LOTF: Before and After

Phase 3: Chapter 39

Ralph Langley was losing it. He felt like he'd endured just about as much as he could possibly take over the last year. If he didn't love Jack Merridew as much as he did, he would have been too tired to panic, too tired to go to great lengths, too tired to care. But if there was one thing in the world Ralph could never get tired of it was loving Jack.

"When? After baseball?" Ralph pressed as he started pacing the living room; his dad's eyes wide with concern as he eavesdropped, following his son's movement with his eyes.

"He was never at baseball. He gets himself to and from places without our help most of the time but he's never been gone this long before without telling me. I'm starting to think something happened or he did something stupid. I was really hoping he got himself to you somehow, he's done that before" Jack's sister continued to ramble in a panic.

"No, I-I haven't heard from him. I woke up and he was gone this morning, I haven't seen him since we went to bed last night" Ralph confirmed as tears started forming in his eyes.

Jeffery stood up and approached Ralph, grabbing onto the boy's shoulder to stop him from pacing frantically. Ralph flinched at the unexpected contact and glanced up at his father. Jeffery gestured for Ralph to hand him the phone, so he did.

"Paige? This is Jeffery, Ralph's father. Has Jack ever gone and spent the night anywhere since the boys have been home from the island?"

"No" Paige's voice shook forcefully, "only with Ralph, that's it" she spoke quickly and unsteadily.

"Is there anywhere he goes during the day to get away? When he's upset or wants to be alone, does he usually leave the house?" Jeffery asked, Ralph stood close by his side, his head cranked back as he desperately kept his gaze locked on his father.

"I-I don't know" Paige regretfully admitted. "He goes down to the basement sometimes but he's not there, I've checked the whole house already."

"Okay listen, if you are unsure of anyplace else he may go other than our house, you need to contact the police, Paige. Your brother is a child and it is very serious when a child disappears like this. Ralph talked to me about what happened last night, and given the gravity of it all, it's likely that he's just trying to do something to take control of the situation. But I do have to ask because we care greatly about your brother's safety: is it at all possible that your mother could have reached out to him and asked him to meet her or anything like that?" Jeffery was disheartened to have to ask.

"Oh my god, what if she's got him?" Paige's level of panic spiked a notch or two.

"Paige, it's going to be okay. But I highly recommend you call the police. Even if Jack just left of his own accord to take some space and time to himself, he is still a missing child. Okay? So I want you to hang up the phone, call 911 and tell them what happened last night and when the last time you or anyone saw or spoke with Jack was, and answer all their questions to the best of your knowledge, alright? Then you need to get in touch with your father and let him know what's happening. It's going to be okay, Jack's going to be okay. Please tell whoever you speak to that they can contact myself or Ralph if there is anything we can do to help, okay?" he comfortingly but firmly directed her.

"Okay" Paige was evidently crying now, it was obvious by the shakiness and muffling in her voice.

"It's going to be okay, but you don't have time to think about this. Make the call."

"I will, thank you" the girl sniffled as she hung up the phone.

Laurie was standing in the entry to the hallway, leaning up against the wall. Jeffery was unsure of how long she'd been standing there, and Ralph had been too hyper focused on his dad to even notice she was there at all.