Two months ago when the police found me on the highway, on Route 98 to be exact.
Lost and confused. The first thing I asked the lady in the dark blue bomber jacket and neatly buttoned-up blue dress shirt was.
"where is Ava?"

"who is Ava?" she knelt in front of me with her brows knitted together, and the hint of worry in her shinning within her brown eyes.

As the blue and red light shined, the throbbing in my temples got
worse. Like somebody was squeezing my brains out.
I placed my hand at the back of my head and rubbed against the throbbing pain, wet slippery fluid soon ran down my fingertips.

I withdrew my hand from my head. Looked at the dark red blood that sat on my fingertips.

"What is going on?" I asked the cop, but she remained quiet and looked at my bloody fingertips. Her eyebrows remained knitted, but she tried to relax them.
The road was bare and the mist in the night sky dimmed the stars. The forest trees played peek-a-boo. No stars or moon were visible when I woke up that night.

"Please tell me what's going on", I asked again.

Instead of answering my question, she asked for my name

"My name is Nora."

"Okay, Nora, do you remember how you got here?", she asked pronouncing my name as Noha instead of Nora.
I shook my head stating a no, as the hair on my neck raised and the bubble of questions began to form.
What the hell is going on?
How did I get here?
Am I dead?
My chest became tight, my lungs forgot how to inhale the air. The drumbeat of my heart became louder with each panic thought that bounced in my mind.

What the hell is going on?
I wrapped my arms around myself and clenched onto my elbows.

"Okay, okay that's okay", she placed her hand on my arm and gave me warmth with her baby-soft small hands.

She tilts her head to the side
"This is officer Reyes I need an ambulance on Route 98."
She spoke into the little black speaker that rested on her shoulder.
"Copy that!", the speaker barked back.

"Okay, so help is on its way just stay calm, okay, let me just check your head I think you might be hurt or something"

She took off her blue jacket and wrapped it around me. Yet, again she gave me more warmth.
She then placed her hand at the back of my head and dug her fingers into my scalp.
"ouch", I winced in pain.

"Sorry looks like you bleeding" she looked at the blood on her hand.

I don't quite remember what I said to her after that, but the ambulance soon arrived, with the shrill sirens blasting loudly.
More blue and red lights shined brightly, this time on to the cop's face.

Her face now relaxed, relief had washed over her like calming waters running down a path.
She then took my hand and walked me over to the van, she took large hasty steps and I tripped over my feet but, that all stopped when the ambulance doors busted open revealing two men in white dress shirts, with a red cross on the pocket of the shirts.

It happened so quickly. The one with the moustache jumped out of the van and guided me into it.
The other with a shaved head slapped on his gloves. And began to press his fingers into the back of my head. "Ouch" I cried again.

"Sorry looks like you have been hit or something," the one with a moustache looked at me with knitted eyebrows. His gloves were covered with red blood. Moustache guy looked at his gloves he noticed I was staring deeply at them.

"But it's not that bad your gonna need stitches and  with that amount of bouncy curls you got no one will even notice them." He tried to lighten up the situation but nothing could lighten up my clouded thoughts or this dark misty night.

Where was Ava and how did I even get here? I wondered and the last thing I remember that night were the blue rubbery gloves. That slowly placed an oxygen mask over my face.

That's it no recollection of the events before me ending up on that freeway well except for one. It's the only thing I remember so far Ava holding on to a door knob and pushing me away as I try to reach for her

And that's about it. The one bit of memory must have been the thing that jolted me awake from the hard concrete. Lucky for me as I walked into the misty night there was a cop car that stopped me.

Is it crazy for me to say that I wish I could go back to that day?

Right now I'm back at the police station.

Seated in this icy steel chair in a windowless grey depressing room. I wish I had grabbed my jacket from my locker just before Detective Adams had taken me here.

Goosebumps begin to form on my skin, and I hug myself tighter in hopes to warm myself up.
Why has Detective Adams summoned me here? Well, more like why did he force me into the back of his car?
Didn't I answer all his questions?

A week after I was found on the highway, and after it was established that Ava- my best friend of five years- was missing.

I was bought into this room questioned by an old-aged man. Whose deep voice scared the living daylight of me. When he would ask his questions, his tired grey eyes would pierce straight into my soul. He would sit up straight almost too perfectly, even his grey hair was sleeked back with a glossing shine.

The door creaks open, and immediately I turn to face it. Detective Adams walks in taking heavy steps and clearing his throat. He is wearing the exact, same clothing he wore two months ago.

A black trench coat, with black trousers, and black leather gloves. He gives me a weak smile, causing my stomach to twist into knots.

He takes a seat across from me and takes off his gloves.
"How are you doing Nora?"
His unwelcoming deep voice raises hairs on my neck.

"I-I-I'm okay sir," I shift in my seat.

"Would you like something to drink?", he offers.

"No", I respond quickly which causes his one eyebrow to spring up.

"You are not in trouble Nora, just relax", he takes out his notebook

"Let's talk about what happened two months ago." So the night of Ava's disappearance you and your friend Ameria were at a party. Correct?"

"Yes"

"Whose party?"

"Jake Payton."

"Do you remember what you did at this party?"

"Um well not exactly ", I lean back into my seat.
"What's the last thing you remember about that night?"

"I remember Ava walking out.”

"And pushing you away right?"

His questioning eyes begin to stare deep into mine. Almost Like he is desperately looking for a lie.
"Yeah"

"So you end up at Route 98, do you remember Ava going there?"
"No, I don't" I sigh

This is going nowhere, but I don't think detective Adams wants to give up just yet.

"Would you say-" just as he's about to ask his next question the door swings open.
"Nora", my mother comes to my side.
"Asking my daughter, a minor, questions without her parent present. What do you think you are doing?"

She looks at Adams with a frown on her face

"I am just doing my job and I have every right to ask her questions besides she agreed to it”

"Whatever!"She hisses at him.

"Come on Nora", she grabs my arm and I grab onto my school bag.

Her soft warm hand makes the goosebumps on my skin.
disappear.

We rush through the station, everything is almost like a blur. Mom's heels click with every hasty step we take as she drags me along. Telephones ring simultaneously and I only catch a glimpse of the blue-uniformed officers.
Mom pushes the glass door open and the blazing dessert-like afternoon sun shines on us.

As soon as we enter the Volvo, she clicks her tongue,
"Are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm okay, " I fasten my seat belt.

"I cannot believe the school allowed that detective to drag you out of school. That principle of yours is stupid."

I chuckle and shake my head.

"Nice hair", I compliment her as I notice the new black lemon braids hairstyle.

"Thank you, speaking of hair", she begins to touch my hair, tugging on it a bit "When are going to do yours?"
"Probably this weekend," I reply as my mom starts the car.

"Mhm," she hums and turns up the volume. Slow Jazz music plays as we pass the different old and coloured buildings of Willowwood.
I lean back into my seat enjoying the peaceful moment

Ava wherever you are I hope you are okay.