A Meadow Full Of Oak Trees

Chapter Fifteen: MIA. Missing In Anger.

Harley's PoV

I'm so stupid. Why did I answer the question with of course I'm angry how else was she going to take it except badly?
I'm not angry at her I'm angry that she was put through that. That her own father forced her to do that. That she has those scars, that she didn't have a normal childhood. That she has no memories of her dad hugging her after she fell over just her dad being the one responsible for the fall.

And now it's midnight and she still hasn't come home. She ran to her room and then out again in a matter of seconds not even taking any shoes with her. I was too enveloped by my anger to try and stop her and now I don't know where she is. Why didn't I stop her? Just said wait. I didn't mean it. Grabbed her arm. Anything.
I'll go to her house tomorrow to see if she's there.
If not then we'll start the search parties because she left her phone so we can't call or trace her from it and she didn't take any clothes or provisions and we have absolutely no clue where she could have gone. I lay in bed desperately trying to sleep but my mind is stuck on Oakley.
Always on Oakley.
I turn the light on and immediately regret it as the blinding white light hits my eyes. After my eyes adjust I look around the room for anything that tells me even an inkling of where she's gone. 
After two hours of searching the room is a mess and all I can find that's missing is her knife bag. The unoriginal totally normal black travel bag.
I groan and then decide if Oakley's missing then it's her father fault so I get dressed, grab my jacket and climbing onto my bike I rev the engine and shoot down the road heading for Oakley's house.
Getting there in record speed by breaking a few laws I stand in front of the house angrily knocking on the door.
Eventually it opens and I see Theodore stood his eyes squinted and his hair messy from sleep.
Instead of screaming profanities at him for making Oakley run away I say in a calm voice "Is Oakley here?"
He shakes his head, "No."
I swear loudly punching the wall in front of me.
"She's missing." Is all I say before turning around and heading back towards my bike.
"Young man what do you mean?"
"She ran away yesterday. I was angry at you for putting her through all that stupid training and instead of saying "not at you" I said "of course I'm angry" and she ran off. And she hasn't come back."
Theodore simply says "She can survive in the wild for months on end."
And his monotone, unattached tone snaps my temper.
"BUT SHE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO!" I scream at him, taking him slightly by surprise.
"She shouldn't know how to kill someone 101 times. She shouldn't have broken bones frequently and have to pass it off as being clumsy to all her classmates. She shouldn't have to know how to survive in the wild for months on end because she should never need to because her parents are supposed to care for her, to provide a roof over her head and clothes for her back and food for her mouth. And she didn't get a happy go lucky childhood where she got told off for drawing on a wall, instead she got beat up daily until she learnt to fight back. She should flinch when someone slaps her but instead she just takes it like it was a mere poke. And do you know why she does all of this? Because her own father. The one supposed to protect her and warn her away from boys was the one putting her through it all. And that's sick. So if you don't care about your own daughter then I'll care enough for the both of us and spend all of damn time looking for her to make sure she's okay. Because unlike her father, I love her. More than anything and I'm losing my mind with worry that she's hurt or even worse killed. And I hope that sinks in and you feel like a horrible person because you should. You should wallow in guilt and horror over what you've done you your very own daughter. The one you chose to take in and take care of but instead you abused her. Mercilessly. For years on end. I hope you rot in hell Mr. Herrera."
Then I climb back on my bike and drive off.

Oakley's PoV

I wake up in the early hours of the morning to the birds chirping in the neighbouring trees and the sun barely painting the sky a deep dawn pink. I quickly feel the pain of my feet from last night and running barefoot across concrete and stones and climbing up the tree with them as well. Grimacing as I look at all of the dried blood on my feet I quickly grab my canteen and my training bag before abseiling down the tree and heading for the nearby stream.
The walk there I revel in the beauty of nature. With the morning grass dew glinting in the rising sun and the early birds flying low in the sky, stretching their wings. The sound of the running water echoes through the silent morning accompanying the early dawn chorus.
When I reach it I wash the blood from my feet before wrapping them in training wraps and filling my canteen with water.
I sit by the water, memories of last night flooding my mind. Harley shouting in my face was the main one. "Of course I'm angry!"
My heart fractures just a little bit more every time I think of him. Every time I think of his arms wrapped around me or stroking my hair or cuddling with him on the sofa. He smelt so nice.
And his smile could render me a wreck within seconds of seeing it.
The thought of him shouting at me, of him being angry at me.
He sounded really angry with me. Probably won't forgive me anytime soon.
Theodore probably isn't worried about me. Probably hasn't even told Emma.
God, I hated Theodore right now.
But the main feeling my heart had was brokenness. It was slowly shattering, crack by crack forming and little bit by little bit shattering. Soon it would be gone completely.
But my brain suddenly shouted at me to survive. And it was right. I did need to focus on gathering food and surviving out here. I knew how to but I hadn't exactly done it recently so I was probably a bit rusty. Sighing I head back to the house, grabbing my hunting stuff and start the trek to where I remember there being more small rodents and foraging stuff.

