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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Disclaimer in part one. . . .
The Truth Hurts
Part 15
Lizzy aka chopsticks
Jarod paced back and forth, slowly but surely wearing a hole in the ornate rug that was placed upon the floor. What could be taking so long? It was a simple blood test--one he could have done several times by now. He sighed and looked into the fireplace. The fire was crackling and hissing, but he didn’t notice. He was deep in his thoughts, and they all revolved around a single thing. Her.
It was always her, but more so lately. It was wreaking havoc on his nerves having her not remember everything they shared. They had spent the last four months getting to know each other. They made little discoveries about each other every day, and they had enjoyed every minute of it. He had even found it fun to discover all the little idiosyncrasies about her, how she had to put everything back in a certain spot and how she had to look just so before going out of their room, despite his constant remarks about how beautiful she looked. And most of all, they had spent the last several months falling in love, and that was what hurt him the most. She couldn’t remember any of it. She couldn’t remember how much he loved her, or how much he wanted to just be with her and no one else.
It was like a knife to the heart knowing that the beautiful woman upstairs had no idea how he felt about her just because she couldn’t remember. He had always hoped that their love would transcend such things as this, but it was just a fantasy. This was reality, and she couldn’t remember a thing about their relationship together, at least the best part. Sure, she could remember everything prior to the last four months, but not after.
He turned and walked the short distance to the couch, settling himself down in the cushions. He laid his head back against the couch and closed his eyes, memories of the past four months washing over him. Her smile, her lips, her smell, the way she moaned his name when they made love. He felt the silent tears streaming down his cheeks as he thought about her and the life they had shared just a few days ago.
He had been so happy then, everything was perfect. He had the girl of his dreams and he didn’t need to worry about the Centre. He had felt so free then. He had felt that nothing in the world was going to stop him from being happy for once. Boy, how wrong he had been.
He reached up and wiped the tears from his eyes, not wanting to waste anymore time crying. He had to wait until Mairin got back with the results from the blood test, and hopefully with some answers.
*****
Ethan had gotten out on a main road. Another main road. He had been over at least a dozen in the past few hours. The voices were so confusing. First they would tell him to go one way, then they would say another. It wasn’t making sense and left him wondering if the voices even knew where they were going. But that was silly, they had to know. They seemed to know everything. He just had to listen to the voices, follow the voices. He’d get to his half-sister and Cameron soon, that he was sure of. He just needed to trust the voices.
He listened to them again as they instructed him to take a different road now, heading west instead of east. He turned onto the next road and kept on going. Why were the voices telling him to go in so many different directions? The only reason why would be that Miss Parker was moving around, possibly driving. She had to be driving, that would explain why he was being sent all over the place. She didn’t want to be found, and when that happened, it became impossible to track her. Well, impossible for any normal person, but Ethan wasn’t a normal person.
He could never be a normal person, not ever. He had a gift, but it was a burden to bear and kept him from interacting with others as much as he would hope to. It was something that would be with him for the rest of his life, and he wasn’t sure if he could handle it. It was helpful at times, but at others it just made him stand out in a crowd. There were times when he had wished he was never given this gift, and that he didn’t have to be a part of the crazy life of the Centre.
He quickly dismissed his depressing thoughts when he thought of Miss Parker again. She needed him to find her, and he had to, before it was too late. Her life depended upon it.
"Hurry..." his mother’s voice whispered in his mind. "You must find her, before it's too late."
Ethan stepped on the gas pedal and floored it, maxing out the speedometer. The leaves behind him were lifted up and swirled in the air by his acceleration.
*****
Miss Parker was feeling invigorated and much more relaxed. Drives always seemed to help her, even if she didn’t know the countryside or where she was going. Leaving had been a good idea, a very good one indeed. It may not have been her own, but she was glad she did
it nonetheless.
She felt such a freedom that she hadn’t felt in a long time, not since Tommy. But even then she hadn’t been truly free. She had still been in the clutches of the Centre, and that had lead to his death. Tears came to her eyes at the thought of Tommy, but she pushed the thoughts away, not wanting to ruin the relaxing atmosphere.
