Chapter 7 - Unshakeable Love

1/26/2020 9:50 AM

Lucy and Mrs. Davis arrived at their house by 9:50AM, five minutes after Ryan left with his father to the lab. Mrs. Davis, feeling her phone buzz in her pocket, pulled it out and checked her text messages. “Hey hon,” she said to Lucy, “it turns out I am needed at work today so I gotta go.”

“Okay mom,” chimed Lucy “See you later!” Mrs. Davis drove quickly away without another word. Lucy stepped up to the door, pulled out her key and entered the house. Immediately after stepping inside, she felt something was wrong. “Ry?” she called, “where are you?”

Fearing the worst, she ran up the stairs after checking the dining room. Bursting into Ryan’s room, her fears were confirmed. Ryan was missing. What could have happened to him? Lucy thought. I know he was very upset and stressed. Did something happen to him or… the thought was almost too horrible to finish.

What could he have done to himself? Horrible, unwanted thoughts came flooding into her head. Images of Ryan’s body hanging from a tree by its neck, his head skewed at an odd angle, or images of his bloated, fish-nibbled body floating down a river or some other body of water.

Thoroughly scared now, she rushed into her room with tears in her eyes. Something white on her bed caught her attention. It was a note. With shaking hands, she lifted the not from her bed and began to unfold it.

What was it? A suicide note or a note telling her he had run away? With trembling hands, she opened his letter. After reading Ryan’s letter, she burst into tears.

She would never see Ryan again and her dad just let Ryan go? Didn’t he even care? Making a valiant effort to pull herself together, Lucy pulled her phone out of her pocket and called her mom. Mrs. Davis did not pick up.

Panicked, Lucy anxiously sought a solution. Call the police? No, they would only shut everything down and she would never find her brother. Calling the police was obviously out of the question.

Since her dad had something to do with Ryan’s disappearance, she decided she would wait for him to come home then question him. Trying to pass the time, she started to work on her homework for the weekend but found herself unable to focus. Suddenly tired, from worrying about Ryan, she fell asleep on her bed.

Lucy woke from a fitful sleep hearing the faint sound of the door downstairs opening and closing. Groggily, Lucy opened her eyes and looked at her watch. It read 2:15 PM. Why would her dad be home so early? Her mom must have come home.

Lucy trudged downstairs and was surprised to find her dad home and eating lunch with her mom. Fighting down the hostility that rose within her, Lucy casually asked “What brings you home so early?”

“I was no longer needed at work today so I came home early.”

“Oh, by the way,” Lucy asked “Do you know where Ryan went?”

“No why, is he missing?” Mrs. Davis asked, alarm creeping into her voice.

“No, I’m sure he just went for a walk or something.” Lucy input quickly, not wishing to alert her mother yet.

“Okay” her mom said, visibly calming down.

“Alright, well back to homework” Lucy said. “Hey dad, can you see me in my room upstairs to help with a math problem I have?” She inquired.

“Sure hon.” he replied smiling. “I’ll be right up.”

Lucy briskly walked up the stairs to her room. Once in her room she pulled a three inch assisted opening knife from a drawer in her desk. She also got out her phone and had 911 on speed dial just in case. Hearing her dad’s heavy footsteps thumping on the stairs, she hastily sat down at her desk and seemed to be busy with math homework.

“Hey” said Mr. Davis standing in the door. “You said you needed my help?”

“Oh, yeah” she replied, scooting her chair sideways at her desk and towards the door. As anticipated, her dad strode to her desk and came to stand beside her chair on the opposite side of the door. Perfect she thought. Springing to her feet, she leapt towards the door and quickly, but quietly shut it.

Stunned, Mr. Davis just stood there in surprise. “What are you doing?” In response, Lucy pulled her phone out of her pocket and flipped it open, poising her thumb over the dial button.

“I know you are responsible for Ryan disappearing.” She said to the professor, voice shaking. As she talked, she pulled her knife from her back pocket and flicked it open behind her back. She hoped her voice would drown out the soft click sound the knife make as it opened.

“How do you know that?” Mr. Davis asked, surprise still showing plainly on his face. In response, Lucy gestured toward the note from Ryan on her bed. Carefully lifting the note, Mr. Davis unfolded and read it. Anger and apprehension replaced the surprise on his face.

“Don’t do anything we are both going to regret” Lucy said seeing the anger on his face. “One wrong move from you and I will call the police”

“What do you want from me?” Lucy’s dad said quietly.

“I want you to send me where you sent Ryan.”

“You mean back in time one day?” The professor asked relief showing in his green eyes.

“Yes, and if you refuse, you can look forward to spending at least several years in prison for child endangerment” Lucy replied evenly.

“Okay, I will do as you ask.”

“Good, now we leave immediately.” She said motioning her dad towards the door. Together they walked down the stairs.

“Honey” Mr. Davis called to Mrs. Davis in their room down the downstairs hall, “I am needed at the lab again ok?”

“Okay, take care!” called Mrs. Davis from their room in the downstairs hall.

While in the car, Mr. Davis told Lucy he would text the lab to let them know of their coming. He then carefully pulled up Mrs. Davis’s number on the phone and said “Test subject two is en route, test number two is go.”

“I am coming to find you Ryan” Lucy breathed softly. “I hope you are still alive.”