Annabelle couldn’t wait to get home! She had great news to share with her dad. You see, she had been selected to represent her school; Potomac Middle School, in the National Spelling Bee Competition. With her earbuds locked in her ears, and her cellphone tucked in her back jeans pocket, she skipped and hopped on her way home from her basketball practice. Jeremy and Kellie passed Annabelle on their way home. They could see Annabelle’s excitement and distraction, just like everyone else on the street. She was totally consumed by the joy she was feeling, and the music she was listening to.
As she made that left turn on Staten Avenue, just three houses away from home, she ran into Mrs. J who was walking Toto, her dog. Annabelle was indeed on Cloud 9. Toto sensed it too, and wiggled his tail when Annabelle stopped to hug him. As Mrs. J continued with Toto, walking towards the opposition direction, she noticed an unfamiliar navy blue pick-up truck, parked on Staten Avenue, just by the big oak tree. Moments later, the truck was on the move, passing Mrs. J as it exited the neighborhood.
“Annabelle must have gone inside her house.” Mrs. J assumed. “Come on, boy!” She said to Toto.
It was now past 6:30PM, and Annabelle never made it home after all. “Where could she have gone to?” Her dad thought to himself. He became frantic, and then, decided to check with the neighbors. Mrs. J was one of them.
It’s been three years, and there’s still no sign of Annabelle. She was 14 years old.
FICTION OR NOT? GO FIGURE…
Annabelle could be you, your child, someone else’s child, or someone you know.
Human Traffickers are everywhere, and possibly in our backyards. They are thieves; they lurk in the dark, and under the sun too. Human Trafficking is modern-day slavery. It is man inhumanity to man. It’s a sin against God. It is a global epidemic. It is a billion dollar a year industry.
Imagine being shackled; physically and emotionally. Scary thought, huh? Imagine being taken; What would you do? How would you feel? Can you imagine losing your voice, and there’s no one out there to speak out on your behalf? Have you ever cried out for help, but there was no one around to help/console you? What would you do if you or someone you love is sold into slavery…sex slavery? What would you do to save a life today? Let’s ponder on these for more than 60 seconds. Shall we?