She was truly happy, out here all alone. She didn’t have to worry about the Centre or about her father, her psychotic brother, or even Jarod anymore. They weren’t her problem as long as she stayed out here. Everything could just disappear, all her problems, everything. Especially her biggest problems of all: the memory of the last four months and Jarod. She wished they could just disappear.
But, strangely, she felt almost bad for leaving and not at least telling Jarod. He had shown her so much kindness and care over the past several days, even when she didn’t deserve it. She knew it had something to do with the last four months, but she didn’t know what. It was troubling knowing that something important had happened but not knowing what it was.
Her mind drifted back to Jarod again, and she began to think of his reactions to her disappearance. She didn’t have any idea how he would react to it. Would he understand that she had to do it to save him? Probably not. The arrogant bastard would be too stuck on the fact that she had left and he hadn’t noticed it.
Her thoughts turned to ones of anger and hatred towards him. Anger for making her become a part of the Centre again and hatred for always dangling something about her mother in her face. She pushed these thoughts away and tried to calm herself. She wasn’t going to start thinking about her problems now. She was going to relax, and that was that.
She turned on the radio and let the music fill her soul, comforting and lulling her back to her previous state of relaxation. She was feeling better now, relaxed and free.
But there was a nagging doubt in her mind that she had felt this free and relaxed before. She just couldn’t remember it, and that was the problem. She couldn’t remember anything anymore. Well, at least anything from the last four months that is. She pushed the thought away and decided just to enjoy the ride. It was rare for her to go on this kind of a trip, and she wasn’t going to let something as silly as thinking get in her way.
*****
Fergus looked up towards the old house. He hated having to come here. To be precise, he hated the work he had to come here to do. It wasn’t fair to the lass to be doing this to her, but he had to. Margaret had left him no choice. He owed her, and she would never let him forget that.
He crept through the surrounding mist to the back oak door, checking to see if it was locked. It wasn’t. He quietly slipped through, listening to the soft click of the door closing behind him. He turned around and came face to face with Donal. He was so surprised he jumped back a bit and almost slammed into the door.
“Shh! Aye man! Ye want t’ get everybody’s attention?” Donal hissed at him.
“Sorry. Where is it?” he whispered back, afraid that someone might walk in on them.
“Behind the headboard in her room. Her room is the second one to the left upstairs. The stairs are to the right from the kitchen. Good luck.”
“Thanks!” Fergus whispered to Donal’s retreating back.
He quickly moved out of the kitchen and to the staircase to the right of the kitchen and hurried up them, pausing for a moment when the old wooden floor creaked under his weight. When he was sure that no one had heard, he continued on his way, coming to the top and heading left.
He made his way down the hall and entered her room. He closed the door behind him and went over to the headboard. He removed the small device used to get Miss Parker away from Jarod and slipped it in his pocket. He went back out the way her came, not even glancing back for fear he would get caught.
He got in his car and drove away from the house. He hoped that Jarod would be able to find Miss Parker and bring her back. He didn’t like seeing them separated. He could tell they were meant for each other, and he didn’t understand why Margaret wanted to keep them apart.
There were a lot of things about Margaret he didn’t understand. Like why she had saved his life. It didn’t make sense to him. It couldn’t have just been about getting someone to do her dirty work. There seemed to be more to it than that, but he wasn’t sure what it could be.
He pulled out his cell phone and dialed the number, slowing down as he did so. His ear was greeted with a brisk hello from the woman he was forced into working for.
"I’ve got th’ device."
"Wonderful. Get here immediately."
"Aye missus, but I’ve got one question for ye."
"What?"
"Why do ye want to do t’is to them?"
"Are you questioning me? How dare you question me! I saved your life all those years ago and I even pay you now! Don’t you dare start to question me or I will take your life away just as easily as I saved it!"
"Aye missus," Fergus mumbled, wincing with every word she spat at him.
