Stay With Me / Duskwood

Chapter 1

The time I had spent in Duskwood was over.
I was tired after so many interrogations, both from the police and the FBI.

One by one, they had been asking us, they hadn't even let us be together so we could make up a story together.
But none of us told the truth. At least, that's what I thought. 
In two days I had to go back to work, so the only day I had been able to be with a Duskwood friend was with Jessy, who she most needed to be with someone right now. After that, it was all questions and more questions. My head ached.

I start to pack, when I receive a message. Rather, a location.
And nothing less than the Nymos chat.
My heart races, not believing it to be true.
I hadn't heard from Jake since that last text, telling me 'I love you'. I didn't hear from him after that. I didn't want to talk to anyone.
I expected some message from him, a word, an enigma, something. I also couldn't focus on work for every notification I received.
I always ended up going to the bathroom to cry again. My co-workers kept asking me what was wrong with me. Until I finally traveled to Duskwood to clarify what happened. Just to make it worse.

I keep looking at the message. The cartel was one of the exits from Duskwood, was Jake there waiting for me?
He had promised me that they would no longer separate him from me. Was it possible? Had he survived the mine?
I finish packing. I was going to be prepared just in case it was a false alarm, that maybe this stupid program had stopped working because it had crashed anyway.
Yes, I was quite angry, I hadn't slept for a long time. No sleep. Just cry. It was all I did since I hadn't heard from Jake.I had to check it out.

I look on the map on my phone at the nearby exit where it indicated me.As I was leaving in the car, I was surprised that there was suddenly more surveillance and even some officers stopped me.
    "Can I see her car, Miss Connors?"
    "Yes of course."
     I get out of the car opening the back door and then the trunk.
They observe everything meticulously, without leaving any corner without looking. It bothers me that they even opened my suitcase. Did they really think I had Jake in there?
    "Is it necessary?" I ask, closing it hurriedly.
    "We have been informed that the hacker had been seen nearby," the agent replies.
    "Really?" I show my impassive face. Giving no sign of surprise. Or maybe I didn't even believe it myself. I had received nothing from him.
    "Yes, that's why we have more surveillance posts around Duskwood."
    "But they won't register me again at the Duskwood exit, right?"
    "No, don't worry, the perimeter of where they've been seen doesn't go that far," he answers, gesturing with his cap, "besides, they think they've shot him, if it was just an animal what they saw. so he won't get very far."
    "Thank goodness." I tried to stay calm. I hope it's not him. "Good luck catching him." I put on my best smile, despite not wanting to. Better get along with them.
    "Have a good day miss and sorry for everything that happened." he smiles at me, charmingly     "It must have been horrible to be manipulated."
    "Yes... Thank you. You too."
     I got back in the car and I looked in the rearview mirror at the agents joking with the guy, saying a couple of things like "what a hunk you are" or "flirting during work hours?". Luckily I was leaving there.

I drove and as promised, there was no one near the Duskwood exit sign.
I park off the road and looked everywhere.
Forest on one side, forest on the other. But no trace of Jake.

I lean against the car, looking at Nymos's message. Then the Duskwood sign.
I place the phone at a perfect distance to see what the same place was. I strain my eyes to get a good look at every little detail. It was the same place.
    "Great, there's no one here." I put the cell phone in my jacket pocket, trying not to get more upset. "I knew it was a waste of time... Or he would have already contacted me..." My voice sounds broken, about to cry. No again...