The two guys ran straight for me. Who were they? I didnāt know. But I didnāt stop to think. I jumped to my feet and ran as fast as I could.Ā
Ā Ā Ā I glanced back. Were they chasing me?
Ā Ā Ā "Stop him!ā one of them shouted. Lacie stepped in front of them, blocking their path.
Ā Ā Ā "Thanks, Lacie,ā I whispered. I hurried out of the playground. I raced through the strange neighborhood, trying to remember how to get home. A few blocks from school I stopped to catch my breath. No sign of the two guys. No sign of Lacie, either.
Ā Ā Ā I hope sheās all right, I thought. They didnāt seem to want to hurt her. They wanted to hurt me.
Ā Ā Ā But why? The day before, a bully had said he wanted to get me after school. But today, in my new, weird world, I hadnāt seen him. Neither of the guys in black was that bully. Just two new bullies.Ā
Ā Ā Ā Iāve got to get help, I realized. I donāt know whatās happening. But itās all too much for me. And itās too frightening. I hardly know who I am. I drifted through the streets until I finally found my way home. āMomā and āDadā were out. The front door was locked. I climbed in through the kitchen window.
Ā Ā Ā My real mother was gone. My brother and sister and even my dog were gone. But there must be someone else I know, I thought. Somebody, somewhere, who can help me. Maybe my real mom went somewhere else. Maybe sheās visiting relatives or something. I decided to try Aunt Margaret and Uncle Andy. I dialed Aunt Margaretās number.
Ā Ā Ā "Uncle Andy!ā I cried. "Itās me, Matt!ā
Ā Ā Ā The voice said, āWho is this?ā
Ā Ā Ā "Matt!ā I repeated. "Your nephew!ā
Ā Ā Ā "I donāt know any Matt,ā the main said gruffly. "You must have dialed the wrong number.ā
Ā Ā Ā "No - Uncle Andy, wait!ā I shouted.
Ā Ā Ā "My name isnāt Andy,ā the man snarled. He hung up.
Ā Ā Ā I stared at the phone, stun ned. The man didnāt sound like Uncle Andy at all. I guess I did dial wrong, I thought. I tried the number again.
Ā Ā Ā "Hello?ā It was the same man again. This time I tried a new approach. "Is Andy Amsterdam there, please?ā
Ā Ā Ā "You again! Thereās no Andy here, kid,ā the man said. "Wrong number.ā
Ā Ā Ā He slammed the phone in my ear. I tried not to panic. But my han ds were shaking. I dialed information. āWhat listing, please?ā the operator said.
Ā Ā Ā "Andrew Amsterdam,ā I said.
Ā Ā Ā "Checking,ā said the operator.
Ā Ā Ā A minute later she said, āIām sorry. We have no listing under that name.ā
Ā Ā Ā "Maybe if I spell it for you,ā I insisted. "A-m-s-ā
Ā Ā Ā "Iāve already checked, sir. Thereās no one listed under that name.ā
Ā Ā Ā "Could you try Margaret Amsterdam, then?ā
Ā Ā Ā "Thereās no one named Amsterdam listed at all, sir.ā My heart started racing as I hung up. This canāt be happening, I thought. There must be somebody I know, somewhere!
Ā Ā Ā I wonāt give up. Iāll try my cousin Chris. I called Chrisā number. Somebody else answered. It was as if Chris didnāt exist. Or Uncle Andy, or my mother, or anybody I knew. How could my whole family disappear?
Ā Ā Ā The only person I knew was Lacie. But I couldnāt call her. I didnāt know her last name. The front door opened. The woman who called herself my mother bustled in, carrying shopping bags. "Matt, darling! What are you doing home in the middle of the day?ā
Ā Ā Ā "None of your beeswax,ā I snapped.
Ā Ā Ā "Matt! Donāt be so rude!ā she scolded.
Ā Ā Ā I shouldnāt have been rude to her, I guess. But what difference did it make? She wasnāt my real mother anyway. My real mother had disappeared off the face of the earth.
Ā Ā Ā I shuddered. I realized I was totally alone in the world. I didnāt know anyone - not even my parents!
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