I Remember You. . . I Think

Gone

Dylan's POV

Katie. She is out there all by herself. I have to find her. I have to save her. I can't lose her.

It felt like hours. Running through the woods only to find no trace of her.

My vision went blurry as tears started to form. "Dylan?" Mason walked up to me and took the flashlight out of my shaking hands.

"We should go into town where we can get service and call. . ."

"Who?" Alex asked, cutting off Mason.

"Someone. Anyone. I don't know." Mason said running his hands through his hair. He looked over at me in pity. "Come on, Dylan. Let's head to the police station. They'll be able to find her."

I couldn't respond. All I could do was nod. I felt like I was in limbo. Like I was in a dream. Everyone started to walk to the cars, but Mason stopped when he noticed I wasn't following.

"Dylan. We are going to find her. I promise."

"I should've told her," I whispered.

"What?"

"Katie, I should've told her I love her." I heard Mason sigh.

Mason did something he rarely ever did. He hugged me. "We'll find her. I promise," he said as he pulled away. He put his hand on my shoulder and led me to my jeep. "I'll drive." I couldn't stop the tears as we drove back into town.

"What if. . . What if they can't. . ."

"Dylan, stop. They are going to find Katie. She probably just went a different way thinking she would cut you guys off. I'm sure she didn't go far."

"But what if she slipped? What if she hit her head? What if she is bleeding? By the time they find her, she could be dead!" I could feel a panic attack not far away but I couldn't stop thinking about what could have happened. "What if they are too late? What if I never get to see her again? Or hold her hand? Or wrap my arms around her? She'll never know how much I care about her. . . Or that. . . I love her."

Suddenly, I couldn't breathe. I gripped the armrest as my vision blurred. My breath became shaky. I squeezed my eyes shut as I tried to remember the exercise Katie used to have me do whenever I started having one.

"Dylan? You okay?" I couldn't answer him. All I could do was picture Katie covered in blood in the middle of a meadow. I pictured her falling and hitting her head. I pictured her body, lifeless, on the gurney. I pictured doctors trying to recover her but giving up seeing it had been a lost cause. I pictured her body slowly disappearing under a body bag. I pictured a closed casket. I pictured her friends and family crying as her casket lowered. I pictured her tombstone.

"Dylan!!" I jumped as Mason shook me. I looked around and noticed he had pulled the car over.

It all felt so real.

I looked down at my shaking hands. "I can't lose her," I said so softly I was surprised he heard me.

"I know man. I know. They are going to find her."

"How do you know?" I looked up to see tears in his eyes.

"I just do. All we can do right now is think positively. Say things like "they will find her" and "I will see her again". Because honestly, there is nothing else we can do." There was a minute of silence before he started the car and got back on the freeway.

As soon as we got to the police station, I jumped out of the car and ran inside. "Help! Please! I need help! My best friend! She's lost. We can't find her! Please, you have to find her!"

People looked at me like I was crazy as I practically yelled at the receptionist. "Honey, I need you to take a deep breath."

"Please," I said softly, not bothering to try and stop the tears. "She could be hurt. We have to find her."

"Okay. Okay. Why don't you two come with me? I'll have you talk to a detective." We followed her into a room and waited.

We jumped when we heard the door open." So Anna tells me your friend is missing. Can you tell me what happened?"

I looked at Mason who signaled for me to start. "Well um, we were out camping and we decided to play Cops vs Robbers. When we got back to the campsite she. . . She was gone. I tried to go back and look for her but I. . . I couldn't find her."

"Did you notice when she went missing?"

"No, I wasn't with her. I was in a different group."

"Were you with her?" The officer asked Mason.

"Yes, but I didn't notice when she wasn't there."

"Okay well, I will send out a search party for your friend starting from your campsite. We are going to need a recent picture of her. And her name."

"Her name is Katlynn Montgomery. This is a picture we took a few days ago." I got out my phone and showed him a picture I took of Katie on her birthday. She was across the room smiling and laughing at something Mason was saying to her. It made me smile. Even in the picture, her eyes were sparkling.

"What was she wearing when she went missing?"

"She had on a light blue t-shirt with a dark blue cardigan and jeans. She was wearing boots and she had her hair pulled back. Oh! And she was wearing my red zip up hoodie." I watched as he took notes.

"Okay. Have you told her parents?"

"No. We came here first." Mason said looking between me and the officer.

"Okay. Don't worry. I'll give them a call but I need you to stay here and fill out some paperwork. Just write in as much detail as you can. Such as the events of the night, from when you got to the campsite to when you came to the station." We nodded as he left the room. With my elbows resting on my knees, I put my head in my hands.

*****

"Where is she?" I felt guilty as Melissa and John came running into the station. "Where is my baby?" Melissa had tears streaming down her cheeks.

I looked at Mason to see he had the same expression on his face. Guilt.

"Dylan! Honey, are you okay? Where's Katie?" Melissa was like a second mom to me. I stood up and held my breath as she hugged me.

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Montgomery. I couldn't find her. I tried. I really tried. I looked everywhere. I. . . I am so sorry."

"I know, sweetheart. I know." She looked at me before pulling me back into a hug.