I would been sleeping for five years since my daughter vanished, but one day I was startled out of my reverie by a pounding on the door. A girl was carrying a basket filled with cookies. God, oh God! Right now, my daughter would look precisely like this! I had no idea that the most difficult reality was still lying in wait for me. I used to be a mother with a kind heart and a cozy house. My days were spent racing after Nao, our small child, whose joy filled our entire home.  I was the woman who thought that people were generally decent and that happy endings were possible. However, it was back then. Before Nao vanished and all I held dear was destroyed. I was reduced to a shell of the person I used to be after she vanished five years before. After we lost our loved one, my husband Ethan was unable to cope and eventually left me.

I was weird, according to the youngsters in the neighborhood. They shouted me names and threw rotten apples into my yard. But I became unaffected by their jokes; all that remained was the painful emptiness where Noa had once been. One afternoon, I was buried in my thoughts while sitting in the living room’s dark light when there was a loud bang on the door. This lonesome house made such an unexpected sound! Upon opening the door at last, I saw an eight-year-old girl carrying a basket of cookies. Her large green eyes and red hair gave her an uncanny appearance.

“Where did you claim to reside?” I asked, trying not to let my heart race through my chest while I spoke. Lizzy gestured along the road. Not far from a few residences. My dad passed away, so we relocated here. Mom says this is a new beginning. I got a chill from what she said. Is this just a coincidental event? Or was it something more? I had to learn the truth. I had to find out more about this girl, her background, and how similar she could be to my Noa. I put the freshly made pie in a basket and walked down the street to Claire’s house as soon as I smelled it filling my kitchen. Claire smiled warmly to greet me. I made the decision to visit Claire, her mother, and prepare a pie.

 It was a straightforward plan: make a friendly gesture, introduce myself, and maybe even get some information. “Hello, this is Isabella. I started by offering the pie, saying, “I live just down the road.” “I wanted to drop by and say hello.” It is beneficial to get to know your neighbors. As Claire took the pie, her smile grew. I saw the half-unpacked boxes and the simple furnishings as soon as I entered her house.