I Have 6 Little Children and They Have Been Disappearing One by One in the past Week — Story of the Day

Darren, a single father, is horrified when his six little children start disappearing one by one within a week. Darren has no idea who is doing this to his family, but someone is targeting his children. How is he supposed to protect his kids when he has no idea about the enemy?

It was a pleasant, sunny morning — not for Darren.

"Okay, ketchup, check. Maple syrup, check," he muttered to himself as he moved the condiments from the fridge onto the breakfast table.

He then returned to the stove and flipped the last pancake of the morning, his gaze momentarily landing on the clock on the kitchen wall. He only had a few minutes before the kids' school bus arrived.

Darren hurriedly carried the prepared pancakes and crispy bacon to the table and neatly arranged six plates. He then rushed to get the spoons and forks.

"Kids! Breakfast's ready!" he called out to the children when he smelled something burning. Darren spun around to notice smoke emanating from the pancake. He had left it on high flame.

"Jesus!" he muttered and hurriedly placed the heated pan under the water, its sizzling sound breaking the morning's silence.

"Woohoo! Pancakes!" His youngest daughter Penny's voice boomed from behind, distracting him. Then, his other four kids rushed to their seats at the breakfast table. Everyone began eating.

Darren glanced at the bustling table and sighed with a smile before turning off the tap. He was glad his kids were not suffering as much as he was. It had been hard…getting used to the normal after his wife, Shirley, died of cancer a month ago. But he and the kids were managing.

However, Darren's smile faded when he leaned against the kitchen counter, admiring his kids eating, and noticed his eldest son, Sheldon, was still in the doorway, looking skeptical about joining his siblings.

"What's the matter, bud? The breakfast is calling your name. You not eating?" he asked worriedly.

Penny looked from him to Sheldon. "He's not going to eat, Dad! He has to follow those rules…from that religious brotherhood he visits after school."

"Keep your mouth shut, Penny!" Sheldon lashed out at her.

"I'm sorry, what?" Darren looked at Sheldon, perplexed. "What's going on here?"

Penny hung her head, refusing to speak.

"It-It helps me, Dad. I was gonna tell you," Sheldon said.

"Helps with what, Sheldon?" Darren asked.

Sheldon hesitated to reply.

Darren looked at Penny. "What's the matter? What are you two hiding?" he asked, baffled.

"It's…" Sheldon spoke up nervously. "It helps me feel better, Dad. It helps me think less about the fact that Mom's no longer here. It's helping me accept that she…" he paused. "She is no more."

"Kid, we've discussed this!" Darren said sternly. "What had we decided? We are not bringing up Mom like this ever again! She went to live with the angels. She's in a happy place. Can we all please move on for her sake?"

"Yeah, Dad…" Sheldon's words trailed off.

Darren approached him and placed a comforting palm on his shoulder. "Look, Sheldon, I know it's been hard. It's been so for all of us. And I'm not gonna stop you from doing whatever makes you feel better, but one way to move on from Mom's loss is to think about her less, not think about her more. Just...until we can think about her without crying. Give it time. Okay?"

"Alright, Dad," Sheldon nodded.

"And it's for all of us, alright?" Darren reminded all his children.

"Now," Darren turned to Sheldon. "You can wait for us in the living room if you don't wanna eat. I won't stand in your way if following something brings you peace."

As Darren left, Penny spoke up. "By the way, Dad…" she said, slicing her pancake. "What did you think about Miss Leslie's invitation? She asked if you could make it."

"Miss Leslie, who?" he asked as he reached for a pancake for himself.

"My teacher, Dad! You're so forgetful!" Penny shook her head. "She invited you to dinner, remember?"

"Oh, right!" Darren chuckled nervously, his cheeks flushed. "Well, I'm not sure about that. Haven't given it much thought," he said.

"Well, you should go, you know," Penny continued, smiling her clever smile, which Darren knew she did only when she was building these fake scenarios in her head where Miss Leslie was her new mom.

"Okay, stop!" Darren said, putting his plate in the sink. "We gotta run. So, if you guys are done, grab your backpacks. Or else we're gonna be late!"

"We think Miss Leslie likes you, Dad!" Darren's eldest daughter, Chloe, chirped. "She's nice. That's what all the kids say."

