Love Where You Shouldn't Find It

All in My Head

Hope woke up the next morning feeling sick, she didn't know if it was the cereal she had last night, or the reoccurring dreams of what Sophie showed her; her stomach churned each time she saw the face of a "different girl"  each day. How did she not notice? She couldn't fathom the fact that she thought he was her savior, that he spared her life, fed her and gave her clothes, a roof. She lay in bed still looking at the ceiling.

The kiskadees were already awake, and shouted at her to do the same, the black birds didn't say much but fit in a song now and then; the breeze though cold, was gentle, and fixed the leaves that were disoriented from yesterday. The neighbor thought it was a good idea to cut grass today and Hope could smell the fresh blades letting out their perfume. The morning was peaceful, but the civil war and attempted murder that circled Hopes thoughts didn't give her a real chance to enjoy it.

Hope got up off the bed and tried her best to neaten the sheet she layed on, having little success, but thought she'd done a good job. She held up her pants and opened the door and made her way outside, there stood Ken just coming in from the front door
"Good morning" they said simultaneously, one enthusiastic and the other weary.

"a good Saturday to solve a case" Ken tried to be optimistic, but Hope couldn't play the part; last night's terror still played in her vision and she didn't see that old shack as the place she fooled herself to think. Ken noticed her traumatized face and his mood changed, he thought Hope would be excited to clear things up, to meet her family; but he was greeted with a haunted frown.

Him not knowing if to ask what was wrong, just continued talking.

"I buy some clothes dey" he said gently "it go fit yuh better" his native tongue showed itself the more emotional he felt. Ken walked over to Hope, extending the bag to her; Hope took it and mumbled "thank you" walking directly to the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

"Hope, get it together" Sophie said sitting on the sink counter "he's clearly here to help, just cooperate" she continued, walking over to Hope "what did he get?" Sophie said pulling open the plastic bag, in it was a folded set of undergarments, a grey shirt, black shorts, a pair of white socks, black sneakers and her own blue toothbrush. Hope smiled to herself at the color selection, her favorite color was black but his was clearly grey; she somehow felt connected to him by the colors he willingly placed her in.

Ken, after handing Hope the bag, watched her walk to the bathroom and close the door, he thought to himself "Was it something I said?" He palmed his forehead and groaned, beating himself up, thinking he'd made her upset; he went to the kitchen and filled a cup with water, cringing at his comment he made about solving a case "now she thinks I'm not taking her seriously" he mumbled, and spent the next 30 minutes thinking of a way to apologize.

"I'm ready" Hope startled him, he looked at her, he felt proud for buying the right size clothing he unconsciously started to grin and Hope copied him. Ken exhaled and suddenly remembered what he was thinking about;

"Hope I'm sorry for upsetting you this morning"

Hope looked at him and shook her head "you didn't" she watched as relief covered his face and she chuckled. He tilted his head and smiled embarrassingly looking at the floor
"laugh me man" he said "yuh sandwich in the microwave, go an eat" Hope nudged him feeling like herself and forgetting the nightmares she had a few hours ago

"relax nah" she teased; the two having a moment as if they were friends for years. She bit into her sandwich; "cheese paste" she said with her mouth full "it's good" she gave him a grin.

Later that morning Ken and Hope were making their way to the place they met; not sure what they would see but Hope had a feeling she would not leave in the same mood she came.

It was a hot Saturday morning, the weather behaved like it wasn't angry yesterday; Hope discovered the date by the small ques around her, the greeting Ken gave her at the door and the radio personnel were the giveaways,

"Where are we?" Hope asked, as she hadn't seen any signs that told her.

"We're on the stretch I found you" Ken responded not thinking of the depth of her concern. He glanced over at her to see her vacant tight-lipped expression and it clicked "oh hard lucks dey, this is Rio Claro" Hope went wide-eyed it was so far from her first home, she looked at all the trees and bush around her when Ken pulled at the side of the road.

"This is where I stopped to check my lights" he said

She looked out the window and saw the broken branch she stepped on, the path didn't look as scary in the day, but it made sense why no one would suspect anything. The patch of forest looked like it could be a trench, it gave an illusion that there was nothing but deep bush and darkness. Hope exited the car and looked around, she watched as others drove past the area without being aware of the pain and suffering within those trees.

It was 11 o'clock and the two locked the car and cautiously but quickly made their way into the lion's den. The ground was damp, and the trees still bent from the wind. Hope and Ken didn't speak. Hope was wondering what France would do when he saw her, would he greet her happily? rejoice that she was home? take her back and treat her better after he felt the pain without her? Stockholm syndrome still played with her head; While Ken didn't know what he'd see, he was worried that Hope would want to stay because she knew no better, he worried that he was in danger, but he had to be the man his name said he was, strong, and he kept his head up and lead the way.

"There it is" Hope suddenly stopped; the walk didn't seem as long when you weren't afraid.

Fear, an emotion that hinders potential, an emotion that makes us make stupid decisions, fear, the leading cause of unsolved mysteries within ones self. Fear was something so simple to beat but much easier to be. And suddenly Hope was fearful, her body went into its victim state, her hands sweaty and lips dry, she couldn't swallow, what was it?

"Hope...I don't know what you're talking about" Ken suddenly spoke, he looked down at Hope and spoke softly "there's nothing there" Hope fixed her gaze on him, then the old building she called home; she was sure she could see it, it was right infront of her.

"Ken it's like 20 feet away, how can you not see?"

Hope itched her scalp, she wondered if she had gone insane, if so, where was she all this time? Who was France? Why did she feel pain? Did she do all those things to herself? Was it safe for her to feel like the monster?

"Maybe we have the wrong place" Ken tried to save the mission, but Hope insisted "this is it, this is the place" she again pointed at what Ken saw as another area of bush and Hope saw it as the place that changed her life. Ken really couldn't see the shack Hope was pointing too, he thought "maybe it's behind the bush" and pulled out the cutlass he packed and  began chopping away at the various vines and branches but all he got was more grass Hope watched him swinging at the wind and stood there slack-jawed.

"Hope I think we should go, we have to go to the station anyway" he said disappointedly walking back where he came

Hope stood there looking at the home "Ken are you crazy" she really didn't understand why he couldn't see what was infront of him.