Where Is Araminta Green? (ONC 2024)

Chapter 12: Lost

Moss and pine needles lay beneath his feet. Wispy branches willowed above, shading the bright spring sun.

Jordan was lost. So damn lost. In every single way.

Standing among miles upon miles of identical trees, he had no clue where to go. His optimistic plan upon walking into the woods had been to find Esme's cottage again. Maybe she had answers to all the confusing questions whirling in his mind. Maybe she had the mysterious cards that Jane had talked about, the ones that had once belonged to her mother. Maybe she had the ability to guide him toward his next step.

But apparently, Jordan wasn't lost enough. Because Esme had said only the ones who were lost could find the cottage. And while Jordan felt pretty damn lost, the forest wouldn't give up its secrets to him.

His trajectory toward losing himself had started that morning. After dropping the last episode of the podcast, Jordan had checked the mail and discovered that he'd finally received the police report from Araminta's case. But hope turned to dust when the letter turned out to contain no new clues. No suspects. No witnesses. Nothing. The only trace Araminta had left led toward the woods, which meant that's where Jordan had to go. He'd started his trek from the graveyard, walking the same path as last time. But instead of ending up among lilies in gleaming sunlight, he'd found himself lost in murky darkness. For hours upon hours.

Trying to find some kind of landmark, Jordan spun around. There were only trees. High and mighty they isolated him from the world outside. He was alone.

If only Derek had been there. With his endless optimism and ability to find solutions, he would have been able to get them out of this pickle. But Derek wasn't around. In fact, Jordan hadn't spoken to Derek since their visit with Jane, three days ago. After an awkwardly silent ride home, they had parted without even addressing the kiss again and now, Jordan's phone remained silent. No koalas. No exuberant messages of encouragement. Not even any feedback on the latest episode of the podcast.

Jordan supposed he hadn't been in touch either, so the chasm wasn't all on Derek. Jordan could have called, texted, or koala-ed as well. But he wasn't sure what to say. How did you talk to someone you had just kissed? It wasn't like the intimate encounter had been bad. On the contrary, it had been rather delightful. But it inevitably changed things between them, which meant Jordan wasn't sure how to proceed. Any attempt at contact felt fraught. What if Derek felt the same as him? What if he didn't? Both options felt equally terrifying because differing wishes on how to move forward could break the tenuous relationship they had built in a short time. Jordan didn't know if he wanted to take that risk, seeing that Derek was the best friend he'd ever had. Not even for a chance at something more. Although it may be too late to take a step back now anyway. The border was crossed irrevocably.

Suffice it to say, Jordan was as lost in love as he was in the woods.

Sitting down on a tree stump, which formed a natural chair, Jordan checked the reception on his phone again. Still no bars. So he couldn't use the map app to navigate his way back nor could he alert anyone of his predicament. He supposed his family would miss him once they got home, but that was still a few hours away as he'd left before noon, and they wouldn't know where he had gone and considering that Jordan was an adult, him not being in his room shouldn't cause immediate concern anyway.

His stomach growled. In vain, Jordan rummaged through his pockets for something to snack on. It was the third time he did so, hoping to find a sneakily hidden granola bar or something. Once again, he came up empty. A couple of mushrooms grew out of the moss beside where Jordan sat. They may be edible, but he wasn't desperate enough to try just yet.

In the distance, he heard a crow cawing. Rising from his seat, Jordan traveled toward the sound. He hoped the bird may dwell near civilization, which realistically shouldn't be far. Having looked at maps of the area in the past, Jordan knew the woods didn't go on forever. They were perched right between his hometown and the neighboring town, with not more than a mile of untouched wilderness. But right now, the overgrown woods appeared endless, defying any logic gleaned from geographic surveillance.