"I’m glad we understand each other. Now get your ass down here NOW!"
"Aye missus."
Fergus really did hate her, but he knew that if he wanted to live, he’d have to follow every word she said. She had something to hold over his head, and it was a big something. He was too much of a coward to give up his life to stop her, though he doubted he would be able to. She’d just use Donal or someone else to get what she wanted. She was daft, that was for sure. She was dumb for thinking that he wouldn’t betray her, even with his life being the price to pay if he was caught. He smiled as he thought of the note he had left on the lass’s bed. Someone will come looking for her, and when they do, they’ll find the note. She was most certainly daft, and he was the cunning one this time.
*****
"Syd, has anyone heard from Jarod or Miss Parker lately?" Broots asked as Sydney circled around his computer terminal. Sydney seemed to hesitate a second as if he was deciding whether or not to tell Broots something, but he finally shook his head in the negative.
"Oh. I was kinda hoping that we did. It just isn’t the same around here, ya know?"
"Yes, I do Broots. I understand completely. Why don’t you come over tonight and we can talk, would that be okay?" Syd asked, sending Broots a look that said ‘I got information that you want to know and I’m gonna tell you tonight.’
"Yeah, sure. Debbie’s gonna stay over at her friend Anne’s house anyways. It’ll be nice to have some company and a real adult to talk to again."
"Excellent!"
Sydney was just about to leave, when the door opened and Lyle walked in, dressed in a black suit, massaging his new thumb. He looked at the two and grinned, letting the thumb go when Syd looked at it.
"The thumb is still bothering you, Mr. Lyle?" Sydney asked politely, with the clinical detachment he brought up whenever he was faced with someone he didn‘t particularly care for.
"Not really, I just love the way it feels. It’s so great to have my thumb back, don’t you think, Broots?" Lyle stated, turning towards Broots who had been slowly slinking downwards in his chair.
"Uh, ye-yes sir."
"Wonderful. I’ve left poor Mr. Cox down in Mexico hunting after Jarod’s father and the clone. But that isn’t my main concern anymore. I’m sure Cox can handle it; well, almost sure. My concern is finding out whether or not you have found any leads on our wayward Labrat or my sister who’s been on a vacation—which was only meant to be a month, A MONTH--for five months?"
"Well, we have gotten a few leads on Jarod. This latest one is in California on Malibu Beach, where’s he’s supposedly working as a lifeguard," Sydney said, diverting the attention back to him and away from Broots, who seemed to have become just a head hovering above a desk with white fingers holding onto the desk for dear life.
"Well, then. What are we waiting for? Let’s go!" Lyle shouted as he opened the doors and held them open for the other two.
"Lyle, I think it would be best if we stay behind. We don’t want to become a hindrance. I’m sure you and a sweeper team could handle it just fine."
Lyle glanced back and forth between the two, then finally conceded. "All right, fine. But, if I find out that you warned Jarod about our arrival, I’ll have your heads!"
The doors slammed behind him, and one word was exchanged between the two occupants of the room. "Uh-oh."
*****
Ethan was getting tired. He had been on the road for over twelve hours with no luck. Every direction the voices had sent him in was just another dead end. He didn’t know how he was going to be able to keep on looking when his eyes wouldn’t even focus anymore. He decided that he needed to get some sleep otherwise he could end up in an accident, and that wouldn’t help Miss Parker at all.
He entered a small town, inland and started to look for an inn. He slowly made his way through the city, looking around him for any signs of someplace that was made for travelers. He finally came across one at the other side of the town, barely visible even under the yellow streetlights. He pulled over to the curb and got out, stretching his tired muscles.
The voices were wildly protesting this stop, but he didn’t care. He needed to sleep. That nap he had had back in Penrith had kept him going for a while, but now he needed to stop again. He slowly walked up to the door and rapped on it gently, reading the sign on it.
"Nevis Inn," he read aloud, jumping as the door suddenly opened and an older man peered over the rim of his thick-framed glasses at Ethan.
