“We’re looking for Taylor Ward,” one of the uniformed officers said.

I stood, half ready to run as the panic started to sink in.

Ms. Rico put a hand on my shoulder reassuringly and looked the two officers and the clerk up and down.

“May I ask why?” she said plainly.

“Are you friends with Mia Burke?” the officer asked.

I froze.

Ms. Rico looked at me, questioningly.

“Y-yes,” I managed.

“Can you come with us to answer some questions?” the officer asked.

“I-is she okay?” My heart raced while a lump in my throat forced its way up, making pain no amount of painkillers could help with.

The silence said volumes.

“I’ll come,” I said and walked toward the door.

Ms. Rico hesitated to let me go but there was no reason for me not to. If Mia was in trouble I wanted to help any way I could.

I followed the adults to the front office. The two officers jingled as they walked, they’re belts lined with weapons and both had a set of handcuffs glinting in the fluorescent light.

My stomach didn’t like that, and I suppressed a heave.

They sat me down in a conference room in the back, and I anxiously chewed my nails, as they got settled. The guidance counselor came in and explained to me that he had called Mom to let her know of the situation.

After a moment I inhaled deeply and let it go with a steady, though embarrassingly audible woosh. My therapist recommended that kind of thing when the stress was bad, and it did help steady me.

“May we ask what your relationship with Mia is like?” the first officer asked.

“We’re friends,” I admitted freely. “Even good friends.”

“And have you been getting along well recently?” the officer asked.

“Yes, we did have a fight last week but it was just a misunderstanding,” I explained. My hands were still trembling where I kept them on the table surface. “Do you… suspect foul play?”

“We don’t want to make any assumptions,” the officer told me. “But she is missing. Do you have any idea if she wanted to run away for any reason?”

I shook my head. “Her home life was difficult sometimes but she never said she wanted to leave.”

“And do you know if there would be anyone that would want to harm her?” he asked.

My heart froze and that familiar cold muck gripped me. I shuddered. “N-no,” I said. It couldn’t be my fault. Mia wasn’t even– she wasn’t involved in any of that. She simply existed in the same space as me so surely they wouldn’t use her. There was no way for them to know she was my friend.

“Taylor?” the officer questioned.

I snapped back into the present. “No. I mean, like I said she had a difficult situation with her parents but I didn’t think it was that severe.”

If the camp had her, it was bad. I couldn’t do anything. And the police getting involved would only put her in more danger.

Why didn’t I just go back with Hermes? Mia would be safe. My family would be safe, and I might have to hurt people but… survival was hurting people and things.

The officers took their notes.

I stood, feeling the trembling in every inch of my body. It was almost painful the way my muscles could decide to brace themselves or relax against my will.

“Taylor?” the guidance counselor started but I turned away. “Wait,” he attempted to stop me by blocking my path but I dodged around and kicked the door open. It slammed against the wall, splinters of wood sprayed onto the floor, and I jumped over them and kept going.

I ran through the halls, skidded round a corner and then slammed the back door open. The sun beat down on me outside but I couldn’t feel the warmth. If anything I was numb.

I kept going, across the athletic field, down the road, until I hit the first intersection when I finally paused, heaving breathlessly.

After a moment, I got my bearings and started off again, not as fast now but still keeping a good pace.

My breath quickly ran out and I ended up taking ragged gasps as I went.

Another turn away I slowed unsurely as Mom’s car slowed on the road ahead of me, and pulled over.

She unlocked the doors and rolled down her window.

“Get in, Taylor,” she said calmly.

My body wouldn’t stop shaking but I pulled the door open and sat down on the passenger seat.

“I know you’re worried,” she said. “I am too but running off like that isn’t going to help anything.”

I panted as she turned the car around.

“I’m taking you home, okay?” she asked.

I nodded, silently. Home was closer to Mia’s house anyway. If I was going to be fighting I needed to conserve my strength so starting from there would be better, rather than running the full four miles.

Mom drove in silence the rest of the way. The only sound between us came from the car itself and even those seemed quieter today.

I clenched and unclenched my fists until she pulled in, then threw the car door open and rushed inside.

Mom looked after me but didn’t bother trying to stop me. Up the stairs and then into my bedroom, I threw myself onto the bed, grabbing my blanket to wrap myself in before letting the heaving come back.

My eyes burned so bad and when I reached up to rub at them, found tears there. I was truly crying. I didn’t do that often.

Mom was talking on the phone downstairs and I let myself flop over onto my side and stared intently at the wall.

Mia was in danger.

It was my fault.

And there was nothing I could do about it.

AN: You have no idea how long I've been excited to hit the final act of this book but then I really struggled to post today because the ADD was in full control and everytime I went to do it, I ended up doing housework or something else. My brain thinks I have work tomorrow but tomorrows my day off, so I should be trying to think of a way to chill for the day as this time of year is... taxing to say the least. I like the holidays, but I also hate all these people that come out and make it all people-y out there. (It's worse now that I have a customer facing job.)

Anyway, enjoy the chappie, I really try not to let cliffhangers sit for too long so I do have another chappie lined up for the day after tomorrow.

TY for reading!