NaNoWriMo Day 19: 18,891 of 50,000
Welp. I’m falling a bit behind, but I am really in love with this story!
To read the previous chapters head HERE!
Chapter Fourteen
Chloe was insistent from the moment Theo got in her car that she wanted to take the ferry. Theo checked Google Maps to see what was going to take longer because his sister was already late to get him.
“Sorry, sis but the ferry is going to take longer than just driving around,” he said as she pulled onto the main road.
“Are you serious?” she whined sneaking a look over at her brother.
“Maybe on the way back we can take the ferry,” he continued.
“Sure,” Chloe was not convinced but she kept driving nonetheless. As they made their way south Theo was more excited and settled than he had been since he moved out here. Yes, it was true that this whole Stanley thing was keeping him obsessively occupied, but he was truly looking forward to this welcome distraction.
“So, how are you feeling now that you are able to be out and about?” Chloe asked as they approached Tacoma.
“I’m better,” Theo answered scrolling through his emails, “I still have a bit of a limp when I walk.”
“Yeah I suppose tearing a pretty major muscle can do that to you,” Chloe remarked. “I mean I am just glad you didn’t hurt your head more. I want to yell at you for not wearing a helmet!” Chloe spent her free time doing what she called cycling, but for Theo it was just spending a longer amount of time than usual riding a bike. But for her it was cycling and she was a big proponent of safe, wide, bike lanes as well as advocating for the use of helmets.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” he responded watching the rain come down onto the window.
The drive to Poulsbo was quiet save for Chloe’s weird British pop music that was blasting out of her car’s speakers. As they approached the town and turned onto the road that would lead to the animal center Chloe perked up.
“So, what kind of dog did you find?” Chloe asked as the GPS told her to turn left.
“You’ll just have to wait,” Theo said calmly feeling like it was Christmas morning on the inside.
The GPS instructed them their was one final turn before they reached their destination. A long driveway brought them up to a large barn with an outdoor fence where Delilah was running toward the fence as Chloe put the car in park.
“Oh my goodness! She looks just like Hershey!” Chloe squealed referring to their family’s pet chocolate lab as they got out of the car. Theo practically skipped to the entrance to the fenced-in area and introduced himself and Chloe to Kaitlyn and the lady who fostered Delilah. The small dog in front of them practically lost it as Theo and Chloe walked in.
Theo smiled for the first time since arriving and was unable to wipe it off his face throughout the visit. When decision time came it was no question, Theo wanted her. Chloe played with Delilah as he paid Kaitlyn and talked to the lady who fostered her about the habits this 3-month old was forming already. Once the paperwork was signed, a photo was taken for the Facebook page, and Delilah was in her spot in the backseat Theo and Chloe waved as they left.
Theo was in such a good mood having just rescued a chocolate lab that he decided going on the ferry would be a great way to introduce the new family member to the city of Seattle. There were many laughable moments as the two waited in the car line for the next ferry out of Bremerton. The sun was shining as Theo took his new dog for a walk amongst the cars towards the water. Lots of people smiled back at him and even were happily surprised when the puppy jumped on them. Theo went into dad mode and did some in the moment training and as he pet her head he realized how good this dog was going to be for him.
A few minutes later the car made its way onto the ferry and the three of them were up on the deck of the ferry. The wind was a little chilly, but their new family member was busy barking at people to pet her which was enough to distract Theo from thinking about Stanley. That was until his sister brought up the whole situation.
“What if he is like some mass murderer from Alabama or something and he’s on the run?” Chloe asked her eyes wild. As a writer she often was prone to outlandish theories. “Oh. This would be a great novel Theo. Tell me more.”
“Chloe,” he began a warning in his tone, “I can’t anymore. I have been so wrapped up in it. So much so that it got me in the hospital.”
“Wait!” Chloe exclaimed as the Seattle skyline came into view. “Your bike accident wasn’t an accident?”
“No, it was an accident. Why would I intentionally bike into a car Chloe?” he challenged wishing his younger sister would think before speaking sometimes.
“Well, you said it got you into the hospital. Explain, please.”