"Uh, hi. I need a place to stay."
The man just mumbled his understanding and invited Ethan in, closing the door and bolting it behind him. He went over to the counter and pulled out the guest book.
"Name?" the man asked gruffly, pulling a pen out from behind the desk.
"Uh, Ethan."
"Ethan what?"
Ethan realized that he’d have to give the man a last name, and tried to come up with one. He said the first one off the top of his head.
"Parker, Ethan Parker."
"Great. You’re in room two. If you need anything, just ring the bell," the man said, shoving a key in Ethan’s face and then turning to leave.
"Thanks!" Ethan called after the man, but got no response. He headed over to room two and opened the door. He walked in and dropped himself on the bed, not even bothering to take off his shoes or turn back the covers.
As soon as his head hit the pillow, his mind was plagued by his failure to find Miss Parker. It bothered him that she had always seemed to be just out of his reach. He felt horrible for not being able to find her today. He felt as if he had failed his mother. He slung his arm over his eyes and tried to push the horrible thoughts away, but they wouldn’t leave. He needed comforting, but he wasn’t going to get it all alone in a motel room. He considered getting up and just walking around but decided against it. He just needed to accept that he had failed his mother, and that he needed to try harder tomorrow.
"You haven’t failed me," his mother’s voice whispered in his mind.
"Yes, I have. I wasn’t able to find her!" he said sorrowfully to her, trying to prove his point.
"She’s a stubborn girl, you shouldn’t expect to find her so easily," Catherine whispered, soothing Ethan with her voice.
"I know... but it seems like it should be easy with the others guiding me."
"But it won’t be. Finding anybody with just the others can be a difficult task, but finding your sister can be an impossible one. Just focus on the voices and you’ll find her, I promise." her voice whispered as it faded away into the night. Ethan fell into a dreamless sleep, feeling much more confident and happier than he had before.
*****
TBC....
Special Thanks to Trish for clearing up the confusion I had initally writing this and for beta-ing it! You're a lifesaver!!! :)
Part 15
Lizzy aka chopsticks
Jarod paced back and forth, slowly but surely wearing a hole in the ornate rug that was placed upon the floor. What could be taking so long? It was a simple blood test--one he could have done several times by now. He sighed and looked into the fireplace. The fire was crackling and hissing, but he didn’t notice. He was deep in his thoughts, and they all revolved around a single thing. Her.
It was always her, but more so lately. It was wreaking havoc on his nerves having her not remember everything they shared. They had spent the last four months getting to know each other. They made little discoveries about each other every day, and they had enjoyed every minute of it. He had even found it fun to discover all the little idiosyncrasies about her, how she had to put everything back in a certain spot and how she had to look just so before going out of their room, despite his constant remarks about how beautiful she looked. And most of all, they had spent the last several months falling in love, and that was what hurt him the most. She couldn’t remember any of it. She couldn’t remember how much he loved her, or how much he wanted to just be with her and no one else.
It was like a knife to the heart knowing that the beautiful woman upstairs had no idea how he felt about her just because she couldn’t remember. He had always hoped that their love would transcend such things as this, but it was just a fantasy. This was reality, and she couldn’t remember a thing about their relationship together, at least the best part. Sure, she could remember everything prior to the last four months, but not after.
He turned and walked the short distance to the couch, settling himself down in the cushions. He laid his head back against the couch and closed his eyes, memories of the past four months washing over him. Her smile, her lips, her smell, the way she moaned his name when they made love. He felt the silent tears streaming down his cheeks as he thought about her and the life they had shared just a few days ago.
He had been so happy then, everything was perfect. He had the girl of his dreams and he didn’t need to worry about the Centre. He had felt so free then. He had felt that nothing in the world was going to stop him from being happy for once. Boy, how wrong he had been.
He reached up and wiped the tears from his eyes, not wanting to waste anymore time crying. He had to wait until Mairin got back with the results from the blood test, and hopefully with some answers.
