On a String

Chapter 19

"Cole's radio isn't active."

But if Cole was in danger... what did that mean for Kai? There wasn't time to speculate, because Jay was already continuing.

"Kai's is, but for some reason, he's not answering,"

She'd been hit with a bullet. A knife. In the chest...

(What did they aim for when they missed your heart?)

Help me, I'm buried alive...

(Target: destroyed.)

Not answering.

Not active and not answering.

If that wasn't a great big sign screaming 'captured!' in bright, red, pulsing lights, she didn't know what was.

No.

PleaseGodNO.

Please. PLEASE.

That's my brother out there....

PleasedearGoddon'tlet....

She choked, throat dry as panic closed in. Jay's words were so... so grim... Like....

(Police lights flickering on the walls of a small blacksmith shop.)

...what?

Police lights?

Grim voices...

In a dark, cold night.... Had it been raining?

(I remember now...)

She'd heard them before. Bouncing off wooden walls in the middle if a reality so horrific it should've been a nightmare.

(She still wishes it had been)

Grim voices...

(... and so sad and regretful. Yet, gentle.

"Little one... what's your name?"

Wide childish eyes stared up at the man owlishly. "Nya," she muttered, turning to watch the blue lights flashing up against the side of the house. They swirled right over the window in her room, and she wondered what it would look like inside. A fancy disco party?

Her attention returned to the grownup person in front of her as he spoke again. "Oh, that's right. Nee-yia," the sour expression she gave at the mispronunciation of her name was ignored as the police man continued. "...I'm sorry...to have to say... this. But I have to inform you... Mummy and Daddy won't be coming back.... There was a car crash..."

Forgetting about lights and disco parties, Nya frowned and blinked at the grownup.

What?

What did he mean?

Had they disappeared?

... But, why would they leave?

Where had they gone?

Her mummy and daddy loved her (and she loves them) and she knows that they'd never just run away like that.

[...And I still wonder, why Heaven has died...]

Perhaps the man is wrong?

'Not coming back.'

No.

This is no joke.

Policemen shouldn't lie.