it's so lonely here

Give Me A Sign

Emma's POV
I had been driving for most of the day, when I finally reached Oregon. A wave of relief washed over me knowing that California was behind me. The roads in Oregon were windier and trees were thicker. I decided to try and stay along the coast, because the last thing I wanted was to get stranded in the woods. Don't get me wrong, I think the forest is beautiful, but I prefer to be with someone when I'm driving around those areas. Thoughts of hitting an animal, running out of gas, or being approached by a hitchhiker turned serial killer crossed my mind. There was also something lonely about driving through the woods, and I was doing everything in my power to avoid that feeling. I made my way out of the trees and was finally along the shore again. I looked over at the beautiful ocean and watched the waves crash onto the sand. I rolled down my window and listened to the sounds of the water, it was so peaceful. As time went on I could feel my eyes growing tired and I needed to find a place to rest. I pulled over and checked my phone to see if there was a hotel nearby. Unfortunately the closest one was a half hour away, and I knew I wasn't going to make it. I saw that there was a nearby rest stop that overlooked the water and decided to park and take a quick nap. I pulled into the spot and climbed in the back seat to lay down. I remembered that I had packed some fuzzy blankets and thanked past Emma for doing so. I grabbed them out of my suitcase and created a small bed. I snuggled in under the covers and minutes later I was fast asleep.
Ethan's POV
We had been driving for a few hours when I decided to check Emma's location. "It looks like she stopped," I said to Grayson and James. "That's good, hopefully she says there so we have time to catch up," Grayson responded, I hoped so as well. I looked out the window and let my mind wander to Emma. I wondered what she was doing and if she was okay. Was she sleeping? Had she had any food in the past 24 hours? She never did a great job of taking care of herself, and I felt like I always had to remind her that she was human and needed to eat and sleep to survive. Most of all, I thought about the video. My little Emma, crying out for help, and I wasn't there to save her. Why didn't she tell me? She knew I would do anything to keep her safe, hell, I'd fucking murder Logan and go to prison if it took away her pain. She must be in so much pain, physically and mentally. The cuts, the bruises, all the hate online, it takes a toll and lately she's been putting on a brave face, especially for me. I know she doesn't want to bother me with her problems, even more so now that I am dealing with the loss of my dad, but I liked helping her. I felt honored that we were close enough to lean on each other when we needed it. It never bothered me when she called in tears and wanted me to come over and cuddle. I didn't mind wiping away the tears, because I knew that she would be okay after. Now I don't have that reassurance. I know she's not okay and that scared the shit out of me. My eyes grew heavy after hours of pondering what she was doing, so I decided to take a nap. I wanted to be alert when we arrived, because I needed to be there for Emma. I don't know how long I was asleep, must have been a few hours, because I woke up to the sound of a car door slamming and Grayson violently shaking me. "E, we found her car," Gray yelled. I shot up and looked outside my window trying to process what was happening. It was dark now, but sure enough, under a lamp post was Emma's white Mercedes. I threw off my seatbelt and ran over to the car screaming her name. I pounded on the windows and looked inside, but couldn't find her. "What the fuck, she's not in here," I said, turning to look at Grayson and James. I dashed around her car, frantically looking again, but she was nowhere to be found. "What the fuck," I yelled, "where could she be? Do you think somebody took her?" I asked. I pulled at my hair and looked towards the ocean, hoping that God would give me a sign. I watched as lightning flickered across the sky, a storm was coming. Within minutes it started to downpour, but I didn't care, I kept staring, pleading with God or someone to show me a clue. Another flash of lightning light up the sky, my eyes following it's trail, and there it was, my sign. The lightning directed my eyesight to the edge of a cliff that overlooked the ocean. It was one of those scenic pull over spots that people stop at during road trips. I squinted my eyes, trying to see past the rain. On the edge of the overlook was a small figure, a girl, sitting and looking at the sky. I focused harder on the girl and saw that she was wearing a red hoodie, the same hoodie Emma had been wearing yesterday. It was Emma. I took off running, not even taking the time to inform James or Grayson, I needed to get to Emma.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: sorry for a shorter chapter and cliffhanger. I'm really busy with school but wanted to get something up. I'm also trying to decide what direction I'm going with the next chapter, but don't worry I'll have an update tomorrow!!! Hope you're enjoying the story!!

Word Count: 1008