Chasing Anne

Plan B

Mark slowly opened his eyes and looked around. Where was he? He sat up slightly, but instantly regretted it when pain shot up his wrist, making him wince. He instantly took the weight off of his wrist and used his other arm to prop himself up. But as Mark began to move his right arm, he quickly realized that the cast that had been around it for just over a week and a half was gone. That made no sense, Dr. McCourtney had said that the cast couldn't come off for a few months! It had only been a little over a week. He ran his left hand over his right forearm and then tested his weight on the bone as he pushed himself up again. There was no pain. Now Mark was confused. He looked around the room again but he saw no one near him. Where was he? He let his feet drop off of the side of the bed, but instead of hitting the floor, they bumped into a furry body. Mark looked down over the bed at the floor and to his surprise and delight, Blaze lay at the foot of his bed, Dawn beside him. The dog lazily opened his eyes and looked up at his master, raising his head slightly. Mark lowered his hand to his dog and patted the golden retriever's head. Blaze let his tongue drop out of his mouth and gently licked his master's hand while his tail began thumping against the wooden floor. Dawn opened her eyes in response to the percussion and let out a long yawn, her eyes drooping sleepily. Mark made sure to pat the husky's head before standing and stretching himself. The two dogs were on their paws instantly, stretching their own bodies. Mark walked to the door and grabbed the handle. He had to be in his sister's house. That was the only place that made sense for him to be in. Well, he was either in Brie's house or in his own home. It had to be one of the two. He walked towards the kitchen, rubbing his eyes and scratching his head. Ahead of him, he could smell bacon and eggs cooking. His stomach instantly growled, making him quicken his pace.

When he reached the kitchen, he saw his sister, Brianna, standing at the stove top with a pair of tongs in her hand as she flipped the bacon over on the skillet. Mark smiled and walked over to her coming to a stop at her side. At first, Brianna didn't notice him, but when he'd made it all the way to her side, she caught a glimpse of him in the corner of her eye and instantaneously a high squeal of joy left her lips. She spun about, almost throwing the tongs at him, and threw her arms around him, pulling him into a hug. Mark wrapped his own arms around her, relishing in how good it felt to hug her with two arms. Brianna pulled back and looked into his eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I was so worried I'd lose you," she whispered.

Mark smiled and took her hands in his. "I'm okay. It was just an accident."

"Jadon's talking with the police," Brie explained. "Your truck is..."

"Not fixable?"

"No, it is. I just don't know if it's worth it."

"How much for the repairs?"

"Insurance is going to cover most of it, but you still would have to pick up on $8,000 of repair."

"That's a lot of money."

"I know. Also, Dad called. He wants you to know he's praying for you."

"What time is it?"

"10:30 Am. I kind of hoped that the smell of food would wake you. I guess it worked."

Mark nodded. "Where's Bartholomew?"

"Bartholomew?" Brianna asked, her eyes wide. "I haven't seen him at all! He dropped Jadon off, and then he and Ardor were gone."

"That's weird," Mark said, scratching his chin with his right arm.

"This entire thing is weird!" Brianna exclaimed. She shook her head slightly, but when she saw Mark's right arm, her eyes went wide and she paled. "Markus! Where is your cast?"