Jukai

Chapter 27 Endgame

Terry Richmond

I needed more, needed more than love from you

As the days dragged on, I felt my hope slipping away. Every lead had turned into a dead end, every call unanswered. I was losing faith in finding Nicole.

I had pictured this moment differently—thought I'd be closer by now, that I'd have something real to hold onto. But instead, all I had was silence and the sinking feeling that I was too late.

Pacing back and forth in the cramped motel room, the faded carpet beneath my feet worn from the constant movement.

The walls felt like they were closing in on me, the silence thick and suffocating. Every turn, every step felt like I was stuck in place—searching, but getting nowhere.

I stopped by the window and glanced out, hoping for something, anything, that might give me a clue. But all I saw was the same dusty street, the same empty cars parked outside.

The world felt frozen, as if time had stopped and left me behind.

I ran a hand over my head, a mix of frustration and exhaustion weighing on me. The phone sat on the table, silent as ever.

No messages. No calls. No new leads. Just endless quiet.

Where are you, Nicole? The question hung in the air, unanswered, as I started pacing again. The walls seemed to close in tighter with each passing second.

I had three days left—just three—before I had to head back home.

Three days to find something, anything, that could point me in the right direction. I didn't even know what I was looking for anymore, but I couldn't go back empty-handed. I couldn't face everyone knowing I had failed.

 I tried to shake the doubt creeping in.

The clock was ticking, and each minute felt like a lifetime.

I had to find something. A sign, a lead, a break in this dead-end search. Anything to justify this trip, this endless pursuit.

Life carries on just like a song I sing, but I don't know

I made it all the way to Tennessee, but now I was stuck. Should I reach out to her husband's parents? I wasn't sure if it was the right move.

They had shown up to the funeral back home, but barely said a word to anyone.

I could see the grief in their eyes, though—grief for their son, for the loss of him. And now their daughter-in-law was gone, too.

Part of me wanted to reach out, to ask if they knew anything about Nicole and if they could offer any kind of clue. But I wasn't sure how they'd react.

Would they be willing to talk? Or would I just be reminding them of the pain they were already carrying?

The silence between us at the funeral had been thick, heavy with unspoken words.

I had respected that distance then, but now, with only a few days left, I wasn't sure if I should respect it anymore.

What was there left to do? That question lingered in the air, heavy and unanswered. I was running out of options, out of time.

My plan—if I could even call it that—had been to find something, anything, to lead me to Nicole.

But now, it felt like I was grasping at nothing like I had already hit every wall and just couldn't find a way through.