Come Home Darla

Tears were pouring from my swollen eyes and swimming down my heavy cheeks. Darla left six and a half hours ago, and no one has heard anything. You'd think that a ten year old girl wouldn't be gone by themselves that long, but I knew she was too frightened to come back alone. Her parents were trying to send her to a place that helps anorexic girls, across the country.

I felt sorry for her. She's always been the chunky kid in class, but over the last year I'd seen her fade away like a wilting rose petal. She needed my help, and I didn't need to waste my time just thinking about it when I could be looking for her. I was her best friend and I knew where she would go.

My bike carried me to the old graveyard. I hopped off, jogged through the winding hills, and came to Wally's grave. My head peered around the grave stone where I found Darla. She was curled up in a ball, sopping wet from the thick cold rain. It was last year that her brother died, but to her it seemed like yesterday. I could tell by the look in her eyes whenever we mentioned Wally. It was the same look she had now. She finally looked up at me. I saw a distressed look in her eyes, crying for help.

"Darla, you are the most beautiful person in the world, just like a sunset. You are my best friend. Wally would want you to be happy." Now an ocean of waves splashed out of her eyes. She looked miserable, shivering like she was home to an earthquake.

"Come home Darla," I pleaded, "come home."