*****
Ethan had gotten out on a main road. Another main road. He had been over at least a dozen in the past few hours. The voices were so confusing. First they would tell him to go one way, then they would say another. It wasn’t making sense and left him wondering if the voices even knew where they were going. But that was silly, they had to know. They seemed to know everything. He just had to listen to the voices, follow the voices. He’d get to his half-sister and Cameron soon, that he was sure of. He just needed to trust the voices.
He listened to them again as they instructed him to take a different road now, heading west instead of east. He turned onto the next road and kept on going. Why were the voices telling him to go in so many different directions? The only reason why would be that Miss Parker was moving around, possibly driving. She had to be driving, that would explain why he was being sent all over the place. She didn’t want to be found, and when that happened, it became impossible to track her. Well, impossible for any normal person, but Ethan wasn’t a normal person.
He could never be a normal person, not ever. He had a gift, but it was a burden to bear and kept him from interacting with others as much as he would hope to. It was something that would be with him for the rest of his life, and he wasn’t sure if he could handle it. It was helpful at times, but at others it just made him stand out in a crowd. There were times when he had wished he was never given this gift, and that he didn’t have to be a part of the crazy life of the Centre.
He quickly dismissed his depressing thoughts when he thought of Miss Parker again. She needed him to find her, and he had to, before it was too late. Her life depended upon it.
"Hurry..." his mother’s voice whispered in his mind. "You must find her, before it's too late."
Ethan stepped on the gas pedal and floored it, maxing out the speedometer. The leaves behind him were lifted up and swirled in the air by his acceleration.
*****
Miss Parker was feeling invigorated and much more relaxed. Drives always seemed to help her, even if she didn’t know the countryside or where she was going. Leaving had been a good idea, a very good one indeed. It may not have been her own, but she was glad she did
it nonetheless.
She felt such a freedom that she hadn’t felt in a long time, not since Tommy. But even then she hadn’t been truly free. She had still been in the clutches of the Centre, and that had lead to his death. Tears came to her eyes at the thought of Tommy, but she pushed the thoughts away, not wanting to ruin the relaxing atmosphere.
She was truly happy, out here all alone. She didn’t have to worry about the Centre or about her father, her psychotic brother, or even Jarod anymore. They weren’t her problem as long as she stayed out here. Everything could just disappear, all her problems, everything. Especially her biggest problems of all: the memory of the last four months and Jarod. She wished they could just disappear.
But, strangely, she felt almost bad for leaving and not at least telling Jarod. He had shown her so much kindness and care over the past several days, even when she didn’t deserve it. She knew it had something to do with the last four months, but she didn’t know what. It was troubling knowing that something important had happened but not knowing what it was.
Her mind drifted back to Jarod again, and she began to think of his reactions to her disappearance. She didn’t have any idea how he would react to it. Would he understand that she had to do it to save him? Probably not. The arrogant bastard would be too stuck on the fact that she had left and he hadn’t noticed it.
Her thoughts turned to ones of anger and hatred towards him. Anger for making her become a part of the Centre again and hatred for always dangling something about her mother in her face. She pushed these thoughts away and tried to calm herself. She wasn’t going to start thinking about her problems now. She was going to relax, and that was that.
She turned on the radio and let the music fill her soul, comforting and lulling her back to her previous state of relaxation. She was feeling better now, relaxed and free.
But there was a nagging doubt in her mind that she had felt this free and relaxed before. She just couldn’t remember it, and that was the problem. She couldn’t remember anything anymore. Well, at least anything from the last four months that is. She pushed the thought away and decided just to enjoy the ride. It was rare for her to go on this kind of a trip, and she wasn’t going to let something as silly as thinking get in her way.
*****
Fergus looked up towards the old house. He hated having to come here. To be precise, he hated the work he had to come here to do. It wasn’t fair to the lass to be doing this to her, but he had to. Margaret had left him no choice. He owed her, and she would never let him forget that.
