"Lucy is that you?" Jess asked as he looked at the person huddled in the corner; hiding their face.
She rocked back and forth on the ground and pressed against the wall. Jess frowned slightly. "Lucy what's wrong? What happened?" he asked growing concern in his voice.
No. No not here. Not him. Not now...
"Lucy it's okay, just tell me what's wrong." he begged.
Lucy covered her ears, "No..." she whimpered, "No..."
Jess frowned and helped her up, "Look breathe okay? Just breathe.." he tried to sooth her. "It's all okay... It's just me-"
"No!" she snapped and pushed him off. Jess backed up and before he could retaliate, Lucy had bolted. He chased after; grabbing her wrist before she could escape towards the door. "No! Just leave me alone!" she raved like a lunatic as Jess tried to restrain her. "Lucy! Stop!" he insisted. She persisted to kicked and scream against him and Jess was losing his grip, "Lucy just tell me what's wrong- I want to help you--"
WHACK!
Jess fell back.
Lucy breathed uneasily as she looked at Jess dumbfounded on the ground. She noticed her nails had done some damage on his upper cheek, just barely missing his eye. She heaved as she quickly ran out of the store back home.
She had to get home. Home was safe. Home was safe.
When she finally made it there, which had felt like a marathon she saw someone waiting on the porch of her house. Her father.
Before he could notice her she ducked behind some bushes before high tailing it somewhere else. She wanted to be alone to have everything just disappear. But this was a small town. And no one would disappear or leave well enough alone. Such an invasive, parasitic town.
She had to disappear.
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Luke wiped the counter down and sighed softly as he readjusted his cap on his head. Yet another busy day at Luke's Diner. He was getting to be more and more exhausted.
"Luke!" Jess barged into the restaurant.
Luke was startled, "Jess-don't do tha--" he looked at his nephew's face. He saw three bloody scratches stretching from the top of his cheek bone to about his chin. "Oh, my god-what happened??" he hurried around the counter to him. Jess moved past him before he could examine his face, "Where's Lucy??" Jess asked breathlessly.
"What?"
"Lucy! Did she come by here today at all? Did she say anything? About where she's going??" he said headstrong.
"Jess hold on-" he tried chasing the boy around the diner; Jess frantically looking around every crevice of the building. "Lucy!" he called as he hurried up the stairs.
Luke was beyond confused, "Jess hold on-"
"Lucy!"
Luke hurried up the stairs as he continued to hear his nephew calling out for her. "Lucy!" Jess hurriedly rummaged.
"She's not here Jess. She hasn't been here in days, you know that." Luke said.
"Have you seen her around town?" he rushed past him back downstairs. Luke groaned following him back down, "No, not really." He gruffed, "I guess..I think I caught a glimpse of her running somewhere-"
Jess immediately turned around to him; catching Luke off guard and causing him to bump into Jess slightly.
"Where??" Jess heaved.
"Jess. Calm down." Luke pleaded, "Now what is this all about." he said syllable by syllable in case Jess just had sudden brain damage.
"Lucy's gone-I can't find her-" he panicked.
"Why are you looking for her?" Luke tried to follow.
"I ran into her at the bookstore- she was in the middle of a panic attack-a big one-" he breathed uneasily in a panic himself as he started to pace, "I was trying to help her-she ran off-!" he kicked a wall suddenly.
Luke frowned, "Did she do that to you?" his voice raised as he pointed to his cheek.
"It was my fault-" he said griped, "I pushed her too much-I was just trying to help—God! Luke where'd she go-it's getting dark out.." he rubbed his head.
"Jess." he grabbed his shoulders. "Breathe."
Jess stopped looking at his uncle. He tried catching his breath but his heaves just turned into slowed sobs. His eyes turned red as he covered his eyes with his hand, like a visor. Luke sighed, "Come 'ere.." he pulled him to his chest. He felt shaky breaths on from Jess as he held him. He tried to make as masculine as possible to save a shred of Jess' dignity as he pat his back curtly.
"We gotta find her Luke... we gotta find her.." he heard Jess' weak voice plead.
Luke breathed another sigh as he pat his back again, "We'll find her.. don't worry." he said and looked down.
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