SONGS AND TRAILS (Book 1)

CHAPTER 30

"Where is she?" Mima asked as she barged into the room that Mia Daya and a few other girls were staying in.

"Where is who?" Daya asked drowsily as she turned in her sheets.

"Bella." Mima replied.

"Listen, ma'am, one of the girls says. "We're trying to sleep. And isn't Bella staying with you? She's never slept in here."

Mima left the room frustrated and Mia followed her behind.

"What's going on?" Mia asked as she sped-walked after her.

"I can't find Bella. Something's wrong." Mima said not turning.

"I'm sure she's alright... Where would she run off to?" Mia asked.

"I'm going to ask someone who's seen her."

Mima banged on a door after they stopped and it opened to reveal a shirtless Caldor in only his trousers. He looked like he was just about to fall asleep from the frown on his face.

"I know you've seen her. Where is she?"

"You just cut my sleep short with your banging and now you're asking me a question I cannot decipher." Caldor frowned even more.

"Could you..." Mima noticed his bare chest. "Could you put a shirt on? It's hard to concentrate."

"You're the one at my door in the middle of the night." he said.

"Okay, I'm awake." Daya showed up from behind them. "So, what's this about Bella?"

"Bella?" Caldor's brows furrowed.

"Dude! Is Caldor shirtless or am I the one dreaming?" Daya asked and he finally closed the door. Moments later he came out wearing just a form-fitting t-shirt that hugged him in all the right places.

"Daya, you shouldn't have spoken. Now he's all dressed up." Mia complained.

"It's okay, you still got to see him shirtless." Daya soothed.

"Yeah." Mia smiled.

Caldor rolled his eyes as he walked. "I saw her going out."

"Where?" Mima pressed.

"I don't know... she mentioned something along the lines of her going for a walk." he said.

"No. It's not a walk." Mima stressed as they arrived downstairs. "She's not... she's not herself. She's in trouble."

"What?" Daya asked.

"Did she look the same to you?" Mima asked Caldor.

"I was looking down at her from my balcony. She just walked out in her nightgown barely closed her nightrobe and when I asked her, that was the response I got." Caldor explained. "So I let her clear her head."

"Clear it? She's in her head." Mima told him. "Whatever she said to you wasn't implied for you." Mima paced. "Where is she? I'm seeing her in so many different places at once and it's confusing."

"What's going on?" Daya asked.

"What do you mean she's in her head?" Caldor asked.

"I think I know what Mima is talking about." Mia cut in. "Bella once told me to always snap her out of her thoughts so that she doesn't get swallowed in them. Is that what you mean?"

Mima stopped with a struggling face and finally gave in. "She's ill. But this is not the time. We need Rai."

"Ill?" Mia asked.

"I'll go get Rai." Daya went upstairs and moments later came back with Rai.

"I didn't do anything." Rai defended in his sleepy state.