The One who Survived

Journey

Steve's POV

       I continued to stare down at the small box in front of me. "I took them from her just before everything happened." Dennis explained looking shamefully down at his hands. "She had such high hopes they were actually from you, that they meant you were alive and looking out for her. Yet everyday her anxiety was getting worse." She was already going through so much... I can't imagine what's going through her head right now.

"Have you seen her?" I asked hoping he'd know what I'm talking about. He looked surprised yet thankful.

"You know then?" I nodded and picked another one of the letters up. "Only for a moment. I went to visit Peggy a couple weeks ago and she was there with some redheaded women... I couldn't believe my eyes, I panicked and her and the women disappeared." I met his eyes seeing the sadness hidden behind them. "I haven't seen her since. Neither has Peggy."

My mind immediately went to the last time I visited Peggy in Washington. The women and child who had gone in after I left. "Hello? Who are you?" I asked peeking through the doorway. I could barley see the shadowed figures of the small child and women in the dark hallway.

"Sorry. My daughter and I are just dropping off some gifts to the patients here." The women explained. "We'll just come back when your done."

I smiled and moved out of the way for them to enter into Peggy's room. "Nonsense, both of you come in." I motioned for them to head inside.

"That's alright, we don't wanna distribute your conversation." The women answered pulling the child out of the doorway.

I frowned slightly and peeked my head back into the dimly lit room. "Hey Peg. I'm gonna go, I'll see you later." I said grabbing my coat off the hanger and watching as Peggy gave me a small smile and wave. "I'm all done here. Go ahead." I held the door open as the women nudged the girl inside.

"Come on Olivia." She said.

I smiled at the name. "Olivia." I repeated. "I like that name, Olivia." I smiled at the women before closing the door and leaving.

"She was there..." I realized. Dennis gave me a weird look before I spoke up. "I've seen her before. She was with a red-headed women, right?" He looked bewildered before nodding.

"Yeah. She's exactly as I remember her." He sighed leaning back against his chair. He pulled out his wallet and held a small old looking picture out for me. "Here. This was taken the day she went missing." I grabbed it from him cautiously before looking down at it. Shown was a picture of a tall brunette boy with his arms wrapped around the small figure of a blonde girl. They were both wearing party hats and smiling senselessly.

"She was taken from my 14th birthday party." He began. "She'd passed out on one of the tables and my dad was supposed to keep an eye on her while we cleaned up. But when we went back to the table, she wasn't there." He looked up at me was a sorrowful look on his face. "We assumed she'd walked home, so we left. The next morning Peggy came looking for her." He reached back over grab the photo. "This was one of the only pictures that actually turned out from that night... It was given to me a couple weeks after the "accident" by my father and Peggy."

He smiled at me before taking another sip of his drink. We sat there in silence for a while before he spoke up again. "There's also a box of stuff buried in her grave... They let me put it in before it was buried. Just so it felt like there was at least a part of her there."

Our conversation continued for about another hour before we parted ways. It was Thursday March 8th. Two days before I would be able to see Olivia's face in person and not on a sheet of photo paper. Once I'd arrived home later on that evening I'd started packing, bringing anything and everything I'd need for myself. I'd cleaned up the guest room and even set up the spare bed, in case she wanted to come home. My only wish is that she'll come home.