Going to Pasalacqua

“I will wander until the end of time, torn away from you. I pulled away to face the pain. close my eyes and drift away. Over the fear that I will never find A way to heal my soul. And I will wander 'til the end of time Torn away from you.
My heart is broken
Sweet sleep, my dark angel
Deliver us from sorrow's hold
(Over my heart).”

“My Heart is Broken” by Evanescence

         <><><> Billie's Point of View <><><>

“Billie, wake up, we've got some new leads...”

“Err, what?...”

I jerked up and viciously rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, blinking rapidly to adjust them to the sudden light pouring through the window.

“Ah fuck... I fell asleep.” I groaned and rubbed at my eyes some more.

“Wasn't that the plan?” Mike joked, but I shot him a dirty look.

He held his hands up in surrender, “Yeesh dude, thought you'd be happy that we have more information on Adeline's location.”

My eyes popped open and suddenly I was no longer tired, I fumbled around until I was sitting again. “Spill.”

Mike coughed and looked away nervously.

“What is it?”

“You won't like it...”

“Tell me.” I commanded.

He sighed in defeat and took a deep breath “The cops were out looking around the same place they found her necklace, and...”

“What?”

He looked me in the eyes “They found some... Blood.”

He might as well have just knocked the air out of me when he said that, already my hope was dwindling that she was even still alive 

I gasped in pain as it gripped my heart in steal binds, no Adeline was stronger than this... She's ok, goddammit she's ok...

“Man, it's ok, don't put yourself into a panic attack.” Mike grabbed my shoulders and shook away the converging darkness, my eyes flashed up to meet his ice blue ones. 

“What if she's not ok?” I growled. We couldn't guarantee her safety. 

                                      <><><>

By noon, I was pacing the police station. Biting my nails in deep thought and glaring down at my scuffed converse and the pale green carpet. People kept trying to comfort me, but I didn't want comforting from anyone who offered, I wanted Adeline. 

I look up to see a worried group of people walk through the front doors, I recognized them instantly, Adeline's parents and Angie. Angie ran towards me and hugged me the second she saw me.

“Do you think she's ok?...” Angie mumbled into my shirt. I shrugged even though she probably couldn't see, did I want to put on a show for everyone else, or do I want to be hardcore honest with them, no matter how much it'd hurt them.

I glanced over to see Ollie and Larry, they were filling in Dave and Connie. Her brother Embry was probably just as worried, even though he was stationed in another state, it didn't change the concern for your lost little sister. 

Alan, Marci, Anna and Hollie came through the doors next. They all flagged me down and questioned me about everything I knew. 

I heard their comforting words and touches, the constant crush of embraces, I stared at the double doors, unblinking, waiting for a answer. We had no contact or anymore leads. But they were doing what they could, and I appreciated the effort. But with each passing second, I was becoming tempted to take matters into my own hands. What would it take? To save a life? her life? Possible more than I have to offer,

“It's what I've got, but I'm giving it to you...” I murmured. Somehow seeing the light at the end of the long black tunnel. I brushed off my siblings, walking towards the door, hardly mumbling a “Excuse me.”

Once outside, I looked around myself, deciding to go north. I jogged for fifteen minutes before I could make out the silhouette of Cinderella's castle against the cloudless blue sky, under the heavy, hot glare of the California sun. I pushed myself forward, my feet colliding again and again with with pavement, reflecting the day's temperature back at me. I was breathless and a side-ache was forming in my left side. I stumbled on, onto the sidewalk where the white concrete nearly blinded me. 

I wiped the sweat from my forehead and ran up to get in line behind a tan car. I got a weird look from the toll keeper, but I rolled my eyes and flicked the last of the money from my wallet at his face and ran through the crossing guards across the road. I spun around and brushed the sweaty hair off my forehead, looking across the massive parking lot for the parking spot we'd parked in yesterday. 

I recognized the spot under a streetlight ten yards away, I took off again after it. Pausing to catch my breath before looking around. 

Yesterday a guard had shown me where they found Adeline's necklace. I remember it only being a few spaces down from where we parked...

