It was meant to be one last fun family trip before summer ended. We laughed, snacked, and took silly photos. Then they asked me to wait on a bench while they got drinks—and never came back. Hours passed. I was alone, stranded in a state I didn’t even live in. When I finally made it home, their reason for abandoning me made my blood run cold…
With my heart pounding like crazy, I stood up from the bench, trying to figure out what to do next. I looked around, but the park was a sea of strangers. My family was nowhere to be seen. Panic started to creep in, but I shook it off. I needed a plan. I had to think clearly, but my mind was buzzing with a thousand questions. Why would they do this? Was it really a joke to them?