Theodore's PoV

I wasn't particularly worried about Oakley. She's done things like this before, run away from home but she always comes back after a few days. Usually because she realised that I was right in the argument. And because she missed cooked food or her bed.
And anyways she knows how to survive in the wild. Taught her that myself.
I climb back into bed with Emma by my side, her hair spilling over her face, for a fleeting thought I contemplate telling Emma that Oakley's missing but I dismiss it instantly. Oakley will be fine. No point worrying Emma over nothing.
But in the back of my mind a voice told me the boy was right. And it kept me awake all night. Maybe I shouldn't have trained her that he's. Or maybe I should have allowed her more of a childhood. With friends over and sleepovers and parties. With stupid pointless toys that she begged for from the shop that she was never allowed. With the dress she wanted for Christmas that year instead of making her go and catch our turkey. With letting her stay up once in a while to watch movie marathons instead of making her sleep at six every night because she had training before school.
Maybe, maybe, maybe, what if, what if. The thoughts race through my mind but I push them as hard as possible to the back, telling myself it's in the past, nothing I can do about it noe, that at least you know she won't die in the wild tonight. That she'll be able to survive.
But still the what ifs.

Emma's PoV

I wake up to hear someone knocking on the door. Loudly.
Checking the clock I see that it's five past nine and that I've slept in.
Quickly getting dressed I rush down the stairs and open the door to find Harley stood there, an angry look on his face and a sleepless night etched under his eyes in the form of deep circles.
"Harley? Can I help you?" I ask.
"Is Mr. Herrera here?" He asks sternly.
"Yes but he's still asleep..."
"Well wake him up. I need to ask a few questions."
Then he barges past me and into the kitchen.
Blinking at what's just happened I go back upstairs and into our bedroom to see Theo sleeping soundly.
Gently shaking his shoulder I say "Sweetie, Harley is downstairs, he seems quite agitated and he wants to see you."
He groans but gets out of bed and dressed before kissing my forehead and whispering "I love you."
Then we go downstairs and see Harley stood in the kitchen, a scowl on his face, his arms braced on the kitchen top.
"Harley. Why are you here?" Theo asks.
"Why are you here? Shouldn't you be out looking for Oakley?"
"Why should we be looking for Oakley? She's staying with you isn't she?"
Harley's eyes widen at my question and then I realise why we're here.
"She's missing again isn't she." My voice is deflated, "How long?"
"A day ish." Harley says.
I nod my head, "Well. We've got nothing to worry about, she's never gone more than two days."
"Where does she go, when she's gone?" He says the last word with disdain as though he struggled to say it.
"We don't know. We never quite figured that out. But I assume she'll head to the woods nearby as that's where she went for training." Theo says clutching my hand. Harley's jaw visibly clenches as Theo talks.
"Okay." Harley says walking out of the door and slamming the door after him.

Harley's PoV

I can't believe them. I just. I can't believe what they put her through. I can't imagine what's she's going through right now. Stuck in the cold, with no food, or water.
I park my bike and grab my pack from the kitchen that I packed before going to see Oakley's parents. I'd had an idea that she might have gone to the woods or forests somewhere nearby but now I know a closer region to search.
I leave a note for Tom and Kal in case they come back at any point but I doubt it. Tom is basically never here. He just sleeps at whoever's house he's currently seeing and Kal moved to be closer to his parents because he kissed them so much. There was more to it than that but he wouldn't tell us what it was.
I clear my head, checking the contents of my pack to triple check I have everything I need to survive in the wild for a few days. Then I grab the map and marking on it all the woodland areas near my house and her house. The one that looks the biggest also happens to have a stream running through it and is surrounded by empty fields. A perfect place to hide.
Deciding to start with that on I mark on a route and tying the laces of my walking boots securely I grab my pack and set off.
I'm coming Oakley.