Experiment Scarecrow

Chapter 12

Trees coasted past the window in a golden blur once again, as Brooke's mother drove back into Rosston, with the consistent guidance of her mother-in-law. 

"Now, it's on the opposite side of where we are now, so once we get into Rosston, I'll start directing you," her grandma explained.

Her mother rolled her eyes and shook her head, growing irritated with the constant direction. 

Brooke watched as the reentered the small suburb connecting the rural and urban sides of Rosston, before gliding around the curve back toward the heart of the city. The vehicle braked before the same stop light intersection, buildings towering overhead. 

"So, instead of taking a left, you'll go straight this time."

Her mother nodded. "Mhm."

She pressed on the gas once the light turned green, driving into the depths of Rosston where small businesses flourished. Brooke pressed her head against the window, her eyes barely flicking over the signs flashing by. She gave a quiet sigh, beginning to close her eyes before another sign caught her attention.

"Beckett Law Firm."

She frowned, glancing to her mother momentarily; a sorrowful memory forcing itself to her frontal thoughts, daring to spring tears into her eyes. She quickly shook her head, pushing the memory back, refusing to unravel its dark contents. 

Not today.

Brooke forced her eyes shut, trying to relax once again, listening to the combination of her grandma and mother's voices, and the soft music emanating from the radio up front. She folded her arms across her chest, leaning against the door as they wove through the city, eventually ending up on the main highway leading north of Rosston.

The car slowed before pulling into a fairly broad parking lot, twisting between other parked cars before managing to find a space close to the front, French doors of the café. 

"The Willow Creek Café." 

She tilted her head, her eyes darting to her grandma as she began to climb out of the car with her mother. "This is the perfect spot to have parked," her grandma commented, carefully closing the door behind her before readjusting the purse on her shoulder.

Brooke soon followed, studying the café once she followed outside. 

The small, white café overlooked the bend of a shallow creek, dotted with trees; a balcony, resting on stilts, served as another outlook, tables placed with umbrellas scattered across the surface for an outdoor meal.

"Come on, Brooke!" her mother called, leading her grandma inside.

She glanced around the parking lot once last time before soon following them inside. 

Once inside, they temporarily stood in the breeze way, waiting as a couple ahead of them were directed to a booth. 

She looked around the small space before her eyes fixated on a poster board to her left, scattered with flyers, and even a few missing posters.

She lifted an eyebrow, scanning over the missing posters consisting mainly of teenagers and young adults, most from Braylon. She frowned, reading the names until the innocent face of a young boy popped into her view. She frowned, squinting her eyes to better study his face.

He appeared to have been around the age of eight, maybe even nine, holding a solemn expression in the low quality image.

Before she could read the information below the photo, her mother grabbed her arm, gently tugging at it. "Brooke, are you all right? You seem very distracted today."