"I have heard that, too!" His other daughter, Mia, giggled. "I think you'll like her!"

"Yes, Dad!" Penny sillyly smiled.

"You kids are enjoying this a bit too much, aren't you?" Darren chuckled at how his three little girls enjoyed teasing him with Miss Leslie.

"But I don't think she's someone who can become your Mom," he said, getting serious. "You know, it's a big responsibility, and I don't think I'm ready to welcome someone new into our lives. Now, let's get going. C'mon!"

"You're boring, Dad!" Penny said as she got to her feet. The kids slung their backpacks over their shoulders, and Darren walked them to the bus stop.

"I think you should reconsider Miss Leslie's invitation, Dad," Penny said with a smile as she boarded the bus.

"Alright, ma'am! You, please be a good girl at school!" Darren laughed and waved her goodbye.

The bus soon disappeared down the street, and Darren's heart was heavy. Each of his kids had coped with Shirley's loss in their own way, but Darren was worried about Sheldon. His eldest son still had a long way to go. Darren knew that.

He had thought that speaking less about Shirley and avoiding discussing her would make things easier for Sheldon. But now, Sheldon had become a part of some religious brotherhood to cope with her loss, and Darren had no idea what happened there.

All he knew was the sadness he had seen on his young boy's face that morning when Sheldon confessed he was not over Shirley's death. But Darren didn't want to throw a thousand questions at him about the brotherhood because he didn't want Sheldon to feel like his privacy was being invaded.

He had to be a supportive parent and help him out.

When Darren walked back home, he picked up the toys strewn across the living room and collected the puzzle pieces scattered all over the kitchen countertop from the previous evening.

Since he was a businessman, a self-employed man who mainly worked from home, juggling the household chores and work wasn't a Herculean task for him — though he struggled at cooking.

After vacuuming the living room and arranging the toys, he marched upstairs to his younger kids' bedrooms. And oh god, they were a mess!

Clothes were strewn on the floor, wet towels were still lying on the beds, and Penny's room was still dark. Not to mention, their dustbins were overflowing, and none of the kids had bothered to clean their study spaces.

Darren briskly moved through the rooms, tidying up after the morning chaos. Then he entered Sheldon's room and felt a pang of sadness.

Sheldon's room was spick and span. The bed was neatly made as if nobody had ever slept on it. The blinds were drawn, letting in the sun rays through the windows. Fresh clothes were neatly folded and arranged on his bed. And his study space was clean.

Sheldon was a quiet child. He felt a lot but never expressed much. He was probably aware of how Darren struggled with cleaning after the other kids, so he always did his part to help Darren out and kept his room clean. Then there was Darren, who hadn't been able to do much to help his eldest son.

Darren was about to close the door to Sheldon's room and walk away when a brown diary peeking out from under Sheldon's pillow caught his attention. Darren's brows furrowed in confusion as he approached the bed and pulled out the diary. Opening it, he noticed the words "Sheldon's personal diary" scribbled on the first page.

A voice inside Darren asked him to stop right there. He was invading his son's privacy, and it was wrong. But curiosity got the better of him, and he sat on the bed, reading a few pages in there, only for his eyes to go moist.

Everywhere, on each page, Sheldon had mentioned Shirley at least once. He missed her so much. Sheldon had never been the mama's boy, but his love and admiration for Shirley were evident in his writings. Maybe it was because he was the eldest and had spent the most time with Shirley.

"Oh boy, I shouldn't have read it," Darren muttered to himself and closed the dairy when something fell from it and landed on the floor.

Darren picked it up and, for the first time since Shirley's funeral, he cried. It was a photo of Shirley, holding baby Sheldon and smiling at the camera, and behind the picture was the word "Mom," also scribbled in Sheldon's handwriting.

Darren wiped his tears, stuffed the photo back into the diary, and placed the diary where it was. He then left Sheldon's room, vowing never to go through the boy's things again. He wasn't supposed to do that. If Shirley were there, she would be so mad at him for this.

She always wanted them to be the cool parents, parents who were their kids' best friends and not someone who pried so much into their children's lives that their kids started hating them.

