While baby-sitting the new neighbors’ children for the first time, Katie answered the phone, but all she heard was silence. She didn’t think much about it, probably just a little mistake.

Suddenly Katie jumped when the telephone rang again. This time she heard the breathing of a man and the scratchy voice that said, “You better go check on the children.”

Terrified Katie ran upstairs where she had just but 4-year-old Jenny and 2-year-old Robby to bed. She was in shock when she found the two empty beds. All she could do was panic. WHERE WERE THE CHILDREN!? Who would do this to them, they were new in this town.

Katie didn’t know what to do. Terrified she ran back downstairs to call 911. When she picked up the phone there was no dial tone. She heard the breathing.

Shaking and in tears now, Katie screamed, “WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?! The scratchy voice said, “All I ever wanted was you. Now, I want you to meet me at the bait shop on 12th Street. Be there at 11:35. Don’t be a second late and NO POLICE.” The voice sent chills up Katie’s back.

The words ran through her mind over and over, “All I ever wanted was you.” Her mouth almost hit the floor when she realized who had her new neighbors’ children. Her ex-boyfriend Tommy. They had just had a dramatic break-up about four days before and he swore that he would get back at her. He knew this job was important to her. What was she going to do?!

By now the time was getting away from her. It was 11:25 and she had to run 23 blocks to the bait shop. She had to get to the other side of town in 10 minutes by foot!

Running faster than she ever had before Katie began making her way through the dead town. Katie had never wore watches, now more than ever she wished she would have.

She arrived at the bait shop to find no one there. “Oh no! I must be late. He’s taken the children! But then Tommy stepped slowly around the corner.

“Tommy! Where are the children. What have you done with them?” Katie began yelling at him. He slowly came over to her and put his finger over her lips telling her to be quiet.

Katie was furious. He had no right to do anything to those children to get back at her. Katie fiercely says, “Tommy, you leave those kids alone. This has nothing to do with them. I am sorry I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just didn’t work out.”

Katie realized that if she made him too mad he could do something even more stupid.

Tommy began freaking out. He was in tears and was trembling terribly. Katie had never seen him like this and felt a little guilty about causing him to do this but he did it to himself.

She didn’t remember him getting the gun out. She just remembers him holding it against her head.

“Why did you do this to me? You make me go crazy. I treated you like an angel. WHY?” Tommy began.

Katie didn’t know what to say. When you have a gun against your head it kind of makes you freeze up.

“Tommy, I am sorry.” Was where she began. “Just put the gun down and things will be better. You don’t want to do anything stupid. I’m sorry.”

“Me too.” Was all that Tommy said.

Before Katie could do anything the gun was pulled from her head to his and he pulled the trigger.

Katie scram as Tommy’s body fell by her feet. She found herself running again, although extremely tired. She ran to the police.

Katie later found that the children were fine. They had actually been sleeping at Tommy’s house. Although the children were fine, Katie would never be fine again.

— Christy Weller is a Tonganoxie Junior High School student.