I looked around and saw the spot, no cars where parked there either. I wove around the cars and stopped when I stood in the middle of the parking spot. I scanned the gravel but didn't see anything. 

I took a deep breath, but it didn't do much to slow my heart rate. I sat down on the concrete slab and stared at the ground for several minutes before I could breathe correctly again. Then I shifted into a crouch and dug around in the rock, suddenly concerned that maybe it wasn't the parking spot. It could be any of them really, I mean I was in a total daze yesterday when I was here. How could I be so sure? 

I leant forward and noticed the familiar item. A small piece of wood that could be passed off as a pebble. I crawled quickly across the gravel and scooped it up between my fingers, revolving it between them as I studied the familiar bead. This was one of the wooden beads that had been on Adeline's necklace. I remember putting it on the necklace, and smiling at the charm every so often when we were chilling in our meadow. I remember it very clearly. 

I knew then that I was in the right spot. That was a start at least. 

I stood up straight and ruffled my hair, where to begin? I was here now. But the biggest thing I needed to know was where did Adeline go? What happened to her? 

Adeline's Point of View 

I tried to hold my breath to make out the words. The surrounding atmosphere smelled like gasoline. And I was already running so low on oxygen in the trunk, I could hardly make it longer than seven seconds before gasping for a breath. In a way, I was looking forward to someone opening the trunk. I'd have air.

I listened carefully to the sound of gravel crunching under someone's boots. I braced myself to fight back, but had no idea how my hands and feet were each bound together in rough rope. 

I heard low murmurs, too low for me to make out, but the next thing that happened surprised the shit out of me. The trunk opened and light blinded me. It was hot, muggy. And it was about midday. I covered my eyes from the sun the best I could with my bound hands. 

“Relax, I'm not gonna hurt you.” someone said lazily. 

I peeked up quickly. Blinding my eyes from the sun, I looked up at him. He held a jagged knife in his hands and wore and holy red flannel shirt over a old tank top. Grease stained black jeans and boots. His hair was a mess, but his eyes were blue. He sighed and leant over me, looping the end of his knife under the rope around my ankles. And with a quick sawing motion, the rope snapped. He graves my forearm and practically lifted me out of the trunk, dropping me on the ground, I couldn't catch myself, my hands were still tied. 

“Ugh, why are you and your henchmen so damn pushy?” I grumbled, maneuvering my way to my feet again, making no effort to dust the dirt off my legs. 

He just smirked and grabbed my arm again and started towing me towards a building we were parked in front of. It looked like a abandoned warehouse. 

“They aren't my 'henchmen'.” he made the quotations in the air, “Those losers belong to my dad.” 

I looked down in confusion “Is your dad nicer than you?” I grumbled as he jerked on my elbow in the direction of the next corner.

He snorted “You wish.”

When we got inside the building, it was dark and my eyes had to adjust to the small amount of light coming through the skylights. I recognized Jake and Jess, smoking cigarettes, leaning against a shipping container, shooting the shit. I glared at them as we passed. 

As frightened as I was, I was curious as well. Where we were, who were my captors and what did they want with me? What had I done? Nothing really since getting my memory back, I couldn't recall anything I'd done to anyone before hand either. 

“What did I ever do to any of you?” I demanded, planting my feet firmly, he jerked my elbow again. “Nothing.” he grumbled roughly. 

“I obviously did something to you, I mean seriously, who kidnaps someone for no reason at all and somehow knows everything about them?” I questioned.

He pursed his lips into a thin line, and for a second I thought he was going to avoid it.

“You'll find out in time, c'mon, this way.”

 <><><>Billie's Point of View<><><>

I rubbed my fingers through the gravel, looking for more beads or the charm or something to at least encourage my search. I wasn't loosing faith at all, just becoming more and more paranoid that there was more to it than we originally planned. What if it was all planned? Who would do something like this? Leah? Maybe.  Leah would be one for revenge, for sure. But she was a little too blond, if you get what I mean. She could never conjure up something like this on her own. Maybe she had help? 
I racked my brain for answers as I dug around in the rock.

I heard someone clear their throats disruptively behind me “Sir, can I help you?”

I looked up at him, annoyed, and blinded by the sunlight, I could only see his buff silhouette. 