The rest of the morning was a blur for Darren, with him finishing up the chores and some work meetings. In the afternoon, he was at the bus stop again, waiting to pick up his kids. Looking up from his wristwatch, he noticed the bus approaching the stop. Surprisingly, the bus was early today.

"Daddy!" Chloe and Mia rushed to him as the bus door opened, and the other two kids, Jason and Caleb, followed.

Darren kneeled and opened his arms wide, hugging his four children. Sheldon just stood before them quietly.

"What's wrong, kids?" Darren chuckled, pulling away. "Why is Daddy being flattered with a hug today?"

Darren had no idea what had happened. It was only when Chloe spoke that he realized his kids were terrified.

"Penny is missing, Daddy," Chloe said, scared. Her lips quivered as she spoke.

"What? What do you mean?" Darren asked, baffled.

"She went missing from school, and everyone is looking for her, Dad," Sheldon replied, avoiding his father's gaze. "Nobody knows where she went."

A shiver ran down Darren's spine. He rose to his feet and quickly scanned the bus for his daughter, but she wasn't there.

"And none of you saw her? How is that possible?" Darren demanded angrily as the bus left.

"The last time I saw her was during lunch break, Daddy…" Mia added shakily.

Darren couldn't understand how his daughter went missing from a school bustling with hundreds of children every single day. Someone would have seen Penny for sure.

Darren paced his living room anxiously as he dialed Penny's class teacher.

As the woman answered, his anger knew no bounds.

"Miss Leslie, what's going on? Where is my daughter?" he snapped. "How can she go missing?"

"Darren, please, I know what has happened is shocking for all of us, but we're currently checking the entire school building," she said apologetically. "We're really sorry for what you're going through."

"Your apology won't fix this, will it?" he snarled. "I want my daughter back! Why wasn't I informed Penny is missing?"

Darren heard Miss Leslie sighing on the other end of the line. "You're right; I should've informed you, Darren. But we're still checking the building, as I said. Sometimes, kids resort to silly pranks, you know.

"We're worried she was—maybe someone was bullying her, and they might have locked her in the basement or one of the storage rooms. We've released the children early, and everyone is looking for her. I promise we're doing our best."

"This is unacceptable!" Darren retorted in frustration. "You're supposed to take care of the kids! I want my daughter back, and I can't rely on you or your administration to find her!"

The woman said something about keeping him posted, but Darren didn't hear what it was. He hung up the phone in frustration and called the cops.

***

Dealing with the nightmarish situation, Darren sat in his living room with Detective Stevens, recounting what had happened with his daughter. The children were in their rooms, and Darren had strictly told them they were not supposed to come down until he called them.

"Penny's class teacher called a while ago," Darren informed the detective. "They don't know how Penny could just vanish like that. I'm worried sick, and my other children are scared, too."

"I understand, Mr. Henson," Detective Stevens nodded sympathetically. "Officers were dispatched to your daughter's school, and they're looking for her as per the description you provided. I want to ask you if she mentioned anything unusual lately. Any conflicts or issues at school or home?"

Darren shook his head. "No, Detective," he said. "Penny is a good girl. She never causes trouble, and we've never had any problems at home. She's just…gone," Darren buried his face in his palm in despair.

"I don't know who would do this to my little girl. I don't know if she's…" he continued tremblingly. "I don't know if she's safe."

"You might not like what I suggest next, sir," Detective Stevens said sternly. "But sometimes, kids run away due to various reasons. Is there a chance she might have left her on her own?"

"No way, Detective!" Darren glared at the man. "Penny is not like that! She's responsible, and we have a good relationship. Something has happened to her! She won't run away!"

"Can you think of anyone who might want to harm her or any places she likes to visit? Friends, hangout spots, anything that might help us?" Detective Stevens asked, making notes in his small notebook.

"No," Darren replied, shaking his head. "She's a good student, has a few close friends, and she doesn't go out much. I've already called her friends and asked them, and nobody knows anything."

Detective Stevens closed his notebook and sighed. "Well, is it alright if I talk to your children, although I know you've told me they don't know anything? You'd be surprised, Mr. Henson. Sometimes, siblings know things parents don't."

Darren wanted to tell the detective that he had faith his children had told him everything, but he didn't tell Detective Stevens. He let the detective talk to the kids, but nothing came out of it. The children had no idea how Penny went missing from school.

