Willowcreek; Within The Roots

Part Nine ─ Search and Rescue Pogue Edition

"Thank you, dear," smiled Mrs Garroway as she ended the call to her grandson. Ludo was a sweet dog and the old woman believed that Evie needed the pet to get her through until she started school. Then she could make human friends, hopefully. If the rumors and ghost stories didn't make the poor girl a pariah.

Her grandson had promised to check around the grounds quickly before coming to pick her up and take her home. However, Mrs. Garroway had hoped the dog would just come by the kitchen door at the side of the house, barking to get inside. But he didn't. And the fact that he didn't made her worry, not just for the dog, but for Evie.

The old woman took a cup of hot chocolate up to her room, to apologize for not allowing her out to look, but also to heat her up. It was going to be another cold night in the drafty manor house. And with her health complications, Mrs. Garroway couldn't help wanting to coddle her.

She knocked gently on the girl's bedroom door and waited...and waited...

"Ay, would you look at that," Eamon complained as he peered out of the window in the parlor, "another night of peeling it down," he huffed. Sean glanced out of the window and from the expression on his face, he knew he'd probably need to call the construction company and tell them their guys would have the day off. At least he could work on something in the house. The beauty of not only having a degree in architecture, but also carpentry meant he had the skills to do what he paid others to do. They just hired construction companies because projects like this one were too large.

"I'll call Declan," sighed Sean as he fished his phone out of his back pocket. "Eam, would you mind taking Mrs. Garroway home? I don't think Caleb's coming back in this weather."

Of the few months that Caleb had been working with them, having taken over his grandfather's role as groundskeeper, after he'd been already doing it for the old man, Sean couldn't really find anything wrong to say about the boy. And a boy he was. He'd only just graduated before the summer started. Instead of choosing to go to university, which he could have done, he chose to stay at home. Partly to take care of his grandparents and partly because he'd once said to Sean that he'd only just end up back in Havensville. He didn't see the need in wasting the money only to return and be stuck, like everyone else was.

However, there was one thing that had sparked a slight disliking for the boy, from Sean at least. He was only a little older than Evie. Sean was convinced his daughter was gorgeous and the most beautiful girl that this town had ever seen, he'd already started worrying that Caleb would take too much of a liking to her, and worse, that Evie would take a liking to him.

"They didn't mention more thunderstorms out here," complained Sean, as he began scrolling through his contacts for Declan Adler's number.

"Uch, that's awful out there, it is," Eamon stated as he nodded and began for the kitchen, being stopped in his tracks by the housekeeper.

"Mr. Pogue!" Mrs. Garroway exclaimed, out of breath and frantic as she rushed into the parlor, entering from the front foyer. That was odd, she usually appeared from the kitchen entrance on the opposite end of the room. Both Eamon and Sean were in shock at the woman's appearance, she was always so put together. They were slightly surprised the woman could come undone like this. Eamon was the first to come over and help her to a seating position, but she swatted him away. "I told her to wait, I told her not to go outside," she spat out, her words trembling like her hands and shoulders as she tried to tell them what was going on.

"Rose, it's alright, sit down," Sean tried but she still swatted at his words. "What's wrong?"

"Evie, it's Evie! She's outside in the storm!"

Sean looked at Eamon with a frightful expression, as Mrs. Garroway tried to explain to them what had happened, that Ludo hadn't been upstairs and that Evie was afraid they'd be mad at her.

The two men set out to find the girl while Mrs. Garroway stayed in the house once again in case she returned with Ludo. "I told you not to bring that damned dog back from Nancy's!" Sean yelled at his brother as he shone a flashlight ahead of him. His was nothing like the one Mrs. Garroway had told them was missing, most likely taken by Evie when she went out by herself. His flashlight was big and one that was appropriately used for search and rescue efforts. It had a bright and powerful beam on it. Eamon also had a similar one, but his flashlight was clunkier and he'd joked about it not being just a light. The thing could be used to knock someone out.

"And I told you she needed the company," Eamon defended his actions, reminding his brother. She had been lonely and she'd been hearing things, probably as a result of being alone and her mind not being occupied. And he hadn't hidden that he felt bad for her.

"Don't start with me, Eamon," yelled Sean over a roar of thunder.

"I wouldn't start with you if you didn't start with me!" Eamon didn't yell unless he couldn't be heard. But he was equally as upset with his older brother. He'd been the one to tell her that the dog wasn't to be left unattended or let outside without her there, he'd given her the impression she would be in trouble if it happened. Eamon had only asked that she try to keep him out of his flowerbeds and asked her to stay out of the maze so she didn't get lost. Sean was the one who'd laid on thick that if she stepped out of line, broke any of his ridiculous rules, that she'd end up sent home to Nancy's. "You have that girl scared that sneezing in the wrong tone could get her sent home."

"Right, we get it, you're the cool and laid back uncle, the one who overlooks when she does anything wrong," Sean called back to him, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. "I can't be a cool and laid back dad, I can't just let her get away with breaking rules, being irresponsible," he threw back at his brother. It sometimes upset him that he couldn't be the fun parents with his kids, but Katie had been too sick at times that he had to be the killjoy. Katie was gone, now he had to be strict to prevent his daughter and wife reuniting too soon.

"No one is saying you have to be that way with her," defended Eamon, once again as Sean moved by him quickly, heading in the opposite direction of the willow tree and the lake. "Seanie boy, listen," Eamon stopped his brother.

Over the noise of the wind and thunder, the trees hushed just enough for a bark to be heard by the two. "The maze," Sean's anxiety flared up as the two ran in that direction.