He crept through the surrounding mist to the back oak door, checking to see if it was locked. It wasn’t. He quietly slipped through, listening to the soft click of the door closing behind him. He turned around and came face to face with Donal. He was so surprised he jumped back a bit and almost slammed into the door.
“Shh! Aye man! Ye want t’ get everybody’s attention?” Donal hissed at him.
“Sorry. Where is it?” he whispered back, afraid that someone might walk in on them.
“Behind the headboard in her room. Her room is the second one to the left upstairs. The stairs are to the right from the kitchen. Good luck.”
“Thanks!” Fergus whispered to Donal’s retreating back.
He quickly moved out of the kitchen and to the staircase to the right of the kitchen and hurried up them, pausing for a moment when the old wooden floor creaked under his weight. When he was sure that no one had heard, he continued on his way, coming to the top and heading left.
He made his way down the hall and entered her room. He closed the door behind him and went over to the headboard. He removed the small device used to get Miss Parker away from Jarod and slipped it in his pocket. He went back out the way her came, not even glancing back for fear he would get caught.
He got in his car and drove away from the house. He hoped that Jarod would be able to find Miss Parker and bring her back. He didn’t like seeing them separated. He could tell they were meant for each other, and he didn’t understand why Margaret wanted to keep them apart.
There were a lot of things about Margaret he didn’t understand. Like why she had saved his life. It didn’t make sense to him. It couldn’t have just been about getting someone to do her dirty work. There seemed to be more to it than that, but he wasn’t sure what it could be.
He pulled out his cell phone and dialed the number, slowing down as he did so. His ear was greeted with a brisk hello from the woman he was forced into working for.
"I’ve got th’ device."
"Wonderful. Get here immediately."
"Aye missus, but I’ve got one question for ye."
"What?"
"Why do ye want to do t’is to them?"
"Are you questioning me? How dare you question me! I saved your life all those years ago and I even pay you now! Don’t you dare start to question me or I will take your life away just as easily as I saved it!"
"Aye missus," Fergus mumbled, wincing with every word she spat at him.
"I’m glad we understand each other. Now get your ass down here NOW!"
"Aye missus."
Fergus really did hate her, but he knew that if he wanted to live, he’d have to follow every word she said. She had something to hold over his head, and it was a big something. He was too much of a coward to give up his life to stop her, though he doubted he would be able to. She’d just use Donal or someone else to get what she wanted. She was daft, that was for sure. She was dumb for thinking that he wouldn’t betray her, even with his life being the price to pay if he was caught. He smiled as he thought of the note he had left on the lass’s bed. Someone will come looking for her, and when they do, they’ll find the note. She was most certainly daft, and he was the cunning one this time.
*****
"Syd, has anyone heard from Jarod or Miss Parker lately?" Broots asked as Sydney circled around his computer terminal. Sydney seemed to hesitate a second as if he was deciding whether or not to tell Broots something, but he finally shook his head in the negative.
"Oh. I was kinda hoping that we did. It just isn’t the same around here, ya know?"
"Yes, I do Broots. I understand completely. Why don’t you come over tonight and we can talk, would that be okay?" Syd asked, sending Broots a look that said ‘I got information that you want to know and I’m gonna tell you tonight.’
"Yeah, sure. Debbie’s gonna stay over at her friend Anne’s house anyways. It’ll be nice to have some company and a real adult to talk to again."
"Excellent!"
Sydney was just about to leave, when the door opened and Lyle walked in, dressed in a black suit, massaging his new thumb. He looked at the two and grinned, letting the thumb go when Syd looked at it.
"The thumb is still bothering you, Mr. Lyle?" Sydney asked politely, with the clinical detachment he brought up whenever he was faced with someone he didn‘t particularly care for.
"Not really, I just love the way it feels. It’s so great to have my thumb back, don’t you think, Broots?" Lyle stated, turning towards Broots who had been slowly slinking downwards in his chair.
"Uh, ye-yes sir."
