They both heard his bone break. It sounded just like a twig snapping underfoot; only it was slightly more solid. At first Ethan was silent with shock, he laid stock still on the floor, so that both men thought the worst, and then he released a soul crushing wail of pain, sitting up and holding his damaged arm against his little chest. As Luke ran desperately to Ethan's aide, Noah gazed up at Nicholas, staring with shocked astonishment back at him, his tiny mouth gapped open in surprise.
"Nicholas? Get down from there! You get down from there right NOW! You hear me?"
The child started suddenly, utter confusion quickly crossing his wrinkled brow. "Nicholas! I am not kidding!"
As the child made his slow way back down the tree, Noah joined Luke on the floor with Ethan. "Hey Eth... Let me see, okay?"
Ethan was less than enthusiastic about allowing either of them near the source of his suffering but he sniffed bravely and allowed Noah to carefully draw the arm out.
"Oh Luke! It's definitely broken."
Quickly he checked on the rest of Ethan, smoothing along his head and legs and torso. Finding no further damage he rounded on Nicholas; who by this stage had made it to the ground and was standing just a few yards behind them.
"Why would you do this Nicky? You never do this! You hear me? You never hurt somebody!"
Nicholas's eyes were large and bright blue against the sun. At the tone of Noah's voice he started to shake and the bottom eyelids filled with tears that formed as droplets on his long lashes. His chin quivered.
Noah immediately turned back to Luke and a sobbing Ethan.
"Mommy! I want Mommy!" Ethan kept repeating.
"I know baby." Noah assured him, "We're going to find Mommy right now…"
Luke seemed dumbstruck, completely frozen from the fear of his brother's fall… of how bad it could have been. Noah, also shocked, saw the panic in his features and reached out to hold his shoulder, "Its okay babe! He'll be fine. Can you help me get him back to the house? He'll need to go to the hospital."
Luke was unresponsive at first but then Noah yelled, "Luke!" and he snapped quickly out of it, nodding and gently pulling his brother up and into his arms.
As Noah got back to his feet, Luke scanned the surroundings and then frowned, "Noah?"
"Yeah?"
"Where's Nicholas?" A new kind of panic laced his voice.
Noah stared suddenly horrified at the space where Nicholas had stood just a moment before.
He was gone.
...
Troy must have walked or driven by the store a hundred times or more. Obviously he knew it was there and what they sold, but he'd never given the dark and drab looking shop much thought. Why would he when he had no reason to be there? Before now that was…
He was surprised to find the shop open. He wondered who would visit the place on a Sunday and then almost laughed manically at himself. Well, he was there wasn't he?
It took him some time to work up the resolve to enter, but eventually he pushed open the glass fronted door and an old fashioned bell tinkled prettily above him. He thought what a juxtaposition that was… the sound of a fairy bell in such a place…
The moment his eyes fell on the merchandise he realised it wouldn't be a simple job to purchase one. There were thousands to choose from, all different shapes, sizes, colours…
"Can I help you?" The bearded man behind the counter looked like he hadn't bathed in weeks. He wore jeans and a faded navy t-shirt that was cut too small, so that his substantial paunch spilled out over his belt. His hair was greased back, but not purposefully… having most likely never seen sight of shampoo in the man's entire lifetime. Troy couldn't tell how long that might have been.
"Urm… yeah… I guess?" He stammered nervously. He wondered what the owner or clerk or whatever he was thought about the people who entered the store. Troy thought he must wonder about his cliental. He must wonder why they would need to buy a…
"You here to buy? Or you just looking?" The man seemed annoyed by Troy's lack of speediness. "I ain't got all day, ya know?"
Troy frowned and looked around. He was the only customer so he couldn't think what the man was so busy doing.
"Um… to buy." He replied eventually.
"Okay… What kind are ya looking for?"
...
"Nicky?" Noah called loudly, frantically scanning the horizon hopping to catch sight of his red hooded coat in the distance or along the tree line. He briefly wandered in the direction he thought the child must have gone, desperately searching through the tree trunks.
"Nicky!" he tried again, but there was no response except the call of birds and the rustling of the wind through the leaves. He turned back and locked eyes with Luke from the distance, shaking his head as both of them realised the situation. They were miles from the farmhouse and this was a thickly wooded forest that ran right around the boundaries of Oakdale.
