HER | ✓

⍣Twenty-Two⍣

•September 2005•

Farah woke up in a flash, alerted by the piercing noise of her phone. Her confused eyes wandered the room wondering why someone would call her so late... or early. She didn't know which one it was. Her curtains were drawn so tight no one could get a peek inside. Her phone still rang and buzzed from across the room and without wanting to she flipped the covers over and stomped towards the nuisance. She answered without checking who it was and pressed it to her ear.

"Hello?" She asked.

"Farah honey, I need you come home now," someone rushed. It sounded like her mother's voice but frazzled and shaky. 

"Mom?" She pulled the phone away from her ear to check. "Mom what's going on? Is everything ok?"

"I need you to come home, it's your aunt. I don't have time to explain. We're heading to the hospital now."

"Mom, just tell me what's going on." She flicked the light on and rushed around the room with the phone pressed against her ear. "Mom, are you still there?" A disconnect signal beeped in her ear, echoing the doom she would face.

"Crap crap crap!" She found a pair of pants on the floor and slipped them on. She stuffed her phone in the back pocket and was about to run out the door with just her keys, but remembered home was quite a few hours away. Maybe she should leave her belongings and come back? But after a second of thought decided it would be stupid considering she didn't know what was happening back at home. She might not have the time to come back.

Irritated, she strode back inside, gathered everything in a hurry, and threw it in the bed of her truck. She locked the cabin door and split, stopping by the resorts office to drop of the cabin key.

It was early morning, the sun just peeking over the horizon as she drove towards it. She focused on the road ahead as she picked up speed and trees swooshed by her side vision. She didn't want to focus on the reason behind the call. She didn't want to think about her aunt and what happened. She had a good idea of what it could be but she refused the let the thoughts invade her mind and pressed her foot farther down on the pedal.

Once she reached the highway her hometown would be straight gain from there. She would be home, she would be in the presence of her family, and she would comfort her mother or mourn with her. Her summer experience would be ruined. All of it. Haunted by whatever it was that happened.

Clayton entered her mind and she longed to have him in the passenger seat, holding her hand, telling her everything would be alright, soothing her nerves like calming waves lapping against the shore. Clayton. Her mind snapped and she slammed on the brakes. She left. Without saying anything to him. Guilt filled her body. She could turn around and go back but she was too far away and rested her head on the steering wheel. She wanted to break and cry. Then an idea entered her mind, she fought the tears back, dug the phone from her pocket and dialed the resorts number. It rang for a few seconds then someone picked up, rambling their rehearsed greeting.  

"Hi, can you relay a message to someone for me?"

"Umm.. Yes. What's your name?" She heard the guy scramble for pen and paper.

"Farah West. And my message is, 'I'm sorry I'm not there right now but if you call me, I'll explain'." She then recited her number.

"Who is this going to?" He asked.

"Clayton Jones in cabin eighteen. Thank you. And please make sure he gets it before he leaves."

"I can do that," the man said.

"Thank you thank you." She was grateful and placed her foot back on the gas. Now there was one less thing for her to worry about. He would call her later and all would be good. She focused her attention on daydreaming about future conversations with him instead of dreading what was to come. Future conversations that she didn't know would never come. 

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AN: Well, now we know why she left! But what happened after the phone called ended?