11 | hounded

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11

H O U N D E D

The German Shephard that prowls past Mia flicks his tail and digs his wet, dark, nose in the groud of dirt beneath his paws with a low whine humming from his large body

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The German Shephard that prowls past Mia flicks his tail and digs his wet, dark, nose in the groud of dirt beneath his paws with a low whine humming from his large body. Mia guessed he grew restless, the light in the sky draining away as the air began to feel damp and cool against her revealed skin.

They've been resolutely foraging for any sign of Jeffrey through the forest behind the school, the trees that hovered over their heads whooshing against the wind and howling against the prompt nightfall.

The heals of Mia's feet were beginning to throb from all of the exhaust of wandering around, and, with the whine of Shailey, the pretty yet lethal canine before her, ringing in her ears, Mia knew even she had the idea that they were going nowhere with their search party for Jeffrey Dormer.

Whenever Mia called, "Jeffrey!" The only response she would receive was someone in the mere distance, calling out the exact same thing and waiting for a certain sort of response, but she should have known it wouldn't be that easy.

Jeffrey Dormer wasn't playing hide and seek. He was missing. So, by shouting out his name, Mia knew the result wasn't going to be a lanky boy stepping out from behind a bush and calling 'here!'.

But she didn't think it'd be that discouraging, breathing in the scent of the muddy earth and stepping on crumped leaves, for an hour and so, only to receive no answer from the opposite end.

"Come on, boy, where are you?" Mia heard the Sheriff mumble to himself as he galumphed over tree roots poking from out of the earth cautiously, his gaze focused solely on his surroundings.

Mia closed her eyes briefly, exhaling a breath of air, the hopelessness that filled her dampening her confidence. Shelley released another whine, and, as the Sheriff caught up to her, ruffling her shaggy hair behind her ears, the both of them searched in unison in front of Mia as her walking slowed down.

She lingered behind the crowd of students, friendly neighbors, policeman and teachers, a chorus transmitting through the crumbling forest as they call out Jeffrey's name, followed by the sound of feet stomping on branches and leaves, and the clink of Shelley's collar.

Her fingers caressed the skin of her temples, hushing the start of an everlasting headache. Mia's insides began to feel like they were being gnawed by guilt and she couldn't quite erase the feeling that she had a reason to be guilty; an unsettling feeling forming in her gut.

Automatically, Mia's crepuscular eyes shifted to her left, taking notice of a familiar blonde stalking through the forest amidst a crowd of people. Over her golden head is a lilac wool hat, sporting a puff of fur at the top of it, glittery and matching her suede jacket. Her Converse-clad feet kick through the dirt idly and Mia narrowed her eyes at her.

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