MISSING

PART NINE

2.

'How do we do it?' Gavin asks his mother. 'How do we go back? How do we do days over?'

'It's not that easy' Rita responds. 'Especially with you and your sister at your own beginning. I thought all this would skip you both with you being twins and ...'

'Mum. I have to do this. Mike is gone, he could be dead already for all we know ...'

'Why? What have you two been getting up to?'

'Nothing mum. It's just ... before all this madness began ... the day we lived a few times, the first time round he confided in me, ... well sort of anyhow. He told me he needed to get away, exactly why he needed to get away ... I don't know ... I haven't seen or heard from him since the last repeat of that day.'

'Could he have done something wrong ... something someone might want to hurt him over ...?'

'I don't know mum; I don't think so. That day, each time round, Mike came here as he planned ... as we planned. I went with him that first time but not on the second- or third-time round, that means the conversation we had didn't happen, right? For him at least, that conversation never happened ...'

'Right ... if it happened the first time round and not again after that then, he never experienced it.'

'He wouldn't just head off on his own without telling me anything first. He's not sixteen yet ... so ... so ... mum, just tell me ... how do I ... how do we start day over again? I don't know how it started over on the last two times, but we did it somehow ... didn't we?'

'Look it's not that easy, especially now. It is a part of growing up and it has been in the family for generations and is different each time. This iteration is a new first ... you are the first boy in seven generations to be a part of it. You and your sister are the first twins to have it. So, I don't really know what to tell you ...'

'Mum, we have to do something, Mike's life might depend on it.'

'I know, I know and I'm not being insensitive either but there is a lot to consider ...'

'Like what?'

'The repeated day, it is only ever repeated either right away, or after one other full day has passed and never more than after two full days having passed ... it's five days ago now. Add to that ... exactly where our shared gift is coming from. As I told you before ... I feel this power in you both, it is not as strong in me as it is in generations gone before me, so was the repeated day down to your sister's actions, your actions, my actions even or a mix of all three of us? ... There is no hard science in our family gift. It is something that simply ... is.'

'Mum ...'

'I know. There is the thing that on some level, we all knew something was up, this may have taken some kind of use of the gift within each of us. Perhaps then so, the ability to go back five days is within the three of us combined ...'

'Then what are we waiting for ... we have to try ...'

'It is not that simple Gavin, not simple on many reasons. One, this gift is not a light switch, we just can press it and on comes the light. Two, if we do manage to re-live that day again then we are undoing the good we done. We might save Mike, but someone else may end up paying. What if Joe is successful in getting his package away? Will he be arrested? If he isn't, how many more teenagers will he get to deliver?'

'We know what we know mum, we know Joe is going to send someone off and that someone will be on the bus, most likely that Jake fellow, if not him then someone else depending on how we change the day. They'll be unconscious at the back of the bus so Joe will be caught ...'

'What if nothing is wrong with Mike? Making an attempt to alter that day again may be risking a lot for absolutely nothing ...?'

'It's all we got right now; I'd rather do something than nothing at all ...'

'Alright, we'll just have to trust how you feel. Where is your sister? She's gonna have to be in on this with us for it to work ...'

'Haven't a clue where she is, to be honest.'

'The sooner we have her the better ...'

Gavin and mum had their conversation in the kitchen of the family home, so first place to check is obvious. Gavin heads to Ashley's bedroom and was about to knock and call out to hear though instead of this, he remains silent for a moment or two for he can hear voices speaking on the other side of the closed door. Ashley is obviously home but has she got a guy in there with her? Gavin hadn't seen anyone enter the house that shouldn't be there, hell, he didn't even know that Ashley was home for sure until he got close to her room.

Yeah, there are two voices speaking on the other side of the door to Ashley's bedroom. The voices are muffed so he cannot make out what is being said, not that he wants to know, it's just a bit odd is all. Ashley never has anyone over, and there may not be anyone in there with her, she could simply be on the phone.

Even though Gavin can't hear what is being said, he doesn't think the male voice is coming from a phone or laptop. There is something about that voice, however. Anyhow, not wanting to just hang around, Gavin knocks. Ashley comes to the door and opens it but not far enough for Gavin to get much within the room.

'Since when do you lock your door and who have you got in there?'

'There is no one in here and I always lock my door ...'

'No, you don't ...' Gavin barges into the room and to say he was immediately shocked by what he saw, ... well. '... Dad?'

***

'Stop it' speaks Ashley squirming to get away from her brother as he tosses her hair, 'or I'll tell mum you're planning to skip school again with Mike.'

'I dare you' responds Gavin, 'you know if you say anything then I'll tell of where you were yesterday evening.'

'Aaarrrggghhh, I wasn't anywhere, and you know that.'

'Mum thought you were in your room but we both know you weren't ... wait ... we done it ... yes ... we're back ...'

'Back where? What's goin on Gavin?'

'Now, now you two, play nice ...' says mum arriving into the kitchen.

'We're gonna save Mike that's what ...'

Gavin moves towards, kisses her on a cheek before making a move to head outside.

'Get back here you ...' mum says. 'Don't be forgetting you have other things to do too ...'

'I know mum.'

From out in the garden, a car horn beeps twice ... Mike is here ... in this very moment, Mike is not missing.