From across the hallway

Part 37

"Emily!" yelled Missy at the top of her lungs, fear coursing through her entire body.

This couldn't be happening.

It couldn't.

At her cry, Wade, who still had a blade pressed tightly to Scott's cheek, turned to look at her, his face suddenly full of concern.

"It's Emily," cried Missy, staring at him, her eyes suddenly brimming with tears, her breathing becoming shortened and shallow. "She's gone. She was here and now she's- EMILY!"

A couple of passers-by, clutching their coats tightly around themselves amidst the falling snow, glanced at her looking alarmed, but Missy didn't care.

Her little girl was gone. Just like that.

In this weather, and within the dimmed light of early evening, Missy couldn't even make-out in which direction she had fled in.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Wade suddenly let go of Scott, causing the dark-haired man to slip down the wall, tumbling unsteadily from his feet.

In a second, Wade had closed the gap between himself and Missy, his hand letting the knife slip to his side, his other clutching her forearm tightly.

"What do you mean she's gone?" said the merc, breathing hard, his chocolate eyes boring into hers. "Didn't you see which way she went?"

Neither of them even noticed Scott pull himself once more to his feet, and slink silently away...

Missy, her heart thudding painfully in her chest, glared at Wade.

"No, I didn't....and don't you dare accuse me!" she said, baring her teeth at the merc, before tugging her arm from him and pacing swiftly up the street.

"Emily!" she cried loudly once again, her heart almost tearing in two. "Emily!"

"Emily!" cried Wade, from a few feet behind her, cupping his hands around his mouth.

It was freezing now, the snow starting to swirl around them, making it hard to see anything.

Missy walked in her high heels, her feet pretty much numb, but she didn't care. Her little girl was missing. The one thing she cared most about in the whole world.

"Maybe she's gone home," she heard Wade cry from behind her, as Missy stopped at the corner of the street, looking this way and that. "Maybe one of us should try there."

Perhaps Wade was right, maybe she had gone home.

But in this weather, how would she even know the way?

The falling snow was more than disorienting, it was as if a blanket had fallen over their eyes, making almost everything indistinguishable.

Missy's heart ached.

This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't.

"Emily!" she yelled louder this time, at the top of her lungs.

But it was no use.

It was getting quieter now, the crowds obviously heading home...inside...away out of the freezing cold.

Emily couldn't be out in this. Even with a coat on, it was too cold now and only getting colder.

"EMILY!" Missy yelled again, her lungs straining to hold onto any breath.

Suddenly a hand touched her arm.

"I should head this way and you go that way," said Wade as Missy swung around, coming face to face with him, wincing against the snow, now whipping at his stubbly face. "See if we can see where she went. She can't have gone far."