Azalea

Lovesick Puppy

**DUSKA**

   I watched as Azalea and Finn stared the clerk down for a solid five minutes. I've watched Finn do it many times, but he's gotten better at hiding what goes on in his head. Azalea, I didn't really know what was going on. They both had their eyes on the man, so much so that he was starting to look uncomfortable. I was about to say something when her trance broke, and she stepped backwards.
   "You.. there.. why would you?" She started rambling, and Finn grabbed her arm. He must've said something to her through her thoughts, because she stopped talking and was now just shaking. As Finn apologized to the clerk, who looked confused beyond belief, she shook her head and looked at me. Her eyes looked both enraged and scared, worried and sad. Collin had his hand on his pocket, where he kept his knife. Finn led the way out, tossing the keys to me and helping Azalea into the back. Collin climbed in after her, and Finn sat in the front seat with me. As we pulled out, Azalea started crying and talking incoherently.
   "Where are we going... she went the other way!" She cried out, her tears becoming heavier.
   "What are you talking about?" I said, pulling over to the side of the road. Finn looked upset as well, but more wary.
"There was a girl, with a baby! We have to turn around, we have to go look for her!" Azalea pleaded, her eyes watery.
"Azalea, that was like two years ago. That man never saw her or the other man again." Finn said slowly, solemnly. Azalea looked confused, and Finn looked troubled.
   "Two years? Why didn't he ever tell anyone?" She said, close to tears.
"Fear is a powerful weapon, and the man that was chasing the girl and her baby, he uses that weapon well." Finn said, Collin started to pat her shoulder. Azalea was shaking, her eyes getting a far away look in them, before she just crossed her arms and looked out the window. I started going through options in my head, maybe if we turned around and asked the clerk some questions...
Duska, you and I both know that's a bad idea. I heard Finn say through my thoughts. I shuddered, my eyes flicking to him. He stared at me, with sympathy or worry, I couldn't tell. I looked back to Azalea, who wiped a tear away from her cheek so fast I probably wouldn't have noticed if I wasn't paying attention. Maybe there was a place a little ways down from where the lady ran that we could check out. This time, Finn didn't say anything, but it didn't matter because I had already made up my mind. I turned the car around, despite Finn's look of disapproval. We're going to lose daylight, we shouldn't be doing this. I didn't answer, driving back by the gas station. Azalea perked up a bit, looking at me with shiny eyes. She smiled slightly, eagerly opening the door before it was in park. Finn got out slowly, never taking his eyes off me.
You're a lovesick puppy, you know that? He didn't say anything when I flipped him off.
   "I'm just gonna chill in here, shout if you guys need anything." Collin said, swinging his legs up and laying across the backseat with a bag of chips resting on his chest. Finn must've said something to him, because Collin flipped him off as well.
   "Cmon, we don't have all day!" Azalea urged us, jogging to the door. Finn followed, I took the tail. Almost as soon as we got inside, Azalea was in the clerks face asking so many questions that he didn't have time to answer. Finn behind Azalea and gently grabbed her shoulder. She stopped asking questions and went back to stand with me. She crossed her arms and stared daggers at the clerk, who was starting to tremble.
"Listen sir, the sooner you answer these questions, the sooner we'll be out of your way." Finn said calmly, smiling. The clerk started to shake even more, and shook his head violently.
"No, n-no, I have the police on speed dial, I-I won't hesitate t-to call!" He stammered, holding up his phone. Finn shook his head.
"How do you think the police are gonna feel, knowing that you ran into a potentially dangerous man in pursuit of a women with a child?" Finn said, leaving me even more confused. I had no idea why we were even asking this man questions. I looked over to Azalea, who was still looking at the clerk. She looked so angry, so intimidating, yet it thrilled me. Finn was right, this girl had me wrapped around her finger. She looked at me and her gaze softened.
   "Duska, I need to tell you something..." She said, her voice a little shaky. I nodded slowly. She sighed and looked down at her feet.
   "I don't know what happened, but it was like I could see the clerk back in time. I saw him talk to a girl, and the other man. He was chasing them. I don't know how I saw it, do you think I was just crazy? Maybe I ate something weird." She said, and I nodded along with her.
   "Finn would know better, he can see into your head and would probably understand more than me." I said, looking back to the guys. The clerk was talking, using his hands a lot to gesture outside and what not. Azalea started shuffling when Finn came back to meet us.
   "Well? What'd he say?" She said, bouncing on the balls of her feet. Finn touched her shoulder, probably transferring the information. He did the same with me, showing the visions and the clerks explanation. Azalea shook her head and looked troubled.
   "I suppose we'd better go tell Collin we're taking an unexpected trip." Finn said, with as much disapproval as he could muster.
   "Do we even know where to start?" Azalea asked, and Finn nodded.
   "We start where we last saw her heading, back down that road. I can listen to memories as we go, and let you know if I hear anything." Finn said, heading out to the car.
   "I'll drive." I called.
   "Shotgun." He muttered back.