“Savvy. Hurry up! I wanna go to the fair…” Timmy whined as he (not so) patiently waited downstairs for his sister to find a pair of matching shoes. How she always managed to lose one was beyond him. “I wanna get there before it’s too crowded.” The Limbo Fair was the one thing residence looked forward to the most all year, especially the kids. There were rides, games, food, prizes, face painting, and a petting zoo, and this year it was the perfect way to keep everyone’s mind off recent tragic events that had taken place in town.
“You’re not really gonna go to the fair, are you?” Ransom asked his mother. He had always been the voice of reason and he didn’t feel right about letting his mom and younger siblings go when there was still a murderer on the loose. A murderer that was targeting their family. “We’ll be fine. The kids can play a couple of games, ride a couple of rides, and then we’ll be home.” What were the odds a wanted felon would turn up to the biggest event of the year? “I wanna get my face painted too, mommy.” Savanna said as she came up behind Victoria. She was unsuccessful in finding a pair of matching shoes, but at least she was no longer barefoot. On her left foot she sported a Nike running shoe discolored from excessive wear. On her right, a Sketchers light up sneaker. At least they were both the same type of shoe. She could have easily worn a sneaker and a flip flop. “Are we gonna go now, mommy? Before Timmy has’a cow?” The seven year old teased as she gave her brother a playful eye roll. Timmy responded by sticking his tongue out at her. “Rannie, you’re not comin’ with us?” Savvy questioned. She knew he was still recovering, but he seemed to be healing quickly now that he was out of the hospital. She and Timmy were so thrilled that he was alright and even more elated that he was staying with them (despite DC’s wishes) until he was better. “Not this year, monkey.” Ransom told his little sister. “You’ll save me some cotton candy though, right?” He grinned. Savanna nodded her head in return.
“Finally...” Timmy said with an overly dramatic sigh. He was more worried about his favorite vendor running out of funnel cake than he was the lines for the rides. He missed out the previous year because Savvy got sick on the tea cups and they had to go home early. Victoria promised him that wouldn’t happen this year. “Can I bring Teddy?” Savanna asked. Normally Vic made her leave her stuffed bear at home because she didn’t want her to lose him, but she agreed to let her bring him this time as long as she kept him in the car. “We’ll be home soon. Call or text me if you need anything.” Victoria spoke to her oldest. She knew he was capable of taking care of himself, but she was overprotective...Especially after almost losing him. “I’m gonna win ya a biiiiig stuffed animal. Kay?” Timmy promised. He admired his brother so much he would literally do anything for him. The same went for any member of his family, whether they were blood related or not.
“Whoa! Look at all the new rides they have!” The eight year old said as his eyes lit up. Savanna’s eyes were just as wide. “Mommy… How comes DC didn’t come with us?” The little brunette asked. “Doesn’t he like the fair?” She arched a brow as her gaze met Victoria’s through the rear view mirror. “Can we bring him some cotton candy too? I can buy it. Nanny Deschaine gived me five whole dollars for helpin’ her pull weeds from her garden.” Savvy had the money safely tucked away in a Hello Kitty wallet she kept in her purse. “I’ll buy some for him, Rannie, Dottie, an you mommy.” Realistically, she probably didn’t have enough money to buy something for everyone. Food at the fair was always ridiculously overpriced and Savanna didn’t quite understand the value of things yet. Five dollars to a seven year old was like a hundred dollars to an adult. It certainly seemed like a lot, but it wouldn’t get her very far. Savanna’s heart was in the right place though. She always insisted she use her money to buy things for other people. She definitely got her generosity from Victoria. Timothy did too. They weren’t perfect kids, but they were good kids.
“Savvy...No tea cups until after I get some funnel cake.” Timmy told his sister as Vic circled the fairgrounds to find a parking spot. They lucked out and found one just a few rows from the main entrance. Admission to get in was free, but tickets were needed to get on rides, buy food, and collect prizes. Victoria got $20 for each of them to spend however they wanted. “Don’t lose these.”She warned as she handed Timmy his and Savanna hers. “Once these are gone, it’s time to go home. I don’t want to hear any complaining, do you understand?” Both children nodded as they held onto their tickets with a death grip. Savvy knew exactly what she wanted to use her tickets on first.
