CHAPTER TWO:
MISSING
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NO ONE IN THE Sullivan-Ateara household expected to get a call at 8pm at night. Gathered in the living room watching one of Zeke's infamous horror movies, the shrill shriek of the telephone scared the wits out of each of them, even Zeke, who had a habit of laughing at the scariest parts of horror movies. Maggie flinched, instinctively burrowing into Zeke's side as Wren hurried to answer the phone, the wicked laugh of the murderer echoing from the television.
"Don't worry, sis, nothing's gonna hurt you while I'm around," Zeke smirked, causing Maggie to scoff and roll her eyes. Her brother simply chuckled, slinging an arm around her shoulder and beaming at the bloody scene on the television.
In the kitchen, they could hear Wren's voice struggling to be heard over the shrieks of the movie's latest victim, "Wren Sullivan speaking." There was a pause. "Oh, Charlie, is everything okay?"
The mention of Charlie Swan, the Chief of Police from Forks, had everyone sharing a cautious glance. Everett reached for the remote, switching off the movie despite Zeke's whines, before rising to his feet and moving to join his wife. "Wren, honey, what is it?"
Despite their best efforts, each of Maggie's siblings turned to look at her as she sunk deeper into the couch. The last time she had seen Charlie Swan, she'd been leaning over Carson's lifeless body, sobbing her heart out as the police officer in question tried his best to coax her away. In the months since Carson's death, Charlie had made an effort to check in with Wren and Everett, so it wasn't odd for Dakota and Zeke to find themselves looking to Maggie for answers. But Charlie never called this late, and for a moment, Maggie's stomach twisted with dread.
"Oh, my!" Wren gasped, and Everett's eyes flashed with concern as his arms circled his wife's waist. "Of course we'll help you, we're on our way. Hold tight, Charlie."
As she hung up the phone, Everett asked, "What's happened, love?"
"Charlie's daughter, Bella, is missing," she frowned. "He's calling everyone he knows to see if they've seen or heard from her."
"Are they sending out a search party?" Everett questioned, crossing the room to put on his shoes before Wren could even answer. Charlie had been a friend of the family even before the incident with Maggie and Carson, so Everett was willing to drive twenty minutes into town if it meant that his friend wasn't alone and distressed.
"Yes, I told him we'd help," she nodded. "Kids-"
"Don't even think about it," Zeke interrupted her, jumping to his feet and offering Maggie a hand up. "We're coming with you."
Wren pursed her lips but didn't protest, knowing they needed as much help they could get. Bella could be anywhere, not to mention it was dark outside, "Alright, let's get going then."
Maggie followed her siblings upstairs, grabbing the first pair of shoes she laid her eyes on and slipping them onto her feet. Then she was rushing back downstairs with her siblings on her heels, her aunt and uncle already waiting by the door. They piled into Wren's car, spinning out of the drive and rushing off down the road. As they drove, Everett called Charlie on his mobile, calming the panicking man as he waited for assistance from his friends.
"We're almost there, mate," Everett assured him as they turned onto Charlie's street.
They pulled up behind a few other cars, Everett hanging up the phone as they climbed out into the cold Forks air. The night was fresh, the wind roaring and the ground damp from rain. The thought of Bella being out in this weather seemed to worry everyone as they gathered together to discuss a search party. Charlie was in the centre of the crowd, his head in his hands as Billy Black and Harry Clearwater poured over a map, giving directions to small groups of teens and their parents from Forks and La Push alike.
"Everett, Wren, it's good to have you here," Billy declared, having been the first to spot the Sullivan-Atearas making their way towards the group.
"Hey, what can we do?" Everett asked as he stepped up beside the men, shaking each of their hands respectively.
Harry immediately began pointing out spots on his map, Everett nodding along to whatever he was saying. Maggie slowly tuned out, eyes locked on the woods looming behind the Swan household. The shadows seemed to dance between the trees, the branches swaying like limbs, twisting and roaring and reaching for them. She'd never been scared of the dark before. Even now, she wasn't necessarily afraid. But the thought of Bella being out there alone made her think of Carson, a shiver of fear running down her spine.
As if sensing her worry, Zeke looped an arm around her shoulders, tucking his sister into his side in an attempt to defend her from the darkness. Maggie accepted the embrace gratefully, sending her brother a fond smile as Charlie's frustrated voice broke through the silence, "Were the hell is she?"
"Hey, it's gonna be okay," Wren immediately soothed him, stepping up beside Charlie as he gave a heavy sigh. "We'll find her, Charlie."
"I hope so," he murmured, though he didn't look so certain anymore.
They readied another group to head out, Everett being one of the first to volunteer. With a kiss from his wife and a 'be careful' from his nieces and nephew, he gave Charlie one last pat on the back before he joined several other men from the reservation in their voyage into the woods. The darkness seemed to swallow him whole, the branches capturing them in their embrace. The sight made Maggie shift uneasily, turning to her aunt in the hope of a distraction.
"What can we do?" she asked, giving a faint smile as her aunt's eyes lit up at the question. Wren Sullivan was all about helping people, why else would she rush out at 8pm on a cold night just to look for a missing teenager?