"Wonderful. I’ve left poor Mr. Cox down in Mexico hunting after Jarod’s father and the clone. But that isn’t my main concern anymore. I’m sure Cox can handle it; well, almost sure. My concern is finding out whether or not you have found any leads on our wayward Labrat or my sister who’s been on a vacation—which was only meant to be a month, A MONTH--for five months?"
"Well, we have gotten a few leads on Jarod. This latest one is in California on Malibu Beach, where’s he’s supposedly working as a lifeguard," Sydney said, diverting the attention back to him and away from Broots, who seemed to have become just a head hovering above a desk with white fingers holding onto the desk for dear life.
"Well, then. What are we waiting for? Let’s go!" Lyle shouted as he opened the doors and held them open for the other two.
"Lyle, I think it would be best if we stay behind. We don’t want to become a hindrance. I’m sure you and a sweeper team could handle it just fine."
Lyle glanced back and forth between the two, then finally conceded. "All right, fine. But, if I find out that you warned Jarod about our arrival, I’ll have your heads!"
The doors slammed behind him, and one word was exchanged between the two occupants of the room. "Uh-oh."
*****
Ethan was getting tired. He had been on the road for over twelve hours with no luck. Every direction the voices had sent him in was just another dead end. He didn’t know how he was going to be able to keep on looking when his eyes wouldn’t even focus anymore. He decided that he needed to get some sleep otherwise he could end up in an accident, and that wouldn’t help Miss Parker at all.
He entered a small town, inland and started to look for an inn. He slowly made his way through the city, looking around him for any signs of someplace that was made for travelers. He finally came across one at the other side of the town, barely visible even under the yellow streetlights. He pulled over to the curb and got out, stretching his tired muscles.
The voices were wildly protesting this stop, but he didn’t care. He needed to sleep. That nap he had had back in Penrith had kept him going for a while, but now he needed to stop again. He slowly walked up to the door and rapped on it gently, reading the sign on it.
"Nevis Inn," he read aloud, jumping as the door suddenly opened and an older man peered over the rim of his thick-framed glasses at Ethan.
"Uh, hi. I need a place to stay."
The man just mumbled his understanding and invited Ethan in, closing the door and bolting it behind him. He went over to the counter and pulled out the guest book.
"Name?" the man asked gruffly, pulling a pen out from behind the desk.
"Uh, Ethan."
"Ethan what?"
Ethan realized that he’d have to give the man a last name, and tried to come up with one. He said the first one off the top of his head.
"Parker, Ethan Parker."
"Great. You’re in room two. If you need anything, just ring the bell," the man said, shoving a key in Ethan’s face and then turning to leave.
"Thanks!" Ethan called after the man, but got no response. He headed over to room two and opened the door. He walked in and dropped himself on the bed, not even bothering to take off his shoes or turn back the covers.
As soon as his head hit the pillow, his mind was plagued by his failure to find Miss Parker. It bothered him that she had always seemed to be just out of his reach. He felt horrible for not being able to find her today. He felt as if he had failed his mother. He slung his arm over his eyes and tried to push the horrible thoughts away, but they wouldn’t leave. He needed comforting, but he wasn’t going to get it all alone in a motel room. He considered getting up and just walking around but decided against it. He just needed to accept that he had failed his mother, and that he needed to try harder tomorrow.
"You haven’t failed me," his mother’s voice whispered in his mind.
"Yes, I have. I wasn’t able to find her!" he said sorrowfully to her, trying to prove his point.
"She’s a stubborn girl, you shouldn’t expect to find her so easily," Catherine whispered, soothing Ethan with her voice.
"I know... but it seems like it should be easy with the others guiding me."
"But it won’t be. Finding anybody with just the others can be a difficult task, but finding your sister can be an impossible one. Just focus on the voices and you’ll find her, I promise." her voice whispered as it faded away into the night. Ethan fell into a dreamless sleep, feeling much more confident and happier than he had before.
*****
TBC....
Special Thanks to Trish for clearing up the confusion I had initally writing this and for beta-ing it! You're a lifesaver!!! :)