“Mommy, can I get my face painted? Please?” The seven year old asked. There was no line, which was a surprise, but Timmy was already voicing his disapproval. Victoria gave him a warning glance. “She gets to choose first, Timmy.” The brunette explained. “It’s her birthday. Why don’t you get your face painted too?” Vic suggested as her youngest was already picking out what she wanted. “I want...the butterfly.” She pointed with a grin. Victoria wasn’t surprised. She figured Savanna would pick that or the unicorn. “Timmy, you should get Spiderman!” The little girl said excitedly, but when it was finally his turn for face painting he went with a shark.
Victoria and the kids spent a couple of hours at the fair. So far, nothing eventful had taken place. Timmy was happy because he finally got a funnel cake he didn’t have to share. Savanna was happy because she won a stuffed seahorse playing some shooting game that made Victoria feel uneasy. They were down to their last few tickets...Just enough for one more game, ride, or snack. Timmy chose to spend his on a little roller coaster he had been eyeing up since they arrived, but Savanna didn’t want to go on it with him. They promised Ransom cotton candy, and she wouldn’t leave until she got him what he wanted. “We can’t forget ‘bout Rannie’s cotton candy, mommy.” Savvy reminded the brunette. “Can I get it?” She didn’t have enough tickets left, but the five dollars she still had in her purse would get her the tickets she needed to fulfill his request. “We need to wait for Timmy.” Vic explained. “You can wait for Timmy an’ I can get it myself. It’s right there.” Savvy pointed to the food truck a couple feet away. Victoria would still be able to see her. “Really quickly, Savanna...And then you need to come right back.” It was hard for Vic to let her baby go, but her baby wasn’t really a baby anymore. She realized that she would need to loosen the reigns at some point.
With the okay from her mother, Savanna made a mad dash towards the cotton candy truck. She asked the man inside how many tickets she would need and didn’t think anything of it when he gave it to her on the house. “Are ya sure it’s okay?” The little girl asked. She even offered him her money but he turned it down. “On the house means ya get it for free...My treat.” The man replied. He had a kind smile but there was something about his eyes that sent chills down Savvy’s spine. Something didn’t feel right. She knew she needed to get out of there, but before she could turn to leave a hand was covering her mouth and she was being scooped up and carried away.
“Savanna?” Victoria called out in a panic. She turned her back for one minute to check on Timmy and Savvy was gone. “Savanna Thorne… Where are you?” She held Timmy’s hand so tightly he started to complain that she was hurting him. “Mom, look…” He pointed to what appeared to be his sister’s purse and the stuffed seahorse she won. He was scared. Victoria was scared. Savanna was missing in a town where there was a killer on the loose and all of Victoria’s worst fears were coming true. “Where’s Savvy?” Timmy asked with tears in his eyes. He was trying to hold it together for his mother, but he was genuinely terrified. The world seemed to be spinning in slow motion, even as people whizzed passed them. “Excuse me...I’m looking for my daughter. She’s about this tall, thin, long brown hair, blue eyes...She’s seven. Her name is Savanna.” Victoria thought she was going to throw up. There was no way Savvy had just run off...Not without her purse and stuffed animal. “Sh...she got her face painted. This is what she looks like, only she has her face painted to look like a butterfly.” Vic showed him a picture of Savanna she had on her phone. The brunette was on the verge of tears. Her heart was beating so fast she thought it was about to explode. Why did she let Savanna go off by herself? Why were the security guards just standing there when her daughter was missing?
“Mom...Is Savvy gonna be okay?” Timothy asked. Victoria couldn’t give him an answer. She could barely breathe, think, or function. Why Savanna? At a fair full of people...Why did it have to be her daughter that went missing?
“Timmy...I want you to look at me. I need you to stay right here. Don’t move a muscle. I need to make a phone call.”Victoria had the security guard watch Timmy just to be safe while she stepped outside the trailer to call her brother. This was a police matter...a real police matter, and there was no one she trusted more than Steve.
“Victo…” Steve answered but he got cut off before he could even say her full name. “She’s gone, Steve...Savanna. I turned my back for one second and she’s gone!” He could barely understand a single word that came out of her mouth. “Where are you, Victoria?” He asked. “The fair...Steve...Please….We need to find her.” She couldn’t hold back her tears any longer. “Just stay where you are...I’m on my way.” By the time she hung up the phone she was hysterical. She had seen enough crime shows to know what came next. The clock was ticking. There was no time to waste.
