Panic Attack!!

Nathan turned up missing this afternoon. I was reading with Carter on the couch and Nate kept interrupting so I asked him to wait in his room until I was done helping Carter. Well, about 15 minutes later, It was time to walk Carter out to the bus stop and that's when I couldn't find Nate. I noticed he had opened the garage door and that his bike was parked outside of the neighbor's house in our cul-de-sac. I watched Carter get on the bus, and then began to investigate. I knocked on the neighbor's door, no answer. I began to check the other neighbor's homes, they haven't seen him. So, I check our house again more thoroughly, still no luck. Now I am beginning to panic. I go back to the house where his bike was and this time tried to open the front door, locked. I noticed the back gate was open so I walked in the back yard and couldn't see him back there anywhere. I checked the canal, under our in-ground tramp. Everywhere I can think. He has never hidden from me before and when I call he has always come. It is like him to leave without asking, but he never goes far. It is not like him to hide and fall asleep somewhere. I called Doug at work, he is now headed home to search, all my neighbors are now out looking. Whenever he has taken off he has never left the cul-de-sac, which is why I am really starting to become more and more anxious. I called 911 - a first for me, and now I am giving a description of my son on the phone, terrifying thoughts are going through my mind. The officer arrives and I am visiting with him about Nate, he tells me that 95% of the time, kids are hiding somewhere and to check my house again carefully, so I do. I know he isn't in our home. It has now been an hour, I am trying to hold it together, worrying and praying.  There are police cars patrolling our neighborhood, two officers are now searching the house. About 15 min. later I hear someone say we found him. I race outside an see an officer walking across the street with Nathan in his arms. I start crying, Nathan is crying. We are relieved. Turns out, he went behind the house where I saw the gate open, found an unlocked door went into the empty house (he has a little friend who lives there), and went upstairs and was playing. He was just on his way home.  We had a necessary visit with the police about how we shouldn't take off without talking to our parents. (nothing new for Nate). And I was advised to put magnetic alarms on all my doors so I know when anyone comes or goes.

I am so thankful everything was resolved and Nate is home safe.