The Legend Farm

The could've been

The next day as I showed up for work, with Sawyer hovering over me, I made my way up to Olivia who kept a frown on her face the whole morning. I watched her hand out flyers to groups of hikers before her eyes met mine before handing me the flyer finally.

"Missing boy, Dakota Beck. Age sixteen. Black shoulder length hair, olive tanned skin and dark brown eyes. About five foot nine. Please make your way to Red Mann's forest if you know his whereabouts immediately. Thank you."

"Amelia made these?" I asked her as she nodded, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Sure did. She was up all night making these." She answered as she continued passing them out to people.
"Oh— is that why she's not in today?" I asked her as I folded the flyer in my hand.
"Yeah." She simply replied before she turns to me, "You better get to working before William sees us talking and slacking off." She said. I glanced to Sawyer who nodded before we walk back to the shack and sit outside to greet visitors and help them out.

"You fit right in here." Sawyer said with a chuckle.
"Yeah, I love it here." I reply with a blushing smile. That smile was quick to disappear as I capture David Mill in the distance. I stood up, my posture stiffening as Sawyer did the same.
"What's wrong?" Sawyer asked me.
"It's David. Stay calm." I told him, but really, I was telling myself that more than to him. As he came closer, his face scrunched up at the sight of me. He dusted off his suit of nonexistent dirt before he looked between Sawyer and I.
"Sawyer? I had also heard that my son was the last person to see you as well." David spoke with a smile, though it wasn't one of happiness.
"Sir, what can we help with you today?" Sawyer ignored his previous statement.
He laughed, "Oh, Sawyer I know you don't work here. I'm here for Alana." That's when David's eyes met with mine.
"What can I help you with?" I asked him with a forced grin.
"Well, when my son went missing, I had recently remembered that I had a phone tracker connected to his phone. I found him." He smiled once again and this time, it seemed genuine. Though, this was shocking to me and when I glanced to Sawyer, he seemed even more distraught with raised eyebrows.
"You did?" Sawyer asked.
"Mhm, I found him here, in Red Mann's forest. He hasn't moved from this area for a while now so tonight, I'll be searching for him as for you two will be helping me. Thanks." David informed us before he begin to walk away from us. I hurried inside the shack, standing in front of the huge map displayed on the wall that was decorated with red tacks.
"You know this place well?" Sawyer questioned me.
"Barely." I replied as he scoffed. Nine different trails all around the forest scattered throughout the forest. Trail one, leading to a waterfall. Trail two, leading to a cave. If we don't know where we're going tonight, we're getting lost for sure. Carefully, I ripped the map down from the wall before folding it and putting it inside of my back pocket.
"We're gonna be needing this for tonight." I informed Sawyer before he nodded hesitantly. As we made our way back outside, he hovered over my shoulder.
"Are we sure this is a good idea?" He questioned, crossing his arms as his denim jacket tightened around his biceps.
"We have to, I feel like this is a good thing that he's alive." I admitted to him.
"That's the thing though, he shouldn't be alive," he said before taking a step closer and talking in my ear. "That creature killed him." Before I could reply to Sawyer, I spot Jack running around the path before seeing me and running over, his eyebrows furrowed and his eyes wide.
"H-have you seen Amelia? I've been trying to call and text her and still nothing. Is she okay?" He stuttered out.
"Olivia says she took the day off from work, says Amelia was up all night so she's probably getting rest." I reassured him, putting my hands on each shoulder of his to calm him down.
"N-no no, that's not like her. I'm going over to her place right now." He shook his head before shrugging my hands off from him. Sawyer and I exchanged looks before he shrugged his shoulders, confused as much as I was before continuing with work as usual.

I turn around to see Sawyer grunting as he laid upon the dirt path, placing his hat on top of his chest.
I giggled as I spoke, "What're you doing there?"
"Waiting impatiently for the psychopath, David." Sawyer replied as his eyes looked up at the glistening stars in the dark sky.
"He should be here any minute." I reminded him. Just then, footsteps rustled through leaves in the darkness of the trees. Before I could alert Sawyer, he already jumped up and stood beside me as he stared down the forest. Then came out David, exiting from the woods causing me to flinch.
"What is the matter with you!?" I yelled at him as he chuckled with a smirk.
"Look, I got lost. It's not exactly bright out now is it? Anyways, I got a map earlier." He informed us.
Sawyer took my map out from my back pocket and revealed it to David, "So do we."
"Then, let's get on already," David said before pointing towards the left, "I'll go this way and Sawyer, you go this way." David pointed to the opposite way through the woods.
"Wait, no, that's not safe for us to be on our own." Sawyer interrupted.
"Oh, I'm not being on my own. I have the park ranger on my side." David said before grabbing ahold of my wrist and pulling me by his side.
Sawyer tightened his jaw at David, "Fine. We meet here by the shack in twenty minutes though."
"Fine by me." David replied with a grin.

As I walked behind David, he begins to vent.
"Y'know, Ethan was a good kid. He obeyed, he followed the rules at school. He was a straight A student in college." He started out, looking back at me every now and again.
"I know, David." I replied as my feet struggled to fight past the steep wooden steps on the path.
"He had tried to make it up to you, check on you and see how things were going. You know, he was even gonna try to marry you when he came to visit?" He informed me. I stopped dead in my tracks. Marry?
"He was?" I asked him. Before he could reply, a voice hollered out from deep within the trees.
"Ethan? I'm coming for you!" David called out before running off.
"Wait!" I hollered after David, trying my best to keep up with him.