JOSI

On the weekend Aspen visits, Josi tasks herself with showing her around the city. The park was first on the list, and as Josi later found, it was the perfect selection. Where do kids go to release energy? A field of almost infinite greenery. Aspen runs until her body can no longer keep up, until much of her energy has been spent. A good thing on Josi's part. It cooled her down.

Now they're touring the streets. Josi walks Aspen down a block full of restaurants and shops. The smell from each food stall has carried and diffused into the air, serving as an invite to potential customers. A mistake on Josi's part. It piques Aspen's interest.

"Can we get ice cream?"

Josi sighs. "Tell me you didn't come visit so you could eat sweets unsupervised."

"I didn't come visit so I could eat sweets unsupervised." Aspen tells her, still intrigued by an ice cream parlor.

"Penny, you can't keep eating that much sugar."

"I didn't have any yesterday or the day before yesterday." Aspen argues. "Plus, mom says my body is strong. Which means I can handle anything."

Josi shakes her head. "I can't wait for you to hit puberty."

"Is that when I'll have my own retirement plan?"

Their pace comes to a stop, and Josi has to do a double take. "Who told you about retirement plans?"

"Dad." Aspen says. "He said I won't be able to date until I start doing my own taxes and retire."

Not surprising, considering her father was against the idea of her moving to New York. Now it seems Aspen will trek down that very path, though it is comical. Josi will watch it all happen. First, she needs to find an ice cream shop, because Aspen's craving will not dial down otherwise.

The cup is topped with two varying flavors; one cookie dough and the other butter pecan. Aspen is satisfied with the options, though it took her some time deciding.

"You're so rich, Josi."

Josi chuckles. "It's just ice cream." She tells her. Then she gets an inkling - almost as if something is out of place - and realizes her wallet is not where it should be in her bag. It must still be in the ice cream shop.

A quick trip back provides her with an answer. Josi finds it by the counter, and now the issue has been resolved. That should have been the end of it. It should have put a wrap on the side quest and had them on their way back to touring the city. But things haven't been all that easy lately, and this one seems to be the worst of them.

Aspen is nowhere to be found.

Josi is certain she arrived at the shop with her sister. Aspen was there by her side with the cup of ice cream. What could have transpired in so little time for this horrific outcome?

Panic oozes through in streams. Josi heads outside and begins the search for her sister, calling out her name so voraciously that it becomes a bird call. She scouts the streets for any signs of Aspen's stature, or even the familiar pale blue of her t-shirt. Nothing comes to view. Josi has lost her sister.

The panic breaks Josi down both in body and in spirit. Aspen could be anywhere. She could be at the back of a very psychotic stranger's van wailing for help. Who's to say she hasn't already made it out the neighborhood? The thought of it all brings Josi to tears.

As if to insult Josi's predicament, her phone begins ringing, and only when she checks the caller does the insult really sting. The smiley face is what she sees first, then his name. How infuriating that Idris demands her attention at such a time. But she answers, for a missed phone call will only add more repercussions to the list.

"Did you lose something?"

Josi goes quiet. She should have guessed he was the one behind all this madness. "Damn it, Idris."

"Are you crying? You can if you want to, but I believe your sister is more important, don't you think?"

Josi dries her tears. "What do you want?"

"It's more about what you want, isn't it?"

She grits her teeth. "My sister has nothing to do with this."

"I don't really care, Cade." Idris tells her. "But if you want her back, then you'll have to come get her yourself."

It sounds too good to be true - that he would just hand Aspen over without some strings attached. But in the possibility that he's telling the truth, Josi has to be there for her sister. She takes the chance. "Where are you?"

"Head back to the ice cream shop."

Josi is there within minutes. She checks inside expecting some good news, but is instead greeted by a slap to the face. There are no signs of Aspen. "She's not here!"

"I never said she was."

The frustration begins eating into her, and Josi finds herself leaning against the shop's frame just to keep herself steady. "Please just let her go."

"If you take 412 steps north, 223 steps east, and another 352 steps west, you should be able to find us. But if you're not here by 5:30, then I leave with her." The call ends.

Josi finds the time on her phone. Five O'clock is what she sees, granting her a maximum of thirty minutes. She takes a deep breath in, then gets into position and begins counting her steps one at a time, one foot in front of the other. The directions roll off her tongue like a mantra, guiding her towards where she hopes is her sister in one piece.

Josi ends her journey north with a perspiring forehead, then takes her first step right in pursuit of the walk east. The street has grown narrow and less populated from the starting point, and she suspects wherever the destination is located must be sketchy, not worthy of solo visitors.

Josi arrives on her 223rd step and turns left for the journey west. But what she doesn't expect to see, on this despairing search and rescue mission, is a dead end up ahead.