Eventually, Detective Stevens left, promising to be in touch if he had an update. The cops were already looking for her.

There was an eerie silence at the dinner table that evening. Darren noticed how none of the kids wanted to eat. They just pushed the food around with their forks, sadness clouding their faces.

Penny's disappearance was yet another tragedy he and the children were facing since Shirley's demise — the first had been her untimely loss. Darren somehow consoled the children that things would be fine soon. It was a white lie.

After dinner, he tucked the kids in their beds…except Sheldon. He said he wanted to be alone, so Darren gave him space.

Darren himself couldn't sleep a wink that night. He kept twisting and turning in bed, wondering where Penny was. She was just a little girl, and he couldn't help but think about worst-case scenarios.

What if she was locked in one of the school rooms and the teachers had missed it? What if she was in a place where she was crying for help, but nobody could hear her?

Darren decided he couldn't sleep until he saw his little daughter again. He peeled back the sheets, went downstairs to the living room, and began pacing the space anxiously.

He even called Detective Stevens, asking if there was an update. The detective was kind enough to answer his call in the wee hours of the morning. But unfortunately, there was still no update about Penny.

Darren's heart sank when the call was disconnected. He spent a few hours on the living room couch, looking at Penny's and then Shirley's pictures, and cried like a child. For a while, he forgot he was a grown man, a father to six children.

Sobs rocked his body as he recalled Penny's mischievous laugh, her silly smiles when she tried to convince him to date Miss Leslie, and how she was an exact replica of Shirley.

"I'm so sorry, honey…" he sobbed to Shirley as if she could hear him. "Maybe I'm not a good dad. I couldn't keep our little Penny safe!"

When it was time to get the kids ready for school the next morning, Darren hid the pictures in one of the living room cabinets and busied himself with the breakfast preparation.

He didn't have the strength to, but he acted normal in front of his other children because he didn't want them to be scared. He had to be strong for them. He didn't want to send them off to school that day, but doing so would only make their tender hearts worry more.

He could sense the kids were equally disturbed, but nobody voiced their discomfort and finished their breakfast silently.

Darren dropped them off at the bus stop as usual and waved goodbye to them as the bus left.

But that afternoon, he decided to pick up the kids on his own. He just couldn't sit at home and wait for them to be home. He was terrified after what had happened with Penny.

What if the person who had harmed Penny tried to hurt his other children? There was no way she'd run away. He arrived at the school a little early to check on his children.

Darren reached out to the school office, explaining his need for a visitor's pass, and checked on Mia, Chloe, and Caleb. They were still in their classes, to his relief.

He was heading to Jason's class when he ran into Miss Leslie.

"Darren, how are you?" she asked with a smile. "I was wondering…about the dinner? Have you thought about it? I was—"

"I'm sorry, Miss Leslie," he interrupted her in a rush. "I, uh, I really appreciate the offer, but right now, I have to focus on finding my kids. I gotta—"

"Oh yeah, sure, I can understand," she replied, her face serious now. "I'm sorry to hear what happened with Penny. If there's anything I can do to help, please let me know."

"For now, it'd be great if you just let me go," he replied and hurried away without waiting for her response. As he searched Jason's class, he found the boy missing. Sheldon was not in his class, either.

Darren's palms went cold, and blood drained off his face. He was on his way back when he ran into Miss Leslie again.

"Miss Leslie, have you seen Sheldon and his brother, Jason? They're not in their classrooms! Turns out they both skipped the last period," he said urgently.

"You might want to check out the brotherhood gathering?" she suggested. "I think Sheldon attends it? Maybe he took Jason with him. It's just a short walk from here. A couple of my students go."

"Alright, thank you," Darren said and rushed out of the school. However, he was denied entry when he arrived at the community center where the gatherings were arranged.

"Please, I need to find my kids. Let me go!" Darren insisted, but the man at the door blocked his path.

Darren tried to peer inside the gathering from the door, catching a glimpse of a dimly lit room filled with people seated in a circle. A faint hum of chanting and the scent of incense wafted out, but he couldn't see much beyond the threshold.

"I'm sorry, sir. We can't allow anyone inside during the meeting. It's a private gathering," said the man guarding the door.

