Sometimes nightmares have happy endings.

Since 9 a.m. Tuesday, the family of 13-year-old Carly Redmond of Hermitage had been frantically trying to find her. A flier sent home with Hermitage Middle School students Thursday, at the bequest of her parents, asked for any information concerning the whereabouts of the girl. Hermitage police questioned students and friends of Carly at the middle school Thursday.

Thursday evening, she walked back in the front door of her Lexington Drive home.

Though her parents were still trying to determine Thursday night where the eighth-grader had been, they were just happy to have her home.

"She's OK. We're talking to her. She's crying. We'll just keep working with her," said her mother, Jan Redmond.

Ms. Redmond said when she awoke Tuesday morning, her daughter wasn't in her bed. The only thing Ms. Redmond saw missing was her daughter's hairbrush. A personal CD player that she always carried with her and her wallet and coat were still in Carly's room. Once Carly returned, her parents realized she did take her shoes with her.

"There was no clue or nothing that this was going to happen," said her father, Donald Redmond of Blue Jay Drive, South Pymatuning Township.

Carly's mother said there was no fight between the two of them the night before. "She gave me a hug and kiss before she went to bed and said 'Goodnight, I love you', like she always does," Ms. Redmond said. "It was her normal routine."

Ms. Redmond said that Carly's Uncle Bobby came from Chicago to help, and that Carly's 18-year-old brother Donnie and his friends had been posting information on the Internet about Carly.

"I appreciate everything that everyone has done," she said. "Its been a long three days."

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Sherris Moreira-Byers at sbyers@sharonherald.com