Persistence

Two teenage boys decide to shoot off some firecrackers early Saturday morning, naturally they would go to a private area. Trespassing just adds to the adrenaline rush ,right? However, I don’t think they would be quite prepared for what they were about to find when reaching their destination.
“Come on, dipshit. Keep up.” Tom laughingly yelled back through the forest at his friend Tom.
“Oh, fuck off, Tom.” Alec said as he ran up to meet Tom at his side.

“You didn’t lose ‘em? Did you?”

“No, you idiot, I’m not stupid like you.” He smirked.

“Oh, can it and hurry up. We’re almost there.”

They reached the edge of the lake on the opposite side from where Emma was still lying unconscious and injured. Alec and Tom both reached into their pockets and laughed as they each pulled out two strings of firecrackers. They had decided to blow them off by the lake so they wouldn’t have to clean anything up. Laziness at it’s best. Tom set off his two strings Alec was about to light a firecracker when he suddenly froze dead in his tracks.

“Dude, what’s that?” He said to Tom as he pointed across the lake at the opposite shoreline.

“Can it and hurry up man. We’re going to get busted.” Tom snapped.

“Oh my god” Alec continued staring with wide eyes as he was realizing what the figure on the beach was.

Tom grabbed Alec’s arm and yanked him back. “Dude, chill out. Set off your firecrackers or I’m doing it for you.”

“Fine. Whatever, man.” Alec flung the two strings of firecrackers at his comrade and ran to the other side of the lake.

Tom just glared and lit off the final two strings of firecrackers.

Alec had almost reached where Emma was when he stopped again.

He stared at Emma and all he could manage to say was, “Woo…”

Tom had now finished making his way to the place where Alec was now standing still angered about Alec’s leaving.

“Dude, that’s a woman.” Alec said looking at Tom.

“Well no shit, Sherlock, but what the hell is she on the beach for at eight in the morning?”

They both begin to walk closer to Emma. She was breathing but unstable in every way.

“Is she…alive?” said Tom now realizing the situation.

“I don’t know, man. I’m not touching her to find out either.”

“Well, she’s breathing. Her stomach’s moving.”

“Dude, we better get out of here. This shit is weird.”

Emma’s head fell to the side. Both boys screamed like little girls at this site and proceeded to run away as fast as they could back in the general direction of their home.

Back at the house, Rory pulled up to the Morrow’s house in her SUV and opened the door to get out. She grabbed the key ring given to her by Emma when they had first moved in that contained almost every spare key to the entire house. Smiling crookedly at the thought of Aiden locking himself in the attic, she unlocked the front door. She entered the living room and suddenly became puzzled.

Why didn’t Emma let him out..? Where is she…?

She ignored that thought momentarily and made her way to the back where the locked attic staircase was.

“Aiden!” she yelled to get his attention.

Aiden moved over to the edge of the silhouette of the staircase. “Hey, Ror Thanks for doing this.”

“No prob. So did Emma get pissed at you and lock you up or what?” She said laughing again.

There was a small silence. Just her name, the simple mention of anything even remotely close to being about her, sent a rush of immediate pain through his entire body. He calmed himself and said, “Not exactly.”

“Hey, Aiden, my key’s not working.”

“Shit… Hang on, Ror. I’ll be down in a second.”

“Okay..?” She said still confused.

Aiden then moved over to the small window on the left of the attic.

Well, this is going to hurt like hell. Can’t wait. He thought.

He cracked open the window and climbed onto the edge of it now looking down at the distance he would soon be falling into. He bent his knees, preparing for his decent, and leaped off the window ledge. He leaded quite ungracefully, resulting in a very loud groan and Rory to run outside, find him, and scream at the top of her lungs.

“Oh my God! Aiden! Are you okay?!” she cried as she darted to his side as he lay on the dirt.

“Nothing a cup of coffee and an aspirin can’t fix.” He laughed.

“Not funny, Aiden. Your shoulder looks like hell. She beat you up too?” She smiled.

“That’s bullshit! Emma didn’t do this to me!” he glared at Rory. “Don’t you ever pull that crap again!”

“Sorry, Dad.” She spat back at him. “Look, you need a doctor. What the hell happened to you? Where’s Emma?” She became more serious now.

“I don’t know where Emma is.”

Rory’s eyes widened. “What do you mean you don’t know where she is?!”

“I’ll explain on the way to the doctors. Help me up would ya?” He reached his hand out to Rory’s.

She grabbed his hand and gave him a firm tug which was unsuccessful since Rory was in fact about half Aiden’s size. They both laughed as he managed to unsteadily pull himself up on his feet. She starting helping him get over to her car when he rudely nudged her away and spat, “I got it already!”

“Chill. How should I know your ankle isn’t hurt or something?” She said trying to stay somewhat calm.

