Not to be found

Chapter 24 - Photograph

I zoom my camera lens out, capturing the beautiful scenery that is before me. The crispy brown leaves covering the floor and the skeletons of trees, the sky a vibrant blue with a few wispy clouds.

"Boo!" A voice whisper yells into my ear, causing me to practically leap three feet into the air and turn around on my heels, until I see Noah with a massive grin on his face.

"Oh my gosh," I exclaim a hand placed on my heart, "don't ever do that again."

"I'm sorry," he apologises a slight grin still evident on his face.

He takes my hand and we walk deeper into the mountainside, I had to borrow a pair of Julie's walking boots; worn out, ripped and covered in mud. I like them.
The mountains are covered with purple heather creating a beautiful contrast with the Autumn colours.

It's not long before I begin to hear the sound of running water as I step across the wet rocks and nearly slip in the process, Noah having to walk behind me to keep me upright.
I'm just about to take another step when I feel arms wrap around my waist so fast that I don't even see them coming.

"Oh my god!" I half scream half yell as I fall backwards onto the rocks and on top of Noah so that I'm sitting in his lap.

"Lacey you really need to watch out," he breathes out, "there's a waterfall right below here."

A waterfall? Where?
I cautiously peak over the ledge that I failed to see, and to my disbelief there is a pool of water at the bottom of the cliff.
Yikes! I just had my life saved. I really should stop daydreaming.

"Thank you," I say trying to catch my breath after seeing how close I was to possible death.

"It's nothing," Noah says as he pulls me back onto my feet, as we make our decent down the mountain.

Once at the bottom, I notice a small hut. But as we get closer it becomes bigger, much much bigger. Noah pulls a key out of his pocket and pushes it into the lock, the door producing a creaky sound as he pushes it open.

Inside is a small living room, kitchen and what I presume to be a bathroom of to the side, this family sure know how to live. 

"Just wondering aloud here, but just how many houses do your family own?" I laugh, my curiosity demanding to be fed.

Noah kicks off his boots and they land under the small dining table, I do the same but I leave mine by the front door.
"Three......in this country," he admits, "but this isn't classed as a house, more like a shed if you ask me."

I laugh remembering the shed that we have back home, it's in our garden and is full of my dads various gardening tools. Mum says it's his safe haven and his baby, he's never not in it when it's summer.

"What kind of sheds have you seen?" I ask, "because to me this looks more like a lodge or a log cabin."

"Hmmmm," he thinks, as he pulls out two mugs from the cupboard and pours coffee in.

I go for a wonder around the small cabin, Julie really knows what she is doing when it comes to interior design. A fluffy black rug sits under a solid oak coffee table and the dark green fabric sofas crowd around the TV fixed to the wall.

I wonder into the back, there is in fact a bedroom here too; a four poster bed with white sheets, two tables sit either side with lamps and a dressing table sits in front of the bed.

Noah walks in behind me handing me a steaming mug of coffee, I take a sip and he glares at me in shock. He should know by now though that I can drink coffee almost straight from the kettle, they call it having a cast iron stomach.

We move into the living room and sit on the sofas, I pull out my camera and go through some of my old photos. Noah's slides closer to me, placing his head on the top of my shoulder as I move to the next photo.
It's of me and Monica at prom; we're standing back to back, she's wearing a purple knee length dress whilst I'm wearing a blue floor length dress. Her face perfectly made up, mine only has a slight dusting of make up.
She's always been better.

The following photograph is of all of us; me, mum and dad. We were visiting a garden, dad is dressed casually his jeans and jumper, mum of course is wearing her jeans and a blouse never failing to impress, and I'm just wearing leggings, t-shirt and a hoodie. We looked so happy, a family. I thought I was happy but I wasn't really.

I feel an arm wrap around my shoulders, "are you okay?"

I blink a couple of times to prevent the tears falling that have collected in my eyes, "yeah I'm fine, it's just......just memories."

I turn the camera off and look down at my lap, Noah reaches over and places the camera on the coffee table.
"It's okay you know?" He says as he tilts my head so that I'm looking directly at him, "it's normal, everything is going to be okay."

"I hope so," I sigh as he pulls me into a hug.

I close my eyes and if I listen hard enough I can hear his heartbeat. It's strong and powerful as it pounds against his rib cage, I wonder if he can feel or hear mine? Although my head is on his chest and his is resting on top of mine.
I feel warm. I feel safe.

"It will be," he breathes into my hair, "I'll make sure of it."

My heart races just a tiny bit faster and the sense of security and trust that I have built up has just become stronger.
I've never been able to fully trust someone before, but with Noah it is different.

*************************************
It's nearly dark by the time we get back to the house. Me and Noah spent some time in the cabin before we left watching tv. My face is still everywhere, my name known to everyone and my disappearance turned into a story.
My heart began to swell and ache when I saw mum and dad sitting at a table with a couple of policemen, a recent photo of me and a younger one from the age of around thirteen.
Wow I've changed.

Noah lets go of my hand and reaches for the keys in his coat pocket, the door swings open and I'm first to walk in. I slide Julie's walking boots off my feet and shrug my coat off putting it on the stand.

I then walk into the kitchen and grab two mugs to make hot chocolate, when I stop in my tracks at the sight before me I drop both mugs so they go crashing to the ground with a loud smash.

"Lacey what happened?!" Noah asks running into the kitchen an arm still in his coat sleeve.

I stay frozen, the world coming to a halt around me. How? How is this happening? How?
I feel myself go numb as I stare at it.

"Lacey?" Noah calls, "Lacey what's happened?"

I take a step towards the kitchen counter, "look....." I sob not even realising that I had started crying.

"What is it?" He gets closer until he's standing next to me, "what the hell?!"

Sitting on the counter is a single rose, fresh; vibrant red and strong smelling.
A note sits next to it, the writing bold:

DON'T THINK YOU CAN HIDE. I SEE EVERYTHING. THERE IS NO ESCAPE. I HAVE MY EYES ON YOU.