Josi collapses to the ground. She thinks she must have miscounted, but no such errors were made. No such missteps. She gets the urge to scream, to thrash something, anything. There's no time to do so in Josi's packed schedule, however. She fumbles with her phone until Idris's number comes to view, dials it, and waits.

It takes some time before he picks up. "Yes?"

"I'm here. I followed the directions and there's a fucking dead end."

"Sounds like you miscounted."

Josi knows otherwise. "412 steps north, 223 steps east, and 352 steps west. I counted every single step right."

Idris goes quiet. Then he begins to chuckle. "Did I say east? I meant west."

Curses ready to be spewed only sit in a queue, because doing so will land her in much hotter waters. Again, the tears come, but Josi leaves them be.

"And it's 325 steps north, so you'd better start all over. There's only fifteen minutes left." The call ends.

Josi brushes all the trembling to the side and rises to her feet. She runs like she's never ran before, until her heartbeat becomes a blaring horn pounding at her ears. She gets into position at the shop's front door once again and begins counting - one foot in front of the other.

The first step west occurs minutes later. She quickens her pace, as time is now as scarce as even the finest crystals. But will this haphazard journey really be complete without some other form of interference? It certainly will not. Josi runs into a stranger and instantly, clumsily, falls to the ground.

The stranger, now aware of their mistake, sends a hand for Josi. "I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there."

But the words are lost to Josi. Her steps have been misplaced. She's been pushed off course. Her chance of victory may have just been stolen from her. She sends a hand through her hair and even pulls at it. Why has the universe resorted to making a mockery of her?

The stranger only gapes, clearly aware of the frenzy Josi is in. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" Josi snaps. There's immediate regret, but no apology is offered. Taking her anger out on a stranger will not serve her any good. She stands, and from an estimated step, continues the journey in the hopes it will still lead her to her destination. Three minutes remain on the clock.

As the sweat trickles and her heart rate skyrockets, Josi finally comes to the end of all the madness. No dead end this time, but a plaza. Too many busy bodies to conduct a quick scan, so she loses herself in the midst of all the livelihood and searches face by face.

"Josi?"

Josi's head snaps towards the direction of the call, and there Aspen is by the water fountain with Idris by her side.

Josi wastes no time. She runs as fast as her legs can carry her, because the possibility of Aspen disappearing right in front of her eyes is still very much real. Only when Aspen is in her arms does she truly relax, though not by much. She's high on adrenaline.

"Are you okay?" Aspen asks, now aware of Josi's trembling.

Josi nods her head yes and wipes the last remaining tears away, then notices for the first time the sweets in Aspen's hand. Cotton candy. "Where did you get that?"

"The mister with the scar." Aspen points to Idris with a smile. "He got me two!"

Josi looks to Idris who gives her a smile without meaning. "See? I'm nice." He says it with so much warmth, it's no wonder he had Aspen fooled. He finds the time on his watch and with a shake of his head, says, "5:30 on the dot. Any later and you would have been living a different reality right now."

Josi throws him daggers. She pulls Aspen behind her, as if to serve as a shield from the messenger of disaster in front of her. How close she'd been to losing her sister. She cannot afford another cat and mouse game such as this, especially when the grand prize is someone she holds dear. Things have gone on far enough.

"I'm going to tell them everything." Josi says, only loud enough for Idris to hear.

Idris just looks at her. "Tell who?"

"My parents, the police, everyone."

A beat passes. Then Idris begins laughing. He goes on for so long that Josi's embarrassment shadows that of her determination. He isn't taking her seriously.

"I'm shaking in my boots, Cade. Like telling them's going to stop me." The laughter then simmers. "You seem to think you have options. But if you want to report me," he looks her straight in the eye. "Go right ahead."

This is as clear a threat as his ill intentions. He's egging her on, escorting her towards the finish line - only for her to find for herself the consequences disguised as the winning prize. Once again, Josi falls back. She does not carry the capacity to challenge him.

Idris captures the defeat on Josi's face and smiles, reveling in her misery. "Cheer up, Cade. You look like you've been fucked over by more than just life."

"What does fucked mean?" Aspen asks, only choosing to zone in at that moment.

"When two people-"

"Idris!" Josi intervenes.

He chuckles, gathers himself, and heads off to wherever else he needs to be - probably to wreak more havoc. Now his presence has disappeared, but why can't Josi find it in herself to relax? A simple question, really. Idris is the shadow beneath her feet, and like all shadows, he will return. He will find his way back to her.

Aspen now has a smile too wide on her face, which probably doesn't stem from the cotton candy. "He's handsome, Josi. Who is he?"

Josi just sighs. She's beat. "Forget about him." Then to herself, "Hopefully, you won't see him again."

Aspen questions no further. She gives her attention back to the treat The Mister With The Scar so generously gave her.

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