| Chapter 15: Elizabeth walked through the muddy grounds of the park. The rain had let up, but there was still a slight drizzle. The air smelled damp, as it usually did after a hard rain. Now what will Gram say first? She pondered, a slight smile on her lips. Elizabeth, thank goodness you're home. I was worried about you in this terrible storm. She shook her head. Nope. That wouldn't happen. Elizabeth, why are you home so late? I thought I told you to come home right after work. Lizzie rolled her eyes. There it was. The most realistic statement she could think of. Elizabeth looked around. She certainly wasn't a nature person, that was for sure. Her eyes came to rest on a small figure with tangled hair and wet, muddy clothes. She blinked, not believing what she was seeing. "Emily? Oh, God, Emily!" Lizzie ran over to her and knelt beside the girl. Emily's eyes were closed and her lips were parted. And she looked cold. Elizabeth stood up and looked around. She put her hands on her head, unsure of what to do. "Emily, I'll be right back. I'm going to go get help." Elizabeth ran back to Kelly's. The door flew open and she rushed inside. "Lucky, Ruby-call an ambulance." Ruby walked out of the kitchen. "What happened?" Lucky asked, growing concerned. "It's Emily, something's wrong." AJ wandered the park grounds, looking for his sister. This was the last place he could think of. He had checked the Spencer's, the Webber's, the Outback, Kelly's, even the hotel. But Emily was nowhere to be seen. "Emily!" he called out. There was no answer. Emily had been missing for over an hour. She hadn't returned to the mansion, and there was no sign of her. But AJ understood why she wouldn't go back. Sometimes he never wanted to go back himself. He could take Edward's harsh words and abuse. In fact, he would almost always give it right back. But Emily was young and vulnerable. And she had been through a lot these last few months. Sure, she was strong, but Edward's words could sting. And AJ guessed that they had stung hard. He looked around, hoping to spot Emily somewhere. And he did. AJ's eyes came to rest on a wet figure in the mud. She was curled up in a tight ball and she wasn't moving. "Emily!" AJ ran over and kneeled down beside his sister. He lifted her head and saw that her eyes were closed and there were tearstains on her cheeks. Her lips were slightly blue and her body was cold. He took off his jacket and wrapped it around her and cradled her body in his arms. Somewhere in the distance a siren wailed and he looked up to see other figures running toward them. "It's okay, Em." He whispered, trying to assure himself as well. "Everything will be okay." |