Chapter 36: Gone Boy
My anger has turned into discomfort and anxiety, no longer enraged by Alex standing me up. While it does hurt, I’m starting to think that there may be more to it than I’d expected.
When Hailey returns with Lenard, my slowly spiraling thoughts only get worse.
“He had a weird look on his face, then kinda walked off. When I went to find him, he was on
his phone. Something about him seemed…I dunno. Like, kinda freaked out. He covered it up when he noticed me, but I saw it. And then he said he had to go and told the rest of us to
have fun.”
“Why didn’t you sssay anything to anyone?”
a
“I mean…I supposed it was his business. It really did seem serious. I just…” Lenard scratches the back of his head. “I wasn’t expecting him to not show up today. Or to your date. If anything, I thought he’d let you know first if something happened.”
Right. That’s what dating people would do. But…well.
As much as I like him, we never actually confirmed with each other that we’re dating. I just…assumed. And him setting the date up didn’t help, but I should’ve communicated with
him.
But now, whether or not we’re dating isn’t my main focus.
I thank Lenard for telling me and leave the area. Hailey follows after me, talking to keep my spirits up. I’ll have to thank her for this later when I can process what I’m feeling.
I try sending him a text again.
“alex? not at school?”
Throughout the day, I keep sending them.
“where r u?”
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#Chapter 36. Gone Boy
“i wz mad earlier, but can u reply plz?”
“c’mon, seriously. plz reply”
“are u okay?”
“plz say something”
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But he doesn’t read or reply to my messages. After school, I call him during a break in drama club. I don’t have a major performing role this time, so I have more leeway than
others.
I go to a corner in a room and try to call him. But after it rings a few times, it goes to his
voicemail.
“…Hey, Alexsss? Are you okay? You’rrre not at school today…Is everything alright? Pleassse
contact me back soon.”
His reply never comes. His social media never updates. And my texts are left unread.
On Wednesday, there’s a school announcement. Though, I’m somewhat already prepared
to hear it since I saw the news the night before.
There have been unusual wolf attacks recently.
Wolves don’t generally go out of their way to attack people unless you’re in their territory. But there was a video of someone encountering a fairly large wolf and getting attacked by it when it caught sight of them.
The school announcement includes some new information, though not about the guy who got attacked. Instead, it has advice for what to do if we encounter a wolf and perhaps get attacked by one.
Don’t run or turn away. Act aggressively to show that you’ll attack. You want the wolf to think of you as a fellow predator rather than prey.
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#Chapter 36 Oone Boy
After the video came out, it became common knowledge a few hours later that some people have gone missing. Not a lot, but even just one disappearing during these weird wolf attacks has people worried.
I immediately think of Alex and the howl I heard near my house.
He’s never been out of school this long before, so some other people at school think of him,
too.
“Hey, uhm…Cynthia?” One of the girls in drama club approaches me. “Are you okay?”
I look up from my phone, a bit frazzled.
“Huh?”
“Ah, well, I mean. About the wolf thing. Have you heard from Alex?”
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…
My silence seems to answer her, and she appears even more worried.
“Uhm…if you want to sit practice out today, I’m sure Mrs. Taylor would understand. Do you want to do that?”
“…I think I will. Thanksss.”
Sure enough, when I go to Mrs. Taylor, she immediately understands, knowing relationship with the currently missing Alex.
After all, he could be out in the forest somewhere, hurt. The guy in the video had been found after he managed to call 911, mauled and maimed on the ground.
I think I’d collapse in on myself if I found Alex like that. But the thought of him possibly being out there alone feels even worse.
So, instead of drama practice, I join search efforts to help see if we can find any of the newly missing people,
#Chapter 3d Gone Boy
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A bunch of locals and the police have joined together to search the forests near some of the most popular living and hiking sites. Alex never told me he liked to hike, so I didn’t bother going to that area yet. Instead, I go find the group looking in the forest that’s near where I
live.
The police have search dogs in pursuit, and everyone in the party has to wear hiking boots and yellow vests with shine strips on them. Some people take hiking sticks to poke at places without touching it, while others pick up sticks. I opt for one of the poles and wear gloves, heading into the forest to help.
“Saaam? Samuel?” someone calls out.
“Alex? Alex, if you can hear us, try to make noise!”
“Nolaaaand?”
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I follow a team led by a search expert. Teachers, grandparents, just about anyone with the time to look is out here to help. We call out a few different names, hoping to get a response.
Even if the name we call out isn’t theirs, I would hope they’d still try to make themselves known. If they’re hurt in the forest without anyone to help, I’d think any human voice would be a godsend.
I don’t try to call out. I feel like it wouldn’t allow me to hear someone asking for help if I did. So, instead, I poke my stick around the ground and follow the others, hoping that something will catch my attention, and that something will lead me to someone.
The sun shines through the tree branches, creating different shadows, like many dark hands stretching against the floor of leaves. While the others seem to find the area creepy, I find myself neutral. I’ve always liked the forest, though, at the moment, it’s not my favorite.
The leader shifts our direction and we start heading somewhat northwest. As we walk, the wind direction shifts, brushing past our hair.
And I smell something.
ΔΙΑ
I freeze, blinking as the smell seems to become stronger with the change in the air. It’s… earthy. Kind of like metal, but wet and crumbling.
I’m not really thinking too much when I start heading toward the smell, breaking away
from our search team.
I listen to the sounds of the forest–rustling leaves, cracking branches. But more importantly, the smell of earth gets stronger in the direction I’m heading. Distantly, like at the back of my mind, I hear someone call out sharper than before.
But, almost as though entranced, I follow the smell.
It takes me to a small drop created by tall tree roots cemented into place. It’s not a far down, and I could probably jump to the ground below without a problem.
But as I stare at the ground, the dirt seems…wrong. Like it’s not sitting right for some
reason.
“Hey!”
I startle, turning my head quickly. The search leader is there, frowning at me as he
approaches.
“Look, kid, this isn’t a walk in the park. You need to stay with everyone so no one gets lost, okay?”
“I…I’m sssorrrrr–sorry. Sorry. Uhm…”
His scowl gets more pronounced, but I just can’t leave that strange dirt alone.
“Uh…give…a minute? Give me a…” I look back over the edge at the ground again. “Something…”
“…Something what? Do you see something?”
When I nod, the person comes up beside me and looks over the edge. He frowns down at the ground, and I watch as his head tilts. It seems the dirt doesn’t look right to him either.
#Chapter 36. Gone Boy
“Stay right here, I’ll check.”
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I nod, and the man eases himself down into that area. The others in the group come up
behind me, watching as he crouches near the area in the dirt.
He pokes the area with his walking stick, watching as it gives a bit, then shifts back in place. He bends down and starts brushing the dirt away.
It’s because I’m watching intently, I think, that I recognize the pale bone surrounded by
the meat of a bloodless arm for what it is before the others do.
I shriek when I realize it, a few others following suit.
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