Sorry for taking so long to update. I hope you enjoy it and please review. It means a lot.
Chapter 18: Blanket of Darkness
Sandy knocked on Seth's door.
"Come in," a faint voice replied from inside.
Sandy walked in and saw Summer and Seth on the bed and Ryan on the chair at Seth's desk.
"Judging by the expression on your face mom has told you everything."
Sandy nodded grimly.
"I just wanted to check up how you all are and to reassure you that everything's going to be alright."
"You don't know that," Ryan replied under his breath, almost harshly. Sandy looked at him.
"That attitude's not going to help anyone! Especially Marissa!" Sandy shot back. Ryan stood up from the chair.
"I don't see how lying to myself is going to help Marissa! I don't know that everything's going to be alright, and you know what? It scares me!" Ryan shoved past Sandy and stormed out of Seth's room. Sandy looked at Seth. He knew that Ryan would be upset but he hadn't expected that.
"I think this is the point when I'm supposed to say something intelligent and reassuring." Summer looked at him, waiting for him to go on. "But I can't think of anything so I'm gonna go see how he is." Seth jumped off the bed and left the room.
"He didn't mean it you know."
Sandy looked over at Summer.
"Ryan. He didn't mean to snap at you like that. He's just been going through so much. And if it means anything I agree with you. Life's too short to be pessimistic. She's going to be fine. She has to be fine."
"Thanks Summer." Summer smiled at Sandy and walked out the room. Sandy sat on Seth's bed and picked up Captain Oats. He contemplated talking to the horse, but laughed it off and put it back down. No matter what was happening he couldn't quite see how a plastic horse would help. But that was how Seth got through things an unfortunately for Sandy his coping mechanism was to always be optimistic and reassuring which he was realising doesn't always work. He heard a gentle knocking at the door. He looked up and saw Kirsten in the door way.
"Hey," she said softly.
"Hey," he replied. She sat beside Sandy on the bed.
"I almost got knocked over by Ryan on the stairs and when I asked Seth what happened I think it went as far as 'Dad pissed Ryan off'. Whatever you said Ryan will realise that you were right and only meant well."
"Well then he'd be wrong." Kirsten clasped one of her hands in his.
"What do you mean?"
"I told him that everything's going to be alright but now I'm not so sure." Kirsten rested her hand on his knee.
"The Sandy Cohen that I married always stood by his first instinct…."
"But it wasn't always the right instinct," Sandy cut in. Kirsten squeezed his leg.
"Look Jimmy's coming over and I bet he could use some support right now."
"What would I do without you?" Sandy said kissing Kirsten's head.
"Oh suffer endlessly I'm sure."
She stood up from the bed and held out her arm. Sandy rose and linked his arm in hers.
Jimmy slammed the car door shut and ran up to the Cohen's front door. He pressed the doorbell. He saw a figure approaching through the glass.
"Jimmy," Kirsten stepped forward and hugged Jimmy. She looked at his pale complexion and dead eyes.
"How you holding up?" She knew it was a stupid question but she didn't know what else to say.
"Not so good," he replied emotionlessly.
Kirsten guided him over to the couch.
"You want anything to drink? Eat?"
"No thanks." He sat on the couch and rested his head in his hands. It broke her heart to see him like this. She sat down beside him.
"Where is she Kirsten?" Kirsten took one of his hands in hers. He looked at her. "I've spent the whole day driving around town and I've phoned her cell more times than I can remember. I just don't know what else I can do," he said helplessly.
"I think you should rest and let us help."
They both looked over to Sandy who was walking in.
"I can't rest. It's getting dark. I just want her home safely." Kirsten noticed Jimmy clenching his jaw to stop himself crying.
"You're in no fit state to be driving around looking for her. Why don't you go home in case she goes there, and I'll go out looking."
"I should go home too."
Sandy, Kirsten and Jimmy looked over at Summer who was standing with Seth and Ryan.
"My dad's expecting me, and you never know Marissa might go there."
"Right well I better get going. It's getting dark," Sandy said.
"I'm coming with you."
