6.
After Ava ran, aunt Chris ran after her while Kate took care of Sophie at the house. She tried to find Ava, but she couldn't. Now an hour and a half later panic has set in. The woods ran deep and even when she checked the waterfall she found nothing. Aunt Chris knows how much Ava loved the falls, but when she didn't find her there she began to worry even more. She grabs her phone and tries to call Derek. Reception in the woods is very spotty, but she's able to get through.
"Derek," she pants out of breath from running.
"Chris? What's wrong sweetheart?" he questions, immediately hearing the panic in Chris's voice.
"It's Ava, she overheard us this morning."
Chris comes to a stop and has to take a break. She puts her hands on her knees while holding the phone between her shoulder and ear.
"Woah, calm down. Your breaking up and I can hardly hear you," he says, his voice full of static.
"Ava ran away into the woods. I can't find her," aunt Chris cries dropping to her knees.
Her sister is not going to be happy when she hears that she lost her youngest daughter in the woods. Aunt Chris will never forgive herself if something bad happens. She drops the phone onto the dirt path and sobs into her hands.
"Sweetheart, are you there?"
Derek's voice echoes softly from the phone.
"Chris?"
She wipes hard at her face, then picks up the phone again, "I'm here," she cries.
"I'll be there in a few minutes, I'm right down the road. Maybe I'll have some luck," he says. "I'm going to hang up so I can drive, will you be okay?" he asks.
She nods even though he can't see her, then softly adds, "Yeah."
Aunt Chris picks herself back up and starts for home. She knows she's going to have to call their mom and that's a conversation she's not looking forward to having. As the house comes into view her phone goes off and of course it's Lauren, her sister, their mother. With a shaky hand she puts the cellphone to her ear and softly says, "Hello."
"What on earth is going on Chris?"
She's angry and worried all at the same time.
"Kate just called me hysterical from your house phone saying Ava ran into those woods behind your house. Where is my daughter?" she questions.
She knows that Lauren is probably panicking by now, and being so far away must make it even harder on her. Chris feels like she's going to hyperventilate as she attempts to explain to Lauren what happened. With tears in her eyes and even through the sobs, she finds a way. It sounds jumbled as she speaks, but the panic and tears in Lauren's voice on the other end says otherwise. She understood every word.
"I'm getting on a plane," she says. "I can't be here in Florida if my girl is out there lost," she says. "Have you called the police?"
"I called Derek and he..."
"Derek is not the police, call them now. I'm booking a flight now I will text you everything."
Without another word she hangs up, and Chris holds the phone out and just stares down at it like it's poison. The police. She didn't think of that at first, because she figured she would have found her right away. She dials 911 and when the person comes on the other end she breaks down and has a hard time telling them everything going on. A soft hand rests over hers and pulls the phone from her. Derek kneels in front of her and rubs her back while speaking to the dispatcher on the other end.
The four of them sit inside the house as the office talks to Aunt Chris. It took them ten minutes to get there. Right now they are collecting information before starting their search. Kate watches as her aunt tells the officers everything. Sophie watches out the living room window at the cop car and it's flashing lights sitting in the driveway. As she does a soft breeze blows through the house. Sophie finds it very strange that there's a breeze inside of the house.
It surrounds her and she swears she can see it, but that's impossible because there's no way you can see the wind, it's invisible. Sophie reaches her hand out as it tickles her along her skin. She giggles a little, and reaches a hand out to touch the swirls. Her fingertips are so close, she's about to touch it when she hears her name being called from the other room. Immediately the breeze vanishes and she's left all alone, but feeling this strange sense that her sister is okay.
She skips into the kitchen, the police officer is gone and has just walked out the door. Aunt Chris kneels down.
"Kate is going to keep an eye on you. I'm not going far, I'm going to search the outskirts, while Derek and the police officers search inside the woods. I need you to listen to Kate. Go watch some TV or play a game. Do not under any circumstances leave this house, do you understand?"
Sophie nods. She knows that her aunt has to go out there and look for Ava, and as much as she wants to help, she would rather leave it up to the grownups. Maybe they will have some luck.
"She's okay," Sophie tells her aunt.
Aunt Chris looks at her funny.
"She's okay," Sophie says again.
"How do you know?" aunt Chris asks.
"I just do, have a little faith," Sophie tells her.
Aunt Chris smiles, her first one all day. She touches Sophie's cheek and nods.
"You always see the good in a bad situation, don't you Sophie girl?"
Sophie nods, "Life is better that way," she says with a smile.
"You are very smart for an eight year old," she tells her.
"As smart as they come," Sophie responds.
Aunt Chirs gives her a small kiss on the head before walking out the door. Kate locks it behind her and turns to Sophie. She has to tell Kate what she felt, but will Kate believe her? Unsure Sophie decides for now she'll keep it to herself, but if things get worse - if Ava doesn't come home, then she will tell Kate.
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