Missing [ST]

Seven

Over two hours later, the persistent sinking feeling of being led to nowhere was proved wrong.

Steven had navigated his way through a series of windy roads lined with dense hedgerows that presumably backed onto fields, and for all of his driving efforts, his destination was a farmhouse standing proudly in the van's dipped headlights.

"Is this it?" Brad leaned forward with a hand on the dash, evidently shocked by their location.

The gravel stopped crunching when Steven slowed their vehicle to a stop, and he flipped it into neutral.

"Holy shit..." Tom had already copied Brad's stunned gaze.

Steven was looking ahead too, but did not share the same enthusiasm about the new roof over their heads. So when the shaky sort of laughter appeared beside him, he turned the engine and lights off and got out to escape it.

Making his way to the front door was simple when an outside light automatically registered his presence, and an assumption had him finding a key that was concealed underneath the doormat.

It felt odd, Steven couldn't help the apprehension he felt, and the whole place was too good to be true given the bailing circumstances that had preceded this address.

"Well, come on!" Tom nudged his shoulder, his tall blonde friend startling him back to life. "Let's go inside."

Steven changed his grip of the key between his fingers, his doubtful thoughts an increasing burden to carry around, but did the honours of unlocking the place- the last place, and likely the last chance he had.

Tom hit the lights after finding them, an enthusiastic Brad following in his footsteps, and Steven surveyed the ground floor, swinging open doors, glancing here and there, but didn't really have the energy to pay attention to anything that he saw.

He ended up back where he started, standing in the centre of the utility room which was the first room on the left and utterly glued to the spot. His mind flashed back twenty four hours ago, to a firm thud and her last conscious breath against the palm of his hand.

The fleeting memory left another vicious mark and forced Steven to clutch at the units on one side until his knuckles were screaming white.

"Is she staying here?"

Regaining composure was fast because Steven didn't want to be caught having a mini breakdown, but he still blinked at his friend like he hadn't heard anything.

Joey nodded slowly to himself. "Guess I'll go and get her then."

<>

The side door of the van whooshed open once again.

Leah knew she'd been on the road for a long time because all of her limbs had cramped up from sitting uncomfortably and from having to endure every bump and pot hole there was to offer.

Voice mute, she was moved with guidance until her feet dropped down off the edge. The gravel was sharp and sunk into the soles of her feet as soon as she was nudged forward, so she tried to walk on the outer parts of her feet to ease the pain. Luckily, the surface changed to something much more smooth and inviting, and as did the direction until she was stopped for good.

The hand on her arm dropped, and there was brief tension at the back of her head. The knot was loosened, the blindfold slipped from her eyes to her neck, and the flood of light and new surroundings forced a squint in order to adjust.

Despite her wariness, Leah spun around, catching the guy who had escorted her a little off guard as he was made to take a sudden step back. It also meant he held his hands awkwardly in front of him since he was interrupted from trying to relieve the fabric completely.