The Girl and Her Lost Souls

Chapter Twenty-Five

           

AMELIA

ALEX RETURNED to the cellar in less than ten minutes, saying he left a note. Cathy had been asleep before he left, so we don't know when she'll wake up. When Alex had arrived, Jaime immediately hugged him. The feeling in the pit of my stomach told me that it was going to be hard when Alex leaves to go to the other side, if that's even what they call it. He had told me that when this was all over, I had to be there for Jaime. His words had left me thinking about how his mom and brother are basically going to be losing him all over again in a way. Not only that, but I'll be losing a friend too.

The cellar has been mostly quiet. A few footsteps were heard now and then, but not enough to alert us. Jaime and I have been on our feet most of the time. Waiting had made us wary. More than we would like it to. The nervous tension in the room seemed more and more vibrant by the second. I've been so sure that if Brandon or Lenn walked into the room, they'd think something is up. An hour has passed since Alex had made the attachment.

If she found it, wouldn't she be here by now?

We started to grow impatient by the second hour. It's stupid to be worked up about it. If Jaime's mom were smart enough, she'd bring the police with her. It was something that I wish I had done. Although, we could have made it out if Jaime had been fast enough. I don't blame him anymore. I would have thought the same thing if I woke up to somebody standing over me in a strange house. Jaime had apologized for that so many times, that I had to ask him to stop.

"Do you think she's found the note yet?" Jaime asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"I'm not sure. I would try to attach myself to her again, but I'd be wasting the leftover energy that I have. I'm going to need to save that up to get back to the school. I've got to thank someone if this all works out," Alex says.

"If she has, then she's probably trying to convince the police to come with her. Jaime, do you think she would show up alone?" I ask, feeling tense.

"If she does, she's the strongest person I know. Uncle Kevin won't do anything he'd later regret. If mom goes missing, along with me, dad will tell the police everything to get her back. Despite how he treats her sometimes, he still loves her," Jaime says.

Alex nods his head and looks at me. He motions for me to meet him over by the staircase when Jaime gets up to go to the bathroom. I can see the twitching in his fingers as if he's ready for a fight. His mouth is set in a line, and his eyes show worry behind them. When he sits down on the bottom step, he glances over at the curtain that Jaime walked through.

"Amelia, I never said thank you for everything that you did. You never had to look for Jaime, and you did. When you went missing, and I had heard about it, I was mad at myself for making you go through that," he says, the regret showing in his eyes.

"Alex, it's okay. I mean, at first I was a bit mad, but I'm glad that it happened. I wouldn't have met Jaime if it weren't for the situation. I don't think I would have found the strong side of my personality either," I say, feeling my face warm up.

Alex smiles and ducks his head before saying, "I kind of hoped you'd like him. You two were too much alike to not get along. The stubbornness that you showed reminded me of him."

"Well, he's a great guy, and I should probably tell your mom I'm thankful she raised him right," I say, smiling wide.

"Speaking of mom... if she comes alone, be prepared for a fight. I will try to help as much as I can, but I don't know how well that will work."

"So, you do think she will come without help."

"I think she might. If she does, then we'll figure it out. It's good to prepare just in case. Do you have anything that you can use as a weapon in here?" Alex asks.