"It's Leo. Please help me."
The name hit me all at once.
A shaky voice came through.
Leo.
The boy Mark used to play with at the park every weekend. He had a bright laugh and was constantly scraping his knees.
But he'd stopped showing up a few months ago.
Mark had asked about him once or twice, then stopped asking. I'd assumed they'd moved or switched parks.
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"Leo, are you safe right now?"
The boy Mark used to play with at the park every weekend.
But Leo didn't reply.
The static hissed for a few seconds, then went quiet. I pressed the button once more.
"Leo? Hey, buddy. I'm still here. Please, talk to me."
Nothing.
I sat at the kitchen table for hours afterward, staring at the bear, and wondering if Leo was okay.
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Leo didn't reply.
In the morning, Mark padded into the kitchen in his socks, rubbing sleep from his eyes.
"Where's Bear?" he asked immediately.
"He's okay. I'll give him back to you, but we need to talk about something first."
Mark climbed onto his chair, legs swinging. He watched me closely.
"Do you remember Leo?" I asked.
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His face lit up. "From the park?"
"Where's Bear?"
"Yeah. Did he seem… different the last time you two played together?"
Mark frowned. "He didn't want to play tag. He just wanted to sit. He said his house was loud now."
That caught my attention. "Did he say why?"
Mark shrugged. "He said his mom was busy. And that grown-ups don't listen when you tell them stuff."
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"Did he seem… different the last time you two played together?"
"Did he ever tell you where he lived?"
Mark nodded. "The blue house, a block away from the park. We pass it when we're walking on Sundays."
"The one with the white flowers near the mailbox?"
Mark nodded.
I knew what I had to do next.
"Did he ever tell you where he lived?"
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After I dropped off Mark at school, I didn't go straight to work.
I drove to the blue house where Leo lived.
I told myself I was just checking. That I'd make up a reason if I needed one. I didn't plan it beyond that, because planning would've meant admitting I was worried.
When I knocked, the door didn't open right away.
I could hear movement inside. A TV. Voices overlapping.
I drove to the blue house where Leo lived.
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