Theo sighed and moved inside to get the little puppy away from the crowd. “I was following his van. Well, not at first. I was just biking around trying to get some fresh air and then I came upon his van and I wanted to follow it.”
“Theo,” her voice was soft and carried a tone of worry, “I didn’t know how deep you were into this.” She leaned down and pet the puppy that Theo had yet to rename. She obliged by licking her face.
“Chloe, I legitimately think he is involved in the disappearance of three women in my neighborhood. I don’t have time to worry about how ‘deep’ I am into this,” Theo urged placing air quotes up when he used the word deep.
Chloe looked at him with that look woman give men all the time as if what they just said was the most ridiculous thing ever. Maybe what he said was ridiculous, but for Theo it’s all he had right now.
“Please make your way back to your cars. We are approaching the ferry terminal,” the announcement rang out in the midst of the silence between Chloe and Theo. The two tugged the puppy in the direction of the stairs that would take them back down to where Chloe’s car was located.
They were both still silent as they got in the car Theo glimpsing the Space Needle from the surface of the Puget Sound waters. He didn’t care what his sister was currently thinking of him. All he knew was this city was starting to become his home and he didn’t want anything or anyone to threaten his home. Especially now that he had someone else to care for.
“So, what are you going to rename this cutie?” Chloe asked her body twisted to pet the now sleeping chocolate lab.
Theo answered honestly. “Not sure. I’ll think of a good one though.”
As the ferry slowly made its way into the terminal and announced its arrival with the blow of the horn Theo couldn’t help but wonder where Stanley was right at this moment.
Chapter Fifteen
After Theo had gotten used to his new family member and vice versa the two developed a routine. He would wake up to Bella, a name he came to simply because that was the only name her ears perked up to one evening, licking his face and wagging her tail. Theo would smile and pet her head before getting up and leashing her up for a walk around the block. While he would take that morning walk he observed that Stanley’s van wasn’t anywhere near Theo’s house. A pattern was beginning to develop and Theo was to nervous to consider the result of that pattern a possibility. When Theo and Bella finished their morning walk he would then pack up his backpack and head to the coffee shop where Bella would sit at his feet as he worked.
Most mornings Ophelia was there, but she hadn’t said a word to Theo in weeks not even when he brought Bella in for the first time. If anything her distance was louder than the silence itself. Theo gave up on engaging her in conversation realizing that when a girl said she needed space he needed to listen and respect it. On one particular morning however Theo arrived at the shop’s opening time, but the lights were out and the door was closed. This was an incredibly odd thing to happen and the hairs on the back of Theo’s neck stood on end when he saw a young man rushing toward him and Bella.
“Good morning,” he mumbled fumbling with some keys opening the door.
“Where’s Ophelia?” he asked as he guided Bella inside.
“I don’t know,” the guy hurried to the front turning on the lights and beginning to make coffee, “I got a call like five minutes ago telling me to open shop five hours before my shift begins.”
The guy was not only feeling rushed but was also clearly irritated by Ophelia’s absence. Theo could relate to this and fought against a smile at the irony of it all. “Ok, well if you hear from her can you let me know she’s alright?”
Theo sat down and pet Bella’s head. “More like the other way around dude. I know the two of you are best friends. She needs a serious wake up call or she is going to lose her job.”
“Wait, what do you mean?” Theo asked turning back around from his window seat to look at the guy who was now putting money into the register.
“She’s been spacey and all distracted for like three or four months now. Do you two talk?” he asked not looking up at Theo.
“No, actually. She’s upset with me and told me she needed some space.”
“Hm, well something’s going on and she better figure it out quick.”
Theo let the man concentrate on his work, but that didn’t keep him from texting Tyler asking if he’d heard from Ophelia lately. Tyler’s response a few hours later was literally a copy of the response Theo received a few months ago when she ran off.
She’s fine Theo. Probably just in a tent somewhere in the mountains. I wouldn’t worry.
Except worry was all Theo could do. A lot had changed with Ophelia since Theo explained his suspicions about Stanley. He knew she was adamantly against it all, but Theo had to make note that it was after that she began to act strange.
