“Mommy, I want to go on the carousel!” Harry’s voice was filled with excitement as soon as we walked through the carnival gates.

“Alright, sweetie, let’s go!” I smiled at him, squeezing his small hand.

My parents, who adore Harry more than anything, followed closely behind. Dad was carrying the stuffed bear they had just won for Harry at one of the games. Mom was chatting with Harry about which rides he wanted to try next.

When the ride on the carousel ended, Harry came running over to us, full of energy. “Can we get some ice cream, Mommy?”

“Of course,” I said, reaching into my bag for some money. “Let’s go find the ice cream stand.”

We strolled through the carnival, taking in the sights and sounds. The smell of popcorn and cotton candy filled the air. People were laughing, kids were running around, and the music from the rides blended into a happy chaos.

“There it is!” Harry pointed ahead to the ice cream stand. “I want chocolate!”

We all walked over, and I handed the vendor some money. “One chocolate cone, please.”

As the vendor prepared the ice cream, Harry wandered just a few steps away to look at a clown making balloon animals. I kept an eye on him while I took the cone from the vendor and turned to give it to Harry.

“Harry?” I called, but he wasn’t where I’d last seen him.

My heart skipped a beat. “Harry!” I called louder, looking around frantically.

He was nowhere in sight.

“Mom! Dad! I can’t see Harry!” I shouted, panic rising in my chest.

My parents rushed over, and we all started searching the area, calling his name. I felt a wave of fear wash over me, cold and sharp. How could he just disappear like that?

“We need to find him!” I said, my voice trembling. “He can’t be far.”

Dad tried to keep calm. “He’s probably just wandered off to look at something. Let’s split up and search.”

We combed through the crowd, calling Harry’s name. I ran from one ride to another, asking everyone I saw if they’d seen a little boy in a blue jacket with blonde hair. But no one had. My heart pounded in my chest as each minute passed.

“Emily, we should get the police involved,” Mom said, her voice shaky.

I nodded, tears welling up in my eyes. “Yes, call them, please.”

The police arrived quickly and started asking questions. “What was he wearing? When did you last see him?”

“He was wearing a blue jacket,” I managed to say, my voice shaking. “I last saw him right there by the ice cream stand, just a minute ago.”

The officers spread out, searching the carnival and the surrounding area. They asked everyone if they had seen Harry, but no one had. The sun began to set, and the carnival lights blinked on, but my son was still missing.

By the time night fell, we were exhausted. The police were still searching, but there was no sign of Harry. My legs felt weak, and my head was spinning with fear. What if we didn’t find him? What if he was gone forever?

“We’ll find him,” my dad said, putting a hand on my shoulder. But I could see the worry in his eyes.

“We have to,” I whispered, my voice breaking.

That night, we went home, but I couldn’t sleep. I lay awake, staring at the ceiling, thinking about Harry. Where was he? Was he scared? Was he safe? My mind raced with horrible thoughts. I felt so helpless, like the world was spinning out of control.