𝐓𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬

Ch.10

📍Car
3:00pm

I turn up the town radio as we get closer to Moyock. We'd been driving for 2 hours and can't be too far. But it is a whole city, so where will we even start?

'Charlie Strong strangled in his home.'

"Jesus." I say. I switch the channel.

'Murderer is still on the loose, according to the MPD, we recommend you lock all doors-'

I switch the channel.

'MPD advises you don't go out at night until problem is resolved-'

"The fuck?" I turn the radio off.

"Must be big news for a small town, it's all they're talking about." Barry says.

"Google it real quick." I say to him. If there's a murder in a town that we're new to, we might as well know about it.

Barry pulls out his phone. "It's the first result when you look up Moyock." He says. "39 year old, Charlie Strong was found strangled to death in his Moyock home around 9pm last night. Witnesses say they saw a tall white male exiting the premises around 15 minutes after the crime was committed." Barry stops himself. "Damn. Sounds like our boy scout to me."

"What?" I look over to him.

"Hey, I'm just saying. You ever seen Rafe with a gun? He's reckless, I tell you." He waves off.

"You think Rafe did this?" I ask.

"All I'm saying is I'd believe it."

"Then we need to find him before anyone else does." I say.

We park outside of a random cabin where we see a map. Small towns like this have paper maps, and believe it or not, they're 10x more detailed and helpful than online ones.

We hop out and I grab one map for Barry and one for me.

"We splitting up, doll?"

"Yea. Cover more ground." I let out a huff. "Look for anywhere he'd be. Bars, hangouts, pitt stops."

"Trap houses?" He bluntly suggests.

"Uh...you can check those. Meet back here when you're done." I instruct.

Barry nods and we both go our separate ways. I have no idea how Barry knows where trap houses are, as they're not on the map, but I'm sure he has his ways. I start walking to bars in the area.

I walk into the first bar, it's packed. It's a restaurant with a bar in it, so what do I expect. I do a quick walk around, and see no one. I even quickly open the mens bathroom, but no Rafe. I walk out and go to the next.

≡ ≡ ≡

I go to new places over and over for hours upon hours. By the time I've gone to all of them, it's been 5. Whole. Hours.
I've been through so many mens bathrooms I might as well be a guy.

I walk back to the cabin to find Barry already waiting, leaning on the truck.

"Hey, sweet pea." He looks over to me.

"Anything?" I ask, hoping for just a glimmer of hope.

"Nothing but thugs and blunts. No murderous white boys." He says.

I let out a sigh and hang my head. I've been so stressed over this Rafe thing, I haven't had a break.

I think for a minute. "Barry, do you wanna go on the boardwalk?" I bluntly ask.

"Boardwalk?" He asks.

"We deserve it." I shrug.

"Shit, why not." He says, leaning off of the truck.

I walk up beside him and look down at my map as we pick the most ideal boardwalk.

≡ ≡ ≡

Barry and I have been walking and talking for a few minutes now. We decided to go to an outlet type boardwalk that has the most gorgeous lights at night. I never was really close with him, he was always just the drug dealer. But now that we've been together all day, he's really not that bad. I might even go as far as to say I'd be his friend.

I'm walking on the left of Barry, by the stores, when I feel an hand grab my left arm. I look up to see a figure in a dark black hoodie. I gasp, fully ready to scream. Then, I get a better look at the figure.

Pale skin, dirty blonde hair, 6 foot...

Rafe.

I stand there for a minute, frozen. I stare at the boy who is so familiar, yet I barely recognize. The hurt, dark, innormal look in his eyes, I've never seen before.

"Aye, let's go." Barry snaps his fingers at us.

I turn and face him with a expression of mixed feelings. I defensively pull my arm from Rafe and walk to Barry. He leads the way back to the car.

Barry gets in the drivers seat, I get in the passengers, and Rafe gets in the back.