Would he even remember her?She'd changed a lot.He might not even recognize her.
But she remembered him.
Every day.
Every night.
Every time she closed her eyes.
She walked around the curve in the road.The wind shifted.She stopped and caught her breath.Could she summon the road with wishful thinking?
"Please," she whispered."Just let me find it."
The air calmed.She exhaled and trudged on.
She wasn't giving up.She kept walking and tried not to dwell on how much time was wasted searching that could be spent with Finn.
He was older than her.But the last time she saw him, he hadn't changed at all from the first time she met him.Of course, at ten years old, everyone was older than her.
Her obsession with him was as mysterious as the rift.It made no sense that she had fallen in love with Finn when she was ten years old, believing he'd be a nice person to foster her.
The next time she saw him, she knew the love she felt for him went beyond wanting him to take care of her.He was the most gorgeous person she'd ever met.He'd awakened something in her that could never be turned off.Every fantasy she had as she matured revolved around him.
Boys her age were immature and selfish.She concentrated on growing up, maturing, so that the next time she found Finn, he'd see her as a woman.
But, he hadn't.He'd taken her under his wing, protected her, and then pushed her back through the veil.
Afterward, he remained in her fantasies.Alone, she'd built a world around him.In her mind, she'd kissed, had sex, and planned their life together, never knowing if she'd see him again.
What could've made her insane had saved her life more than once.The hope of seeing Finn again got her through the foster system and into adulthood.
The wind shifted.Her imagination was as real as if she'd spent time with him.
Kallie sensed the subtle change in the air.She stopped walking.
The country road stretched ahead of her, cracked and narrow, flanked by tall grass and scattered pines.No houses.No cars.No signs of life.Just the hum of insects and the distant call of a crow circling overhead.
Her heart thudded once, hard.
This felt different.
She tightened her grip on her bag's strap, fingers brushing the worn canvas.Inside were the only things that mattered.Her whole life, condensed into a bag she could carry in case she never came back.
She took a slow breath and stepped forward.
The air thickened.
Not visibly.Not dramatically.But stifling, like walking into a room where someone had just been crying.Heavy.Charged.Emotional.
Her pulse quickened.
"Please," she whispered."Finn?"
She walked another ten feet.
The wind picked up, swirling around her ankles and tugging at her hair.Her heart raced.The sky dimmed for a moment, then brightened again.Afraid to blink, she watched the road ahead.The road trembled beneath her feet.
This was it.
