Teddy sat by the front door growing irritated and impatient. his younger brother, Sam, should have been home hours ago. His mother worried, thinking of all the worst possible things that could have happened to him. This was the fourth person to go missing in the small town of burra this week, "a sudden change in crocodile appetites" Teddy's father had said when his game of football had been interrupted on the tv.

"Ted" his fathers voice chilled him, he spun around and looked up at his father, who stood towering above him. "I-I'm sorry, I should have gone with him" fear began to show in his voice, his father held a beer in one hand, alcohol never meanst anything good in their house, and ted suddenly realised that Sam's return may not come. His father squatted beside him, "i don't blame you for not wanting to go, but you should have known the dangers of letting him leave by himself teddy..." disappointment sparkled in his eyes, ted felt sick. his father stood, and called out to his distraught wife "I'm going to look for him Debra".

Debra came to the front door, she was a large women, although ted had often teased with sam that one day she wouldn't be able to leave the house, she wasn't really that big. Still it was a funny pass time to joke how she would get stuck in one of the doorways because she had a mighty eating habit. Sam had made a point that she was too much of a food bloodhound to starve. He was right, She was never without food. Even now, Debra held a bag of crisps in her arms and put a salty palm on her cheek in a literal show of concern "oh you can't go out now! It's too dark! I'll call the police and file a missing persons report".

His father paused, ted read the expression on his face and moved away, sneaking into the driveway and watching on as his father finally let loose "the police?! Debra you know they won't do shit to find him! God forbid If he's lost somewhere they won't even begin to look until his starved and sickly in a hole somewhere!" "Don't say that Stan please!" Ted's mother dropped the bag and wiped her hands on her flowery dress, her hair falling over her eyes, it looked more grey then usual.

Stan took a menacing step towards her, "I'm going to find the boy, don't you dare call those sons of a bitch or else" Debra paused, her expression changing "Or else what Stan?"
Stan's face grew red with anger and ted drew back behind the car bonnet, shielding his eyes as Stan clenched his hands into fists and tossed his half empty bottle at his mother's head. Ted's mother recoiled, her arms flew up to protect her face from the glass "Don't you dare speak to me like that!" Stan snorted, turning swiftly and leaving, punching the car as he passed, ted jumped at the sound, watching his father head in the same direction Sam had earlier.

He won't return ted thought, finally getting up and aiding his mother. She waved him away as she held her arm to her chest
"I'm ok ted, he's just stressed that's all. Gone to find Sam I suppose, I'll call the police tomorrow if he returns, he'll be in a better mind then." Debra muttered, struggling to her feet, "Get inside ted" She ushered him in and closed the door, still holding her arm to her chest, but she acted as if nothing else had happened, like ted's father hadn't just tossed beer and glass all over her. "Did he hurt you? I've never seen dad act that way" "I'm fine" she said simply, she sat down at the kitchen bench and stared blankly at the wall.

Ted watched her for a second then went upstairs to watch the news, There were no signs of an investigation going on to figure out where all the missing children were going. The news women stared blankly at the camera reciting what was written on the page in front of her, there was news on a robbery not too far from ted's house, a car that had driven straight through an old tree, a bad storm that was going to hit and some traffic updates, but nothing on a missing person.

Ted picked up a walkie-talkie from his bedside table and turned it over in his hands. He pressed the small button on the side and spoke into it, "sam? Can you hear me?" He waited, but there was no reply.  He sighed and dropped the walkie-talkie on the floor, he grabbed a blanket from his bed and draped it over his shoulders, curling up on the mat in front of the tv and resting his back on the bed. He switched the tv over to one of their favourite shows, he looked guiltily at sam's bed on the other side of the room and sighed.

It would have been better if he were curled up by his side, and ted could rest his head in his soft curly hair and laugh at the people dancing around on the screen. It wasn't the same without him.