I went to bed, kinda wary that night. I was worried for my aunt. Aunt Bella wasn't the crying type, so when I saw her crying today, that's when I started to suspect that there was something that she wasn't telling me. Lying awake in my bed, staring at the ceiling, wondering if my theory was correct. 'What is she not  telling me. What is she hiding? Maybe if I were older she'd tell me'. Eventually I fell asleep, but didn't get much.

I woke up the next morning, hungry and tired. I smelled pancakes. 'That's weird. Aunt Bella doesn't ever cook pancakes...unless something bad has happened'. I got out of bed and walked downstairs in my dinosaur pajamas. I stopped on the last step, as I heard my aunts voice.

"I just don't want him to freak out" she spoke, presumably to my uncle. Another voice sounded, confirming my thoughts.

"Well don't you think that he'll know that something is up? Bella, he knows you cook pancakes whenever something happened" I heard her sigh.

"Yeah...I know, but hopefully this will cheer him up. Besides he loves my pancakes" the conversation stopped and silence took over the next few minutes. I decided that now would a good time to step into the kitchen. I faked yawned as I set foot in the silent room. I rubbed my eye as I sat down in front of my uncle. I opened my eyes and saw him smiling at me.

"Good morning, champ" he said.

"Good morning Uncle Sam" I replied. Aunt Bella put a plate of pancakes in front of me. I devoured them almost immediately. She sat down beside my uncle, as I drank my milk. I set my cup down and stared at them.

"What?" I asked them. They looked at each other, then back to me.

"Son, Umm.. about your parents. You know how they were marine biologists?" I nodded at his question.

"Well...there was a hurricane...where they were studying...their ship didn't survive...they didn't either" he finished and I looked at him with fear, sadness, and shock all at once. I may be five, but I know what he means. My dad said almost the exact same thing when my grandfather died. I dropped my fork on the table and ran out the door. They yelled for me. I didn't look back. I ran to the only place I knew they wouldn't find me. Under the bridge, near the creek. I had a hiding spot there. I made it to the park and towards the bridge. I ran under it and opened the secret door that blended into the concrete wall. I slammed the door and weaved my way through bean bag chairs and stuffed animals. I stood against the wall in the far corner of the small space. I sank to the floor, bawling.

It's moments like these when I wish I could just disappear.