I've always wanted you.

Chapter Seventeen

"Mom we have to find her. What if something happened," Josie spoke on the edge of tears.

Caroline was scared but didn't want to escalate the situation by sharing her emotion. She didn't know where to start to getting her back.

"Right honey it's okay just stay calm. We don't know if anything bad has happened yet. Do you think there is any chance she's gone back to the school?" She asked. She knew her question would amount to no further information.

"No mom she wouldn't do that," Josie cried. A tear now falling from her eye. Lizzie comforted her, hugging her from the side.

Caroline checked the maps on her phone for nearby places she could've gone, but there was nothing.

"Try her phone one more time," Caroline asked at a loss of options.

Josie was too shaken up to dial so Lizzie took it from her hands and rang. Caroline could hear a ringing noise with her vampire hearing and moved toward it as her daughters followed.

The sound led them back to near the ice cream truck. Her phone was found by Lizzie on the concrete. It was smashed badly. Caroline's face grew more worried as she took a deep breath.

"I'm calling freya," she said walking slightly away from the girls to make the call.

Josie was overwhelmed. She couldn't decifer which emotion she felt the most: fear, hurt, anger, pain. Either way it wasn't a good feeling. She sat onto the pavement and cried, her face buried in her knees.

Lizzie sat next to her, leaning her head to rest on her twins shoulder as her arm held her close.
"I'm sure she'll be okay Josie. Whatever has happened, Hope is a badass she'll get through it," Lizzie smiled trying to lighten the mood.

It didn't work.

Josie only cried more.
"She shouldn't have to. She can't be in more pain. She can't. She has been though too much," Josie spoke trying to wipe her tears, but it was no use.

Caroline walked back, a regretful look upon her face.
"I've talked to Freya but she is 10 hours away. The earliest she can get here is tomorrow. I'm sorry but there's not much else I can do. Only Freya is powerful enough to do a location spell for Hope and I have no other way of tracking her," Caroline said, "we will have to find a hotel to stay in near here okay?"

Caroline placed her arm on Josies shoulder to comfort her, but Josie walked off.
"She's just upset mom. We all are. Leave her for a few minutes," Lizzie said noticing the hurt Caroline felt.

Josie sat on a rock on the grass. Hope didn't deserve this. She'd been through far too much this past month and Josie didnt know if Hope could survive any more. Josie held the necklace Hope had given her, as she cried into her hands.

"I need you Hope. I need you to be okay," she sobbed.

             *****

Eventually after a few hours, the machine was removed from Hopes mouth. Her body grew weak, falling asleep after she was free of it.

The relief was near to non existent as the man continued with his so called studies. He tapped her cheek to check she was responding and she awoke drowsily and crying once again, remembering where she was.

Jason held a knife up to his face, checking the sharpness of it. Hope watched. She was terrified. Up till now she'd been the apex predator, but at this point in time she'd never felt more vulnerable.

"Venom count is astronomical as the subject remains conscious. We can now starts physical healing properties," he speaks into his recorder.

She watches as he walks over to her, knife in hand as he angles the blade across her ring finger. She wanted to shout, yell, beg him to stop. But she was too tired. As he sliced the blade across, the rest of her energy was used to scream at the sensation, the burning of her hand however....thankfully now.... allowing her to pass out.
                           *******

Leaving Josie to her own for a few minutes turned into a few hours. Eventually Lizzie walked over to her sister while her mom sorted out a place for them to sleep.

The sky was growing darker as some stars now appeared. Lizzie sat down on the same rock as Josie gazing up at them.

"Do you want to talk, not talk, a distraction," Lizzie asked gently.

Josie had stopped crying now and was simply exhausted, she rested head sideways ontop of her knees so she could see her sister. She shrugged.

Lizzie held her tightly. Throughout their lives, Josie had always been the type of person to talk through how she was feeling so Lizzie hoped talking was her best option.

"It's okay to be worried Jo. I am too," she started. Josie allowed her to speak. "I just don't want you going down a spiral about her. I know you care about her alot. Alot more than anyone before. And I know that you're a very empathetic person. But sometimes.... you have to accept that you are doing everything you can do right now. Making yourself feel worse isn't going to help anyone. Okay?" Lizzie soothed quietly.

Josie hadn't eaten all day really so Lizzie handed her a bred roll to see if she'd take it. She didn't. Josie shook her head tiredly.

Lizzie stroked her hair before picking Josie up and taking her to where her mom was leading them. She'd found a cheap hotel just down the road that they could walk to.

"She'll be okay Jo. She will," Lizzie said quietly. Josie didnt respond and had her eyes shut. She was sleeping. Hoping that everything would work out in the morning.

Hope u all have a good day ily xx