Lost Forever

Chapter 9

I finally reached the police station, where I had previously parked my car. The plan was that I would fetch my car from the station, which was only a 10 minute walk, and I'd drive Emma to Crookham woods, where Charlie wanted to see her. Apparently its where they had a picnic once or something.

I paced up to my car, unlocking it with the wireless key I had on my set of keys.

On the drive back, I thought about Molly and Darby. I should be looking for them. I should be doing my all trying to protect them. I should be doing more. I just didn't know where to look. There was no reasoning with Robert and he wouldn't let me see Gina at all. I could tell the police but they were as useless as a Chocolate fucking teapot.

Emma waited for me outside of Yasmine's house, and jumped in the car once I pulled up. We told Yasmine to call us immeadietly if there was any trouble. Even though it was around 12:30am, it didn't stop Daniel.

The drive to the woods was silent. I could tell Emma was nervous and angry, but she had to hear him out. Then she could kick the living daylight's out of him.

We pulled up at the carpark of the woods, where no other cars sat. We both exited and I asked her if she was ready, with which she replied with a nod.

I wasn't going to be beside Emma when she was speaking, I said I'd keep my distance but I'd step in if anything were to happen.

He was standing beside a blanket, littered with glowing candles illuminating the darkness around us. The light flickered on his face, casting shadows where his eyes were.

I crouched behind a shrub, listening in.

"Emma, I'm so so sorry," he plead as she wondered up.

"Sorry doesn't cut it, Charlie. You kicked me. You KICKED me." She screamed.

"I'm sorry! I was drunk, I didn't know what was going on. I should be a better husband to you. I wont drink. I wont hit you again. I wont cheat again-"

"Who was she?!" Emma squealed.

"Look, I'm not say-"

"TELL ME!"

"Okay okay! It was Gina!" I was gobsmacked. It all made sense now. Daniel was using Gina to get back at Emma. Seeing as they'd got back at Robert by kidnapping Joe and me by kidnapping Molly and Darby, they thought they'd get Emma back. But, they were yet to get Yasmine. Emma needed to hurry so we could go back and protect her.

"GINA!" Emma screeched, "Well, I guess it's time to tell you; I'm pregnant."

"Pregnant?" Confusion emerged on his face.

"AND YOU'RE NOT THE DAD!"

"YOU CHEATED ON ME! YOU LYING BITCH-" With this, he swiped his hand around Emma's face, knocking her to the ground. I was just about to confront him before she sped up and punched him in his jaw. Then another to his nose, and then finished with a cripling kick in his privates.

"Come on Dylan!" Emma shouted me, running back to the car.

We got into the car where she shivered with anxiety and shock. She had just thrown some pretty good punches.

Joe's POV:

My stomach growled with hunger. I clutched it. I hadn't eaten for a very long while. I'd began to lose track of time. Occasionally, I would hear Darby and Molly crying from the other room down the hall.

I was falling to sleep but I desperately rejected it. My eyes were heavy and my mouth was bone dry.

I was hearing voices that weren't really there. They were saying my name. I don't know who spoke, but someone was saying my name. Over and over and over and over and over.

Joe. Joseph. Joe. Joe. Joseph. Joseph. Joseph.

My room was dark. I couldn't make anything out except the streak of moonlight and streetlight streaming through a gap between the first and second wooden boards which covered my window.

Although I couldn't see anything, not even my hand in front of my face, I could still make out her body.

Not very clear, but I could see what she was wearing. A grey long vest, which hung loosely from her body; like slaves clothes. Her hair was greasy. A mess. Dangling from her head but also sticking to it simultaneously.

She wore white shorts and her legs were thin with the exception of her swollen ankles. I could not see her eyes, or nose, or ears, or teeth. Only the brilliant red of her lipstick; which moved occasionally when she said my name.

With that, she vanished. She left nothing in her wake. But that was not the last time I saw her.

She appeared again. I don't know how much longer had gone; maybe a minute; maybe an hour. But she was here again.

This time. She wore white. A white dress reaching to her knees. Her blonde hair in soft locks that bounced happily on her shoulders. Her lips were less red and her eyes were shining blue. I had only seen her in pictures, and saw her described in Dylan's books.

It was my mum.

"Mum. Mum, is that you?" She stared at me, yet she didn't. She smiled at me, yet she grimaced.

"Are you ready?" She asked me, holding out her hand.

"For what?" I weakly asked.

"Are you ready?"

"For what?"

"Take my hand." I was about to take her hand, my eyelids drooping more, until the door swung open and into her body, which caused her to vanish into a cloud of white smoke, which disappeared shortly after.

At the door, a glass of water was lay. A glass of water. Water.

I crawled up to the glass before gulping the water from within. I had drunk it before I had realised, and it left a lingering powdery substance in the back of my throat.

Then my body fell.