Chapter 5: Missing


I was scared. Koro was my grandfather's dog's puppy, and I had to take care of Koro. I searched everywhere on the farm, the hen-house, the barn, the stables, my house, his dog house, everywhere! I began to think of what might have happened. Maybe Koro was attacked by wild dogs, or maybe Koro fell in the river. Maybe Koro got lost or ran away! I needed help, but Cliff was working. I went to the only other person I knew could help me....May.

As I walked up to May's farm, I had a weird feeling of Popuri. I ignored it and knocked on the door.
"Coming one second!" I heard May yell. "Oh, hey Jack!"
"Hey May, I need some help. Koro's missing and I can't find him anywhere! I don't know what to do!" I explained.
"Ok well first calm down. Now, when was the last time you saw Koro?" she asked in a very calm voice.
"This morning, I fed him and played with him before going to the beach with Cliff." I said.
"Oh, with Cliff?" she asked, her face brightening. May had a crush on Cliff.
"Yes, but that's not the point!" I said.
"Oh yeah, right. Well, maybe Koro's at the mountain, let's go." she said.

We ran off in the direction of the mountain. We looked in all of Koro's favorite spots, then just everywhere. We still couldn't find him. I sat down on a rock and started to sniffle.
"Aww Jack, don't worry, he'll come back!" said May trying to comfort me.
"How do you know, what if he's....he's dead?" I asked.
"Jack I don't, but we don't know he's dead either. I know you really loved Koro." she said.

Who would've thought that the girl I had to find when she was little would be comforting me. She wasn't that much younger than me, she was still only about 15, but that was pretty old in a village like Mineral Village. I had to admit she had become very beautiful, and her childhood sweetheart Stu was madly in love with her, but she had a little crush on Cliff.
"Well, May, thanks for all the help. Don't you have a date with Stu tonight?" I asked.
"Um...yeah, but I never go out with him, I just say I will then say something's come up." she said sighing.
"That's sort of mean, why don't you tell him how you feel?" I asked.
"What, and break his heart, I don't think so! Gotta run, bye!" she said walking away.
"Bye" I called after her.

I stood up and looked around, hoping to see Koro. I didn't see anything, so I started walking home. About halfway home, I heard a whimper. I turned around hoping to see Koro, but instead saw the cat that lived at the Inn. I couldn't leave it, so I had to take it back. I walked slowly to the Inn. When I got there I bumped into Ann.
"Oh....hey Ann...." I said scratching the back of my head.
"Hi Jack." she said in a low voice.
"I um, found your cat in the mountain figured you'd want it back." I said.
"Thanks. I heard your dog was missing." she said. "Need any help?"
"No...I don't need any help." I said.
"You let May help you, why won't you let me? You know I always know where to look." she said, trying to open up communication between us. "Maybe we could, talk.....also."
"I don't think that's an option Ann." I said, trying to hint to her I didn't want to be her friend.
"Fine then Jack. We used to be best friends, I wish we still were and that we never got married. It's all your fault we're like this." she said.
"My fault? If you hadn't gotten pregnent we would never have gotten married. I didn't love you Ann. I was fooling myself." I shouted.
"I can't believe you," she cried, "I thought we could become friends again. I'm sorry about Amanda, what else could I do. Jack your a good friend, I want to be your friend! You seem so lonely1" she said.
"I have friends, I don't need you." I said, and with that I walked away.

A few seconds after I stopped walking I heard a groan and felt a hand on my shoulder. Ann was trying to stop me, and was obviously disgusted with how I was acting.
"Ann, take a hint!" I said.
"No Jack, your acting just like Popuri, you know how I feel!" she said.

I didn't say anything, just walked. I knew how she was feeling, it was true, but I couldn't admit it.
"Please Jack, say something!" she said.
"I'm sorry." I replied, then kept walking.

That night I wished I had stopped. I did want to be friends with Ann again. I decided that the next day I would go back and apologize. I would say that I was so depressed about Koro missing that I wasn't thinking straight. Through the night I had a nightmare that Koro had fallen in the river and drowned. I woke up drenched in sweat and cleaned off in the river. It was late, 10am, so I walked to Ann's.
*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK* "Ann, are you there?" I said.
The door opened. "Jack, what do you want." she said.
"I wanted to apologize. I'm sorry, I was depressed about Koro and wasn't thinking straight." I said.
"Really?" she said giving me a hug.
"Yeah, I want to be friends with you. Not anything more though." I said.
"Me too! Thanks Jack, for coming to your senses!" she said.
"Your welcome." I responded.

We hugged and then we went to look for Koro. We searched the mountain 3 times without any luck, so we decided to try the beach. As we walked up to the beach, I heard a little bark. I looked under an umbrella, and saw Koro!
"Koro! Where have you been boy?" I said, picking him up and petting him.
"Koro! We found you!" said Ann.

All Koro did was shiver because he was soaking wet, and joyfully bark as I petted him. Ann walked home with me, and we said goodbye as I walked inside. I felt much better, and I thanked Koro profusely for getting lost so that Ann and I could make up. Who knows, maybe Koro did it on purpose!