Read Online Forsaken - An American Sasquatch Tale by Christine Conder - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Christine Conder
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thirty acres of their side of the property.
They stayed in the woods all night. Searched the eastern property even, though it was quite a distance from where Adrian had last seen Sage. Liberty returned to the cavern twice, checking if her daughter had somehow made her way home. Same answer from Katie each time, no word.
When daylight crept over the horizon they were forced back to the cavern. Liberty’s normally strong legs trembled with fear and weariness, they’d buckled a couple of times and she’d gone down as she made her way.
Nathaniel was there to lift her, even though he’d searched just as hard, if not harder. She found herself semi-numbed. Straight ahead the path was clear but her peripheral vision was a complete blur, couldn’t even see auras.
Liberty reached the hatch, lifted it, and stumbled down the shaft. Lying at the base of the ladder in a puddle of mud, Liberty sobbed. Nathaniel came down behind her, took a soft robe from the hook in the wall, wrapped it around her shoulders, and coaxed her to her feet. She collapsed in his arms, refused to move.
Gabriel stood halfway up the ladder without saying a word, unable to get down.
“Sage?” Katie entered the alcove, whispered their daughter’s name. A question.
“She’s gone, Katie,” Liberty struggled to get the words out, “disappeared into thin air.”
Nathaniel peered over Liberty’s shoulder toward Gabriel, and Liberty saw a look pass between them. “Don’t you do that! You’re wrong. Nobody took her. She’s out there, Nathaniel.” She pleaded with her eyes. “We just can’t find her.”
Adrian appeared next to his mother, face puffy and eyes swollen.
“What happened out there, Adrian?” Anger rose, and Liberty tried to pull away from Nathaniel. He held fast.
“I’m so sorry I left her.” Adrian started to cry. “I didn’t know what else to do.”
Katie put an arm around his shoulders, rubbed his chest and hushed him.
“Why protect him?” Liberty nearly growled. “He didn’t protect Sage.”
“Now wait a min—” Katie started.
“No, you don’t dare talk to me.” Liberty jabbed a finger at Adrian. “I want your son to tell me what really happened out there.”
Nathaniel rubbed her back, still holding tight. “Shh, Lib, listen–”
“It’s all his fault.” Liberty shook her head, eyes fixed on Adrian.
Liberty noticed the look in Katie’s eye changed as she turned her son around and led him down the corridor.
Gabriel made it down the ladder and without another word, squeezed Liberty’s shoulder and left the vestibule.
“Please go out and look again.” Liberty looked at Nathaniel. “Please. Go to Mitch.”
His voice was calm and low as he helped her toward their bedchamber. “I will,” he said. “I’ll go in a little bit.”
She cried, called Adrian neglectful, accused him of hiding something. Passing the entry to the guest chamber only renewed her fervor.
“He’s a liar, Katie. He knows what happened,” her screams bounced off the limestone. She didn’t recognize her voice. “Where is she, Adrian? Huh?”
Nathaniel picked her up, covered her mouth, carried her the rest of the way to their bed.
She looked into Nathaniel’s eyes for the first time that night and noticed they were red-rimmed, moist. She wondered how she could be so selfish. She hadn’t even considered how badly he must hurt. He loved their girl as much as she did.
She couldn’t find the words to comfort him, settled on stopping her outburst and pulling him to her. Her chest jerked with spasms against his. Finally her body decided it was done and she fell asleep.
Gabriel, Katie and Adrian stayed a few extra days after the disappearance. Liberty knew in her heart it was out of guilt and shame. Whenever Katie had come into Liberty’s bedchamber, with food and drink, she’d tried to hide the contempt in her eyes, but Katie hadn’t succeeded.
Liberty knew she’d been heavy with accusations and distrust on the
They stayed in the woods all night. Searched the eastern property even, though it was quite a distance from where Adrian had last seen Sage. Liberty returned to the cavern twice, checking if her daughter had somehow made her way home. Same answer from Katie each time, no word.
When daylight crept over the horizon they were forced back to the cavern. Liberty’s normally strong legs trembled with fear and weariness, they’d buckled a couple of times and she’d gone down as she made her way.
Nathaniel was there to lift her, even though he’d searched just as hard, if not harder. She found herself semi-numbed. Straight ahead the path was clear but her peripheral vision was a complete blur, couldn’t even see auras.
Liberty reached the hatch, lifted it, and stumbled down the shaft. Lying at the base of the ladder in a puddle of mud, Liberty sobbed. Nathaniel came down behind her, took a soft robe from the hook in the wall, wrapped it around her shoulders, and coaxed her to her feet. She collapsed in his arms, refused to move.
Gabriel stood halfway up the ladder without saying a word, unable to get down.
“Sage?” Katie entered the alcove, whispered their daughter’s name. A question.
“She’s gone, Katie,” Liberty struggled to get the words out, “disappeared into thin air.”
Nathaniel peered over Liberty’s shoulder toward Gabriel, and Liberty saw a look pass between them. “Don’t you do that! You’re wrong. Nobody took her. She’s out there, Nathaniel.” She pleaded with her eyes. “We just can’t find her.”
Adrian appeared next to his mother, face puffy and eyes swollen.
“What happened out there, Adrian?” Anger rose, and Liberty tried to pull away from Nathaniel. He held fast.
“I’m so sorry I left her.” Adrian started to cry. “I didn’t know what else to do.”
Katie put an arm around his shoulders, rubbed his chest and hushed him.
“Why protect him?” Liberty nearly growled. “He didn’t protect Sage.”
“Now wait a min—” Katie started.
“No, you don’t dare talk to me.” Liberty jabbed a finger at Adrian. “I want your son to tell me what really happened out there.”
Nathaniel rubbed her back, still holding tight. “Shh, Lib, listen–”
“It’s all his fault.” Liberty shook her head, eyes fixed on Adrian.
Liberty noticed the look in Katie’s eye changed as she turned her son around and led him down the corridor.
Gabriel made it down the ladder and without another word, squeezed Liberty’s shoulder and left the vestibule.
“Please go out and look again.” Liberty looked at Nathaniel. “Please. Go to Mitch.”
His voice was calm and low as he helped her toward their bedchamber. “I will,” he said. “I’ll go in a little bit.”
She cried, called Adrian neglectful, accused him of hiding something. Passing the entry to the guest chamber only renewed her fervor.
“He’s a liar, Katie. He knows what happened,” her screams bounced off the limestone. She didn’t recognize her voice. “Where is she, Adrian? Huh?”
Nathaniel picked her up, covered her mouth, carried her the rest of the way to their bed.
She looked into Nathaniel’s eyes for the first time that night and noticed they were red-rimmed, moist. She wondered how she could be so selfish. She hadn’t even considered how badly he must hurt. He loved their girl as much as she did.
She couldn’t find the words to comfort him, settled on stopping her outburst and pulling him to her. Her chest jerked with spasms against his. Finally her body decided it was done and she fell asleep.
Gabriel, Katie and Adrian stayed a few extra days after the disappearance. Liberty knew in her heart it was out of guilt and shame. Whenever Katie had come into Liberty’s bedchamber, with food and drink, she’d tried to hide the contempt in her eyes, but Katie hadn’t succeeded.
Liberty knew she’d been heavy with accusations and distrust on the
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