“Where are you Ophelia?” Theo asked himself softly.
The man near him reading the newspaper looked at him more annoyed than worried about a guy talking to himself. Theo smiled and opened his laptop hoping work could distract him. Work did, but only for so long because as Theo and Bella arrived back home that evening a female was waiting on their doorstep.
“Riley? What are you doing here?” Theo asked as he pulled Bella back from jumping on Riley.
“It’s Ophelia,” she said looking around wildly. Given the trauma Riley had gone through in her life he couldn’t imagine what kind of voices she was hearing right now. It was what Theo had feared all day long.
“What happened?” Theo asked opening the door and inviting Riley in.
“I-I came home about an hour ago,” Riley began following Theo up to his room, “and the place was just trashed. I was angry at first because Ophelia is always getting on my case to be clean so it seemed like such a double standard for her to be saying that and then coming home to the mess I did,” Riley paused to catch her breath. Theo directed her to sit on his bed as Bella ran to her water bowl. Theo sat down across from her in his desk chair. “Theo,” Riley was crying now, “it was a mess because there was a struggle. She was taken.”
Theo sighed deeply wishing what Riley was saying wasn’t true, but they both knew it was. “Did you call the police?”
“No,” now she was sobbing as Theo handed her some paper towels, “I have to wait 24 hours.”
“Did you find any blood?” he asked wishing there was something like that so he could tell the police ‘I told you so.’
Riley was shaking her head. “No, just a broken chair and the comforter pulled off her bed like she- like she-” Riley caught her breath, “like she was holding on so whoever was taking her wouldn’t be able to easily.”
“Do you know who could’ve taken her? Was there a sign of forced entry?” Theo asked as Bella came to curl up by his feet.
“Oh no I didn’t check.”
“Was the door opened when you came back?” Theo asked playing detective.
“Um,” Riley thought, “no. No because I had to unlock the door with my key.”
“Hm. Ok. So maybe it was somebody she knew then.”
“But who Theo? It’s not like she has a ton of friends. It’s you and Tyler. That’s it.”
Theo sighed and recalled his conversation with the young guy at the coffee shop this morning. “How has Ophelia been acting these past few months?”
Riley wipped the remaining tears from her eyes. “What do you mean?”
“Has she been acting off? Weird and distant maybe?”
Riley shrugged. “Not that I could tell, but I barely saw her. Usually she is up before me and asleep before I even get home.”
“Did you come home at your normal time?” Theo asked.
“No, I got off a couple hours early.”
“Hm. Something isn’t right.”
“You think!” Riley almost yelled startling Bella.”Oh gosh I’m sorry it’s just too much of my past is coming up with this now.”
Theo gently touched her forearm. “I’m sorry Riley. Thanks for coming to me, but when the 24 hours is up you have to call the police.”
Riley nodded her head. “Yeah I will.”
“Do you have someone you could stay with tonight?” Theo asked knowing the last place Riley should be is in that apartment all alone.
“Um, yeah. I can stay with a friend in Cap Hill.”
Theo nodded and led her out. “Call me if anything comes up, ok?”
“Of course. Thanks Theo. I knew it was a good idea coming to you.”
Theo gave her a small smile and went back inside immediately reaching for his phone and calling Tyler.
“Tyler, it’s Ophelia-” Tyler interrupted him.
“Man I told you she’s probably out in the-”
“Tyler! She’s not. Her roommate Riley was just here. She came home to a messy apartment. She says it looks like there was a struggle. I think Ophelia was taken.”
“What?” Tyler asked softly. “By who?”
“I have no idea. She hasn’t been talking to me in months. Have you talked to her recently?” Theo moved to his bed as Bella joined him curling up close.
“Uh no, she said she needed some space. Theo, where is she?” his voice was laced with worry.
“I don’t know but I have a really bad feeling about this all.” Theo hugged Bella closer to him wishing his dog could shield him from whatever was about to come. Theo couldn’t put his finger on it, but he knew a storm of some kind was headed his way.
Follow along with me this month at Jenna Pratt!
