Between Two Worlds

CHAPTER 19 - Lost and Found

We drove down the windings dirt road aboard the van, Jess's laughter and mine intermingling with some upbeat music blaring from the speakers. I couldn't help but steal a glance at her every now and then as she animatedly sang along, more than from any other reason I was simply high on her enthusiasm. This trip was a chance for a clean slate; one that would take away all of the heavy weight tied in the knot of my emotions. Little did I know, fate had other plans.

"Are you psyched for this weekend?" Jess asked, her eyes shining with excitement.

"Yes! A reprieve from everything's just what I'm looking for," I said, even though my brain remained partially wrapped around thoughts of Ava.

As we crested a sharp bend, Jess suddenly eased up on the pedal. "Whoa, what's that?" she asked, pointing out the window, and I peered into the distance.

There, by the roadside café, I saw a familiar figure-Ava and Jake, laughing together. My heart skipped a beat as a mix of surprise and apprehension bubbled inside of me.

"Is that.?" Jess trailed off, and I nodded, my stomach knotting at the sight of them.

"Yeah, that's Ava." The name felt heavy on my tongue. Jess parked the van, her expression shifting to concern.

"Do you want to talk to them?

I hesitated. "I don't know... What if it's weird?"

But before I could answer that, Jess had already flung herself out the door, tugging me along beside her. "Come on! It'll be fine!"

As we walk up, Ava turns, and her eyes widen in shock. "Mia! Jess! What a coincidence!" she says with forced brightness, her smile lapsing for one beat before returning to full brightness.

"Hey! We're off to the cabin for the weekend," Jess said cheerfully, none the wiser to the tension in the air.

Jake stepped forward, wrapping an arm around Ava. "Nice! We were just grabbing some coffee before heading out ourselves." His casualness grated on my stomach.

"Oh, cool," I managed, smiling. My eyes shot to Ava, as if hoping to catch some semblance of our former connection.

"Want to join us?" Jake offered and before I can respond, Jess chimed in. "Sure! A quick coffee break sounds good!"

And in an instant, I was sitting with Ava, the space between us both small and yet achingly far. We talked, he talking and she laughing. And at the same time, I only felt as if I were watching from a distance of myself, like in a movie. I heard parts of them laughing and all, but my heart was galloping along a million miles per hour, prickling nerves racing beneath my skin.

He suggested a game in the nearby woods-an impromptu team challenge that involved running and scavenger hunting. Something skittered across the driveway and darted into the dark woods as he spoke, leaving me with a shiver down my spine. The thought of being alone with Ava was a daunting yet thrilling prospect, all mixed up into one strand of excitement and terror.

As we started into the game, Jess and I teamed up with Ava and Jake. We were running through the forest, roaring with laughter, when, going really fast in a pack, I lost track of both Jess and Jake as Ava and I ran ahead.
"They're not that far, are they?" Ava panted, looking about where the trees loomed above us and made long shadows.

"I don't know," I said, worried. "Maybe we should head back?"

But as we turned, I realized the familiar trails were all gone and had been replaced by a very thick thicket. Panic bubbled inside of me. "Uh, I think we're lost."

Ava let out a nervous laugh. "Great. Just great."

And we set off walking, trying to backtrack our way through but every turn took us further into the woods. The sunlight dimmed as the trees thickened around us and after the playful banter of the earlier hours started fading into silence.

We hadn't seen a light or any kind of civilization for the last five hours, so when we finally spied what looked like an ancient, slumping house shoved back in between some trees, it felt like an eternity and a half. The paint had cracked and flaked off. Cobwebs hung from the windows. It was a sanctuary compared to the uncertainty outside.

"Should we check it out?" Ava's voice carried a note of curiosity to the question.

"Yeah, let's see if there's a way to signal for help," I agreed, trying to shake off the tension that had built up in my chest.

Inside, the air was cool and musty, filled with the scent of aged wood. We wandered through the dimly lit rooms, our voices echoing softly off the walls. I felt an odd sense of comfort there, a strange cocoon away from everything else.

We ended up in what apparently was an old living room, pretty much full of mismatched furniture. We settled onto a dusty couch, laughter welling up between us as we talked over the absurdity of getting lost.

"Who'd have ever thought this'd be where our adventure would end up?" Ava grinned, mischief sparking in her eyes.

"Not exactly the getaway I had in mind," I said, feeling her warmth envelop me.

Something shifted in that moment, between us. The playfulness melted into gentle silence, and I felt the air thicken with unspoken words. I looked at her, and our eyes locked, a magnetic pull drawing us closer.

I don't think. I lean in, and she meets me halfway. Softly, our lips connect - the warmth being somewhat igniting a fire within me. Electric, I feel, as emotions spool over with the kiss deepened.

And Ava went for my hair, her claws scrabbling up my head and tugging me in close. All of this faded away: the game, the woods, everything outside. All that remained was us, lost in that moment, finally free to cherish what we had once shared.

But before I could totally drown myself in her, I heard this vague voice rising up through the trees. "Mia? Ava?" It was Jess calling out for us, jolting us back into reality.

We drew back both of us gasping for air, our eyes wide with shock and exhilaration. "What just happened?" I whispered, my heart racing.

"I... I don't know," Ava stuttered, a mix of disbelief and longing in her gaze. "But I can't pretend it didn't mean something."

Just before I had a chance to say anything, Jess's voice grew louder, and I knew we were going to have to face the world outside once more. But for that little time, we had found a part of what we'd lost, a spark that might change everything.