UNCHANGEABLE - FREENBECKY

the forest

it settles down after they get past the bridge.

freen can feel how charlotte's trying to help by ambling down the trail and encouraging her to take pictures of the forest. it was effective because soon after, freen gets engrossed with getting good shots.

because of that, they stay on the trail longer. they even bought a banana roti from a vender along the way because it reminded freen of emily. she knows they won't be able to catch up with becky and her family as they were way ahead of them.

but boy, she was wrong.

because at the end of the trail awaits a troubled-looking mew, pacing back and forth. not far from him is becky sitting on a log, palms on her face. kade and her mom trying to comfort her.

freen meets mew's eyes. he gestures for her to come over to becky, which freen does with no hesitation. the moment becky feels her presence, the woman stands up and grabs her quickly in a tight hug.

"freen..." becky sobs, burying her face in freen's shoulder.

confused, freen hugs the woman back and taps her back gently. kade and becky's mom both look worried. freen glances around one more time and realises that one person is missing.

"where's emily?" she asks. becky clutches the back of her shirt.

"she... she went... ran ahead of us..." says kade. "we can't find her after."

"what?"

"maybe she got lost on the track and went the wrong way?" says charlotte.

"the rescue team is already looking for her," says becky's mom. "they advised us to stay and wait here."

"what if... what if they won't?" asks becky, sobbing. "and the wild animals, freen... what if something happens to her...?"

"shh..." freen cups the back of becky's head. "she'll be fine... they'll find her..." she shifts her eyes at mew, who's still looking away, jaws clenched.

she sighs, focussing back on becky. "maybe you should sit again so you can calm down?"

becky nods and pulls back. freen guides her to sit back on the log. but the woman doesn't have plans of letting her go, wrapping her arms around freen's waist. freen feels awkward, not sure if it's okay for them to be like this in front of the others.

kade gives her an assuring nod. "let her be. she needs you."

freen briefly remembers charlotte. but she's too busy to mind that. she crouches on the ground and looks up at becky.

"hey..." she wipes becky's tears with her thumbs. "they'll find her. i'm sure of that. i'm sure she hasn't gone that far."

becky just looks at her, her chest heaves as she struggles to breathe.

freen couldn't stand the sight. she pulls the woman to her chest. becky's body softens in her embrace. kade comes to rub becky's back.

an unusual flock of birds suddenly flying over them catches freen's attention. she traces back where the flock came from, which seems to point in the middle of the forest.

"i think i know where emily is..." she pulls away frombecky.

"where are you going?" asks becky grabbing freen's arm when the latter stands to her feet.

"i'm bringing your daughter back." freen looks up at the sky. "those birds came from that direction. something or someone might have bothered them."