"Look, I just need to know if my kids are okay!" Darren pleaded. "Please, it will only take a moment. Let me go."

"Dad?" Darren looked beyond the man's shoulder and saw Sheldon approaching them. A wave of relief washed over Darren.

"Sheldon! Jesus, I'm so glad you're fine!" Darren rushed over to his eldest son and hugged him.

"Where's Jason? Is he inside?" Darren asked, pulling away.

"Dad, what are you talking about? Jason isn't with me. I came here alone."

"What? Bu-but Jason is not at school, Sheldon," Darren panicked. "He skipped the last period!"

"Okay, relax, alright? Let's check at the school again. He must be there, Dad."

Darren was torn apart. While he was relieved to have Sheldon safe, he had no idea where Jason could've gone. They checked the school again for Jason, and he was not there. Darren was devastated, to say the least.

It was the same scene all over again. Darren spoke to Jason's teachers and friends, but nobody knew where Jason was. Was someone playing dirty games with him? Why…why would someone be after his family like that?

Darren was heartbroken, angered, and…terrified. His children had gone missing from school, which was supposed to be a safe place for them, and that too in broad daylight.

When Darren phoned Detective Stevens and told him everything, even the cop was shocked. Detective Stevens said they would start a search for Jason, too.

Darren knew what everyone thought of his kids by now — they must have run away from their father. It wouldn't be long before people suspected something was wrong with him, that he was probably an abusive father, and his children were trying to escape his clutches. But that wasn't the reality; Darren knew that.

What bothered him more than anything was the fact that his children were not safe any longer. So, as he arrived home with his kids, he locked them in their rooms, forbidding them to leave the house until Penny and Jason were found.

Darren didn't want to do that to his children, but he didn't have a choice. He was terrified.

Later that day, he sat in the living room, his mind racing with the worst-case scenarios. Who could be behind it all? Was it someone from their past? Was it a business rival? But Darren couldn't recall having one.

Suddenly, his doorbell rang, distracting him. Darren sprang to his feet and dashed to the door, hoping it was Detective Stevens with an update. "Detective, is there—" He paused his sentence as he stared at the unknown man standing in his doorway. A cross dangled from the man's neck, but his attire was casual.

"Yes?" Darren asked, confused.

"Hello, I'm Father Phil," the man said. "I'm the head of the religious brotherhood gatherings. I witnessed what happened at the gathering earlier today," he continued, "and I just wanted to express my support. Sheldon has been through a lot."

Darren's heart sank with disappointment. He had hoped for Detective Stevens. He was in no mood to entertain anyone else.

"Thank you, Father," he managed to say. "I appreciate your concern."

Right then, Darren's phone rang, disrupting their conversation. He pulled out his phone and saw it was Miss Leslie.

"I'm sorry, Father. I need to take this," Darren excused himself and answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Darren. It's me, Miss Leslie," Her voice appeared through the device. "I understand it's a difficult time for you, and I…I just wanted to apologize to you," she said sincerely. "I may have come off as insensitive, you know. I'm just sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you for dinner."

Darren sighed. Why was everyone but the detectives so eager to talk to him?

"No, no, it's alright, Miss Leslie," he said. "I appreciate your call. It's just been a tough day. Let's talk about dinner another time when things have settled down. Right now, I need to focus on finding the missing kids."

"Of course, Darren. I hope everything turns out okay. We can always arrange dinner when, you know, the kids are no longer a problem. I'll be waiting. And let me know if you need any help or just need someone to talk to."

"Sure, Miss Leslie. I really appreciate it," he said and hung up.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Darren said as he approached Father Phil again.

"You can always reach out to me," Father Phil extended him a card. "We are dedicated to helping people get through tough times. You can visit us and be a part of our gatherings. It has helped many."

"Uh, thank you, Father," Darren accepted the card. "I would have welcomed you in, but I'd like to be with my children. It's a lot…what we are going through. I really need some peace and quiet."

"It's alright," Father Phil said calmly. "Please take care."

Darren closed the door and sank onto the living room couch, burying his face in his palms. It had been more than 24 hours since Penny went missing, and there was no news of her. And Jason — Darren's heart was crushed to think he couldn't protect his little boy.