"People are getting restless and tired," she noted, looking around at everyone waiting for instructions as others came back exhausted and empty handed. "Charlie, would you mind if we used your kitchen? We can hand out drinks and some food."
"Help yourself, Wren," he gestured to the open house, quickly turning away from them as Harry made another suggestion for where Bella might be.
Wren lead her nieces and nephew inside, following the open layout to the kitchen. Switching on the light, she began to look through cabinets for some cups, eventually finding a pack of plastic ones hidden among the crockery. "Aha!" Brandishing them proudly before the amused teenagers, she tore open the packet and gave each of them a handful of cups. "Start filling them with water and take them outside to people."
"Yes, ma'am," Zeke and Dakota grinned in unison, knowing not to mess with their aunt when she made up her mind about something. They both rushed over to the sink, already finding something to argue about; who got to use the tap first. Wren rolled her eyes at them, looking through more cabinets for some biscuits.
Once the twins had finished arguing, it was Maggie's turn. After filling half a dozen plastic red cups with tap water and finding the chopping board to balance them on, Maggie made her way outside to find another group of people arriving to help. Zeke moved to greet them, offering out cups and biscuits to whoever stopped to talk to him. Dakota was with a group who'd just come back from searching the main part of town, Wren stood firmly by Charlie's side. Maggie lingered there for a moment, scanning the crowd of people warily.
Then out of nowhere, "Can we have a drink?"
Flinching at the sudden voice beside her, Maggie hurried to balance the chopping board before water could spill down her front.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Paul Lahote winced as he and Jared Cameron stood before her. "I didn't realise you were so out of it."
"Uh, it's okay," Maggie mumbled, staring at them with wide eyes that reminded both boys of a doe.
Maggie had heard the rumours about Paul and Jared, and the older man they hung around, Sam Uley. How they were in a gang and took steroids, how Sam had broken his fiancé's heart to be with her cousin. She knew they were rumours and that rumours definitely weren't always true. There were plenty made up about her in the weeks following Carson's death and her sudden absence from school. But she couldn't help feeling shy around the two boys, whether it because of what people said or their aversion to wearing shirts, she wasn't sure.
"So can we have some water?" Paul drawled, frowning when Jared nudged his side. "Uh, please?"
"Oh, sure," she stuttered, holding out the chopping board carefully.
It was as Paul reached for one of the cups that their eyes met. He froze, jaw dropping as time seemed to come to a stop. Paul and Maggie had been in the same grade for ten years, he knew her from around school, not to mention the rumours that had circulated when she arrived after her mum died, then with Carson's murder. But that didn't stop him from staring at her like he'd never seen her before, his world seemingly re-centring around her.
"Are you okay?" she asked, her stomach twisting as he stood there, hand outstretched towards a cup as his eyes bore into hers.
"Yeah," he blinked, averting his gaze from her like the mere sight of her made him sick. "I should go."
Before Maggie or Jared could stop him, Paul turned on his heel and disappeared into the crowd, angrily pushing people aside in order to get away. Maggie didn't understand what she'd done wrong, a frown tugging at her eyebrows as Jared watched his friend leave with a bit more understanding in his gaze.
"I should go too," he spoke up, accepting one of the cups from Maggie and offering her a hesitant smile. She made no attempt to return it. "Thanks for the drink, Sullivan."
Then he disappeared too, leaving Maggie standing alone on the doorstep. Zeke noticed his sister's absent stare from across the yard, immediately gravitating to her side in concern, "Mags, what's wrong? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she muttered, mustering up a smile that Zeke saw right through. "Just tired."
"Oh, me too," he said, placing the plate he'd been using on the porch stairs and reaching for Maggie's chopping board. "Here, let me take this for you. Go join Aunty Wren."
"Okay," she decided not to argue with him.
As Zeke disappeared into the crowd like Paul and Jared, Maggie made her way over to her aunt's side, leaning up against the truck they were standing around as she attempted to smother a yawn. She wasn't sure how long she stood there, listening to her aunt converse with Charlie and the others, but soon enough Bella was found and everyone was beginning to head home.
"What a night," Wren declared as the Sullivan-Atearas climbed into their car, Maggie tucked up between the window and Zeke.
On the drive home, her eyes began to feel heavy, though she tried her best to force them to stay open, not wanting to delve into the darkness just yet.
"You can rest now, Mags," Zeke muttered once he saw her eyes drooping, knowing she was scared to close them completely. "I've got you."
Slowly placing her head on his shoulder, it wasn't long before sleep consumed Maggie Sullivan.
And that's when the nightmares came.
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A/N: Surprise! I've finally updated Lotta Love! Every time I post a new chapter, I say I'm gonna try my best to update, but I either keep my word for a day or two, or I just completely forget about it. And for that, I'm sorry. But I hope you've still liked the new update! The only reason you're getting it, if I'm being honest, is 'cause seIcouth wanted the second chapter! So here you are, Rach! Anyway, let me know what you thought! Until next time! :)