Who: Phillipa Cobb & OPEN! Where: The park When: Today, 'round lunch time. Rating: Low Status: Incomplete
"James, I bet you can't catch me!" Phillipa jumped to her feet and raced off towards the house, slowing down after she'd gone about half way because she was going to let him win. Her daddy had told her that sometimes she had to let James win since he was so little, and couldn't run as fast as her. As she slowed down, the little girl looked over her shoulder to check and see how close he was, when suddenly she wasn't running through the wildflowers in their backyard anymore. Things had changed, and she was now running on a sidewalk next to what looked like a park. She jerked to her feet and spun around, eyes widening.
"James? Daddy?" This was confusing, and scary. Her eyes started to well up with tears as she realized that her home was gone and her daddy wasn't standing in the doorway and all she could see were trees. In alarm, her voice rose as she called out for him again. "Daddy? DADDY!" She was trying very hard to be brave and not cry, but it was really hard and it was cold out, she had just realized. Wrapping her tiny arms around herself in a tight hug, she started to walk down the sidewalk to try and find a policeman-person, because Aunt Ari said that girls could be police too-because the police were supposed to be able to help her whenever she got lost. Except Phil didn't know how she had gotten lost. She called for her daddy again as she walked, finally stopping next to a bench. She was really just too cold to keep walking, because all she was wearing was a sundress. That was weird too, since it had been summer just a minute ago.
Climbing up onto the wooden bench, Phillipa curled up and stared wide eyed around her for a moment. This time when she called out for her daddy, it was quiet, almost a whisper. When no answer came, she burst into tears and buried her face in her arms.