Crash

70: Bring her back

Lyra-

"Honey, are you okay? You look a little sick. Maybe you want to go to promp care just to check," Dad asked.

I took a deep breath and managed a smile, "No daddy, I'm fine."

"You look so tired though.." He said, still pressing. I dropped the arrowhead from my fingers and stuffed it into my hoodie.

"I just stayed up late to catch up on my shows last night," I lied, "I'm fine, really."

Another lie. I'm definitely not okay. I'm so tired I'm about to fall over but I just can't sleep. I got up and went to the bathroom like a zombie. While I was washing my hands, I looked in the mirror and wasn't surprised by my reflection.

I had dark circles under my eyes. My sweatshirt hid Nathan's shirt underneath. I couldn't go long without wearing it. My hair was a mess and I had just left it that way.

Can you miss a person so much you physically get sick? That's something I'm starting to see as a yes. I don't know how long I can take this.

How long have I been like this? A week, no, more?  How long as it been since I left him? Two and a half weeks.

In that time, I've managed to talk to one newspaper to share my story. Just one, we didn't want to be flogged by news crews and shit like that.

I've spent a lot of time with dad and I mean a lot. We've done just about everything imaginable.

He's taken me for my favorite ice cream so many times I'm sick of it. I've filled my closet with new clothes after he took me shopping. We had catfish two days ago after we went fishing. I was ready for me time and I was very ready to see Nathan again.

While dad went for a shower, I snuck out of the house. I debated on going for a cruise in my baby or just plain going for a walk. I looked at the redwood forest behind my house (hello California), and had a little twinge of fear for some reason. I don't have Nathan, my safety blanket....

I got back inside briefly to grab the little pistol out of the coat rack drawer. Calling Baine, I waited for him to stop at my feet. There's still mountain lions out here. Running back outside, I disappeared down the little trail dad and I used to go down with Baine by my side.

Where is it? I haven't seen it in a long time. I walked down the trail, my directional senses and memory telling me to move off trail. There used to be a little deer path I would follow. It's over grown now but I never doubted myself.

I found a smaller redwood with pegs in the trunk. It was bigger than I remembered but then again it had been around ten years. Felt weird to think about that.

"Stay here bud," I told Baine.

I stuffed the pistol into the back of my jeans before quickly climbing up the tree, using the pegs to grab. The branch I used to sit on wasn't reachable by pegs because the tree had definitely grown, but I had too.

Leaping off the last pegs, I easily made it to the branch and sat down with my back against the trunk. Breathing in the smell of the forest, I was momentarily at peace. I closed my eyes and tried to pretend I was in a pine tree just outside my valley.

Nathan was at the cave, making some food. My fingers found the arrowhead and ran over its surface. Baine is at the base of the tree like he always waited patiently when I climbed. I'll be down in a little bit before it gets dark, so Nathan won't freak out...