UNCHANGEABLE - TIAOM

08

it settled down after they get past the bridge.

kim can feel how suzy's trying to help by ambling down the trail and encouraging her to take pictures of the forest. it was effective because soon after, kim gets engrossed with getting good shots.

because of that, they stay on the trail longer. they even bought a banana roti from a vendor along the way because it reminded kim of katrien. she knows they won't be able to catch up with pie and her family as they were way ahead of them.

but boy, she was wrong.

when they reach the end of the trail, what greets her is the sight of troubled-looking peter who's pacing back and forth with his hands on his waist. not too far from him is pie sitting on a log, her palms covering her face like she's crying. jane and her mom are trying to comfort her.

kim meets peter's eyes. he gestures for her to come over to pie, which kim does with no hesitation. the moment pie feels her presence, the woman stands up and grabs her quickly in a tight hug.

"kim..." pie sobs, burying her face in kim's shoulder.

confused, kim hugs the woman back and taps her back gently. jane and pie's mom both look worried. kim glances around one more time and realises that one person is missing.

"where's katie?" she asks. pie clutches the back of her shirt.

"she... she went... ran ahead of us..." says jane. "we can't find her after that."

kim's eyebrows furrows. "what?"

"maybe she got lost on the track and went the wrong way?" says suzy.

"the rescue team is already looking for her at this moment," says pie's mom. "they advised us to stay and wait here."

"what if... what if they won't?" pie asks in between her sobs. "and there are wild animals in the forest... what if something happens to her...?"

"shh..." kim cups the back of pie's head. "she will be fine... they'll find her..." she shifts her eyes at peter who's still looking away with his jaws clenched. she sighs before focusing back on pie. "maybe you should sit again so you can calm down?"

pie nods and pulls back. kim guides her to sit back on the log but the woman doesn't have plans of letting her go, wrapping her arms around kim's waist. kim feels awkward, not sure if it's okay for them to be like this in front of the others.

jane gives her an assuring nod and mouths, "let her be. she needs you."

kim eyes suzy who looks like she's thinking about her theory earlier. but kim's too busy to mind that. she'll handle suzy later. she crouches on the ground and looks up at pie.

"hey..." she wipes pie's tears with her thumbs. "they'll find her. i'm sure of that. i'm sure she hasn't gone that far."

pie just looks at her, her chest heaves as she struggles to breathe.

kim couldn't stand the sight. she shifts her position and pulls the woman to her chest. pie's body softens in her embrace. jane comes to rub pie's back.

an unusual flock of birds suddenly flying over them catches kim's attention. she traces back where the flock came from which seems to point in the middle of the forest.

"i think i know where katie is..." she says, pulling away from pie and standing up.

"where are you going?" pie asks, grabbing her arm.

"i'm bringing your daughter back." she looks up at the sky. "those birds, they flew off the tree together which means an animal or a person disturbed them. and they came from that direction."