The Year We Disappeared

As the Busbys prepare to move, Amelia invites Cylin over for one last playdate. They run through the sprinkler to cool off from the summer heat, and Amelia’s mother gives Cylin pictures of her and Amelia together. For Cylin, they are a reminder that normalcy is still possible. Then Amelia’s mother asks Cylin where they’re moving. Cylin lies and tells her that they haven’t decided on a final location yet. The questions make her nervous, and she finds an excuse to end the playdate. At home, Cylin sorts through her toys, deciding which ones to keep. Sitting in her empty closet, evening shadows creeping into her room, she writes “Help me” in crayon on her closet wall.

The family packs up a U-Haul and hits the road for Tennessee accompanied by a police escort to the border of Cape Cod. Max is sold back to the training facility. When they arrive in Cookeville, the heat is in the triple digits (104°). Due to a bureaucratic mistake, their new house won’t be available for three days, so they spend the time in a hotel, using the pool and air conditioning to shelter from the heat.

Three days later, they move into their new home, a three-bedroom, two-bath ranch house with a full basement and a barn in the back.