IX

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by _neferobri

by _neferobri

~EDITED~

Chapter 9

Daniel

This is bad. I paced the width of the tiny apartment one more time. This is really bad. The last time I saw Dawn like this I was pretty sure she'd been ready to jump off of a cliff. A flash of a her eyes before she walked away from me stuck in my head, she looked so empty. She looked disappointed and hurt. Running my hand through my hair I stopped pacing.

"Shit," the sudden realisation of what may be happening hit me.

"Shit, shit, shit..." I mumbled continuously as I grabbed my keys and ran out the door, then ran back to lock it.

"Are you okay dear?" Dalia the old woman that lived across the hall from me asked me as I stormed through the lobby.

"Fine, fine!" I yelled back at her, running through the car park searching frantically for the beat up pick up truck I managed to get from them rental agency—apparently summer is peak season.

I was swearing at myself endlessly for not admitting. Maybe I could have saved her. I just hope I wasn't too late. My hand was locked in my hair impatiently waiting on the traffic light This is taking too long! Cracking my neck, the person in the car next to me caught my attention. There was a dark haired girl in the car with him but I couldn't tell what she looked like because her back was to me, then I looked at the driver who was already looking at me, smirking before he sped off around the corner.

"I know a lot of things"

I shudder and drove off before the light turned amber.

"Dawn!" I yelled for the hundredth time all the while rasping at the door "Don't do anything stupid Dawn!"

I texted her fifty times telling her to open the door and let me in. She ignored them, evidently.

"Um," I heard someone clear their throat behind me "Who are you?"

Her voice held a heavy Indian accent and when I turned around I recognised her instantly. Round faced and familiar was Dawn's aunt, and she seemed to recall me too because her eyes lit up and her face broke into a smile.

"Daniel," she said questioningly "Right?"

"Yeah," I smiled at her but still weary inside "I think something is wrong...Dawn..."

Her eyebrows shot up in concern and she hurriedly unlocked the door and ran inside shouting incoherent things in Hindi. She really loved Dawn and I could tell from the time I asked about her. I met her aunt at a restaurant I remembered the name of because I recalled Dawn mentioning it and an aunt. But what I didn't know was that the relation between them was evident! I knew it was her aunt by the time she walked up to my table to ask about my experience. When I asked her if she had a niece named Dawn her eyes lit up and she gushed about her and how she volunteered at the local hospital.

That's how I even found her. I worked there for a couple of days before she even showed up. I planned on telling her, Dawn, that she wasn't alone and that I was there for her. But... I didn't, and it may have killed her.

I was still on the porch, I didn't dare go inside. Her aunt was still shouting worriedly, I leaned against the door frame with my eyes closed not even realising when she came back outside until I heard her mumbling rapidly in Hindi. She was pacing and holding her head.

"Ms. Sen..." I said quietly. She was still pacing, still mumbling.

"Ms. Sen," I repeat louder this time. Still pacing and mumbling.

"Ms. Sen!" I yelled at her and her eyes snapped to me immediately and her feet stopped "Please. Stop panicking, I'll see if she picks up if I use your phone."

"How am I not to panic?" she asked still holding my eyes and in that moment I knew she was just as lonely as Dawn. They needed each other but I didn't think Dawn knew that. She held my gaze for a few more seconds before digging into her purse and pulled out her phone, she hesitated before handing it to me.

Ring...

It was cut off and I tried again. This time it was answered by the blaring of an overplayed pop song making me flinch and inched the phone away from my ear. She probably gave away her phone.

"Mausi?" Or not.

"Dawn?"

"I'mfine..." her voice slurred over the music then she giggled and the line went dead.

"Is there a bar, by chance, anywhere near here?"