You Are the Key

Chapter Eleven:

Humming, I woke up and stretched, feeling out the sheets. The room was dark, the curtains not yet glowing with light from outside. The vibe of the room was nice, though. It was going to be a nice, bright and sunny day, I could tell already… A great day.

“Brandon!” I screamed when I realized he wasn’t in bed. I lurched myself off the mattress and into the bathroom. The shower wasn’t running, the light wasn’t even on… There were rushed footsteps on the stairs, heavy ones, and it seemed everyone in the house was in our room the second after.

“What’s going on?” Shaun asked and looked around. Jackie stood out in the hall. Gavin rubbed his eyes, stumbling into the room.

“What’s happening?” He mumbled, surveying the dark space.

“I don’t know, I don’t know where he went…” I tugged at the ends of my hair, not caring that I stood in front of everyone in my underwear. Nobody seemed to notice. “I have to find him.” I walked over to the dresser and pulled out one of his shirts, tugging it on over my head.

The small crowd parted when I pushed through. My legs were wobbly, knees weak.

“Brandon!” I screamed.

No answer.

“Hold up, what happened? He just… left?” Zoe asks, her tone calm but freaking me out even more. “Where’re we going?” She grabbed my arm and spun me around. “If we’re going to look for him, let’s look in the house first. Sound good?” I bounced on the balls of my feet, feeling like a train-wreck, but I managed to nod in agreement. “Then if we don’t find him, we’ll split up into pairs and look for him, aight?” I nodded again and then led the party downstairs to hunt for him.

Choruses of his name rung out all over the cabin, seeping into my bones. I knew he wasn’t here. Not only did I know he wasn’t here, I knew it because I didn’t feel him here. He carried an air to him that anybody could tell was his. In a dark room, a stranger could figure out it was him. “Brandon…” I cried out, supporting myself on the hallway wall. It felt horrible, this aching in my limbs. I felt like Jell-O being poked.

Once everyone had searched their rooms, and came back empty handed, we grabbed our cell phones and met in the living room. Gavin was holding a flashlight, and Eric was twirling the keys to the Bronco around his pointer finger.

“Let’s go.” I said shakily and Zoe ran over to my side. She was a loyal friend, scared, but loyal. I valued her companionship greatly at the moment. Bran was my rock, my tether, and without him I was floating away… Zoe was here to hold my hand. It was warm and the shock of our entwined fingers traveled up my arm. She had a small hand, but yet it was so strong. Was I bad friend to never have thought of her capable of strength? She was my sturdy crutch at the moment, so I made sure to lean on her, but not so much as to bend and break her.

We all exited the cabin, me and Zo leading the brigade. Carson, Dee and Eric got in the Bronco. Eric hopped in the driver side and started the car as Carson helped Dee into the back and then he got in with her. The hi-beams came on with a quiet click. Eric pulled out of the parking space and Carson and Dee sat down in the truck bed, holding their cellphones out in front of them for light. “We’ll text you guys if we find him. We’re going to the four wheeling paths past The Tents.” Carson told all of us.