Thank you for the reviews on the first chapter, I'm glad you all like it so far! I hope you enjoy this chapter and the ones to come! :)
On the 22nd, I will be uploading my new story, The Silent Scream! It's part of a series called Lewis and Clarke that's a parody of the Hardy Boys. :)
I'm gonna start working on The Touchstone of Ra again, so if you want to see anything in the next five chapters (the last five chapters!), go review or PM me!
Enjoy!
Jerome opened his blue eyes and lifted his head off the steering wheel slowly. He shook his head once and ran a hand through his hair. His first thought was to check on Mara, behind him. His second thought was that the door was open. His third thought was still trying to process that the bus had completely gone off the road.
He carefully got out of his seat and lifted Mara off the floor. She had a small bump on her forehead from hitting the bar in front of the seat from when the bus had hit the tree and everyone had lurched forward.
"You okay?" he asked, brushing her black hair over her shoulder.
"Yeah, what about the others?" she mumbled, touching her forehead. She winced and opened her eyes to look up at him.
"I'll check on them," he whispered, pressing a kiss to her temple and straightening after checking that she'd be alright sitting down. "Eddie, Patricia, you two okay?"
"Whiplash," Eddie grumbled, massaging his neck.
"Ugh, what hit me?" Patricia complained.
"My head," came Joy's reply as she sat back up.
"Amber," Mara shook her friend gently and the blonde opened her gray eyes. "Are you okay?"
"I think so," she turned to Alfie and shook his shoulder. "Boo, wake up. Are you okay?"
"Hm," he grunted, twisting, and then he sat up, exclaiming, "I love pizza!"
Everyone laughed quietly. You can always count on Alfie to make the situation better.
"He's okay," Jerome grinned. He directed his attention to the front. "Fabian, Nina, you two okay?"
No answer came.
"Fabes?" Joy called.
"Hey, Rutter, speak up." Jerome ordered.
Fabian stood up but he didn't respond. He looked around, searching the seats with his gray eyes. "Where's Nina?"
"Fabian, first, we need to know if you're okay." Jerome said slowly.
"Where's Nina?" he demanded. When he saw that the bus door was open, he bolted from the vehicle and Jerome and Eddie trailed him as he stumbled, running across the uneven land.
"Fabian, listen to us," Eddie grabbed his arm and jerked him to a halt to look at him. "Are you okay? No bodily injuries?"
"No," he shook his head. "Where's Nina?"
"Come back to the bus, mate, we'll talk there." Jerome said.
"Fabian, are you okay?" Mara asked, stepping out of the bus.
He sat on a rock and ran a hand through his brown hair. "Where's Nina?"
"She's not in the bus," Joy announced, hugging herself.
Thick, white fog fell down the hill and around their feet. They all stood outside the bus, wondering where their friend was.
"Would Nina really leave without her phone?" Jerome scoffed and then stopped. "Yes, yes, she would."
"Well, Nina would never leave the bus without telling us. And she'd never go out at night, alone." Eddie pointed out.
"Let's look for her." Fabian pleaded.
Jerome looked at Mara. She spoke, "I think we should appoint Jerome and Eddie as the leaders."
"Why," Patricia scoffed.
"I agree," Amber nodded.
Eddie pulled Jerome away from the others to the back of the bus. "What should we do?"
Jerome sighed and looked around, analyzing their surroundings. Behind Eddie was the hill that led to the road, to the left was open ground and then trees, too thick to see through, and to the right were more trees. Something glinted in the moonlight, under the fog and he picked it up. A locket. The one Fabian had given Nina for her birthday last year. She would never take it off.
"Let's go that way." He pointed to the trees to the right and Eddie thought a moment before nodding, trusting Jerome's judgment.
They went back around to the other side of the bus and informed the group that they'd go looking for Nina.
"But let's get some things from the bus first. Emergency supplies; just in case we might need them." Jerome explained as he climbed back into the bus. He grabbed the girls' purses and dumped them out on a seat. He distributed a few things to each bag that were most likely needed. He grabbed the road map and the emergency flares and placed them in Mara's bag. He hopped out of the bus and gave the girls their bags.
"Thank you," Amber said gratefully. She reached into the bag and searched for her lipstick, but instead she found medical supplies. "Where's my stuff?"
"I put everything that we might need in the bags. Do not use any makeup in there, we could need it later."
"I need it now!"
"Amber, we're in the middle of nowhere; one of us is missing and we need to find her. The bus can't get out of the ditch and we have no cellphone reception. Do not use that makeup." He ordered. He took Mara's hand and motioned in the direction he and Eddie had decided to go.
He pushed through the branches, Alfie and Amber right behind him and Mara, followed by Fabian and Joy and then Patricia and Eddie. Before they could get very far, there was a fork in the path. Jerome looked down each path, but he couldn't tell which one would be the right one.
"Jerome," Mara knelt down and picked up a bracelet off the left path. Nina.
He took the bracelet from her and pocketed it with the locket and led the group down the trail. They went a little farther before stopping at a river. The track continued but there were rocks that could be used to go over the water.
He spotted a ring and grabbed it. He held it up for them to see. "She left signs for us to find her; to be able to follow her to where ever she's headed. Keep an eye out for anything Nina was wearing earlier."
They crossed over the river without difficulty. After finding several other items that belonged to their friend, Jerome pushed into a clearing. To their left was an abandoned car; rusted and missing a wheel, the windows broken and the trunk popped open. To the right was a gate that led to the backyard of the old house before them. Beyond the backyard was what appeared to be several bunkers and sheds, and Joy pointed out that there was an RV parked down a trail on the left side of the house.
"So, what's our plan of action, mate?" Jerome looked at Eddie.
Fabian spoke up instead. "Where would Nina be?"
"That's what we're trying to find out, Fabes." Joy assured him.
"I think we should split up and try to find anyone that could help us; find a phone; or find some sign that Nina is or was here." Eddie said.
"Who goes where?" Alfie asked. "I want to go to the house. It's the least creepy place."
"I'll go with Alfie." Amber proclaimed.
"Patricia, you go to the house with those two." Eddie instructed. "Fabian, Joy and I will check out the bunkers. Jerry and Jaffray, that leaves the RV for you two. Don't have too much fun."
"And we'll meet back here at the car in an hour." Jerome added.
After confirmation from all of them, they all parted their separate ways.
Review? :)
New chapter will be up in a few days.
"Rise from the dead you say? Secrets don't sleep 'til they're took to the grave. Signal the sirens, rally the troops. Ladies and gentlemen, it's the moment of truth."
-Rachel