That night, Darren didn't sleep a wink again. There was still no news of Penny, and Jason was missing, too. Darren couldn't do anything but wait for an update from the cops. But he was no longer letting his children out of his sight.

Darren didn't send the kids to school the next morning. It was a lot for the children as well — They, too, were terrified. Moreover, Darren knew how his other children would be treated at school with awkward stares and whispered conversations about their missing siblings.

So, keeping the children at home was in everyone's best interest. Not to mention, Darren couldn't shake the feeling that someone was targeting his kids one by one. Whoever that person was…he already had Penny and Jason, and Darren couldn't afford to endanger his other children's lives.

However, after having another sleepless night, Darren had a hunch that he might know the person who had been potentially abducting his children.

When he hadn't been able to sleep the night before, he had checked on each of his children. They had been in deep sleep in their rooms. When he checked on Sheldon, though, the boy's personal diary on the bedside table caught his attention.

The thought of Father Phil's visit had eventually flooded Darren's mind, so Darren couldn't resist the temptation of checking out the diary again. When he read a few pages, one particular line caught his attention, which disturbed him.

So, this morning, Darren decided to talk to Sheldon alone. They were in the living room, sitting across from each other.

"Sheldon, be honest with me," he began. "Is the brotherhood involved in your siblings' disappearances? Does Father Phil—Is he involved in all of this?" Darren inquired, his eyes searching for any sign of information in Sheldon's expression.

Sheldon, however, remained silent, his eyes avoiding his father's gaze. Frustrated by the lack of response, Darren decided to take matters into his own hands. He went to Sheldon's room, found the boy's diary in a drawer, and quickly flipped through its pages.

Returning to the living room, Darren held the diary in his hands and confronted Sheldon, pointing to the line: "Father Phil says if my whole family joins my prayers, my mother's soul will find its way to heaven."

"I found this in your room, Sheldon. I need to know what's going on. Did the priest say anything about our family? Could it have anything at all to do with Jason's and Penny's disappearances?" Darren asked angrily.

"It's nothing, Dad," Sheldon finally spoke up, his gaze fixed on the floor. "He said it would be great if everyone could just attend, you know. That's all."

But Darren couldn't shake the feeling Father Phil could be behind everything. His surprise visit and now this — something was wrong. The priest's calm demeanor earlier had irked Darren.

"Sheldon, you can't be so sure. You're too young to know what you're being pulled into in the name of a religious brotherhood. You don't really know who these people are. For all I know, when that man couldn't get us all to attend, he started taking my kids!" Darren fumed. "I'm calling the police!"

Enraged, Darren called Detective Stevens. A few rings went through before the detective's voice appeared on the line. Darren quickly narrated everything that had transpired — the line in Sheldon's diary and Father Phil's surprise visit.

There was a pause before Detective Stevens replied. "Mr. Henson, we understand your concern, but we need more evidence for a search warrant. A diary entry might not be enough."

"So are we letting my kids stay with that man? Look, detective, he might have my children, and I don't know what the hell he's going to do with them! Please! You have to help me!"

Darren heard Detective Stevens sighing on the other end. "We don't have enough evidence for a search warrant, sir. But…I feel there might be a way we can work this out."

"Yes, please," Darren pleaded. "There's something wrong about him. I can feel it. I need to find my kids, and I won't rest until I do."

After hanging up the call, Darren told Sheldon and the other kids to stay home and not go anywhere. "I'm going to find your siblings soon, alright? Please stay strong, kids. I will be right back."

Darren, Detective Stevens, and other officers arrived at the brotherhood. But the man at the door refused them entry.

"You can't stop the cops from searching," Detective Stevens explained, showing his badge. "This involves missing children, and it's an exigent circumstance, so please move."

The man was still hesitant to let Darren and the officers in. Hearing the commotion, Father Phil and a few members emerged from inside.

"What's going on?" Father Phil asked, his gaze fixed on Darren.

"Father, we need to search the premises," Detective Stevens explained. "Please cooperate, and this will be quick and painless."

"I assure you there's nothing to hide here, Officer. We're just a community seeking spiritual solace."

The members began protesting against the search even though Detective Stevens insisted on searching the place. Finally, Father Phil relented.

