Without a Trace

Chapter Eleven

At first, I don't know where I'm going, I just start walking.  Now I need to find both my sister and my best friend.  I don't even know how to start tracking them down now.  At this point, Haden is in the most danger, so I should find him first.  But I also might need help from Emma to find him.  I don't know what to do.  

There's cars zooming past me on the road I'm walking on, and a few almost hit me, but I ignore them.  Why would they even take Haden? They already think they know where Emma is, so he wouldn't be able to tell them anything else.  And if they know I'm alive, why leave me alone?  Something tells me they want me to look for him.  I know I need Emma to help me with this, I just don't know where to start.  Haden helped me stay grounded when he was here, now my mind is just a mess of panic and anxiety.  Then I decide to do the one thing that might calm me down- go to Emma's "grave".  

I know that she isn't actually here, or even dead for that matter, but this is the closest I can come to talking to her at the moment.  I sit in front of her grave.

"It's funny to think that the last time I was here was when I finally started to figure some things out." I say out loud, smiling sadly.  "I don't know what to do now, Emma.  I have no idea how to find you, or Haden."  My eyes are starting to fill with tears.  "I'm stuck.  You're not even protecting me by staying away at this point, I already know what's out there.  If anything, you're putting me in more danger."  

Suddenly, I hear footsteps behind me, and I freeze.  I reach into my pocket to take out a pocket knife that Haden had bought me while I was in the hospital, for protection.  I quickly get up and turn around, ready to defend myself against whoever it is.  I gasp when I recognize who it is.  The last time I saw her, she had blonde hair, and now it's a dark red color, but I can still easily recognize who it is.  

"Emma?" I whisper in shock.  I knew that she was alive since after I got stabbed, but now that I've actually seen her again, I'm speechless.  I haven't really prepared myself for it yet.  

"Hey, little sister."  She smiles softly.  "I missed you."  Now I've moved past the initial shock of the situation, and on to anger.  

"You missed me?!" I exclaim.  "That's all you have to say, after years of everybody thinking you were dead, you missed me?!"  She doesn't react, and something tells me that she was expecting this.  

"I just wanted to protect you.  I'd rather have you be angry with me than hurt."

"Yeah, well look how that turned out." I answer.  "I almost died, because you decided it would be best not to tell me what you're involved in.  Do you have any idea what this did to Mom?"  

"I'm sorry Willow..." She sounds close to tears, but I'm not done yet.  

"Haden's missing.  Because while we could've been figuring out what Zane wants, we decided to look for you.  This all could've been avoided if you were here!"  

"I know, and you have no idea how much I regret that.  I wish I can go back and change the things I did."

"Too late for that."  I say, crossing my arms across my chest.  Now, you're gonna help me find him, and explain to me what happened to Dad."