Chosen

Chapter 2

"Mom? Dad? Anybody?"

Blair huffed for what seemed like the hundredth time that day, and closed the front door to her family home behind her. She brought her bags into her old room, which had miraculously stayed the same as it had when she lived there two years prior.

She made her way down the staircase, and walked into the kitchen, a snack sounding appropriate after a long drive with nerves rumbling her tummy the whole way. On the fridge was a note from her mom saying her parents had run to the store and would be home shortly.

Blair grabbed a bottle of water and went into her father's office to get started on her research before she went off in search of whatever was hiding in the forests of her beloved home. Google didn't offer much assistance other than articles about the few missing people from the area who were last seen traveling into the woods.

Blair pulled her hair up and clipped it on top of her head, shutting down the computer with a frustrated sigh. She had guessed she wouldn't have much to go on, but she was hoping there would be at least one or two leads.

She went to the small leather couch that sat in the corner of her dad's office, a blanket strewn across it that her mother had made years ago, and snuggled up. "I'll just close my eyes for a second, and then I'll get back to work..."

It was three hours before she actually woke, and her head throbbed intensely, her mouth dry, leaving her with a thirst that seemed unquenchable. Blair sat up slowly, rubbing her temples and opening her eyes slowly so they could adjust to the now dark room. As she regained her sight, the smell of her mother's homemade lasagna wafted into the room.

She made her way into the kitchen slowly, squinting her eyes slightly as the pulsating in her head increased.

"Blair, there you are dear!" She squeezed her eyes tightly as her mother's squeals blared in her ears.

"I'm right here, mama, please. My head is killing me. Is there any Tylenol?" She grabbed a glass of water and sipped slowly, pressing the cool glass against her forehead.

Her mother tutted and moved quickly to the trusty medicine cabinet and quickly handed her a few pills.

"You know dear, if you don't stop sleeping so much during the day you are going to give yourself chronic migraines."

Blair rolled her eyes and winced as she swallowed the medicine her mother had given her. "I'll take my chances. Where's daddy?"

The front door slammed shut and Blair spun around, her dad barreling towards the kitchen with a Christmas tree dragging behind him.

"Daddy!!!!" Blair squealed and jumped into her father's open arms. Breathing in his familiar smell of whiskey and cigars, she snuggled deeper into his embrace. It had been a while since she had been home to visit her parents, and she was starting to realize how much she had truly missed them.

"Blair-bear, I've missed you. Good of you to come visit your old man." Gently setting her down, he picked up the tree and continued dragging it through the kitchen into the living room where they would set it up that night.

Blair's mother gasped when she saw the pine needles covering the floor, "Tom!!!! You would be well advised to clean up your mess, or you will not get any dessert tonight!"

Blair snickered and was quickly cut off by her mother's crass retort. "You too, young lady. Help your father or neither of you can share the special dessert I made for your arrival."

She swiftly grabbed the broom from the spot beside the fridge and thrust it into Blair's hands, shooing her towards the mess of pine needles covering the floor throughout the house.

Blair smiled and made her way to the front door to begin sweeping, and took a deep breath in. It was so good to be home, even if only for a little while.

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Sorry for such a long wait, but here it is...chapter 2 of Chosen. Blair seems content, but her research has yet to truly begin. What is in store for Blair when she digs deeper?