Terror in Casablanca

As the line grew smaller and Lizzie came closer to the stranger giving out candy, she suddenly recognized the man.  It was Benny!

Coming to Katie’s rescue, Sarah retrieved crayons from Caroline’s grasp and immediately inspected her mouth.  Just as she expected Caroline had green teeth and Sarah spent the next few minutes cleaning Caroline’s teeth.  In an effort to pacify Caroline’s need to eat anything in her grasp. Sarah went to the kitchen cabinet and brought out a bag of cookies.  After giving each of the girls a cookie. Sarah, still nursing a sore back, slowly made her way halfway to the balcony when a knock on the door interrupted her progress.

Benny smiled at Lizzie as she reached toward his hand offering the coveted piece of candy.  Suddenly, grabbing her hand, Benny’s smile was gone and his dark eyes reflected a murderous gleam.  Lizzie shocked at Benny suddenly grabbing her hand was confounded even more with the disappointment of not getting the piece of candy he had offered.  Struggling to pull her hand away, her fear escalated when Benny proceeded to drag her away from the crowd.

Answering the door, Sarah was glad to see her friend had come for a visit.  Before returning to her guest, Sarah returned to the balcony to get a quick check on Lizzie.  Thinking that she could see Lizzie in the crowd of children, Sarah returned to her guest settling down to coffee and cigarettes.

As Benny pulled Lizzie through the courtyard, paralyzing fear turned Lizzie’s cries into whimpers.  Looking over her shoulder, Lizzie desperately wanted to see her mother on the balcony, but she was not there.  Digging her heels into the dirt, Lizzie tried desperately to pull away from her captor’s grip.  Her efforts were useless and the growing lump in her throat prevented her from crying out for help.  Where was he taking her?  Where was her mummy?  Benny was taking Lizzie to the adjoining building and her hopes were lifted.  Mummy’s friend lives her!  As they entered the building, Benny mysteriously started knocking on all the doors.  He would knock two times, hardly giving anyone time to answer and then he would quickly leave.  After going up to the second floor, Benny started knocking on the doors again.

What was he doing? Lizzie thought as her mind raced.  Her fears had tempered when she realized they were approaching the apartment where her mummy’s friend lived.  She knew mummy’s friend would help her.  Her apartment was the last one at the end of the hall and Lizzie could see the door.  Lizzie kept her exuberance at bay when Benny stopped and knocked at the door.  But once again, he only knocked twice and then quickly left.  Please come to the door!  Lizzie cried to herself.  The lump that had disappeared when Lizzie realized that her rescue was at hand suddenly reappeared when Benny started up the third flight of stairs.

Sarah deciding it was time for Lizzie to come back in went to the balcony to call for her daughter.  Looking over the crowd of children, Sarah could not see Lizzie.  Asking her friend to watch over Katie and Caroline, Sarah went down to the playground to look for Lizzie, but Lizzie was no where to be found.  Searching the playground, Sarah found Lizzie’s sand bucket but her daughter was gone.  Fear overtook Sarah the events of only a few months ago quickly came back to memory.  Racing frantically over the playground and around the courtyard, Sarah repeatedly called out for Lizzie.  Remembering Bob’s warnings to watch the girls and to not let Lizzie go out by herself, Sarah began to cry, “Where are you Lizzie?”  Deciding to return to her apartment in hopes that maybe Lizzie had returned home on her own, Sarah had forgotten about the pain in her back.  She was overcome with fear for her five year old daughter.