What If He Didn't Die?

Chapter 14: A Thrilling Journey

Why on earth would you come here when I'm trying so hard to save you from him?

I groan internally at Eric. He replies with an I-am-fine-Easter smile.

I step aside to let them talk while still standing steady to jump in if the situation worsens. Although, I can hardly wonder what exactly I mean by the 'worsening' of the situation.

"She knows what?" Jack's eyes gleam wide, his nerves tightening on his forehead and his skin above his shirt.

Eric chuckles at a personal joke, although the laugh is not merry but pitiable.

"Eric, bro-"

"Just leave, man." Eric's eyes suddenly go blank.

"We need to talk," Jack says calmly drawing in a deep breath. His clenched fist is evident that he clearly is losing his calm. I get steadier with the passing minute, uncertain as to what might happen the next second.

"I don't think so." Eric gives him a final dark look before disappearing towards the basement gym. Jack opens his mouth to say something, something horrible I guess by the look on his face but decides otherwise after looking at me.

I release a sigh of relief when I hear Jack's car leaving. He definitely didn't just come to go away like that. He came for something else, maybe he only decided against it because I was here. But for how long can I be there to shield Eric from his conspiracy is a question that makes me shiver with terror.

I wake up on Sunday morning with a mission. First thing I do as soon as my eyes see light is checking my phone. This has become a habit now. I don't need to move my hands to the phone to check it anymore. Every morning, they would themselves grab it to check for a certain notification saying ′Yours'.

With disappointment written on my face, I reconnect the charger to it. This is another one of my new habits. I try to keep my phone fully charged all the time. I barely open it for social media or any other unnecessary stuff and the moment I see the power even at 97%, I reconnect it.

I leave home for the library research, or so does Eric think, with a car.

"I'll drop you." He urged at breakfast earlier, but I calmly declined.

"Come on, don't tell me you too think I'm 'mentally ill' like others." I had gestured two quotes in the air with my fingers, rolling my eyes and he gave in.

I check the route on the map on my phone as I drive straight towards Kempdon. I will first have to go to Rocrfall, then Jolmberg and finally I'll reach Veihnsberg. Veihnsberg is the nearest from Kempdon, direct distance-wise, but the only way to reach there, apart from jumping off the cliff or in the waterfall, is the countryside road to the east which encircles all the three towns to finally reach it.

I start driving as I hardly have time to waste. This exciting journey that I'd been planning for the past two days begins to seem scary as I start onto it.

The sunny weather is soon consumed by dark clouds and occasional thunderbolts as I leave Drakeshire behind on the road. Maybe this is why we were always told to never go towards those shady towns.

What can be worse than not finding Dan?

I shrug and keep driving. Darkness intensifies in the afternoon sky.

My eyes frequently avert to my phone kept on the dashboard only to move back at the windshield, with more disappointment every time and my hands clench the steering wheel with every other thunderous lightning to my own surprise. I was never the one getting scared of thunder or clouds but everything seems scarier as I keep driving right through the centre of mossy green forests on both my sides.