Discoveries | TMR | Three

5:3

Lily felt a jolt of surprise when she learned that an urgent meeting had been summoned. It seemed almost unfathomable, especially so soon after the Harbour had been attacked and they had suffered such losses. The recent discovery of Betty in the kitchen weighed heavily on her mind, and she never imagined that anyone from their tight-knit community would be in a state to call for a meeting.

What truly astonished her was that the request had come from Nick, a young man who detested these gatherings with every ounce of his being.

However, as the group gathered and shared the unsettling updates from the Glade, she began to grasp the urgency behind it all. The revelations of a dead body, a missing person, the train tracks, the schedules, Alby's unfortunate accident with the knife, and the looming threat of the Cranks - it was an overwhelming amount of information, yet Lily absorbed it all.

What troubled her, though, was the absence of Adeline. The girl had been silent, and Lily's concern grew, especially since she hadn't seen or heard from her since before their departure five days ago. As the meeting wrapped up and people started to leave, Adeline was still nowhere to be found, and the same went for Daniel.

Lily stands at the head of the dining table, her gaze fixed on Nick, who has his head buried in his hands. The expression on his face is an enigma, but she can see the tension in his hunched shoulders as they rise and fall, accompanied by a soft, weary sigh escaping through the cracks of his fingers.

"Nick, my dear," she calls softly, her voice reverberating in the stillness of the hall as she moves closer and places a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he mutters, his voice muffled by his palms.

Lily feels a flicker of doubt. "Are you really sure?" she presses, settling down beside him. "It sounds like you've been through a lot lately. Is there anything I can do? You can share with me."

"I said I'm fine," Nick mumbles again, this time with a little more bass in his voice.

On any other occasion, she would reprimand him for his brusque manner, but given the weight of their recent losses, she understands his frayed nerves. "Alright then," she replies, "just remember, I'm here if you need anything." She doesn't move from her spot on the seat, despite her words suggesting that the dry conversation is finished.

She hesitates, contemplating whether to bring up Adeline. It is no secret that Nick is utterly captivated by the young woman. While Adeline often deems these gatherings as 'a waste of fucking time' and chooses to skip them, it is unusual for Nick not to spend the entire time searching for her in the crowd.

"Do you happen to know where Addy is?" Lily finally ventures. "And Daniel? I haven't seen either of them in quite some time."

Nick exhales sharply and lifts his head to meet her gaze, revealing the raw emotion just beneath the surface. "Daniel's with Jeff, and I have no idea where Addy is."

Lily tilts her head, puzzled for several reasons, primarily his unfamiliarity with her location and his choice to call her 'Addy' instead of his usual nickname, 'Ads.' "That's unexpected," she reflects. "You two are usually inseparable."

"Well, she's not here," he retorts sharply, surprising the older woman as he leaps from the chair, shaking off her hand. "I haven't talked to her, and I have no idea where she is."

"...alright," she responds cautiously, but he's already storming out of the expansive hall, his footsteps fading into a distant echo. She gazes at the empty doorway he just exited, confusion churning in her stomach.

What has happened?

"She's on her and Daniel's boat."

Maggie's voice cuts through the silence, startling Lily and making her jump. She had assumed everyone had already departed, but as she glances toward the remnants of the old buffet table, she spots Maggie standing with Matt. "She's not on the ship?" Lily inquires.