Chapter 1: Stranded
Louisa must have dozed off. One moment she was sitting silently in the back seat watching the landscape flew by as they drove down the interstate, and the next she was waking up in the same car, though this time it was parked. And empty besides herself.
The girl straightened, and blinked away the sleep and confusion that muddled her brain. Where was she? More importantly: Where were her parents? Both wouldn’t have left her alone in the car. Especially not alone in a town she was extremely unfamiliar with. Even if she was sound asleep one of them would have jostled her awake.
Without a second thought, Louisa exited the vehicle. She took two steps away from it before returning to snatch up the only other thing that was with her in the back seat: her stuffed rabbit. With that clutched close to her chest, she observed her immediate surroundings. There was a diner closest to where the car was haphazardly parked, but it appeared vacant. Regardless, she approached.
“Maman?” Louisa called, gently pressing the door to the restaurant open. Not a soul was present. The entire interior looked untouched, though she could hear shuffling from the kitchen area. Perhaps it was her parents, or, in the very least, someone who could help her locate them. Hesitantly, she walked closer to the counter, and again called out: “Maman, is that you?”
