died not too long ago, but before she'd passed, she'd had dementia and had often got lost on her walks. "When you said she'd gone, I thought she'd got lost again, so I went looking for her. I thought I could bring her home." Kristen smiled. "Oh no Sweetie. Grandma Isobel hasn't gone for one of her walks. She's gone away, and she's up in heaven now." "Oh." Isobel said. "So she's not lost?" "No Isobel, she's not lost. Not anymore, and thankfully, neither are you."