Sandy looked at Ryan. He was about to protest and tell Ryan to stay at home but he knew better. He knew Ryan wouldn't give in through the look of determination in his eyes. If Marissa needed saving Ryan was going to make sure he would be her saviour.
"Let's go then."
Summer kissed Seth on the cheek. "Call me if anything happens."
"Ye same."
Summer walked towards the door. At the last minute she turned back and looked at Ryan and Sandy.
"Please find her," her voice quavered as she rushed out the door before the tears started flowing down her face.
Kirsten hugged Jimmy in a final attempt to reassure him. Sandy held out his hand. Jimmy grasped it.
"Thank you Sandy," he said quietly. Not knowing what to say, Sandy hugged him patting his shoulder. "If there's ever anything…."
"Jimmy, it's fine. Go home and get some rest," Sandy told him. Kirsten watched helplessly as Jimmy walked out the front door.
"Come on kid let's go," Sandy said to Ryan. He put his arm around the boys' shoulder and led him to the door.
"Wait Sandy," Kirsten called to him.
"Go out to the car, I'll be there in a minute," Sandy told Ryan. He walked over to Kirsten.
"Do you think we should call the police?" She asked him quietly. She had prayed that it would never come to this, but she realised that it was becoming too late for prayers.
"I think we should let them know what's happening."
"Okay," Kirsten nodded. "I guess I should phone Julie and tell her what's going on." Sandy gently placed his hands on her cheeks.
"I'm going to find her," Sandy said forcefully. He kissed her gently on the lips, and hugged her close to him.
"I trust you," she whispered into his ear. Sandy let go of his wife and hurried out the front door, closing it behind him.
Kirsten felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Seth behind her. She moved closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder.
"If anyone can find her it's Sandy Cohen," Seth reassured his mom.
"I hope you're right."
"I'm always right," he paused for a second. "And modest too," he added sarcastically.
"I should go phone Julie," she let go of Seth.
"Is there anything I can do?" Seth asked helplessly.
"I could really do with a coffee.
"Now that I can do. Though actually I did manage to drop the pot a few years ago," he said frowning. He shook his head. "Anyway, you phone Julie and I'll have the coffee ready in a jiff." Kirsten smiled at him and walked away.
"In a jiff? Who says that!" he muttered to himself once Kirsten had left, realising how stupid he had sounded.
Sandy kept his eyes on the road which was lit up by street lamp as the whole of Newport was gradually covered in a blanket of darkness. He and Ryan had been searching for almost 2 hours. He glanced sideways at Ryan whose eyes were constantly scanning the landscape, searching for a clue as to where Marissa was, hoping for a ray of light to shine through the darkness. They had barely uttered a word to each other the whole time – all of Ryan's concentration was focused on finding Marissa. The silence was suddenly broken as the cell phone which Ryan was clutching started to ring. Ryan's heart skipped a beat then sped up.
"Is it her? Is she ok?" he thought to himself as he opened the phone. "Home" appeared on the small blue screen
"Kirsten? Seth? What's going on? Is she there? Have you found her?"
"Woah, buddy I think you just said more in those 2 seconds than you did in like the first month that I knew you."
"Seth…what's going on? Is she there?"
"No." Ryan's heart sank at this blunt statement. "We're just really worried. You've been out for almost 2 hours. I swear mom has done about the distance of a marathon through pacing up and down the room."
There was an awkward silence as neither of them spoke.
"Ryan?"
"I'm not coming home until I find her, no matter how long it takes."
"Well I hope it's sooner rather than later and not just because mom's going to die of exhaustion soon."
"Seth I really have to…." Seth pulled the phone away from his ear as Ryan's voice was replaced with crashing and crackling noises.
"Ryan? Ryan?" Seth shouted desperately down the phone. He heard Ryan's distant muffled voice shout "Sandy" then the line went blank. Kirsten rushed over on hearing Seth's frantic calls.
"What's going on? Have they found her?" she asked Seth, with the same tone of urgency that Ryan had.
"I don't know. I lost connection, but something's happening….."