Here No More

Chapter 2

"You are not doing a thing," I shouted at Detective Dave, "people are disappearing under your nose"

"Will you please calm down, Miss. Otis?"

"CALM DOWN, CALM DOWN. YOU ARE ASKING ME TO CALM DOWN WHILE YOU DO NOTHING"

"Sweetheart, what you are doing is not helping at all," Mom whispered in my ear.

"What they are doing is not helping either, is it? Joudy is gone for two months now, Mickey for one and now Dany is gone too. Who knows who will be next? Maybe it will be me or you, mom?"

"Miss. Otis, I assure you that we are doing everything that we can do to find them"

"Which is what?" I asked angrily.

"Sweetheart, we should go, now"

"Why? I want to know what they are doing to find them"

She grabbed my arm, "NOW!"

I didn't want to leave, I wanted to blame the cops a little more but I didn't want to tolerate with my mother's nerves, so I co-operated.

It was still raining but not heavily, "where did Adam go?"

I shrugged, "I don't know"

When we reached the doorsteps, I didn't enter.

"Aren't you coming?"

"No, I am going to search for Dany"

Mom raised an eyebrow, "Excuse me, young lady"

"Mom, I can't just sit there knowing that Andy is gone"

"What will you do?"

"I will search for her here and there. Call Adam to search with him. I don't know. But I can't just sit at home waiting"

After a few minutes, mom accepted my proposal if I promised that I wouldn't be late and that my phone will always be open.

I began my search from the river, Dany's favourite place. She could spend a day just watching the water and listening to music or talking with her best friend, me.

I went there fast but I spent a lot of time there. Memories showered me as I walked.

I still remember that day six years ago when we were kids of 6 or 7. Her mother had bought her a new ball and we were so excited to play here with it, away from the world and from Adam who wanted to steal the ball. We came here and we threw it at each other until it fell into the river. Andy cried a lot that day. Although Adam brought it back, she refused to play with it. She said that it lost its glamour and beauty. Adam laughed so hard at her but he was happy because he took the ball for himself.

"Oh Adam, where are you?" I said aloud.

"Right behind you"

I turned to find Adam standing behind me but he was so different. His smile was replaced with a neutral look. His hair was messed up more than usual, his eyes were reddish and he was soaking wet.

"You are soaking wet," I said giving him my umbrella.

"Giving me your umbrella wouldn't help," he said stopping my hand, "it will only make you wet but will do me no good"

"Then go home and change"

"And what should I tell Mom then? How can I face her?"

"She... She already knows"

He glared at me, "you told her"

"We had to. I didn't want to but mom insisted on doing it"

"It's entirely my fault," he shouted sitting on the riverside.

"How is it your fault?"

"I am her older brother; I should have taken care of her. I should have escorted her home not leave her alone while knowing that someone could kidnap her any second"

I touched his arm, "it's not your fault but I do have a way to fix the situation"

He looked at me with hope, "what? Please tell me, I will do anything"

"Help me, Adam. Help me find Dany"

"You think that you can find someone who the police can't find"

"At least it's better than crying at home"

He fell silent and kept staring at the river.

"So?" I asked.

"So?"

"Will you help me?"

"It's a lost cause, Nancy," he said in despair, "she is gone, GONE. Nothing can change that and you can't get her back"

Coward. Pathetic. Idiot. Hopeless.

That was all that could be in my head. My look for Adam was shattered.

"Sorry for asking," I said as I stood up.

I started walking then I heard footsteps behind me so I turned to find Adam following me.

"What are you doing?"

"I lost Dany, I won't lose you too"

"You..."

I was going to say that he lost me when he rejected helping me but he stopped me... With a hug.

He is crying. He is crying on my shoulder. He is neither a coward nor a pathetic idiot. He is hopeless, weak and tired, so so tired.

"Don't leave me, Nancy, I can't take it anymore"

"It's OK. Everything is going to be fine. I will find her, Adam even if the cost is my life"

"I will help you"

"What?"

He dried his eyes, "I will help you. I will do anything that you want"

"But you just said..."

"I know what I just said but I won't leave you to face danger alone, Nancy. I will help you and we will find her together"

Adam walked me home after that, he wanted to make sure that I would be OK.

"You are finally back," mom said once I opened the front door.

"I am not late; it has only been two hours"

"I was worried sick," she said crushing my body in her thought of a hug.

"Mom, I can't breathe"

"Sorry, sorry my dear"

I went upstairs, changed my clothes then mom came with two cups of hot cocoa.

"What next?" Mom asked.

"Adam and I will search for her everywhere until we find her"

"You think you can"

"Adam thinks that I am going crazy but will help me in order to keep me safe. I...well I hope that I can do it"

"Will you please... please be careful?"

"Don't worry, mom"

"If someone comes and tells me that you are gone or hurt, I swear that I will never ever forgive you in this life or the other"

"Don't worry my dear, I will take care. I promise"

I slept and kept dreaming of Dany crying, screaming and asking for help.

Don't worry, Dany. I am coming for you.