Faded Petal

Chapter 12 - George - The Shock

DAY NINE

Yesterday afternoon was tough. We decided to come to come to a stop for the rest of the day, seeing as the meadow we'd come across was so nice.

It was stressful, and we didn't want to push ourselves further by walking all afternoon.

The evening was filled with moping around, an occasional half-hearted conversation. The happiness and freedom that filled the first days of our journey has now completely fizzled out, leaving us tired and grumpy.

We all agreed that it was best to get an early night.

***

I peek through my eyelashes drowsily at the rising sun.

I have been drifting in and out of sleep for the past half an hour- but I can't bring myself to physically get up.

My fatigue disappears as soon as Charlie exclaims, "Hey!"

It is loud enough that my heart begins pounding as I launch myself up into an upright position, and immediately regret it as my head starts throbbing in beat with my heart.

"What...?" I croak, eyes still half shut.

"Where are the girls?" he asks confusedly.

I open my eyes a crack and peer around.

Charlie and I are completely alone, not a single other human in sight.

I flop back onto my back. "They've probably just gone to the bathroom, don't worry about it."

"But all their stuff is gone."

I reluctantly open my eyes again and look to where he's pointing. Where there were five yesterday, only two suitcases remain under the oak tree where we had piled them last night.

"Oh, who knows what they've taken them for," I sigh, attempting to sound unworried.

But even I am beginning to doubt myself after around fifteen minutes when none of them have made an appearance yet.

"Should we go look for them?" Charlie's voice is quiet. Scared.

"We probably should."

I push myself onto my feet and brush my hands off on my trousers as I walk towards the trees. At first, I do nothing but take a look around.

There are no signs of life other than the odd squirrel or bird rustling its way through the tree branches.

"Beth?" I call. No reply. "Akiki? Edith?"

Silence.

Charlie comes to stand behind me.

"HELLO?" he shouts at the top of his lungs, and a group of crows take off from a nearby tree, squawking in protest. I shudder at the thought that just crawled into my mind. A group of crows. A murder of crows.

"Girls?" I try again, hopefully, "If you're playing some sort of joke on us, then come out, now! It's not funny, we're worried about you!"

I concentrate hard on listening, desperate to hear a giggle, a whisper- anything.

After a few more minutes of feebly calling out their names, we give up.

Charlie turns to face me. "I'm worried about them, George."

"Don't be," but I'm struggling to keep my voice steady as I attempt to reassure him.

Anything could've happened to them during the night. What if someone found us? A large man. He could've taken them away from us easily. Or what if they did all go to the bathroom together, then got attacked by a wild animal, or fell into a ditch? What if they're deep in the forest right now, caught in a trap, desperately calling out our names?