Clopwyck River - revised version

Chapter Thirty-two

The paramedics tended to Dan and Leo while Ciara and I told the police everything that'd happened. Ciara was so high on adrenaline I think the police thought she was on drugs, so they didn't really take her seriously until she played the recordings of Dan admitting what he'd done. She'd managed to record just enough information so that there was no mistaking what he admitted to, but she'd thankfully missed the part where he was talking about how Daria had known about what happened.
​Leo blinked at me above his oxygen mask, and waved a limp hand as I watched them close the ambulance doors on him and drive him to the hospital. I thought I'd won the darkest family secret award, but after the last few hours I think Leo is the more worthy winner. 
​The second ambulance contained Dan, the paramedics, plus two police officers. Ciara slung an arm around my shoulder and stuck her middle finger up at him as they closed the doors and took him away. They assured us that though he was on his way to the hospital, he was technically under arrest and they would be questioning him once he'd been stitched up. His wild hair and the dark circles under his eyes made him appear more like the menacing psychopath we now knew him to be, rather than the parish priest.
​We both got dropped off by the police, but not before we insisted they take us to the hospital to see Ben. Ciara was practically running as we pushed past the nurse and burst through the doors to Ben's ward, I think a part of her believing that he would be awake. But he wasn't. She told him about what happened as she wiped a tear away from her eye, seeking out my hand as she addressed his motionless body.
​The late night knocking on the door, and the lights from the police cars meant that both Daria and Andrew were at the door when we arrived. Daria actually grabbed me by the top of my arms, pulling me into her and squeezing me for a few seconds, before Andrew took me into the kitchen to make me a cup of tea. I was grateful for the police being there, so they could relay the night's events instead of me having to share what happened.
​Andrew took me up to my room, and even though my mind was racing I managed to fall asleep almost instantly, the safety and warmth of my bed embracing me in its comfort, rocking me into a deep, restful sleep.
​That was, until now.
​I wake with a jolt, sit up in my bed, panting. I catch my breath and look at my phone through squinted eyes. I can't believe I've only been asleep for an hour; my body feels like it could do with another day, or week, of sleep. I was dreaming about something. About Elliot.
​I rub my eyes and fall back on my bed, trying to rub away the feeling of unease, but it's still there, pressing on my chest like someone is straddled across me, forcing me down with all their weight. I can't breathe properly and I can't centre myself, Elliot's face swimming around in front of my eyes in the shadows that dance across the ceiling. I sit up again, and swing my legs off my bed. If I check on him, maybe I'll be able to get back to sleep.
​I stumble out of my room towards the warm glow of Elliot's nightlight outlining his bedroom door. I push the door open and tiptoe in, not wanting my irrational mind to wake him from whatever dreams of candyfloss and cake he's probably enjoying.
​The familiar shapes of Elliot's stuffed animal companions standing guard against the boogie monster calm me, and I make out an Elliot shape curled up like a Swiss roll in his duvet. I pull back the covers, unable to resist giving him a sweet dreams kiss.
I freeze.
​He's not there; he's not in his bed.
​I pull the duvet all the way back, exposing two stuffed characters from his favourite TV show. I knock them to the floor then yank the duvet from the bed, scattering his stuffed toys all over the floor. I drop to my knees, knowing there's no reason why he would be under the bed, but checking anyway. I trip over his stuffed animals to throw open his wardrobe doors, pulling his clothes and shoes all over the floor.
​"Elliot?! Elliot?!"
​I slam the wardrobe doors shut and run into the bathroom, switching the fluorescent light on, my eyes darting in and out of every corner, then pull back the shower curtain revealing nothing but a bath full of bath-time toys.
​Daria and Andrew's bedroom. He has to be in bed with them, maybe crawling in between them after a bad dream? I turn the landing light on and push their door open, allowing some light to creep up to their bed.
​"Elliot?! Are you in there?!"
​Daria opens one eye and props herself up on her elbow. "Demi? You okay?"
​"Is Elliot with you?!"
​She springs up onto both hands, and looks across her bed. "No. No, why?"
​"He's not in his room!"
I spin from their doorway and fly down the stairs, as Daria wakes Andrew, their footsteps crisscrossing the floor in a dance of panic. I run into the kitchen, and duck my head under the table, then run into the living room, but there's no sign of him. I pull open the cellar door and check that he hasn't gone down there.
Shaking my head, I wheel round as Daria puts her coat on and picks up her car keys. Andrew is sitting on the stairs pulling his shoes on.
He looks up at me. "Anything?" I shake my head. "Did you hear something? Is that why you woke up?"
"No, I just, I woke up. I think I was dreaming about him so I went to check and....."
"Right, let's go. Demi, do you want to stay here in case he comes back?" Daria says as she unlocks the front door.
"No, I'm coming to look for him."
She nods her head. "Fine. We'll call the police on the way."
"I'll call the police." Andrew says as he gets his phone out. "Daria, you take the car. We don't know how long he's been missing, or how far he's gone. I'm going to head down the road towards the park, and Demi-"
"I'll head towards the woods."
"Andrew, where on earth is he? What if someone's taken him?" Daria says.
"We can't think like that." Daria opens her mouth to speak, but Andrew cuts her off. "Let's just find him."
Daria nods and gets in the car. Andrew pulls a torch out of his pocket and hands it to me. "Okay. Call the minute you see anything."