“Right, I’m sorry Ror. I just, I don’t know. I can’t think straight right now.” He started rubbing his hand against his forehead in frustration.

Rory started the car.

“Hang on Aiden. I have to call Mr.Donahew. He wanted me and Em to work overtime on this big account.” She was a little shaky now as she reached for her cell phone in her purse and started the car.

Rory was talking, but Aiden didn’t even hear her. All he could think about was Emma. Her smile, her scent, her voice, her eyes, everything about her was missed with every fiber of his being. Aiden started to day dream into a memory. Not a bad memory, a happy one. Emma had just gotten her job at the firm and Aiden was about to propose. Neither of them could stop smiling at the time. Absolutely nothing in the world could ruin either member of the happy couple’s glee. Excitement didn’t just fill the air; it consumed anyone and everyone around it. Aiden was standing next to Emma with a group of about five people at her now crowded apartment. He wasn’t tuned into the conversation at all, as he was so nervous about the proposal that he kept going over it in his head repetitively.

“Aiden?” Emma said smiling. “You alive?” she laughed as she nudged his side.

“Oh, sorry” he smiled in return. “Um, hey follow me. ” He took her hand still smiling brilliantly and led her out to the balcony through the sliding glass door.

“What is it, Aiden?” she said as he held her tight in his arms and she still seemed psychically incapable of moving her mouth from a smiling position.

“Aiden?” Rory said. ”Aiden? You okay? Oh my god, are you crying? Are you in pain? What’s wrong?”

Slowly slipping back into reality, Aiden wiped the lonely tear off of his cheek and said, “I’m fine.”

“Aiden, what happened? Where’s Em?” she sounded anxious.

“I don’t know. He’s…Scott’s here and god, Ror, I don’t even know if she’s still alive.” He said this staring out the car window just watching the tress pass by like a blur. That’s all his life felt like right now, just a blur. A good blur, he had no complaints, but a blur none the less. He felt like a lifeless object, simply taking up space in a meaningless and empty world. Another tear slid silently down his cheek.

“Well, for now, we’re here, and you need to get that shoulder looked at. C’mon” Rory said as she turned off the car and pulled the key from the ignition.

He got out of the car, now parked in front of the hospital, and headed for the door. Once they had reached the lobby, Rory turned to him and said, “I’ll check you in. Just wait here okay? You need anything?”

“I’m fine, Ror, and last time I checked, I was perfectly capable of signing myself in at the doctor’s office.”

“Yeah, yeah, now sit down.” She demanded.

“Fine.” he grumbled back at her.

He waited impatiently at his seat in the hospital lobby and drifted back into his one world of day dreaming again, picking up right where he had left off.

“C’mon babe, I have to get back in there.” Emma said continuing to smile.

“This’ll only take a second.” He replied.

He let go of his soon to be fiancé and stood a little less than a foot away from her.

“Something wrong, Aid?” Emma said, beginning to become confused but unsurprisingly still as ecstatic as before.

Aiden put his left hand in his back pocket to grab the ring box and got down on one knee while holding Emma’s hand in his right.

She froze. She was shocked. Still grinning, but shocked none the less.

“Aiden…”

She was cut off by the beginning of his well thought out speech.

“Emma Ross you are the most amazing person I have ever met. You’ve changed my life and almost every wonderful way. You’ve changed me, and I love you with everything I am. I know I can’t offer you much, and I know we just got back together a few months ago and everything. But honey, I can’t wait any longer. Em, will you marry me?”

He opened the ring box, and Emma’s jaw practically dropped to the floor.

The crowd from inside had now gathered around the sliding glass door..

“I thought you’d never ask.” She smiled wider now, completely and utterly overjoyed.

He slid the ring on his newly found fiancé’s finger, and pulled her into his arms again.

They kissed, and he swung his bride-to-be in a full circle while still holding her close.

“Now you’re stuck with me.” She grinned.

“I’ll gladly never let you go, my dear.” He smiled in reply.

“Hey, come on. They called you in.” Rory said as she leaned over his chair to get his attention.

Drifting back into reality yet again, Aiden obeyed and got up to meet the nurse at the door. The feeling of emptiness returned, but he attempted to ignore it to not worry Rory.

“Hello?” The officer answered the police station’s phone.

“Hi, I’d like to report a missing person.” Rory spoke into her phone as she paced back and forth in the lobby.

“Alright, what’s this person’s name?” he said.

“Emma Ross. She’s got brown hair, blue eyes, about five foot seven.” She said.

“Okay, do you know her license plate number? You know, just in case someone sees her in her car somewhere.”

“Her license plate number? Oh, um I’m not sure I’d have to go look. I’m not at her house right now.” she replied.

“I see, well, is she a resident here?” the man replied.

“Yes, she’s local.”

“And when was she last seen?”

