Chapter 1: Stranded
It’d been hours and he hadn’t found them. In fact, he hadn’t found anyone. No sign of Jen, Terrance or Jacob. All up and disappeared like they had never even existed. The town was pretty big though, so maybe he wasn’t looking in the right places. The map he’d found and been using as a guide only confirmed his suspicions about the size of this place. Looking through every nook and cranny would take days, hell even longer if this fog kept up.
The map was laid out on the preparation table in the kitchen, a marker in one hand as he crossed off the places he’d checked and added other lines. A squiggle for a blocked road, a circle for a locked building that he couldn’t get into — yet. It was disheartening to see how little progress he’d made overall.
When he heard a voice call out Russell’s heart skipped a beat and he snatched up the map in a panic, dragging a pan along with it — causing it to clatter to the ground.
He shoves the map into his back pocket and hurries towards the swinging doors, standing on tip toe to get a peek into the front dining room. There didn’t look to be anyone out there, but he heard it again. A voice asking for someone. Against his better judgment he pushes the door open and walks towards the counter, looking around before realizing that it was a kid. Barely could see her over the counter.
What the fuck was a kid doing here?
“Uh —”
He hesitates.
“You lost?”
The sharp noise of the pan striking the ground caused Louisa’s spine to straighten, her arms to tightly grip her stuffed toy, and her breath to catch in her throat all at once. She stared at the door to the kitchen with wide eyes, and didn’t quite relax when the older boy emerged from behind them. Was he the one who caused the frightening racket? He had to be – unless someone else was lurking back in the kitchen.
Louisa stared up at him when he questioned her. She was lost, but she was also told to never-ever talk to strangers. It was also considered rude to completely ignore his inquiry, and maybe he’d be able to help find her parents.
“Yes,” she replied honestly, releasing her stranglehold on her rabbit. The rest of her body remained rigid and rooted to her spot. “I can’t find my parents. Have you seen them?”
