The Adventurer | S. Clearwater (DISCONTINUED)

Chapter 8

How much pain could one heart take? Seth Clearwater wasn't sure, but he didn't think it was meant to be this much. Seth couldn't breathe, his head spun and tears clouded his vision.

Declan Marcs was missing.

Declan Marcs was missing, and it was as if the entirety of La Push had been shrouded in darkness. The night sky that hung over La Push somehow seemed darker than usual, there were hardly any stars in the sky and the moon had to fight the clouds to be seen. The bright flashing lights of cop cars lit up the night as nearly the entirety of the La Push population gathered around. Some adults were participating in a search for the missing boy, others standing anxiously waiting for news.

Amongst those waiting was Mrs. Catlyn Marcs. The blonde woman was in complete distress as she stared into the darkened woods. Declan was always one to go wandering around so she wasn't too worried when he didn't come home the night previous, especially after the horrid news of Harry Clearwater's death; but when he didn't show up the next morning Catlyn began to panic. She'd looked for him all day and when she couldn't find him went to Charlie Swan, the chief of police in Forks. She'd hoped he'd be able to help find her son but so far there had been no luck and it was already nearing the middle of the night.

Sue, Leah and Seth all stood with Catlyn, all of them hoping that the boy would be found and they wouldn't have to face another tragedy right after the other. Especially since they were now also dealing with the fact that Leah had shifted in response to her upset and anger at her father's death. How were the Clearwater's meant to deal with the loss of two family members and Leah's new life all at once? Unfortunately that didn't seem it would be the case, as out from the woods came Chief Swan, a grim look on his face and what looked to be a jacket in his hands.

"I'm sorry but this seems to be all we can find so far. We'll keep looking but it's not looking good." The chief of police spoke quietly as he showed the jacket to the woman before him. There was a moment of silence as Mrs. Marcs took the light beige fabric in her hands, and then the night silence was broken by a piercing cry as the blonde woman fell to her knees.

"No, no, no. NO!" the woman called out repeatedly. Her heart couldn't handle this, she couldn't be left alone like this. Her whole body shook as she clung onto the jacket in her hands. Sue leant down to comfort the woman, her heart breaking as well. She'd just lost her husband and now it seemed she was to lose a boy she thought of as a son. Leah too let out some tears as she stared down at Mrs. Marcs and the jacket in her hands before turning to look at her younger brother.

"Seth?" Leah whispered out. And that was all it took for Seth to completely break.

"I-I can't." Seth stuttered out before he ran off into the night. He could hear the distant calls of everyone around but he just kept running. Even as he heard the voices of Jacob and Embry, he ran. He ran through the woods, his eyes blurred with tears. He knew exactly where he was going – the special spot Declan had brought him to, their spot. Although unlike the first time Declan brought him there, the woods didn't look beautiful and magical and surreal – they looked dark and lonely. The leaves didn't glow in the moonlight anymore, now they were dark and seemed as though monsters could be lurking amongst them.

As Seth arrived at the small meadow with the waterfall, he fell to his knees exhausted from running and from the pain in his heart. Before Chief Swan came out with the jacket he had managed to somewhat hold it together, he had been panicked and upset but he still held out hope that they'd find his lover; but when he looked to that jacket and saw the small patch of dried blood on the collar it felt as if his heart shattered. His heart which had already been broken by the death of his father had now splintered into a million pieces.

Seth tried to calm his breathing as he looked up towards the sky in hopes of seeing the bright moon but instead found dark clouds, only the smallest sliver of moonlight shining through.

"You were meant to be here for me!" Seth cried out into the night, his voice hoarse. He wasn't quite sure who he was calling out to, if he was calling out to Declan or if he was calling out to the moon that was meant to be his comfort if Declan wasn't there. What if Declan was never there for him again?

"AHHHHH!!!" Seth screamed as he threw a nearby rock into the water. His whole body shook with uncontrollable sobs, his chest ached, his breath was heavy and his eyes burned with tears that wouldn't stop flowing.

"You were more than friends... weren't you?" A quiet voice broke out from between the trees. Seth's head whipped around, seeing Jacob emerge from the trees behind him. Seth couldn't find it in himself to answer, simply looking away and down to the ground below him. Jacob gave a small nod – not that Seth could see it, before moving to sit next to the boy Jacob considered one of his best friends.

"You always looked at each other different. Not in a bad way. You just looked at each other as if one another held the whole world or something." Jacob murmured out into the quiet night air.

"He was – is my world," Seth whispered out with a shaky breath as he glanced over at his friend "and I don't know what to do without him. He's always there for me, you know? He was there for me and I-I just yelled at him, I pushed him away and now I don't even know if I'm ever going to see him again."

"Hey, Declan knows you could never really be mad at him and you'll see him again, I know you will" Jacob reassured, wrapping his arm around his friend.

"And if I don't? What does one do when they lose everything?"

"They... grow. They grow and they find everything they were looking for" Jacob sputtered out after a couple of seconds of silence.

"Wise words from someone so dumb" Seth attempted joking, laughing lightly through his tears.

"I try sometimes" Jacob let out with a bark of laughter. The two laughed to themselves for a bit before Jacob stood up, holding out his hand to help Seth up.

"Come one, let's get out of here. I'll take you home." Jacob spoke as he lifted Seth off the cold ground "And hey, now that you know about us cause of the whole Leah thing we can hang out again. I can be your not gay Declan until we find him." Seth felt laughter bubble out of him at his friends words before slapping him lightly in the shoulder.

"You'd be a shit Declan even if you were gay" was the younger boys retort which led to him getting punched in the shoulder. The two laughed lightly as they walked on, Seth only stopping for a brief minute to turn to look at the small sliver of moon peeking out from behind the clouds.

"Goodnight, Declan. Wherever you are."

Back at the Marcs home, Catlyn Marcs also sat staring up at the sky. She sat in the chair by her sons window looking desperately into the night.

"You hoping those stars are going to tell you something?" Sue spoke softly as she wrapped a blanket around Catlyn's shoulders.

"He said one day they'd call him on an adventure... hopefully they just remember his promise to come home." That was all Catlyn could manage to say as she let out a soft sigh.

And perhaps Declan Marcs would come home one day, just not the same because miles away from the quiet town of La Push a new Declan Marcs awoke staring at the moon above with piercing red eyes and a burn in his throat.

So, what do you think the future holds for Declan and Seth?? Also tell me what you think of Declan as a character and what you're liking about the story! I love me some feedback so let me know.