by: lotan diker
The first thought that came to her mind was Itai, her 16-year-old son. He usually went for an early morning run almost every day, especially on Saturdays when the streets were quiet, and the morning calm was soothing. Michal jumped out of bed, frantically searching for her phone to call him.
She tried again and again, but Itai didn’t answer. Her pulse began to race, and her hands shook as she listened to the voicemail over and over. “Where are you, Itai?” she asked herself in a trembling voice.
She ran to the door, opened it sharply, and stepped outside. What was still a quiet morning, part of her daily routine, had suddenly turned into a battlefield. Abandoned cars sat in the middle of the road, explosions rang out from all directions, and the people running through the streets looked just as terrified as she was.
The panic and the search
Michal knew Itai followed a regular route. He always ran through the quiet streets near the nearby park. She began running toward the park, hoping to find him under one of the trees or maybe near the benches where he often stopped to rest. The streets, which had been quiet and familiar, suddenly became a chaotic warzone.
Along the way, Michal stopped every passerby, asking if they had seen a teenage boy, running with headphones and a small pink bag, but the answers were all the same—no one had seen him. She kept running, scanning everywhere, hoping that soon she would spot her son's familiar face among the crowd, but Itai was nowhere to be found.
The park, usually a place of peace and tranquility, had turned into a chaotic scene. People huddled in makeshift shelters, trying to find refuge from the ongoing explosions. Michal ran along the familiar paths, her eyes scanning every corner.
She saw a group of boys sitting together near one of the large trees. Michal almost ran to them, convinced Itai was among them, but as she got closer, she realized they were strangers. They looked at her with empty eyes, and once again, she felt her hope shattering into pieces.
The ravaged streets
Michal kept searching, running through the empty streets. The explosions intensified, filling her town with endless destruction. The streets, once so familiar, had become completely foreign. She didn’t know where to turn or where to run. Every street was damaged, and every corner was filled with debris.
Thoughts began racing through her mind. Maybe Itai managed to find shelter. Maybe he had fallen? The fear of the worst began to creep into her heart. She ran toward the hastily constructed shelters, hoping to find her son among the terrified refugees.
She asked every man and woman she saw, but no one had seen Itai.
The last hope at the evacuation center
After exhausting hours of searching, Michal heard about a missing persons' center set up in the city center. Rumors had it that children and teenagers found alone or in distress were gathered there. She realized this might be her last hope.
Michal ran toward the camp as fast as she could, her strength fading. When she arrived, she saw a large crowd of people, parents, and children, gathering in an attempt to understand what was happening. Her eyes scanned every child, every teenager, every face, hoping to see Itai among the crowd.
She walked among the injured, the lost, and the confused. Every figure seemed like a possibility—any child could have been hers. But none of them were Itai.
She approached the security officer and asked repeatedly if Itai had been among the gathered children. But the answer was always the same painful one: “We haven’t seen him.”
The loss and realization
As the sun began to set, Michal sat on the sidewalk, her heart heavy with pain. The explosions in the background had faded, but inside her, the storm continued. She felt despair creeping in, trying to break her spirit, but she couldn’t allow herself to give in.
“Itai,” she whispered to herself, her eyes filled with tears. “Where are you?”
Despite the difficult days and confusion, Michal knew she couldn’t stop searching. She wouldn’t leave until she found Itai, whether he was safe somewhere or had fallen victim to the horror that had overtaken her world.
She looked around, seeing other parents hugging their surviving children, their eyes filled with worry and fear. She stood up again, with a clear decision in her heart: she would keep looking for him, no matter how long it took.
Michal wouldn’t give up. A tear rolled down her cheek, and a slow walk toward the car made her realize it was time to go to the hospital, where she hoped he would be waiting for her.
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