Figure it out

A daring fashion statement

~~~~ 1 hour after end of Chapter 3 ~~~~

I have been searching in vain! I have found no traces of Alyssa and it is bugging the heck out of me! Where could she have gone? Where could she have gone. Okay Jacob, let's think. If she is still acting on impulse there is a good chance she will go to somewhere she knows... Some where she knows... Yes! The shed, how could I have not seen this before?!

I ran back to the shed, not caring if Al heard me. I just hope she isn't in her determined mood, god help me if she is. I grunted as I stubbed my toe on one of the rocks surrounding the log. As I looked down at my foot I noticed something. A little glint in the soil caused me to stop and reach down to investigate what turned out to be a blue pen. A laughed to myself, how could I have not noticed this before? I have analysed every bit of these crazy paths that Al made near the log...

Maybe I need to take a new look at this path, and that is when a saw it as clear as day - a path leading off to who knows where - but definitely made by Al. As the path crossed another stream bed I saw a boot print in the mud, it even had a little figure 9 - Al's shoe had made this print, not mine. Good, I am on the right track, finally.

Humming to myself, pleased with my discovery I followed the path until it reached a clearing. That's weird... Al is smart, she would avoid a clearing, even in the height of impulsivity... Hmm...

I crept forward a few steps and almost jumped out of my skin when I heard an enormous cracking noise. I stood up, ready to run, when I saw the intricate patterns of rope dancing among the trees. This cannot be good... I tried to trace where the ropes would go but the sun was right in my eyes and I couldn't see what was happening up there. I ran back down the path only to be stopped by a swinging branches bearing down on me with all their combined might.

Instincts taking over a back peddled and span around heading for the clearing where my ears where now being beaten on my the cacophony of breaking branches and twigs all around me. A drop of sweat dribbled into my eye and I couldn't help myself. In my moment of confusion I truly was the dumbest person on Earth. I ran for what seemed to be the way out, only to trip over a series of well placed roots and logs and went flying head over heels into a mud bank.

Infuriated beyond belief I yelled at myself, "Jacob you sputtering imbecile how could you fall for that?!" But I had, and so there I was lying in the mud yelling at what would appear to be a dropped water bottle. A dropped water bottle, at first I couldn't believe my luck.

I muttered,"Wow Al, you can trick me into falling into mud - but you can't cover up your own tracks, can you?" I hauled myself up and trotted over to the water bottle, half empty, full of carbonated water. I was wondering if Al was still addicted to that stuff. I had gotten her mother a Soda Stream for her birthday, and Al just couldn't stop drinking the bubbly water that machine made.

I chucked the water bottle in my own bag and followed this new path, I have to be more careful now - don't want to fall into another trap like that. Ha! I quite literally fell into that trap! I still can't believe such as simple trap would be my undoing... Shaking those thoughts from my head I trudged on, in my now fashionably mud brown pants and shoes.