December 1988


"I'm so sorry folks, we'll do everything we can. We can get a search party out there tomorrow but we're going to have to hurry. Bad weather is moving in - that nasty storm that's been hovering around the mountains is supposed to drop down some and hit us hard. As it stands, we can probably only get up the mountain just so far before we have to chain up," Sherrif Sean Russells explained somberly to Louanne and Jimmy around 8pm the night she didn't come home.


"Before you have to chain up?" Jimmy snarled. "My daughter isn't worth some traction chains and rough roads?"


"Jim, I understand, I really do," Russells replied calmly, although he was distraught as well. He and Jimmy had played highschool football together. "But it hasn't even been a full 24 hours yet. There's protocol." He shook his head.


"That said," he began before Jimmy or Louanne could pipe back up, "I've already got Search and Rescue on it. Half the team are kids she goes to school with. Everyone is already out there looking, and nobody has seen her, so we have cause to get out there quick. And we will."


It warmed Jimmy and Louanne's hearts knowing that half the town was already out there driving around, looking for Sarah, when they could be cozy at home with their families. But it wasn't enough.


Louanne broke into tears yet again. This made their younger daughter Janie start crying again too.


"We're going to find her, Lou. I swear it." Russells reached out and grabbed Louanne's hand. With his other hand, he took Janie's small hand. "I'm going to bring back your sister if it's the last thing I do, okay?" His voice was soft.


"Okay," Janie sniffled.


"Well, I'm going back out," Jimmy stood. "I'm going to comb through the whole town if I have to. Thanks, Sean. I know you're doing everything you can. It's just--" tears started welling up in Jimmy's eyes.


"Don't say another word, my friend," Russells interrupted. "If it was my girl, I'd feel the same way."


--


"Oh shit," Jarrel muttered under his breath. With one hand, he pawed through the various contents of the backseat of his Ford Escort. The other hand held a flashlight that was illuminating the many falling snowflakes that were dropping out of the sky.


"Where's her fuckin' backpack? It's gotta be in here somewhere!"


Just then, it hit him.


It had been snowing on the mountain. Hard.


"This piece of shit isn't going to make it up the road, you idiot!" Tzarinah barked in disgust when the car started sliding around.


"I'm sorry, Rinah, but it's not like I ever read the What Car To Drive When You Kidnap Someone In The Wintertime Instruction Manual." Jarrel slammed the car into park. "I've got some chains in the back. I can just chain up."


"Back there with Sleeping Beauty? Don't you dare wake her! She could still take off and run and then we'd be cooked!" Tzarinah hissed.


"Would you please keep it down?" Jarrel replied in a much quieter tone. "If you don't want to wake her, be quiet!"


"The only reason I am letting you get away with talking to me like that is because you're right! Now go get those chains!"


Jarrel gently closed the car door and walked to the back of the car. He opened the hatch slowly to keep the noise minimal.


Sarah, with her hands and feet tied, was knocked smooth out. Jarrel reached down to make sure that she was still breathing.


"Good," he whispered to himself when he felt her breath on his hand.


He grabbed Sarah's bright pink Jordache backpack, and put it down on the ground so he could dig the chains out from under his multiple piles of junk. Junk notwithstanding, Ford Escorts aren't the roomiest vehicles.


He finally got what he needed and closed the hatch right before slipping and falling backward, nearly hitting his head.


His legs had gone straight out with the fall, kicking whatever may have been in front of him out of the way.


"Fuck me!" He groaned, picking himself up and gathering the chains.


In pain, he managed to get the chains onto the tires and then back into the car where Tzarinah looked annoyed.


"Took you long enough," she lit a cigarette.


"You know I don't like it when you smoke in the car if you can't roll a window down," he rolled his eyes as he put the car in a low gear.


"And you know I don't like it when all you do is fiddlefart around! We got places to be!" She gestured to the road. "The only good thing about this storm is it's probably going to cover our tracks real good so anyone searching for little miss back there won't be able to see! So let's get up there already!" She blew smoke at Jarrel and laughed.


Jarrel rolled down his window to let the smoke out as they drove on.


Now, hours later, panic was setting in.


"Oh fuck me, fuck me! Her backpack! It's back there! I didn't put it back into the goddamn car!" He was whisper-yelling and stomping his feet on the snowy ground.


Which then caused him to fall. Again.