Emily's House: Book 1 of the Akasha Chronicles

Chapter 26: And Liam Makes Three Again

Chapter 26: And Liam Makes Three Again

Liam was restless on his flight to Dublin. His mind raced with thoughts of where Emily could be and why she’d gone to Ireland in the first place.

He arrived exhausted, but there was no time to waste. He searched from youth hostel to hostel and hoped his guess about where the three had flopped was correct. Liam got lucky. On his fifth try, he found two familiar faces in the dark common room of an old hostel. Jake was busy at his laptop, and Fanny appeared to be asleep on a couch.

“Fanny, Jake – thank God I found you!”

Jake didn’t stand but his mouth fell open almost to the floor. His eyes were red-rimmed and tired looking but he smiled brightly when he saw Liam. Jake kicked at Fanny’s leg hanging over the end of the couch. “Wake up, Fan.”

Fanny pushed herself up, rubbed her eyes and laid into Jake. “Leave off, nub. I’m trying to sleep.” But then her eyes caught sight of Liam and she ended her grumpy tirade at Jake. She ran to Liam and hugged him.

“What? How did you find us?” Jake asked.

“It’s a long story, but I got lucky I guess. Are you okay?”

“We’re fine Mr. Adams, really okay,” said Fanny.

Liam’s eyes roamed the room hoping to see Emily. But she wasn’t there. “Where’s Emily? Still sleeping?”

Jake and Fanny exchanged guilty, worried looks. A wave of nausea overcame Liam.

“Emily’s not here?”

“Nah, she’s not,” Jake said.

“Well, where is she?”

The two teens were again silent.

“Look you two, this isn’t a game. All three of you are in serious trouble. Now tell me where she is!”

Jake and Fanny again exchanged silent glances, but then Fanny nodded to Jake.

“Mr. Adams, what we have to tell you ... well, it’s going to sound impossible. You probably won’t believe us,” Jake said at last.

“In the last forty-eight hours my fourteen-year-old daughter assaulted my half-crazed sister and ran away to Ireland. I had to calm down two mothers who are, by the way, close to hysterical, flew from Chicago to Dublin, I haven’t slept in over thirty-six hours and, oh yeah, I ran around Dublin looking for you guys. So try me.”

“Okay, but we need to go somewhere private. What we have to tell you isn’t for public consumption,” said Fanny.

Jake and Fanny took Liam to their small room. Fanny plopped stomach down on a bunk while Jake told Liam an incredible story about a visit from an alien creature, a golden arm bracelet and a portal. Jake ended his story, “Then Emily walked into a hole in the ground and disappeared into another dimension.”

Jake went quiet. He and Fanny stared at Liam with mute expectation. Liam did not speak, but his cheeks flushed red and a large vein in his neck began to bulge.

Fanny broke the silence. “Well, what do you think?”

“What do I think? What do I think? I think my daughter’s missing, and you’re telling me this crazy story to stall me instead of telling me the truth. That’s what I think.

“Why are you two doing this? You think it’s a funny game to play – mess with Liam? Look, I know I haven’t been the father of the year, but this is a cruel joke to play on me. So what I think is that you two better cut out lying and tell me the truth or so help me, I’m turning you over to the police and let you deal with that!”