The Untouchables

Chapter Sixteen: Lynn

Sage looked as if words were caught in his throat.

"W-what do you mean?"

"I was gathering the kids for when you came back with the food," I started, "And I realized he wasn't here. I racked my brain, and I didn't remember seeing him since the lake before I went into town yesterday."

Unfortunately, by the sudden, terrified look on his face, I could tell he hadn't seen the baby since the same time I had at the lake yesterday either.

"Let's think." He rationalizes as I'm trying not to lose my head. "We had him when we went to the lake, and before you went into town, correct?"

I nodded, and he continued.

"What happened right before you left?"

I groaned, not wanting to relive that embarrassment.

I sang.

"I-sang to him." I grumbled.

"What did you do right after you sang to him?" He asked. "Before you left."

I racked my brain once more, as Sage did the same, trying to figure out what happened.

We walked there.

I went fishing.

Sat down with Sage, and watched the kids.

Baby cried.

I sang.

Groan.

Embarrassment.

I gave him back to Sage, and left.

Wait, no. Obviously not. If I did, we wouldn't be in this situation.

I could've sworn I gave the baby back to him before I left.

I replayed the entire day a few more times in my head. I couldn't see where I went wrong. But then something in my memory clicked into place, and I felt my jaw drop, and the blood drained from my face as I realized what happened.

During the embarrassment from the entire singing situation,

I gave the baby to a nearby kid.

Not Sage.

"Grab the kids."

We gathered all of the kids around the firepit, and asked them which one I gave the baby to.

Nobody spoke up. Everyone seemed to look at the ground.

Sage sighed. "We're not mad, we just need to know."

Still. Nobody moved.

I love children. But I was deeply considering throttling each and every one of them at that moment.

"Really." I agree. "We just need to know." I wanted to be as sincere as possible so I didn't scare the kids with the weight of the situation.

Or my desperate anger.

But finally, someone stood up.

"You gave him to me." One of the boys confessed. "Before you left."

"What did you do with him?" Sage questioned more intensely than I would've.

"I..I, uh." He stuttered. "I wanted to keep playing."

"Where did you put him?" I also questioned more sternly this time.

He only emitted a series of sounds that we couldn't put into words. I felt my adrenaline rush faster.

Well, that can't be good.