The Damage Was Done

Chapter 29

axel-

I've been going around town all day speaking to different people, It's now 2pm and I'm making my way to the bus station walking inside I go up to the counter "hey I need to speak to your bus drivers" I say and she just stares at me "why?" she asks "my friends missing and I just want to check if she's been on any buses" I say and she just looks at me some more "you do realise that multiple people catch the bus everyday and one of our drivers remembering is highly unlikely" she says.

I nod my head "I understand that but it's worth a shot" I say and she nods before picking up the phone "there will be someone to speak with you soon just take a seat over there" she says pointing to a set of chairs, sitting down I stare at the photo in my hands, "are you the one with the missing friend" a man in his early thirty's asks and I nod my head handing him the photo "this is her" I say and he nods "I can ask around but I don't know if anyone will remember" he replies and I nod "just wait here and I'll see what I can do" he says before walking away.

***

I have been sitting here for nearly half an hour before he finally came back but this time with someone with him, "this is john, he's one of our bus drivers" the man from before said, i stick out my hand for him to shake "I'm Axel" I introduce myself, "hello Axel" he says "That girl in the picture she got on my bus a couple days ago," he continues and I sigh, we might be able to figure out where she went.

"do you remember where she went?" I ask, "she's missing" his face sinks and looks over at his boss probably not been told that yet "um, yeah she got off at a town called Trishon about 3 hours from here" he says and I nod "thank you this helps a lot" I say giving him a smile "we can ask around at other stations as well if you want" the other guy speaks up and I nod "thanks" I say and give them my number before leaving.

When I got home I went straight to my room sitting on my bed I contemplate what to do, I called call the cops with this but she might see them and run more, I could go myself it's only 3pm so I'd get there at 6 and I can look around at night, deciding to go without police I grab my phone and key's and call Ryder they deserve to know I found something.

"hello" he says on the other end "Ryder it's Axel" I say he probably already knew that because of caller ID "anyway I got a location on where she might be, I know she might not be there anymore but I'm heading up" I say and I hear movement on the other end "can you come get me, I want to come" he says and I nod but then realise he can't see me "I'll be there in a couple minutes" I answer before hanging up and heading to the Anderson house.

After a long 3 hours we arrive at the town getting out we start walking around talking to people most people saying the same thing that they haven't and there sorry, we start giving up hope no ones seen her, I accidentally walk into a little girl dropping my phone with the picture, she picks it up looking at it before showing her mum who was beside her whispering something.

"have you seen her" I ask them when I see them looking at the photo "yeah?" she gives me a questioning look, "I got told she got off the bus at this town a couple nights ago" I say and she nods "let me guess Axel and Ryder" she says looking between me and Ryder "yeah?" this time I'm the one giving her a questioning look, how did she know our names?

"ok, we're heading to the diner over there to feed this one" she says pointing to the little girl "we can talk there" she adds on and we all begin making our way to the little diner sitting down in a booth by the window "what do you guys want to know?" she asks us and I look over to Ryder "who are you and how do you know our names?" he asks them and I nod in agreement "I'm April and that's Paul and Molly" She says pointing while saying names "and I know your names because of Louise" and I swear my heart skipped a beat at her name.

"wait so you've spoken to her do you know where she is" I quickly ask and she nods "Yeah she stayed at our house the first night she came and then last night because I didn't want her to sleep on the streets" she sighs which makes me sigh in relief she's safe and she's here and isn't sleeping on the streets "van we see her" Ryder asks but she shakes her head.

"she left this morning to go back home, she would've gotten there at 8 she said to us" when she says that I exhale some air all the hope from before gone, she's not here anymore, we're to late "she didn't go home did she?" Paul asks and I just shake my head "no she didn't" Ryder answers I close my eyes to stop tears from falling "I'm sorry if we knew she wasn't going home we wouldn't have let her go" April says and I nod "we know" Ryder answers for both of us.

"did she tell you guys why she ran?" Ryder asks and I open my eyes looking at them "she said that her dad moved back after being away for a while" April answers and my face pales, i assumed that might've been the case but I had hoped it wasn't looking at Ryder he has the same look on his face looking at me, telling me he's thinking of the same thing.

"thanks for your help" he says standing up and leaving, I look back to the couple before nodding a goodbye "If we could help anymore let us know" she says and writing a number on a piece of paper before giving it to me "thanks" I say and following Ryder back to my car.

"we can stay here for the night then head to the station in the morning" I say to Ryder and he nods in agreement before saying he had to call his mum to tell her that he wouldn't be home and I did the same.

We were so close she was just here I thought to myself