The Journey to Duskwood

Chapter 2

  A soft buzzing pulls me from my sleep, and I push myself off the floor to a sitting position.

Why am I on the living room floor?

  My head is fuzzy and hurting, and I feel slightly disoriented. The memories of the previous night flood my vision. The video call with Alan finding Hannah, finding out Richy was behind everything, wondering about the others, about Jake...

Oh yeah, I passed out.

  I think I had woken up from it and then fallen asleep immediately after. The weight of the situation we all just faced is more tiring than I realized.

  The buzzing continues and it makes my headache worse. I grab my phone from the floor and answer it without looking to see who is calling.

  "Hello?" My voice is groggy and scratchy.

  "Flora? Are you okay?" A soft voice comes from the other line, "you don't sound good." I pull the phone back and see Jessy's contact picture on the screen. I am glad she is calling me, although I wish I would have checked on her sooner.

  "Jessy, I'm alright," I respond, my voice a little clearer now. "Are you okay? I meant to call you last night to check on you, but I ended up passing out and then I guess I just fell asleep."

  A small shriek escapes her, "Oh my gosh, Flora! Do you need help? Do I need to get you to the doctor?" She rattles off questions, one after the other.

  "No, Jessy, I'm okay. I think I was just overwhelmed by the whole situation. It did not help that I was exhausted. No need to worry," I reassure her. "But how are you doing?"

  She sighs deeply before answering, "Not very good if I'm honest, Flora. Richy texted me that he was behind all of this, and I just don't know what to think of it," her voice breaks. I hear her sniffles and wish nothing more than to be able to hug her.

  "Jessy, I'm going to come to Duskwood, okay?" Her crying stops.

  "You are?" I nod my head but realize she can't see me. The hopeful sound in her voice tugs at my heart. She has been through so much the past several days. She needs a break. Everyone does.

  "Yes, I am going to pack some things later and drive over today. I live about an hour and a half away, so I should be there by this evening. I'll see if the motel has any vacancy."

  I can practically hear the smile in her voice. "Oh, Flora, I am so glad! I will tell the others. Let me know when you are on your way, please!" I end the phone call with a sigh.

  No response from Jake. I texted him last night, yet I have not heard anything back. A pit of dread settles in my stomach, and it becomes increasingly difficult to push the concerning thoughts away.

What if he got hurt in the mine while trying to get out?

Is it my fault the FBI showed up?

  I have to physically grab my head to try and stop these thoughts from taking over. I am not going to get anything useful done if I let guilt and fear consume me. I need to be strong so I can help him.

Let me help you, Jake.

  But what good could I even do? Is there anything I would be able to do to locate him? I do not even know where I'd begin to try to figure that out. I do the best thing I can think of in the moment, which is just pitifully sending another text and praying he responds.

"I hope you're doing okay... and that you're safe."

  Before I can stop myself, I'm sending another one.

"I'm really sorry that this has happened. You've been through so much lately, and I wish there was something I could do to help you. If only we could turn back the clock. Please respond as soon as you're able. : / "

  Knowing I won't be receiving a response any time soon, I toss my phone on the counter and head to my bedroom to pack for my trip. I'm not really sure how long I will be staying there, but I figure packing for about a week should be alright. Right now, I'm in between jobs anyway so taking off that long doesn't matter. I guess that's one perk of being laid off.

  Just the thought of my old workplace brings up angry and unsettling feelings, and I don't like it. I have much more pressing things to worry about than what happened there a couple months ago. 

  By the time the afternoon rolls around, I'm packed and about ready to leave for Duskwood. I've got my satnav ready and the address for the motel, which I got from Jessy earlier, saved. I think that Jessy and Dan are going to meet me at the motel when I arrive. Thomas, Lilly, and Cleo are staying with Hannah right now at her house, as she is not up for socializing at the moment.

  I'm a bit anxious about meeting her. I've been confused since the moment Thomas messaged me about all of this and what my role in it all was. I mean, I'm really grateful that I was able to help and make some new friends out of a bad situation, I'm just confused. Whywould Hannah send Thomas my number? Whatdid Jake mean when he said I played a key role in all of this?

  All the unanswered questions are making my head hurt. I try my best to push everything to the back of my mind as I head out my apartment, and just focus on the positive of all this: I finally get to see everyone in person! Well, almost everyone. But still. I'm quite excited to hug everyone and see their faces. 

  The drive is longer than I thought it would be. But this could be because I'm just anxious and ready to be in Duskwood. Time always goes slower when you're waiting for something. I always enjoy road trips though, even short ones like this. Being able to cruise down the highway, with my music blasting while I pretend I can sing, is my therapy. My taste in music is interesting though. It ranges from Aerosmith to Disney to Enya to Alan Walker. One minute I'm having a rock concert and the next I'm wishing I were a princess running down the halls of a castle in a flowy dress.

  It makes for an entertaining ride, however. And finally, I pass the sign welcoming me to Duskwood.