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"ARE YOU SURE WE SHOULD BE VISITING HIM RIGHT NOW?" Nancy quickened her pace, breaking into a slight jog in an attempt to catch up to the much taller girl who walked with determined strides. Despite her burning desire for answers regarding Barb's disappearance, Nancy realized that Jonathan had just received devastating news. She understood that it was not the right time to burden him with her own theories.
Violet was acutely aware of the situation, though she hesitated to acknowledge it to her smaller companion. She felt a profound sense of responsibility towards Nancy. As she witnessed her friend fading away from sight, it seemed as though nobody else noticed or cared. The burden of her actions from the previous day continued to gnaw at her, causing immense anguish.
Upon learning about what had transpired with Will, Violet felt an urgent need to take every measure possible to improve the chances of locating Barb, even if the likelihood of success was minimal. As far as she could tell, it was plausible that Barb had simply left without informing anyone. The sudden disappearance of Barb after being present one moment was perplexing to Violet. With her amount of qualities, being irrational was not one of them.
"I need to check up on him anyway... if you want to determine where your friend is, we need his opinion. He was the only one there that night, and the clock is ticking, Wheeler." Violet immediately felt guilty for her tone but pushed it down as they approached the funeral home doors.
"I know... you do know Jonathan best." Nancy whispers under her breath, unsure whether she even said it herself.
As soon as the heavy wooden doors swung open, the smell of the funeral home wafted out and hit them like a physical force. It was a scent that everyone had encountered at least once in their lives, a chilling reminder of mortality that immediately made them uneasy. The air inside the funeral home was still and silent, causing the sound of their footsteps to reverberate through the narrow hallways, amplifying the sense of solemnity. As they made their way forward, small, muffled voices gradually grew louder, emanating from their destination and adding to the eerie atmosphere.
Violet's heart broke into a thousand pieces the moment her eyes met Jonathan's. His eyes were void of any emotion, but a small flicker of joy appeared on his face when he spotted her. She offered a gentle, sympathetic wave, and he returned it, understanding that he needed some time before he could bring himself to speak.
"Come, let's give him a minute." Violet grabs the doe-eyed girl's hand, ignoring the light sensation she gets when they touch before bringing her over to a bench she saw in the hallway. "He knows we are here; he will come out when ready."
