Footprints in the Sand

13. Time Drags

I got home, finally, earlier than normal, earlier than I would if I’d finished at the end of the school day. The second I was home, I’d taken my contacts out and make up off. I lay down on my soft bed and drifted off to sleep. I was woken an hour later by the horrid sounds of a phone call coming in. I didn’t even look at the caller ID as I answered it.

            “Mmm.” I answered,

            “Have you been sleeping in school?” The familiar voice of Nick echoed through my speakers.

            “No… I’m at home.” I groaned. I sat up and rubbed my eyes,

            “Want me to come over?”

            “Yes.” I grumbled.

            “I’ll be over in half an hour, promise.”

            “Thanks Cola Bottle.”

            “No problem, Candy Floss.” The line went dead. I searched around for my glasses, placed them on my nose, dug my hairbrush from my bag and dragged it through my knotty waves. I then sat down and stared out of my floor-to-ceiling window, over the river that glistened in the sun. My phone rang again, this time I did check the ID; Seb. I answered without a second thought.

            “Hey, Seb.” I answered, smiling slightly.

            “Have you heard anything from your Father today?” Seb asked aggressively

            “No, not yet.”

            “Pru’s getting anxious.”

            “Where is she?”

            “Frey’s.” 

            “I’ll call him.” I said. I hung up on Sub and dialled Dad’s familiar number. It rang, and rang, and rang, and still went to answerphone. I dialled the London restaurant’s number, Zed answered.

            “Before you say anything, is my Dad there?” I asked before anyone said anything.

            “Depends who this is?” Zed asked,

            “Florence Shadow.”

            “No, sorry, Flo, your Dad hasn’t got here yet. He must be at the flat. Have you tried there?”

            “Well, he isn’t answering his mobile.”

            “Ah. I’ll see if I can locate him, if I do, I’ll call you back.” The line went dead. I rang Seb back,

            “He isn’t at the restaurant.” I explained,

            “Okay. This isn’t good.” Seb murmured.

            “You’re telling me!” Seb hung up and I saw Nick walking up the drive with Rory. I stood up and ran down the stairs, sprinting. I ran out onto the drive barefoot and stopped Rory in his tracks.

            “Have you heard anything from Dad?” I asked. Rory shook his head.

            “Nothing at all. Why? What’s happened?” Rory sounded worried; obviously he thought that Dad had gone AWOL again.

            “No one knows where he is.”

            “What?!” Rory ran inside and up to his room, the room that Eliza had previously had, and booted up the PC that Dad had brought him. He loaded up some program and typed Dad’s number into it, and it slowly began zooming in to near Bristol.