“No, jackass, I've got it.”

“Sir, I'm gonna have to ask you to leave.” 

My eyes narrowed as I stood up straight, slowly turning to face him, I cracked my knuckles and peered up at him.

“Excuse me?”

“Sir you have to leave.” he said, unfazed by my threatening movements.

“No.” I spat. 

Then, he too, cracked his knuckles, shook out his arms and his hands came towards me. I automatically closed my eyes for impact, instead he grabbed me and threw me over his shoulder and started packing me towards the gate.

“No no no! I'm sorry big guy, I'm looking for evidence for my missing girlfriend!”

“That's a new one.” he snorted, but kept walking. 

“Put me down!” I whined, pounding his back uselessly like a little girl. 

Then I saw the head of security, he helped us look for Adeline last night. 

“Walter!” I yelled, but over the roar of the crowds he didn't hear me, he turned and walked towards a ticket booth. I sighed in frustration.

“Have a nice day outside of Disney land.” he grinned sarcastically, setting me on my feet on the wrong side of the gate, then telling the woman working the gate not to let me in because I was a troublemaker. I pouted, then Decided if I wanted to help Adeline, I needed to stop acting like a little kid and shape up.

I sighed in defeat and pretended to walk away. When I was out of everyone's lane of vision, I took off running, along the tall fences inclosing the amusement park, to the back where the trucks and storage containers of supplies were. I ducked behind a Dumpster and watched the back door of a building that was hooked onto the fence, that was my ticket in. 

But... It had some kind of card mechanism, if I wanted in, I'd have to wait for someone to come out and catch the door. As I crouched behind the Dumpster, a plan was forming in my head. I knew exactly how to execute this. 

I stood up at the sound of voices, and the door opened. A short man pushed out a two wheeler of boxes labeled fragile I caught the door and held it open for him as he pushed it through.

“thank you.” he puffed. Not even questioning why I was back there. I nodded and smiled until he disappeared behind one of the trucks, then I ran inside. 

I walked down the halls, they were mostly empty, until I found the kitchen. There were about twenty-five people in there wearing white outfits and dicing up vegetables and decorating cakes and everything else you can imagine. It was a zoo of chefs. I sighed, glancing down the hall, through the kitchen was the only way to get to the front, where the security building is, that's where Walter should be. I could talk to him about broadening the search and maybe even ask him if they found anything else. 

My pulse was pounding with excitement for my dull heart. I walked as calmly as I could through the kitchen, no one glanced up fro their work, no one noticed. 

I reached for the double doors when they flew open, smacking me square in the nose, there was a cart with a huge white wedding cake on it coming through, the door fell back and hit the cart, making it tilt slightly, enough for the cake to topple over on me. The floor slick with icing, I lost my footing and slipped backwards. Wallowing in white icing and cute decorations. 

“What are you doing in here?! Out out! You only cause bad.” a Chinese woman grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet with amazing strength, shoving me through the door. I tripped again and stumbled to my feet, and took off running to the door at the end of the hall labeled Security. My nose hurt like a bitch and was sore as hell. I pinched the bridge to stop the bleeding as I pushed through the doors.

“Billie?”

I looked up “Hey Walter.” I panted.

“What are you doing here?... Covered in icing?...” he guided my shoulders towards a bathroom, wiping the icing on his palms off on a papertowel. 

I shrugged meekly “Just curious...”

“I'm sorry Billie, but we've four nothing else.” he sighed. 

I put down the toilet lid and sat down on it. He crouched in front of me. 

“Is there a possibility of broadening our search ranges?” I asked with the last drop of hope.

He sighed sympathetically and rested his hand on my shoulder “You know that's not my job Billie, have you tried the police station?”

I snorted “They are lazy as fuck. They don't want to help me at all.”

He handed me a damp paper towel to wipe off the remaining icing on my arms and face. 
I wiped down my left arm and stared blankly at the light blue checkered tile.

“What if I don't find her?”

He was quiet, so I looked up at his face to see if he was planning on answering at all, his expression was thoughtful. 

“Then you just keep trying.” he simply said. Standing up, “Here, I'll make you some coffee.”