Stranger Things Have Happened (Elvis Presley story)

Chapter 38

Elvis' POV

I've long since zoned out. After getting dragged away from Anna I have been bombarded by discussion that I could not be less interested in. I try to stifle a yawn as the minutes tick on that I am being told about all the business decisions that I need to be making in order to advance my career.

The feeling of a hand on my shoulder jolts me out of it a bit, and I turn my head to see who it is. Red has appeared by my side. Just as I open my mouth to say hi, I notice that he wears a nervous expression.

"Hey man, what's wrong?" I ask.

"Don't panic," Red starts, which instantly sets me on edge. "But I think Anna left."

My jaw falls open and I squint my eyes at him. "What do you mean left?" I demand. "Where did she go?"

Red shakes his head. "I don't know, I mean I was talking to her one second and then she just got weird and got up and walked away. I tried to see where she went but I can't find her anywhere. That was maybe twenty minutes ago. I think she went outside but--"

I don't even let him finish. I just grab him by the arm and yank him behind me as I make my way through the crowd of guests. I can hear the man that I was just talking to calling out to me, but I ignore him. It isn't too long until we reach the front door.

"You're sure she's not in here?"

Red shakes his head. "I looked everywhere, I couldn't find her."

I let out a breath and nod, opening the door and slipping outside with him behind me. The front yard is dark and empty, but cars still line the street. Red goes around the house to look out in the backyard while I look up and down the neighboring front yards. To my dismay, I see no sign of Anna.

The crunching of gravel on the road instantly draws my attention; I turn and jog across the yard down to the road. I see a young man dressed in the valet uniform walking on the gravel road back to the house; he looks a little bit alarmed to see me.

"Do you need your car sir?" He asks, looking a bit confused.

"Have you seen a girl out here recently? Auburn hair, gold dress?" I demand, feeling on the verge of losing my mind. He hesitantly shakes his head.

"No, I don't think so. It's been pretty quiet out here--"

"Elvis!" The two of us turn to look at Red as he comes running our way, out of breath. "I didn't find her but a lady inside told me she saw a girl run out that way about half an hour ago." He points down the road in the opposite direction than where we arrived.

We waist no time, hurrying over to find Red's car and hopping in before speeding off in that direction. We both have our windows rolled down and I am hanging out of the passenger side window. "Anna!" I call out loudly.

"We'll find her," Red reassures softly, "I'm sure she didn't go too far."

I shake my head and let out a scoff, sinking back into the seat and tugging my fingers through my hair. "God, I hope so."

The fact that we are the the very outskirts of town does not ease my nerves at all; there are no street lights and this area is lightly forested. There is only one road that we can follow. I continue to call out the window as Red drives slowly down the road and the two of us visually scour the landscape on either side of the road. The moon is bright enough to offer some illumination, though still minimal.

As the time we spend looking progresses, I begin to feel the sinking feeling in my stomach growing stronger. Not knowing where Anna is makes me feel absolutely terrible. She doesn't know this area at all, and she is all by herself. Where could she have even gone? I fear as though I may have done something to cause this. I try to sift through my mind to think of what it could have been, but my anger and anxiety at the situation makes it difficult.

"Anna!" I call out again, beginning to feel futile. I turn from my window to face Red. He wears an equally worried and upset expression as I'm sure I do. "What if we're going in the wrong direction?" I question.

But before Red even gets a chance to answer, a gasp escapes his mouth. I immediately turn to look where he is looking. We have just gone over a hill and on the other side our headlights shine brightly onto a figure on the side of the road. It is a very disheveled looking young woman whom I instantly recognize to be Anna.

I don't even wait for Red to pull the car to a complete stop before hopping out. I practically sprint around the car to the side where she is standing. The second I reach her I wrap my arms around her frame, tightly embracing her. In a moment, though, I pull away and hold her at arms length to give a thorough inspection.

She looks a mess. Her dress is torn and caked in dirt, she has on no shoes, leaves and twigs are clinging to her tangled hair, and her cheeks are stained with black tear-streaks from her makeup. Where my hands hold her bare arms, I feel that her skin is icy cold. I also am hit with the scent of alcohol coming off of her.

"What the hell happened?" I demand, feeling my voice shaking. I feel like I am on the verge of losing my mind; my breaths are coming rapidly and I can't stop it.

Her lip is quivering as she tries to speak, but nothing comes out but a strangled squeaking noise. I see new tears begin to well up in the corners of her eyes. Her small arms wrap themselves around my middle and I feel her begin to sink to the ground. Instantly, I scoop her up before she can fall, carrying her over to the car and setting her so she can lay down across the back seat. I slip off my jacket and lay it over her.

Pulling back, I close the car door. My hands are shaking as I leave them pressed flat against the cold metal of the car. I let my head fall down limp and I find myself staring down at the dirty gravel road beneath my feet. Squeezing my eyes shut tightly for just a moment, I exhale loudly and pull myself back together. Straightening myself, I open the passenger door and slip into the seat.

"Let's go home." I say flatly to Red. He obliges and I am pressed back into the seat slightly with the sudden acceleration. The steady purr of the engine and the quiet whimpers emanating from the back seat are all that's audible during the duration of the drive.