A/N: So how are you doing out there? Waiting to see how everything goes. Well here it is.
Chapter 17 – Lost Again
Ding-dong the doorbell rang and Sandy went to open the door. A policeman was standing out front.
"Hey
officer what can I help you with?"
He took of his sunglasses
"Mr. Cohen?"
"Yes
that would be me"
"I'm afraid I have some bad news"
"We got reports this morning of a shipwreck. Do you recognize this?" He handed Sandy some pictures. First he didn't recognize it but then a picture of a wood piece came up. There was text on it. He read: The Summer Breeze. No it couldn't be.
"What is
this? This can't be happening"
"I'm sorry sir, we found ID
in the cabin which said the boat belonged to a Seth Cohen. I'm
guessing he is your son. We didn't find anyone near the boat. I'm
really sorry for your loss"
"What? You didn't find a body
you said"
"No but these things happen and we usually don't
find the body, it's probably lost at sea"
"I will get a truck to drive the leftovers here. Again I am really sorry for your loss"
The policeman walked away and left Sandy. How could this happen? How am I going to tell Kirsten that our son is lost again, and that he won't come back this time? It feels like yesterday when he came back and now he is gone again? I can't take this anymore.
Kirsten walked down the stairs and found her husband in the kitchen with his face buried in his hands.
"What's
wrong honey? Who was what at the door?"
Sandy looked up and
Kirsten saw his face covered with tears, she had never see him look
so miserable and helpless"
"Hey what's going on?" She sat at the other side of the table.
"He's gone" He couldn't get any other words out of his mouth.
"What?
Who is gone?"
"He's gone"
"You are not making any sense"
He pulled the pictures up and gave them to her and the truth struck her. This is Seth's boat, but it is wrecked. Why was his boat wrecked? Sandy's words finally hit her. He's gone. No, this can't be happening, not again.
"What is
this? Where is Seth?"
"I'm sorry but I don't know. They
said," he almost couldn't get the words out "said the body is
lost at sea. He's gone, and I don't know what to do" He bursted
out in to tears. Kirsten had never seen him cry before, and it was
just a matter of time before she joined him. Their son was gone again
and he wasn't coming back this time.
Summer drove as fast as she could. The Cohen's called her a minute ago and she immediately heard that something was wrong. They needed someone and Seth was away so she guessed she was their next call. Wait a minute; the next call would be Ryan, why did they call her? Oh my god how slow is this car. She stopped the car, jumped out and ran to the door, she didn't ring the bell, and she just ran inside. In the kitchen she saw both Sandy and Kirsten sitting at the table. She could see they had been crying.
"What's
the matter? What is wrong?"
"Oh my god I can't tell her"
Kirsten ran out the door and sat by the pool.
"Sandy, you are freaking me out here what is it?"
"You
maybe want ton sit down"
"Or maybe you just want to tell me
what's wrong. Come on!"
"The police came here this morning.
They had found a shipwreck on a beach a few miles from here" Summer
got it right away.
"No! Don't tell me, this is just some sick
joke or something" She sat down in one of the chairs.
"I'm
sorry Summer I wish it wasn't true but it is, Seth is gone. The
body was lost in the water. They found his ID in the boat and all of
his belongings. Everything was there, except for him"
"No he
promised he would come back, he promised me!" She was crying
uncontrollable and she couldn't stop.
"I wish
there was something I could do, but I know there isn't. We just
have to be here for each other"
"I can't take this right
now. I need to go" She ran off, out the door and in to the car. She
drove away and didn't care about Sandy shouting on the driveway.
She was going to the ship, she was going to find Seth and they would
be together. She knew the beach and sped there as fast as she could.
"Hello
this is Ryan speaking"
"Hey, it's Sandy" Ryan could here
by the tone of his voice something was wrong.
"What's
the matter Sandy?"
"Can you come here now? Don't bring
Trisha"
"What is it?"
"Just come now" Sandy hung up.
Ryan was freaked and he called Anna.
"Hello"
"Hi
Anna its Ryan, something is wrong at the Cohen residence. I need
someone to watch Trisha, can you come here?"
"Yeah sure I will
be right over"
"Okay, I have to go now but I will fill you in
when I know what it is"
About an hour later he sat in his
parents kitchen. He was speechless, of all the things that could have
happened he could never have imagined this. His brother was dead.
"Do you know why he went away in the first place Ryan? I know it's not really important but I would like to know" Ryan looked in to Kirsten's eyes.
"He thought about proposing to Summer, but he needed some time alone thinking it through. He showed me the ring right before he left and he made me promise to look after Summer so she didn't freak out when he was gone"
Kirsten started to cry uncontrollable again and Sandy continued.
"Then you better keep that promise, we told Summer right before you and she freaked out and ran away. Do you have any idea where she might have gone?"
"I think
I do" He got up from the chair and ran out to the car.
"Hey
Ryan! Wait! Ah why doesn't anyone listen to me when I shout?"
She walked down the beach and there it was. The wreck was lying there all alone and Seth was no where to be seen. The truth started to strike her and she sat down by the piece that said Summer Breeze. He had named his boat after her, the boat he had left her with twice. She didn't notice Ryan's car pulling over and she didn't see him until he sat down by her side.
"I figured you would be here. Listen, I know this must be hard, I lost him too. But we have to stay strong and be there for each other. We have to make it"
She didn't answer at first but then she surprised him.
"No!"
"What
do you mean no?"
"I can't do this; I can't do this without
him"
"What do you mean?"
"I can't be here without
him, I have to leave"
"Leave? Like a holiday?"
"No like
leave forever, this place will never be okay to live in for me again.
I can't stay"
"But you can't leave us. We need you now,
and you need us"
"You can come and see me but I can't stay
here. I'm sorry Ryan. I'm really sorry" She got up and ran away
from him crying. He ran after her but she was fast and soon she was
driving away from him.
"Summer! Are you here?"
He ran through her house but there were very little clothes here. She can't have packed and left already. She isn't that fast. But wait; oh no she moved most of her stuff to Seth's apartment. He had to hurry so he managed to catch her before she left.
A minute later he stumbled in to Seth's apartment. He immediately saw the note on the mirror.
I'm sorry Ryan. I know you don't think this is the right thing to do but I can't stay. I grabbed some stuff and left to L.A., I will call you when I get an apartment. Please tell Sandy and Kirsten I am sorry. I can't face them right now but I will soon. Take care.
Love Summer
He lost her. He failed Seth, he promised to take care of her but he failed. He would never forgive himself. He had to get her back. But he knew that is was never going to be possible to convince Summer. If she thought she did the right thing then the only one that could make her feel differently was Seth. And obviously that was not going to happen But he had to try.
The wind was strong. Waves crashed in to the shore and the saltwater flow across the beach. He suddenly noticed a blanket around him. Where am I? He coughed and a lady appeared.
"Hey you
are awake, there is an ambulance on the way here"
He tried to
talk but his throat was sore.
"You
shouldn't talk. Your head has caught some serious hits and you
should try and rest."
It sounded like a good idea so he laid his
head back on the pillow. The last thing he remembered was that boom
hitting him in the head. It hurt pretty badly. He didn't have time
to think anymore before he drifted back to sleep.
You didn't really think I was going to kill him, did you? I'm not that cold hearted. I'm actually a big fan of romance but I felt like I needed to shock you a little. And it worked I believe. I got an email from a pretty sad reader who begged me to tell her if he survived, and I guess he did. So don't worry be happy, next chapter will be up next week I think.
