Lost in the Shadows
Four years ago today, Zach and I both found out that our fathers, Edgar and Alan Frog, were missing. A month later, our mothers, Zoe and Elisha, were murdered. But that's still unknown who or what killed them. My cousin is three months younger than I am, and very feisty. He likes to fight, but deep down he's a sweet guy. He has red hair and brown eyes, and freckles dot his face. Other than that, if you put a picture of Uncle Alan when he was younger right up next to Zach, you'd never know the difference. I, on the other hand, have dirty blonde hair and blue eyes from God knows where and look more like my father than I do my mother.
Walking into my cousin's bedroom, I rolled my eyes as I watched him mess around with the stakes.
"Really, Zach?" I asked, leaning on the doorframe. Zach jumped and looked at me.
"What?"
I scoffed and then took them away from him. "You could poke an eye out with these."
"Very funny."
I threw the stakes onto the bed. "Wanna go search tonight?"
"Yeah. But it's probably gonna end like all the other times. Dead ends with no new clues." Zach sighed and sat down.
"Maybe not. You never get anything done by being pessimistic."
"You never get anything done by being optimistic either, so what's your point?"
I laughed and threw a pillow at him. Zach caught it, and then I threw another at him, throwing him off balance and making him fall.
Later
"Hey, Aimee!" I looked over the corner, and saw Zach. He was looking down at something. "I found a footprint."
"And?"
"And? What do you mean, 'and'? I found a footprint."
I sighed and walked over to him. "It belongs to some drunk guy. See?" I pointed to a bum snoozing on the bench.
"Well, it could've been theirs."
"Could've, should've, would've." I muttered. "Let's go." I walked off and turned another corner. Zach sighed, and followed me. We took after our fathers more than anything. Whenever we'd go searching for them or something, we'd put on that face paint and dress in camouflage. Zach wore Uncle Alan's worn out hat and I wore my Dad's red bandana.
There was a snap. I jumped and turned around.
"Zach, don't fuck with me." I growled at him.
"I didn't do anything."
"Bullshit."
"Bulltrue." Another snap. I looked around Zach, who smirked at me with his arms crossed with the stupid "Told you it wasn't me" look.
"Get down." I whispered.
"What?"
"Down."
Right before he could move, something tackled him to the ground. "Son of a bitch!" he and the figure rolled around on the ground. Zach pulled out a stake as he straddled the figure. He held it above the heart and started to bring it down.
"Wait!" the figure yelled. "Stop! Stop!" the voice cracked. "I'm sorry! I thought you were a vampire or a werewolf or something! Honest!" Zach growled and started to aim again, disbelieving the voice. "It's true!"
"Zach!" I snapped as thunder rolled in the distance. "Get off." I pushed him off the figure.
"Okay, boss lady, hold your horses." Zach muttered. I helped the person up.
"Sorry. You okay?" I asked.
"I'm fine." The person said to me.
"What are you doing out here? It's dangerous."
"I should be asking the same question about you."
"That's none of your business. It's private." Zach snapped. Rain began to fall. The figure sighed.
"Can we talk?" it asked. I looked at Zach, who was biting his lip.
"Let's go." He said, dryly.
Restaurant
Zach was still glaring.
"Look," the boy said. "One more time I'm sorry." He had strawberry blonde hair and those rare violet eyes (like the ones Elizabeth Taylor had).
"Uh huh." Zach picked at his fries. The boy rolled his eyes. He looked at me.
"Quick question." He popped a fry into his mouth. "Have you ever heard the name Sam Emerson?"
I looked at Zach. "Does that sound familiar? Or is it just me?" I asked.
"No it sounds familiar to me too." Zach replied. I looked at the boy.
"Why?"
"Well, since 2008, he's been missing."
"That was seventeen years ago. You still searching?"
"Yeah. I never knew him. I'd like to."
"Why?" Zach asked, confused.
"Because. He's my Dad."
"He's your what?" My eyes bugged out of my head.
"Dad. Father. Daddy. Papa. Padre."
"What's your name?" Zach asked.
"Tommy Emerson."
I remembered a picture of Sam my father had shown me a long time ago. Of course! I should've known! They look exactly alike.
"Um, Tommy..." Zach started but I nudged him in the ribs. "Never mind." He forced out.
"What?"
"Never mind."
Tommy looked at his plate. "What're you guys doing out there?"
"Looking for our dads." I responded. "They've been missing for four years. Probably the work of bloodsuckers or something."
"Oh, so you're related?"
"...Yeah."
"Oh." Tommy shook his head. "Okay."
"Why? What did you think?" Zach asked.
"I thought you two were boyfriend/girlfriend." Zach and I looked at each other and started laughing. Tommy looked confused. "What? What's so funny? What did I say?"
"I would never date him in a million years." I pointed to Zach who was still laughing.
"Me? Date my cousin? Never!" he howled with laughter.
"Oh. Well. At least I know how you two are related then." Tommy laughed. I smiled at him.
God, he was adorable. He smiled back, sending a crooked smile my way. I looked down and took a drink of my Coke.
House
"You like that Emerson kid, don't you Aimee?" Zach asked with a growing smirk on his face.
"Zach, how about you go get your Playboy and fuck yourself and stop asking stupid questions?"
"No. Besides I don't have a Playboy."
I just rolled my eyes and took a Coke from the fridge. "Tommy's nice. But we went our separate ways already. He's looking for his dad and we're looking for ours."
"Yeah, but I don't want him to find out where is dad is exactly without anyone warning him. That's why I started to tell him in the restaurant."
"If he needs to find out from anyone, it shouldn't be either of us." I snapped and took a drink. "It's not our place."
"I know. But either he finds out from someone or finds out on his own. And I think it would be bad if he found out on his own."
"He should. Leave him be." I took another drink.