Джордан Шор - The Search

“No, they’re gone. I don’t know where they went.”

“Why did they leave?”

“I don’t know,” Julie said. “They were both gone when I woke up.”

Jack took a few steps toward the forest. “I’m going to go look for Nancy. She shouldn’t be moving around too much.”

“But she could be anywhere by now,” Julie responded quickly.

“When did you wake up?”

“They’ve been gone since yesterday morning.”

“They’ve been gone for more than a day?”

“Yes, so she could be anywhere by now,” Julie said. “Please, don’t leave, Jack.”

Julie tilted her head, and looked sad as she kept staring at Jack.

“Have you tried calling out for them?”

“I screamed all day yesterday,” Julie said. “Can’t you tell by my voice.”

“That doesn’t make any sense, Julie.” Jack shook his head and coughed. “If Andrew ran after Nancy, then why didn’t he wake you?”

“Well, he slept over there.” Julie pointed at the tree by the hillside.

“Why?” Jack asked in a hushed tone.

“He was angry with me, and he didn’t want to sleep next to me.”

“Why not?”

Julie trained her eyes down. “We had an altercation, and I hurt his feelings.”

“What happened?”

“He called Nancy a whore.”

“What?” Jack frowned.

“Yeah, he called her a whore, Jack. I can’t stand people like that,” Julie said. “You know what I’m talking about. You almost strangled him the other day. What was that about?”

“I didn’t strangle him. I just grabbed him by his collar. That’s all.”

“Why?”

Jack shrugged and coughed. “He made some remarks about Nancy.”

“Did he call her a whore?”

“No, nothing like that,” Jack said and shrugged again. “He told me how Nancy made some sexual references when she talked in her sleep during the first night, and it sounded like he enjoyed it.”

“I bet he did. He was probably jacking off. That’s disgusting.”

Then suddenly Julie looked alarmed and waved her hands at Jack, looking as if she were trying to wave down a cab. “I didn’t mean to imply men are disgusting. It’s okay, Jack. I masturbate too.”

Jack looked confused. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, you shouldn’t feel bad if you jack off… No pun indented, by the way,” Julie quickly added.

Jack chuckled. “What are you talking about, Julie?”

“I don’t know anymore.” Julie’s shoulders slumped. “I talk too much when I’m nervous. My son always tells me so.”

Julie looked at her feet, and then a teardrop slowly ran down her cheek.

“Please don’t leave,” Julie said, and wiped a tear. “I can’t be alone again.”

Jack sat down next to Julie, under the chanterelle tree.

“I’m not leaving,” Jack said. “You’re right, Nancy could be anywhere by now.”

“I thought you and Kevin were gone for good.” Julie sniffed. “I was all alone.” Julie wiped another tear off her cheek, the blood still showing on her jacket sleeve.

“How’s your head?” Jack asked, and looked at Julie’s forehead.

Julie looked puzzled. “Oh, that. That’s nothing. It’s just a bump, I’d forgotten all about it. But I think my ankle is broken. I can’t walk.”

“Does it hurt?”

“Only when I walk.”

“You don’t have to walk. I’ll carry you. I’ll carry you home, if I have to.”

“To the nearest road will do just fine.” Julie smiled. “Did you see any roads?”

Jack began coughing severely then stood up and put his hands against his knees.

“Are you cold, Jack?”

“I wish I had some more clothes.”

“You want to borrow my jacket for a while?”

“No, it won’t make any difference, it’s too small. You’ll get better use out of it. No point in both of us getting sick.” Jack coughed once more. “But thank you just the same.”

“So, did you see any roads?”

Jack smiled at Julie before he cleared his throat.

“You saw a road?” Julie’s face lit up.

“Nope.” Jack shook his head but kept smiling. “But I saw the ocean.”

“You saw the ocean?” Julie looked puzzled. “But Andrew said—”

“Andrew was wrong. I could see the ocean on the horizon,” Jack said. “It’s a long walk, but it shouldn’t take more than a week. And if we get to the ocean, then we’re bound to come across something.”

Jack coughed some more while he looked at the forest.

“If Andrew ran after Nancy, then why didn’t he return?” Jack asked.

“Perhaps he thought you and Kevin had left for good, and he couldn’t care less what happens to me. So…” Julie shrugged. “Perhaps he just kept walking.”

“He wouldn’t do that,” Jack said. “Maybe he’s lost in the woods. Andrew lost his glasses when the plane went down, and he can’t see very well.”

Jack convulsed and suddenly diverted his eyes toward the lake. “You can’t see very well without your contacts, am I right?”

Julie shook her head slightly and looked bewildered.

“Perhaps he went back to the other side of the lake.”

“You mean, Andrew?”

“No, Kevin.”

“He wouldn’t just sit there. I screamed for help all yesterday.”

“No, he wouldn’t do that,” Jack said and kept his focus on the lake. “We shouldn’t drink any more water from the lake. It could be contaminated. You know, like cholera, and such.”

“Nancy drank a lot of water the other day,” Julie said. “You think she’s all right?”

“No, she’s not all right, either way,” Jack responded. “She needs to get to a hospital.”

“Do you two know each other?” Julie asked.

“No, I told you, she must be confusing me with someone else,” Jack responded. “Why do you ask?”

“It sounded like she knew who you are.”

“Who I am?” Jack frowned. “Who did she say I am?”

“She didn’t specify.” Julie looked at her feet.

“She’s delusional, Julie. I’m not certain she even knows who she is, or where she is, for that matter.”

“I know,” Julie said, and kept looking at her feet.

Jack looked at the distress sign written across the shore.

“There’s another lake not far from here. If we leave now, we’ll get there before dark, and we’ll have access to fresh water.”

Julie looked at the SOS sign.

“I can go back, once a day, and check if the search and rescue team have arrived.”

Julie nodded, and then climbed up on Jack’s back.

They didn’t walk very far before they discovered a dead body.

Wednesday evening

As George Stanton stopped his car in front of Trisha Boyle’s house, he reflected on how strange he felt driving his own car again. Despite driving the same car almost every day for the past four years, his car all of the sudden didn’t feel the same after just a couple of days driving a rental.

Trisha just sat and looked at him and didn’t seem to make any attempt to leave the car. She’d been quiet for most of the journey, and she hadn’t taken off her sunglasses, until they’d changed cars in Oakland. Now, she kept breaking eye contact, back and forth. George wondered if she expected him to say something.

He noticed the woman staring at them from the porch. “Is that your mom?”

“Yeah , that’s her,” Trisha said, and briefly glanced at the porch. “I would introduce you to Danny, but he should be in bed by now.”

George felt relieved the journey to San Francisco had taken longer than expected and he wouldn’t have to greet the boy.

“She has a lovely house,” he said.

“No, the house is mine. She lives with me,” Trisha said. “I don’t live with my mom. My mom lives with me. So make sure you get the office gossip right, George.”