"Please, I request everyone to maintain silence. If you insist on it, Officer, you may go inside," he said, making way for them. "I assure you you'll find nothing."

The police proceeded with the search, examining rooms and common areas while members of the brotherhood watched with a mixture of suspicion and annoyance. Despite the thorough investigation, nothing suspicious was found in the community center.

"Well, it seems there's nothing here," Detective Steven said, looking from Darren to Father Phil. "We appreciate your cooperation, Father. But if you hear anything about the missing children, please contact us immediately."

"Of course, Officer. We're as concerned about the kids' well-being as anyone," he replied calmly. "We will continue our prayers for their safe return."

"I thought I had a lead," Darren grumbled. "I just want to find my missing children!"

Father Phil nodded sympathetically. "I understand, sir. We all hope they return home safe and sound. Perhaps you should focus your efforts elsewhere."

As Darren left the community center, he couldn't help but feel something was still amiss. What if Father Phil had kept his children elsewhere? But Darren couldn't accuse the man unless he had proof.

Darren arrived home, his heart heavy, and was met by an eerie silence.

"Kids, I'm home," he called out, but there were no replies.

Panic surged through him as he rushed from room to room, desperately calling out his children's names. But the house remained haughtily vacant.

Darren's heart sank. "No, no, this can't be! How…how can the children go missing from home?"

Darren couldn't understand what was happening. It was then he recalled something. The soil near the potted plant at the door.

He rushed out to the plant and noticed the pot had been removed. The spare key was still there. Had someone taken the spare key from under the pot, unlocked the door, and taken his children away?

"Dammit!" If someone had been watching his house all this while, they must've known about the spare key. How could he have been so stupid as to leave the key under the potted plant?

But then, he had been so preoccupied with what happened in the past days that he didn't think about changing the key's position at all.

Darren sank onto the porch near the plant, crying, when a thought occurred to him: "We can have dinner when the kids are no longer a problem, Darren."

Nobody could've taken the kids from home…unless the kids seemed to trust the person. And if there was one person they trusted, it was Miss Leslie.

Darren's heart dropped as he recalled how she'd acted oddly calm in recent days despite what had happened.

She kept insisting on the dinner even when there were more significant problems in front of him, such as finding his kids. When she first met him at the school, she seemed happy and not disturbed, although the entire school was aware of Penny's disappearance. And she was the one who had suggested Jason could be at the brotherhood.

"Holy Christ," Darren muttered under his breath as he raced to his car. He fed Miss Leslie's address in the GPS and drove to her house. Penny kept telling him where Miss Leslie lived while talking about the dinner invitation.

Darren's palms were clammy with anxiety on the steering wheel, and his heart throbbed against his chest as he drove. Maybe if he talked to the woman calmly, she would tell him where his children were.

Darren was crying throughout the drive. When he arrived, he wiped his tears and composed himself before marching to her front door. He was about to press the doorbell, but he noticed the front door was slightly ajar.

Darren pushed open the door and stepped inside, swallowing thickly. He looked around Miss Leslie's living room, but she was nowhere to be seen.

Darren was heading to another room when a voice from behind stopped him in his tracks.

"Darren?"

He spun around to see Miss Leslie standing behind him. Behind her, a door that probably led to the basement was open.

"Darren, finally, we're together! I've been waiting for you!" She was smiling, the look on her face sinister, and her eyes glazed with madness. "First, it was your wife. Then, your kids were taking up all your attention...now, nothing stands in our way!"

Darren's gaze immediately traveled to her right hand. She was holding a knife. A shiver ran down his spine, but his only relief was it was clean. Hopefully, she hadn't harmed the children. He should've called the police on the way, but it was too late now.

"Miss Leslie, whe-where are my children?" Darren asked, terrified. "Please let them go."

A sinister grin flickered across her face. "Do you love me, Darren?"

Miss Leslie's twisted psyche was clearly visible now. She claimed to love Darren, but her fixation on him had descended into madness. She wanted to eliminate his children. Darren had to be clever and think calmly. Or else he would lose his kids forever.

"Miss Leslie, of-of course, I love you," His heart raced as he approached her slowly. "How about you hand me the knife? We love each other, don't we? You should listen to me. I'll ask you again, where are the children?"

