In the Deep *Book Two* Water Trilogy

Eight

 

I freaked out as Heidi drove me to Audrey's. I nearly jumper out of the car before it even came to a complete stop in the driveway before banging on the door. Emotions were taken control along side the feeling of panic that over came me as no one answered the door. I looked around for signs of Audrey but she wasn't there. 

"Finn," Heidi said in a small, scared voice next to me, "What's going on?" 

"I'm going to talk to my aunt." 

"I'll come with you-" 

"No." The word startled us both as it came out more forcefully than I had intended it to. I shut my eyes and sighed. "I'm sorry, but this is something that you can't help me with. I'll give you updates as often as I can." 

Heidi stood in Audrey's driveway, unsure of what to do, as I ran to Jenny's and went inside. 

"Jenny!" I shouted as I ran from room to room. "Jenny!"

"Finn?" She came quickly to the small yellow room she used as an office that I had ended up in. "Is everything alright?" 

My look said it all. Everything was most definitely not alright. 

"Sweat pea..." Aunt Jenny fidgeted nervously as I paused to fight back the feelings that wanted to explode out of me. The anger, fear, and sadness that wanted to overwhelm my being. 

"Nahla's back," I choked out and she gasped at the news. "And I think she's taken Audrey." 

"But she's dead-" 

"And yet she's not!" I roared as my fist punched a yellow wall, it caved in, leaving a great big hole. I pulled at my hair and continued to scream. "I should have known! She's been so different lately! Ho did I not see it?" 

Suddenly my loud sobs were the only thing filling the room. 

"Why didn't I help her?" 

"Did she tell you?" 

"No-" 

"Then there wasn't a way you could help her," Aunt Jenny said softly yet with a sternness I wasn't use to. "Call her parents." 

"And tell them what? That one of the big choices I made in my life may or may not be the reason their daughter is missing? That my crazy older, fictional creature to them, sister took her and may or may not murder her?" Tears clouded my vision. "I'm sure they'll believe that and not lock me in the nut house." 

Jenny sighed. "Sugar coat it." 

I dialed the number of both of Audrey's parents but I was rewarded with a voice mail instead of them. I called Connor's cell too but he didn't answer either. 

"Watch for them to get home," Aunt Jenny ordered before picking up the phone and calling up someone else as she left the room. 

I walked over to Audrey's, sat down on her front steps, and cried. My stomach lurched and I found myself running off the property three times to get sick. Eventually I just put my head in my hands and sat there, turning off everything so I could hopefully be calm when her parents arrived. 

headlights shined on me as a car pulled in at two in the morning. I squinted against the bright light. Mr. and Mrs. Pitkus' voices carried in the salty breeze. They were laughing about something the both apparently found hilarious; and I was about to ruin it. The fact that I sucked at everything humanly possible, from blending in to being normal, crossed my mind.

"Finn?" Mrs. Pitkus said, confused. "What are you doing here?" 

I swallowed a lump in my throat.