A Dream by Noon.

Chapter 19

Erika waited for the bus to be out of view, and then moved quickly. She darted across the busy road to the path in the woods and ran. She knew she didn't have much time. Her foot hit a root and she nearly toppled down under the weight of her backpack, but she caught herself and kept moving. The buildings were in sight and she had to reach them first.

She stopped abruptly at the edge of the clearing, checking to be sure no one was in view before racing across the path. Once she arrived at the spot, she already knew she was too late. The door was closed tight. Everything was sealed back up again. Her heart sunk She swung her arm back hard and banged the side of her first against the wall. Uhhh.. she yelled, the echo of her voice bouncing off the otherwise quiet building. She scanned the area as quickly as she could and then saw the brown fabric that almost blended in with the dirt. Without thinking she grabbed it, thinking there might still be a chance. She threw her own backpack off of back and rummaged through it quickly, pulling out a notebook. Yup. This one. She thought. She stuffed it inside the backpack and shoved the bag back down deep into the crevice she had found it.

Erika took a deep breath, said a prayer to no one in particular, then stood up, dusting off her arms and pants and began walking back to the path she had come from when she heard an engine pull in. She ducked behind one of the buildings and watched. Watched as the tall boy with the dark hair paced back and forth. Stood still as he looked around buildings, and then she waited, annoyed, as he sat by his car. What is he doing? She thought to herself.

Erika grew impatient just as the boy got back into his car and started to pull out. She still had a task to complete. Now or never, she thought, as she quietly poked out from behind the hospital, watching as the car began it's exit. She walked across swiftly, not looking back at the car again, only forward, remembering why she had come in the first place. Large steps, big paces, she took as she headed back into the woods. She was nearly to the other edge where the trail thinned and the woods thickened when she jumped at hearing a voice yell to her.

"Hey!" he shouted. She kept walking even though it was clear he was speaking to her.

He started to run and she ran faster. Heart pounding. What the hell? She thought, trying to figure out how he fit into the puzzle. He didn't. She finally heard him shout, "I'm looking for someone! Please. Stop." Oh shit. Erika thought to herself. The word someone reverberating in her brain. She turned but didn't slow and saw that he had almost come to a complete stop, his arms raised in the air as if to show he was harmless. She almost laughed, but instead she slowed and after a few more steps to make sure there was still plenty of distance between the two, she stopped in the thin part of the trail. She knew from where she stood, if he chased her again she would beat him to the main road.

"What do you want?" she asked him, curious now.

"I was supposed to meet someone out here." He seemed defeated as he said it. There was an honest quality to his voice that intrigued her even more.

"Who?" she asked him, already knowing the answer.

"Um. Her name is Sam. Sam Mourey. Do you know her?" he asked her.

Erika did her best to hide any recognition of the name that she knew was coming. "Why are you looking for her?" she asked.

The boy took a step closer so she quickly backed up defensively and when he realized his mistake, he did the same. "We were supposed to meet up. I thought... I thought for a second you were her. Did you see her out here? He asked. "What were you doing out here?" he asked her.

Too many questions. Too many questions and too much to do, she thought to herself, now realizing this boy had no idea what was going on. "I know her." She answered quickly. Waiting to see if he had anything important to add. They both stood in silence for a moment.

"She's on my bus." Erika added, and not sure why she had. He had kind eyes and looked genuinely hurt. She felt bad for him for a moment. "And no, I didn't see her. Sorry." She said, relaxing a bit.

"Why..." Ryan started, but she spoke at the same time.

"Why were you meeting her out here?" she asked, trying to get all the details before leaving.

He seemed to think about how to answer for a moment, but when he did, he appeared to answer honestly. "She invited me. To take a walk. Hang out I guess." A sadness in his voice. Puppy love, Erika thought.

"Oh. I live nearby. I was just taking a walk." She said. "You don't go to the high school, do you?" she asked.

"No. I live in Pemberton. My name is Ryan. If you see her, will you let her know I was out here." He added, and regretted it as soon as he did.

Erika stared at the boy. Tall with dark hair and those sad eyes, so intense. She could see why Sammy probably liked him. Maybe he can help. The thought crossed her mind quickly, and she acted on it, hesitating. "Hi Ryan, I'm Erika." She said, softening her voice a bit. "And sure, I'll her know." She said, before turning and walking away.