Crying and praying.

That's all I've been doing since Odette and Chris disappeared off into nowhere. Well, that and listening to Mom, Dad, and Mrs. O'Brian argue about what's to be done about the situation.

It's evening again and I rush back from the school house to find just the adults there. Mom's finally stopped yelling long enough to break down on the outside as much as I know she already was secretly.

I walk all the way into our hut and then plop onto my sleeping bag.

"I have to go now!" Dad suddenly starts back in. "They could be anywhere!"

"They said they'll be back in a week-" Mom tries.

"At most. A week at most. It's been a week hasn't it?? It's been a little over a week!"

"Where would you even go? We'll end up losing you too," Mom whispers.

"You act like we've already lost them! Maybe we have, because we WAITED TOO LONG!!"

"Mason, please," Mrs. O' Brian croaks to Dad through the lump on her throat.

"Darling, don't you trust them?" Mom says.

"Of course I trust them! I don't think this was their best judgment call but really, it's other people I don't trust; don't you get it, Linda??? And there's no way they were just "running a favor." They're hiding something."

Mom licks her lips and doesn't even try to deny it.

"Jillian," Dad says turning to me. My blood runs cold as he asks me the same question he has every day since they've left. "You're sure you don't know where they were headed or what they were after?"

"Dad, I told you everything I know!" I cry desperately.

"Dig deeper! They must've said something that would've-"

"They didn't, Dad!"

"Honey," Mom tries but Dad keeps pushing.

"Think, Jillian, think!"

I roll my lips against each other, shake my head and storm out the door. There's nowhere to hide when you live in a one-room house, so I just cry; silently but openly.

Glancing out at the scattered materials for the well, I pray the same prayer for the thousandth time today.

Let nothing awful happen to them. Bring them home, please?

I turn around and look out between all the houses, playful children running around while mothers cook supper on open fires.

Sinking to my knees right there, I strain my sight for any sign of Odette and Chris.

My brain is my own worst enemy. As I spy nothing and no one, it dreams up every fate imaginable that could've come across my sister and her best friend.

But then it happens. A pale form in the with a young girl clinging to her hand.

I stand up slowly and wipe my tears, swearing my eyes must be playing tricks on me.

But they're not. HALLELUJAH, they're not. It's-

"ODEEEETTTEE!!!" I shriek, instantly sprinting faster than I ever have towards her.

My heart pumping so hard I can feel
it in my ears, I fling myself at her. She lets out a breath, the wind knocked out of her for a moment and then she embraces me back.

"Odette," I sigh, fresh tears flowing for a complete different reason this time.

Her hair is greasy and filthy and she's coated in dust and... Scars?

I step back slowly when I realize what I'm feeling on her back is... Dried blood. Even more concerning is-

"Where's Chris?" I ask, not too worried yet. I continue teasingly, "Is he behind cause he's so slow like he-"

I swear, Odette's glare shoots daggers into my very soul.

"No, Jill, are you stupid? Shut up!" she snaps, not able to stay angry as despair overtakes her instead.

We've always joked about Chris being slow and, truth be told I literally thought he was just running a bit behind. I watch Odette, struggling to get enough oxygen in because she's crying so hard. She turns and picks up the little girl beside her.

"Odette, I- What... What happened? Where is he?"

She looks up at the sky and tries to blink back some of her tears. She sighs shakily.

The shouts of Mom, Dad, and Mrs. O' Brian behind us make it hard to hear and I'm barely able to hear her mumble, "Hospital. Few miles from here."

I go off in a daze as the three adults run around me and surround Odette. I feel far away all the sudden, sick with worry and unanswered questions.

I vaguely notice everyone stop talking and Mrs. O' Brian choke on that same question.

"Where's Chris?"

Odette doesn't even answer this time. A cry with a million different emotions escapes her and then she briskly walks away from us and toward our hut, the young girl still in her arms.

Of course, the adults all look at me for the answers that I don't have.

I tell them what I know, mumbling, "She said he's in a hospital a few miles from here. That's all I've got."

And then I'm after her.

Our open fire in front of the hut catches my eye as I come up to it and I suddenly remember she must be starving.

But when I hustle inside, I can't help but smile to myself despite everything. She's helped herself to the pretzels in my bag.

Or... Stole them for the little girl, I realize as she sits down and begins to encourage the child to eat.

She looks at me when she senses I've entered and immediately starts in with, "Look. I came back cause I didn't know how long we'd been gone and I didn't want any of you searching for us and winding up lost cause you all have a horrible sense of direction."

She sneaks one of the pretzels into her mouth and swallows hard.

"But know this: I'm headed back to that hospital tonight."

There's a stretch of time with no noise but the frantic crunch of the pretzels entering the child's mouth.

"Well, of course you are," I whisper.

Another thick silence. And then I skate on thin ice by asking, "Is... Is he going to be ok?"

Odette sucks in her breath sharply so suddenly, I react as if I was going to have to give her CPR or something. Then she punches the ground and whispers painfully, "I don't know."

Usually, I would try to sit with her, snuggle up against her until at least some of the pain goes away. But as my heart beats with questions and my eyes start to flood again, I can't help but feel there's nothing I can do to ease the pain of whatever's happened.

I back out of the doorway, whirl around and sink to the ground, my back against the outside wall.

Not even a minute later, Odette is standing in front of me with the little girl.

"Can you watch her till I'm back?"

I glance at the girl, then up at Odette. "Shouldn't you get her to her parents?"

Odette looks like she is trying not to sock me. "Would you just watch her?"

"Ok," I say, deciding arguingand questions are a bad idea at this point.

"Tell Mom and Dad not to freak out. I'll be back once... I... Once I know what... Umm.... I'll be back soon. There's no danger this time I'll literally be two miles away."

She stares at the ground and takes a deep breath. "Someone's waiting to take me. I'll see you," she mumbles.

"Wait!" I call. "What about-?"

"Tell Mrs. O' Brian... Chris has a fighting chance and... I'm sorry," she gulps.

I want to ask her a million things but nothing comes out. All I do is stare, terrified.

"Just... Pray Jill, ok?"

And she's off as suddenly as she was back.