Chronicles of the Fall- #1- Empty Night

Chapter 27: Devil's Advocate

"Leaving again so soon?" Owen asks, eyeing DJ as she packs her book bag again. She glances up at him, giving a hard stare. Hampton sits in the corner quietly, sharpening the blade of his pocket knife.

"Maybe you should take some time to stay, rest up," Faith pipes up. She holds some yarn in her hand that she's been braiding into rope.

"I don't need it. I've gotta find Laken," DJ grunts, zipping the book bag. She feels her stomach tug at the lie. 'When did it become so easy for me to lie to my friend's faces like this? It's for their own good, right?'

"You know, I hate to be the one to say it, but maybe it's time to give up on that one," Talon says, shrugging his shoulders. DJ's glares at him quickly.

"I'm not giving up on her. I will search this entire park until I find her. She'd do the same for any one of us, including you. I'll see you all when I get back," she huffs before storming out the door with her book bag slung on her shoulder.

"DJ, wait," Hampton starts, getting up to follow her. He sighs as the door slams in his face. Owen rolls his eyes dramatically, getting up to look out the window.

"Come on, you can't tell me that no one else is a bit suspicious of this 'rescue mission?" he says, using his fingers as air quotes.

"Yeah, I mean I get she's you guy's friend or whatever but wanting to reunite the groups? It's all just a little fishy," Talon agrees, nodding his head.

"DJ's been through a lot, give her a break," Faith says quietly.

"Faith, even I know she's been differently lately. Doesn't she seem distant to you too?" Hampton admits. Faith thinks for a moment, her hand clutching the cross around her neck, as if praying for the right answer.

"I-I don't know," she whispers.

"Maybe we just don't know her as well as we used to. Being out here has changed some of us more than others," Hampton says. He bites his lip for a moment, thinking hard about the girl he used to know.

"I just think she's lying to you. If Laken is out there, she would've found her by now. That's all I'm saying," Talon says.

Hampton fumes quietly. 'DJ wouldn't lie to me. I know her. We're best friends. She has to have a good reason for all of this."

"DJ told you she was checking near the highway for Laken, right?" Owen asks, glancing out the window.

"Yeah, why?" Hampton sighs, sick of arguing with the paranoid Asian boy.

"Because I just watched her head straight north, right up the mountain. The complete opposite direction of where she told you." Owen raises an eyebrow, holding up the compass in his hand.

***

DJ jogs up the wooden steps to the observatory, nodding her head to Lucas on guard.

"Hey, where's Laken?" she huffs. His eyes dart to the woods behind her and then the door. He takes a deep breath.

"Listen, I don't want you to overreact," he begins. Her expression turns hard.

"Why would I overreact? Lucas, where is she?" she presses.

"She's uh- on a run," he says.

"With who? Jackson? Was that really a good idea after all that's happened?" DJ says, feeling herself getting more angry. Lucas looks a little panicked.

"Uh- no. Jackson's here. She's alone," he says, biting the inside of his cheek.

"What the hell?! Why?!" yells DJ, throwing her book bag onto the deck. Lucas holds his hands up, backing away.