"Nicky!" It was Luke calling this time.
"Don't panic! Don't panic." Noah whispered to himself as he made his way back over to Luke.
"Noah?" he asked fearfully.
"I know... Um! Look, you need to get Ethan back to the house! He needs a doctor. Then bring a search party, okay? I don't have my phone, so… um…" he looked around thinking wildly, "I'll come back here in exactly two hours whether I find him or not! Meet me okay? And bring my phone!"
Luke's eyes were welling up! The shock and pain for his brother now mingling with fear for Nicholas, and where he might have gone too.
"Hurry!" Noah said sternly, bringing him back to the other urgent task at hand. First Luke had to take care of Ethan, and then he could help Noah find Nicholas. He rubbed Luke's cheek quickly, nodding at him, trying to assure him in that moment that everything would be okay.
"I'll find him!" He wished he had sounded more hopeful.
He watched as Luke made a steady pace back through the clearing and up the hill. He had a long way to go and Ethan was no longer a light weight to carry. Ice crystals had already begun to settle on Noah's insides. Again he scanned the expanse of the forest. Only a few minutes ago the place had represented peace and tranquillity, but now it seemed massive and dark and deadly.
This forest of live and ancient oaks that had swallowed their child…
...
Troy held the object in the palm of his hand. It was weightier than he had expected. His hand shook slightly with fearful anticipation of what he had planned.
"Perfect choice for what you want!" The man insisted. "It's really all you need."
Troy nodded, "Okay, I'll take it!"
"Great! I'll box it up for you." Troy handed it back and the man set to work creating a neat package for him to carry, "Oh, and you'll need some of these." He reached under the counter and placed a smaller box down. "That'll be $400 on the money!"
Troy hesitated for just one minute before taking out his wallet.
...
"Mom! Dad! Help!" Luke was yelling before he'd even reached the kitchen door. His arms were breaking from the weight of carrying Ethan all the way home and he was afraid he'd drop him.
Holden was first out, "Luke? What is it?" Then seeing his younger son's grimace of agony immediately grabbed him out of Luke's arms, "Oh my god! What happened?"
Before Luke could answer Lilly's cry of alarm interrupted them, "Ethan?"
"Mommy!" Ethan cried, lifting his good arm out to her, but Holden bolted past and into the kitchen under the shocked gaze of Emma and the girls.
"Clear that table will you girls?" Holden asked and they quickly scurried to make room, so that Holden could lay Ethan down on the surface. Natalie slipped a cushion under his little head and gently stroked his hair. Thus placed, Holden went about examining the damaged arm.
"Nicholas push-ted me!" cried Ethan. A person might have expected Ethan's tone to be accusatory, but it wasn't in Ethan's nature to scorn anyone or anything. He was merely stating the fact of it.
"What?" asked Lilly, directing the question to Luke.
"He didn't mean it!" Luke insisted, shaking his head, "He pushed him like little kids sometimes push each other… in frustration, you know? But… it's just… it's just that when he did they were up in the tree house so…" He started to sag with the panic and he leaned on the kitchen counter, "God! Oh god! What must the little guy be thinking?"
"Luke? Son?" Holden left Lilly and Ethan to grip Luke by his shoulders, "Calm down, okay? You are no use to Ethan or us if you fall apart! He's broken his arm and that's bad, but he'll be fine, okay? There's no reason to panic!"
"No Dad! You don't understand! He's gone?"
"Who is?"
"Nicholas! We were so busy with Ethan and when we turned to go he was gone! Oh shit!" his hands cupped his face as the fear hit him again.
"Where's Noah?"
"Oh dear Lord!" Emma exclaimed from somewhere beside them.
"He stayed. He stayed to look for him, but I had to bring Ethan."
"You did the right thing! Lilly?" She didn't answer him at first, her attention completely on Ethan, whispering a mother's words of comfort "Lilly!" he repeated louder and she looked up at him, "Do you think you can manage taking Ethan to the hospital alone, so I can help with Nicky?"
She nodded and set immediately to work looking for her car keys, "Come and help me carry him Faith." she instructed.
As they reached the door she kissed Luke's cheek, "Call me with updates, please! And don't worry your Dad will find him!"
