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“He’s—” I rasp. “He’s here. I swear he’s here.”
Only, he isn’t. Now that I have a chance to look around, he’s nowhere to be seen. He wasn’t in the upper level with us. He’s not in the machine shed at all.
He wouldn’t sneak away in the middle of the night. Not after the time we’ve shared together.
Would he?
His vehicle is still here. The red sports car is haphazardly parked outside the barn.
“Maybe he went for a walk,” I suggest, my words slurred. “Did you look for him everywhere?”
“It would take hours to cover every square foot of the property, but we didn’t see any sign of him when we were searching for you. This morning when we found both your cabins empty, we thought—we thought… he—he took you.”
Now, that… is a weird thing to say. “Took me? Why would he do that? Where would we go?”
Turning off the siren, the ambulance stops. With the lights still flashing, EMTs and paramedics pile out. A stretcher is pulled from the back, and they swarm me like the bees that surrounded me in my nightmare.
When I’m placed on the skinny rolling bed, a terrifying thought enters my mind.
This is it.
This might be the last time I ever see the farm because once they get me into the hospital, I probably won’t make it out alive.
What if I never see Ellister again? For some reason, that’s the worst scenario I can picture. Me, dying without him at my side.
Fear overrides the pain as my vitals are checked.
I start to struggle, pushing all the hands away from me. They’re the wrong hands. There’s only one person I want, and he’s not here.
I look to my mom. “I—I n-need—”
“Don’t try to talk,” she responds soothingly at my side. “Just let them help you.”
Right before a paramedic starts to slip a mask over my face, I manage to squeak, “Find him.”
Mom squeezes my hand, walking with me as I’m wheeled away. “Your dad will. I’ll ride with you, and Ellister will be located. I promise.”
ELLISTER
“Ellister!”
I hear my name in the darkness. I want to go to it; there’s a sense of urgency about it, and I feel the need to respond.
There’s something important I’m supposed to be doing. Matters that need to be tended to.
As I slowly regain consciousness, a face pops up in my mind.
Hannah’s face. Her beautiful, perfect face.
Yes.
That’s right.
I’m supposed to be with Hannah.
Reaching out, I pat the area around me, but all I feel is gritty dirt, blades of grass, and stiff flower stems.
When I finally pry my eyes open, I realize I’m in the meadow, and memories from last night come crashing back.