​We don't waste time on goodbyes, and I run down the driveway. Daria slams the car door and reverses down the drive past me, nodding at me as she drives past. She pulls out and turns down the deserted street, fast enough that she can cover ground quickly, but slow enough that she doesn't miss anything.
It's still dark out, but the birds sing out a warning that the stars will soon be chased away by daylight. I run down the road, the orange glow of the streetlights making the street roll past as if this whole nightmare is a dream. I look up driveways at houses as they sleep soundly, all of their children tucked up safely in bed. The night is quiet in anticipation, my breathing is the only sound accompanying me on my search.
Something ahead catches my eyes and I pick up my pace. A figure is hunched over on the other side of the road, watching me through twinkling eyes as I approach her. I stare at her as she raises her arm, a gnarled finger pointing in the direction of the woods. It's Agnes, and I know I don't need to stop and ask her who she's pointing to.
I nod at her as I pull my hood up. Rain has arrived unannounced, but as it pours down my face it cools my hot cheeks and calms my fast beating heart. I sprint faster, my heart beating in tandem with my footsteps as the woods come into view. I run into the opening, the trees pulling back their branches and leaves, like they're opening heavy green curtains, allowing me to enter a different world.
The sound of the rain becomes distant as soon as I'm covered by the shelter of the trees, the rain drops pattering against the tree canopy, a percussion to my earnest footsteps. I slow to a walk for a moment as I switch my torch on then speed up again when I can see my way through the thick shadows of the tree trunks.
"Elliot?! Elliot?! Are you out here?"
Hope that I might find Elliot propels me forwards, but fear floods my insides as I try not to contemplate what he would be doing out here, alone, in the woods. I push back tree branches and ignore scratches on my arms as I keep running, the area I'm in becoming more and more familiar.
My breath is getting shallower, exhaustion threatening the muscles in my legs as they pound through the woods, but I can't slow down. I run around a knotted tree, ducking under its gnarled branches, and I skid to a halt.
I've found him. I've found him, and he's fine.
"Elliot?"
I choke on his name, happiness and adrenaline overwhelming me, tears springing in my eyes at the sight of him. He looks up at the sound of my voice, a bright smile on his face when he sees me. He's sitting up straight with his hands on his knees, on a fallen log at the bottom of a tree, the same one I sat on a few days ago after I found out that Daria is my mother.
When I found out Elliot is my brother.
He waves a hand at me, like sitting in the middle of the woods in Spiderman pyjamas is the most normal thing in the world.
"Dem-dem! Can we play?"
I walk over to him, pulling out my phone text Daria and Andrew, telling them I've found Elliot, he's absolutely fine, and where we are. I get closer to Elliot, unsure how to proceed in case I spook him and he runs away again.
"Play what, buddy?"
"Hide and seek?"
"I think it's a bit late for hide and seek." I take my coat off and wrap it around his shoulders. "I think it might be a bit cold as well. Why don't we go back home, and we can get all snuggly in bed and I'll read you a story."
He doesn't reply, but just stares ahead into the trees. He doesn't seem affected by the cold or the dark, and I wonder whether he knows where he is.
"Elliot, do you know where you are? Are you sleepwalking?" Footsteps slap against the ground as Andrew and Daria run towards us. "What are you doing out here?" I ask him.
"Looking for Ruby." He replies.
I put a hand on the back of his head, stroking his soft curls that have taken on the cold damp of the woods. "Ruby's not out here, buddy, but I'm sure if we went home she would come and see you?"
I look up as Andrew and Daria drop to their knees in front of us, and pull Elliot into an embrace. Daria clutches his head with both of her hands, pulling him away from her and checking his entire body for injuries.
"Thank God! Oh thank God!" She kisses him all over his pink face, as Andrew holds one of his little hands. "Elliot, you had us so scared! What were you doing?" Daria asks.
"He said he was looking for Ruby." I reply
Daria frowns at me, then Andrew. "Who's Ruby?"
I open my mouth to answer, but Andrew speaks before I do. "That's what he calls his imaginary friend. He's been nattering away to her recently. I thought it was harmless; I didn't think he'd end up doing something like this."
​I frown at Andrew. "No. No, Ruby is my friend."
​Andrew shakes his head. "That doesn't make sense. What would he be doing out here looking for your friend? He's never even met her."
​"I don't know, I....wait, yes he has, she came to the house, remember? You were in your workshop?"
​Andrew barely shrugs his shoulders, the incidents of the last few hours clearly taking their toll. "If you say so, Demi, but I'm telling you, I've heard this little guy chatting away to his friend Ruby lots of times."
​I shake my head. "No, that's not right, he must be talking about my Ruby. I know." I pull my sketch of me and Ruby from my coat. "Elliot, look at this. This is Ruby, right?"
​I show it to him, and Andrew peers at the page over Elliot's head. Elliot traces the outline of Ruby's face, and smiles as he nods in confirmation.
​"Dat's Ruby, Dem-dem."
​Daria tears her eyes from Elliot for a moment, and glances at the image that's making her precious son smile so brightly. She frowns at the page, eyes slowly widening as they move across the paper, taking in the grey scratches of my pencil. She lets go of Elliot, and grips her hands around my drawing, taking it from me. She stares at it, then looks up at me.
​"Demi, you can't be friends with this girl."
​"What?" I snatch the paper back, brushing out its creases before I look down at it myself. "Why not?"
​Daria swallows, her eyebrows angled above her wide eyes. "Because that's your babysitter. That's the girl who died."