"Chloe, since we're going to a new town, we can stop at a library on the way and you can email your father." Kit suggested as we all piled into the car.
"I.. I can!" I sounded surprised and excited but I couldn't help it. For weeks now, I've been feeling guilty as he frantically searches for me and I hide.
"Yes," He was at how excited I seemed. "You can but remember, what you can tell him is limited and as soon as you finish sending the email, we have to leave, okay?"
I nodded.
"Good, let's go." Kit reversed out of the hotel parking lot.
Derek followed me into the library while everyone waited in the car. We sat down down at a computer and I logged onto me old email. I clicked on my dad's email address in the contact list and started to type. Derek observed the library, trying not to read what I was writing since it was personal. I wrote:
[Hi, dad! How are you? I'm fine, though it would help if you lowered the reward money. Love you lots and I miss you.]
I clicked send. I sat in the chair, letting what I wrote wash over me... it was really short and it probably won't help in any way. He might even raise the reward money thinking I was forced to write this by a kidnapper or something. Sigh.
"Are you done?" Derek asked.
"Yeah, just let me log out, okay?"
He nodded.
I looked up at the screen and saw that I had a new message. I clicked on it.
[Chloe! It is really you? Are you okay!]
I replied.
[Yes, its really me and as I said before I'm fine.]
A minute later another minute later another message came.
[Who are you with? Did you get kidnapped?]
[No, I'm with some friends.]
[Where are you?]
[I can't say.]
[Why? Are you being held?]
[No, I just can't say.]
[Will you be coming home soon?]
Tears pricked my eyes.
[No.]
[Will you be coming home at all?]
A few tears escaped and I felt Derek's arm go around me. I leaned into him and wrote.
[I don't know. I'm sorry.]
[Why can't you come home?]
I wiped the tears on the back of my hand.
[It's complicated.]
I pressed send and logged out.