Both Luke and Holden nodded as they left. Then Holden turned to Luke, trying to give him some strength. "I know! Okay? I know you're scared for him, but we'll find him! He's little! He won't get far!"
Luke nodded again through his fear and tears as Holden lifted the nearest phone to arrange a search party.
...
Troy took time making his preparations. Making up his own ritual as he went. He had chosen his favourite room in the house, the parlour room, where they would usually entertain their guests. It was bright and airy in there, with an almost constant surreal quality due to the skylight. The sunlight would dance across the furniture and make the dust particles in the air visible to the naked eye. They sparkled as they floated by. The room was almost like he imagined heaven to be.
His father was in Germany on a business trip. His mother was in France visiting a relative. He had given all the staff the night off. In fact he'd ordered them out of the house. So it was just him.
He laid the items of this intent carefully, reverently before him on the coffee table, bedecked with a white table cloth. He set them just so. He took pride in the act, like he had take pride in his appearance only an hour before, scrubbing himself clean in the shower and dressing in the suit he'd asked Geoffrey to lay out for him. He'd had his hair cut later that day. He'd never had short hair before, but it looked good he thought. It made him looked distinguished. Older.
But now... now it was time to see HIM.
...
Panic chilled Noah's bones just at the wind chilled the exposed skin of his face and hands. It had picked up since midday and grown distinctly icier. In his terror Noah might not have noticed if he wasn't distinctly aware of what it meant. They had to find Nicholas before nightfall; it was going to be cold. Very cold!
"Oh god! Please don't let this be happening!" he thought, "Please! Where is he?"
He had thoroughly searched the thicket and woods in the area where he thought Nicholas might be hiding. Then he had slowly backtracked up and down, up and down, further into the deep forest. His heart hurt it was hammering so hard and his voice was hoarse from calling out to Nicholas; begging him to answer, apologising, expressing his love, but nothing…
He knew he'd have to make his way back to the tree house soon, but he dreaded seeing the look on Luke's face when he turned up empty handed.
"Nicky? Please baby?" he screamed again, praying he would appear from behind one of the large trees, safe and well.
But there was no Nicholas.
...
Holden had gathered a search party reasonably quickly. An emergency procedure was already in place between all farmers in the area in case of forest fire or animal sickness; and all Holden had to do was contact the main radio watch tower to call it in. Within minutes they caught the headlights of his neighbours' trucks making their speedy way up the long farm road.
But despite how quick a reaction they received, the wait for them to arrive and be coordinated felt like agony to Luke. He had already vomited against the side of the house, thoughts of Nicholas falling down a crevice or being swept away by a current plaguing his mind, driving him crazy. He prayed, harder than he had ever prayed before, that Noah would suddenly arrive, carrying the child safely home. His eyes scanned often in that direction, but there was no sight of them. No relief.
He felt Emma's hand on his back, rubbing in circles like she always did to comfort her grandchildren, "Chin up now. The child WILL be found! I just know it!"
And he smiled gratefully at her for at least trying to sound positive. But Emma couldn't lie, and the worry was ingrained deep within the lines on her face.
Finally Luke couldn't take anymore and he matched back inside to find Holden and a couple of the other farmers leaning over a map they'd lain out on the kitchen table. Luke noticed how Holden had flagged the location of the tree house and then drawn around that to indicate a search zone he thought reasonable for a lost child that young.
"Dad… Dad!" he interrupted as Holden issued instructions, "We have to get moving so that we can rendezvous with Noah! Please! Maybe he's found him!"
"It's okay Luke," Holden said calmly, "we're all ready to go now." Then to the men in the room, "Everyone has a search location, flashlight and phone, right?"
There were a couple of nods, grunts and words of affirmation.
"Thank you so much!" Holden said finally, "We really appreciate your help!"
Luke was already bolting back out the kitchen door. He looked back to make sure his father was following and then, not watching his step, knocked hard into somebody coming the other way. Luke rocked on his feet almost losing his balance but staying upright by grabbing onto the arms of the other man.
"Sorry!" Luke exclaimed, turning in the same instance, "I'm really sor…!" But his words cut short at the look of stark intent in the eyes of the other man who held Luke steady by his elbows.
It was Troy.