“Yesterday. I’m not really sure what time it was when she went missing. I wasn’t there when it all happened. Her fiancé was, but he’s in the doctor’s office right now.” said Rory.

“With whom?” he asked.

“Scott Hunter. That’s what Aiden said. Aiden’s her fiancé.”

“Oh, would Mr. Hunter have any reason to want to hurt Miss Ross?”

“I can imagine he’d want to hurt her, yes.” Rory cringed at her own statement.

“Okay, now, do you know if he lives here?”

“I don’t know where he lives.”

“Do you what type of car he drives by any chance?”

“No, I don’t know what kind of car he owns either. I’m so sorry.”

“Okay and can I get your name?

“My name? I’m Rory, Rory Holbertson.”

“Can I contact you at this number, or would you like to provide another one?”

“No, this number should be fine for you to reach me.”

“Alrighty, I’ll send out the notices and keep my eyes peeled.” He tried to sound happy in the attempt to cheer her up.

“Thank you, officer.” she replied simply.

“How was your walk?” Mrs. Bradley asked Alec when he entered the kitchen where she was standing along with his sibling who was eating breakfast at the island.

“Um, fine. Tom was still tired so we came back early.”

“Freak.” His older sister Rachel mumbled.

Mrs. Bradley rolled her eyes and turned on the TV to the local news station.

“In other news, a local woman has turned up missing. Emma Ross disappeared yesterday evening, after being seen with one Scott Hunter, and hasn’t been seen since.” A picture showed up on the screen of Emma while the reporter continued speaking.” If you have seen Miss Ross or Mister Hunter anywhere, police ask you to call the station immediately.”

“That’s awful.” Mrs. Bradley remarked.

“Yeah, I hope they find her.” Rachel said.

“I’m going to go lay down.” Alec said as he ran upstairs to his room frantically, feeling like he needed to hide.

He picked up the phone as soon as he entered his small room and dialed the number for Tom’s house.

“Hello?” Tom answered.

“Dude, we’re dead.”

“You saw it too?” Tom asked.

“What the hell do we do? If we spill we’re busted.”

“That’s why you keep your mouth shut, stupid.”

“She looked hurt though, man. What if she dies out there because nobody finds her?” Alec questioned.

“Look, keep it quiet. Okay? We’ll figure something out.”

“I don’t know, man. It doesn’t feel right.” Alec admitted.

“My mom’s coming. I have to go.” Tom said before he abruptly hung up.

Alec sighed and contemplated going down stairs right then to go tell his mother everything he had seen at the lake, but decided against it for the moment.

Back at the hospital, Rory was now pacing back and forth in the lobby waiting for Aiden to return. She had already called Todd and explained everything. He had wanted to come and help, but she insisted on him going to work anyways. Aiden finally came back out with a wrapped shoulder, a few scattered bandages, and a pill bottle in his hand. Rory assumed they were pain medications. The shoulder wound looked serious enough to require such.

“Hey” She said when he finally reached her.

“Not a word” He snapped.

“I wasn’t going to. Do you need to sign out or something?”

“Yeah I’ll be right back.” He turned and signed himself out at the lobby counter.

“I’ll drive you home. Want me to stay with you?”

“I’m not going to be held responsible for getting you fired, Ror.”

She rolled her eyes and held the lobby door open for Aiden.

They walked into the parking structure and to the car in silence. No words were truly necessary at this moment, and silence didn’t really bother either of them right now. They were both worrying about Emma constantly. Emma started the car and drove all the way to their house in the continuous quiet until she reached the driveway and asked, “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay? It’s really not any inconvenience for me at all. I could help out with whatever you needed.” She pleaded.

“Go to work, Rory” he insisted. “Thank you for the ride. I’ll call you if I really need anything.”

“That’s fair, I guess.”

“Goodbye, Ror.” He said as he got out of the car and proceeded to walk back into the house.

Deciding to take a nap, Aiden was about to lay down for a nap when he spotted an envelope on the kitchen counter. He reluctantly opened it.
“Finders Keepers.” The note read.
He peered into the bottom of the envelope and pulled out Emma’s engagement ring.
He held it in his palm and began to sob as he fell to the floor feebly. Aiden didn’t move from this position all day until about nine-o’-clock P.M.

Around this same time, Alec climbed out of bed and headed for his window. This guilt was eating him alive. The Bradley’s only had a one story house so jumping out the window would be quite simple. The police station was just down the block. He was determined now. He would march right in there and tell them everything. He reached the door to the station in his pajamas and grabbed the door handle. Nervous, he marched into the main office and asked to see the Missing Person’s officer. The secretary told him where to go in the building; he thanked her and followed her directions to the officer’s desk.

“Sir…"

“Well, hello there son, what can I do you for?” he said pleasantly.

“I know where Emma Ross is.” He stated.