Waiting for Amber Skyy

Chapter 50

At first, I thought I was dreaming. Surely, she wouldn't just up and leave with what we're facing, right? When I looked at her in the tree, I didn't see her figure, nor did I hear her breathing. The light filtering through the leaves made my wake-up vision blurry, making me think I was just imagining things. But I was right, she wasn't there. What made it worse was that all of her things were there. Her backpack, her laptop- Once I realized that I wasn't dreaming, the worst came to mind.

I scraped my legs as I scrambled over, trying to find signs of a struggle. My heart drummed as I eyed every inch of the tree, but I couldn't see anything that indicated she was kidnapped. But I would have heard her if ITex goons grabbed her, unless they drugged me in my sleep? No, I would've heard them then too. It must have been when I took the walk. Damn it! I was so stupid to think that leaving her behind was a good idea. But I saw her in the tree when I got back... was that even Speck?

My throat dropped into my stomach. No, they wouldn't do that. They wouldn't play with me like that... but they were psychos; they could do anything they wanted. I growled. Was this one of their stupid tests again? Oh hell no. They were going to pay for this. Nobody, nobody takes my sister!

I forcefully shoved the laptop back into her bag, grabbed mine, and jumped down with no sense of looking around first. It was early enough that morning joggers were there, and late enough that I didn't see any dog walkers. Once I landed, I adjusted both bags on my shoulder while thinking up a plan to where they could be taking her. But in the rush of putting things away, I didn't zip up Speck's bag properly and pencils started spilling out of it.

"Goddammit," I cursed, dropping both bags and reaching for her supplies. As I reached for her school things, my heart pounded. She wasn't going to finish school; she wasn't even in school and this happens. I blinked a tear away. No, I had to find her. I had to save her. I had to- A piece of paper caught my eye. And my name was on it.

I froze.

No.

No no.

I shakily grabbed it and unfolded the notebook paper. My throat caught and I threw my other hand to hide my open mouth.

'Amber,

I'm sorry but I can't stay here anymore. I'm going to join the Doomsday Group. Your wrong about them. Their good people, I know it. You just need to see it for yourself. I beleive in them. Please beleive in me.

Speck'

Tears flowed down my fingers and onto my lap. My eyes blurred and my heart ached so much my body shook. I couldn't believe it. She left. She left me. For them! As much as I was livid, I was more devastated than anything. My breathing picked up as I stared blankly at the ripped-out page.

She left me.

She was gone.

I lost her.

No.

No, no.

No, no, no, no, no.

A sob escaped from me and I closed my eyes shut, knowing this wasn't real. It couldn't be, because she wouldn't leave me. She said she wouldn't. She said she never could. But she wasn't here. She wasn't next to me. She wasn't cracking a joke or mumbling about being hungry. She wasn't nagging me about doing more schoolwork. She wasn't- I blearily looked around as my heart raced, breathing heavily, but all I could see were joggers in the distance and squirrels scouring the grounds.

She was nowhere.

"Sp-Speck," I blubbered out. I whipped my head around some more, hoping to god she was just hiding behind a tree and just pulling a prank. But even then, I couldn't hear her or sense any lick of her nearby. I relaxed my ears, hoping some animal part of me could pick up her presence.