Stay

“When?” I struggled to remember the first time I met Tiffany.

“Humans are so easy to sway. Tiffany changed her mind about attending college a few weeks before. I’m pretty sure she’s backpacking somewhere in Europe still. Or maybe she’s in Asia now. Funny how that happened. She’d never thought about traveling before.”

My head hurt. None of this made sense. “But I met your parents. I met Tiffany’s parents.” I thought back to the fire at the frat party Allie and her friends had attended. That felt like ages ago now, but in reality it hadn’t been all that long. “Who were they?”

“Just a couple of actors. They did pretty well, didn’t they?”

My level of disgust was growing by the minute. “Then who are you? Who are you really?”

“Just call me Tiffany. The name is starting to grow on me.”

I struggled against the chains. There had to be a way out.

“Stop hurting yourself. It isn’t going to change anything.”

“I’m not going to sit here and let you destroy everything.” I couldn’t. I refused to give up when so much was on the line.

“You don’t have a choice, Jared. You’ve always been a pawn. I’m just being more forward about it.”

“A pawn?”

“Do you remember your mother?”

“My mom?” No one ever mentioned her. She’d been gone so long I barely remembered her.

“Yes, your mom.”

“I was pretty little when she left.”

“She didn’t willingly leave.”

“Yeah. Sure.” I wasn’t going to let Tiffany mess with me that way. I was supposed to be trying to understand her.

“Because nothing is ever what it seems.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ll let you think about that. I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” She headed to the entrance of the room. “Have a nice evening, Jared.”

“Evening? It’s night time already?” I’d lost all sense of time.

“Yes, it’s night. You’ve been here for hours.”

“Fuck.” There went that word again.

“No thanks. You’re really not my type.”

I stared after her long after she and her light had disappeared from view. I was back in complete darkness again. What had just happened? My head was so full of questions, and that mixed with hunger and desperation to get out weren’t a good combination. If I didn’t get out of there soon I was going to go crazy. I was pretty sure that was exactly what she wanted.

Chapter Five

Casey

The cave was dark, and it felt like the walls were closing in on me. Everything was silent, completely silent as I waited. Why was I back there again? I was safe. I was home. I tried to stand up but the ceiling had lowered. The chanting started, and the smoke was so thick I couldn’t breathe. How was I going to get out? Where was everyone?

“Casey!” Toby screamed my name.

I opened my eyes. Had I been sleeping again?

“Are you okay?” Toby pulled me into his arms. “Were you having a nightmare?”

“It was so real.” I shivered. “I was back in the cave.”

Toby rubbed his hands up and down my arms. “I’m worried about you.”

“It was just a dream.” I tried to sound strong when I felt anything but. I was fine when I was awake, but then I got hit by such exhaustion that I had to lie down, and the dreams started up right away again. Each time I woke up feeling awful.

“I don’t like this.” He pulled me tighter against him.

“Me either.”

“I need to know everything, Casey. I need to know what they did to you.”

“I don’t know. I don’t remember anything beyond the smoke and chanting.”

“You’re holding something back.” He took my hands in his. “I know it.”

“I’m having crazy dreams. They’re nothing like the ones I usually have.”

“How so?” He watched me intently.

“I can’t describe it. It just feels like I’m having someone else’s dream. Does that make sense?”

“They did something to your head. You heard Georgina…”

“I know.” She sighed. “We probably should have told her.”

“You didn’t want to yet. And I get that, but we need answers.”

“I know…” I leaned back against the pillows.

“Maybe Vera knows more?”

“She’d probably know more than we do.”

“She still hasn’t called.” I tried not to get worried, but I couldn’t help it. I’d just found her, and I needed more than the few moments we’d shared.

“She probably doesn’t have her phone.” Toby didn’t sound so convincing.

“And Jared? He should have service by now.” We needed to find both of them. There was no way I was going to accept that either were gone. Jared had risked his life to save me, and Vera had too. What if the bears found out what she’d done?

“We just have to wait for them, but that doesn’t mean we can’t ask someone else for help while we wait.” Toby gently ran his hand up and down my arm. “Your mom.”

His suggestion didn’t surprise me, but that didn’t mean I was ready for it. “What do I say? What can I say?”

“She might be able to help. She’d at least be able to get some answers.”

I nodded. “I know you’re right.”

“When you’re ready to call her, let me know.”

I snuggled deeper against his chest, already feeling more like myself again. “Hopefully she’ll pick up this time. She hasn’t answered my calls at all. I’ve never gone this long without talking to her.”

“Try then.” He handed me my phone. I was surprised it had made it back in all the craziness. “The worst that happens is she doesn’t pick up, right?”

“Right.” I braced myself before hitting call. The call went right to voicemail. I ended the call. “Nothing.”

Toby looked at me nervously.

“What are you thinking?”

“Should I have someone go out to your house and check on her? See if she’s there?”

“Where else would she be?” I didn’t want to think about those possibilities. None of this made sense. My mom rarely traveled anywhere, and she definitely never did without telling me first.