Find me

The Chase

Can walked out looking around the backyard. He found her crouched next to the strawberry plants, digging with her small shovel. She lifted some soil to her nose, he smiled, she probably thought it smelt so beautiful. He kept his eyes on her as he quietly approached the garden; she was wearing a red summer dress with thin spaghetti straps and was bare feet. She had her gardening gloves on and had no idea Can was so close.

He observed her for a minute, she looked angelic with the sun shining through her hair. He couldn't hold any more and put both his hands on her buttocks while his nose went straight into her neck. Sanem screamed in fear but immediately recognized his touch and scent; she dropped her head back so he could kiss her further.

She closed her eyes and took her gloves off to thread her fingers through his hair. He chuckled and picked her up making her twirl in the air. He put her down and she turned around to face him.

S: ''I love you.'' She kissed his lips with a peck and smiled. He kept his eyes in hers, pushing her hair behind her head and rubbing his thumbs on her temples while smiling back.

C: ''you're so beautiful.'' She remained silent, so blissfully happy. He slowly approached his mouth from hers but suddenly saw her fall backward, her hands stretched out toward him.

Can jumped up in his bed realising he had been dreaming of her again... almost every night she would visit him and disappear as if swallowed by the ground, her eyes begging him to save her. It had never made sense until now. He rubbed his face to wake up and got straight out of bed and into the shower, he had a big day ahead of him.

C: ''good morning dad.''

A: ''Can, good morning, where are you going?'' he asked as he saw him putting his jacket on.

C: ''Sanem's parents, they need to know what I found.''

A: ''no!''

Can turned around, his face clearly requesting an explanation.

Aziz shows his words, ''let's be sure first Can, the last thing you want to do is tell them you found her when really... you haven't.''

Can slowly walked back inside the living room, thinking. ''You're right, I'll talk to them when I have figured what is going on.''

Aziz would do anything for his son but he felt the duty to protect Sanem's family from what was a pretty uncertain theory and probably Can hanging onto the desperate thread of hope.

Sanem entered the little corner shop and placed her bag and jeans jacket behind the counter.

S: ''I'll go clean the spice racks Memhet!''

She wrapped an apron around her waist and waived at her boss.

M: ''thank you Ayse, I will leave now then.''

S: ''yes go, I will be fine.'' The old man left the shop and walked next door to his home. Finding Sanem, who he knew under her false name Ayse, had been a God send as his old age was taking its toll working all day in the little shop. She was coming everyday from 2pm and close around 7pm or later if needed. She had befriended the hairdresser across the street as well as the tea room owner; the street was reminding her of the neighbourhood, she would often sit at her window in the morning, observing the movements of the street and shedding heavy tears at her loss.

Her new book had been published a couple of months ago, well officially it was her first one. She had never met the small publisher she had convinced to distribute her writing; all communication was by phone or emails. It was a small office, only a handful of employees and they all had been quite respectful of her desire to remain anonymous. Once the book had been printed, she had asked her publisher to send a copy to every book distributor and publisher so it would circulate as much as possible. Her one and only aim, for Can to stumble upon it. She knew her chances were thin, the odds of him finding the book were thin but she also knew his work brought a lot of publishers in his life. She knew her ''jailers'' would read the book and had made sure no element resembled the life she had left behind, other than ones only Can would understand. It was her only hope, her only bottle in the sea... if he read the book, he would definitely notice her signal.