"Oh, Darren," Miss Leslie unexpectedly raced toward him and hugged him.

Darren's heart was racing so fast that he could hear it in his ears.

"I love you…" she whispered into his ears.

"I-I love you, too," Darren said nervously, reaching for the knife. "How about you let this thing go? I don't want you to be hurt."

The woman released her grip on the knife, and Darren had it. But there was a moment of negligence.

With a sudden, shocking motion, she produced a concealed knife and struck him with a swift stab to his side. The pain was immediate, searing through his body. He gasped, staggering backward, clutching his side where the warm rush of blood dampened his shirt.

Miss Leslie stood, the knife still in her hand, an unsettling calm in her eyes. "Why did you lie to me, Darren? I don't think you love me."

Despite the pain, Darren fought through the shock, pleading, "Miss Leslie, please! Where are my children?"

Silence hung in the air for a moment before she finally spoke. "They're safe, Darren. See, you're just worried about them."

Summoning the last of his strength, Darren mustered a desperate act. Pretending to reciprocate her twisted affection, he drew her close. "Miss Leslie, I don't care that you hurt me. Anything to prove that I love you. I still do. Shouldn't our children join us?" he asked, approaching her with his arms wide open and wrapping her in a hug.

Miss Leslie was quiet for a while, and Darren feared the worst — that he wouldn't live to see his children and that his kids were probably already dead. But then, Miss Leslie pulled away and smiled at him.

"Oh, honey! Did you call them our kids? Music to my ears!" she said. "They are in the basement. You should call them."

"I should," he smiled despite the pain and finally descended the stairs to the basement.

There, his children, bound and gagged, were crying.

Darren freed Sheldon first and handed him his phone. "Shh, kids. It-It's gonna be okay. Ca-call the police, Sheldon," Darren instructed, the pain of his wound unbearable.

Sheldon called the cops while Darren, groaning in pain, freed the other children, asking them to help free the others.

Not able to withstand discomfort any longer, Darren's eyelids started closing against his wish at one point. He tried to fight against the sudden drowsiness.

There was so much he wanted to do. He wanted to hug the kids again and kiss them. He wanted to apologize to them for putting them in this position. And Sheldon...Darren wanted to apologize to Sheldon most of all. But he lost. He succumbed to the pain, and everything around him went black.

***

The faint beeping of machines and a whisper of seemingly distant voices flooded his mind as Darren opened his eyes.

He could see the pale blue walls around him, and then his gaze traveled to the couch where his children sat.

"Dad! You're awake! Oh God, Dad! I thought you'd never wake up!" Sheldon said and raced to hug him. Then, the boy narrated everything that had happened after Darren lost consciousness in the basement.

The cops had arrived on the scene with paramedics, and Darren was transported to the hospital. Miss Leslie was arrested, although she tried to flee the scene.

"You have been unconscious for a whole day, Dad. I was worried we lost you!" Sheldon sobbed. "Detective Stevens was kind, and he talked to the doctors, and they let us stay here with you."

"Daddy, we missed you!" Penny cried. "We missed you so much!"

Darren hugged all his six children, relieved to have them back, and promised himself that he would never let anything wrong happen to them.

TOP 3 STORIES on AmoMama

1. Husband Dumps Wife & Child for Younger Woman, Years Later Daughter Becomes His Boss — Story of the Day

William walked out on his wife and daughter to start a new life with his young mistress. But things changed years later, and just when William thought nothing would go wrong, he came face-to-face with his grown-up daughter...Full story here.

2. Woman Puts Dad in Nursing Home and Never Visits Him, Gets a Letter from Him after His Death – Story of the Day

Elizabeth placed her father in a nursing home and never saw him again. She only visited him at his funeral. But the young woman's karma caught up with her and taught her a harsh lesson when she received a letter from him after his death... Full story here.

3. Teacher Visits Boy Who Skips School, Learns He Tends to Little Sis Alone — Story of the Day

Amelia grows worried and suspects something is wrong after one of her pupils starts skipping classes. Concerned about the boy's well-being, she drives to his house and discovers the appalling conditions he and his sister are forced to live in... Full story here.

Tell us what you think about this story, and share it with your friends. It might inspire them and brighten their day.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.