Lost in the Wilderness - The Forest of Evergreen Book 1 (26 page)

Just as they arrived home, Elizabeth rushed inside and asked Alex and Nadine to pack at least two pairs of garments.

“You’re going to sleep at Julia’s house,” she told them. “It’s temporary. I’ll call Grandpa Randy and Grandma Emily to come and look after you, okay?” Elizabeth reassured the two.

Alex and Nadine were confused by the fast turn of events and persistently questioned why they would sleep over, at their mother’s best friend. And, they were asking for Sophia.

Philippe and Elizabeth implored that the two would sleep over at Julia’s, while they would be looking for Sophia.
 

Full of queries, the two had no choice but to follow their parents. Mystified, they prepared their things.

The couple had dropped Alex and Nadine at Julia’s, and then headed, right away, for Forest Green.

“Phil, please drive as fast as you can.”

“I’m on it, hon. By the way, mom’s really worried.”

Elizabeth moaned heavily.

“She has already assigned her workers there to look out for Sophia,” Philippe continued, then turned all his attention to the road.

“That’s good, honey,” Elizabeth managed to say something. She gazed out of the car window, questioning herself… Why did Sophia do such a thing to them? Then, her mind flew back to the past, and remembered how the teenager Francheska did the same act of running away, when she was on the brink of her dreams, but was pregnant with the unwanted Sophia. Yet Elizabeth achingly hoped for the better: that this time they would find Sophia, get her back to Orlando, and fix her life so she could be a normal teenage girl… Unlike what happened to Francheska.
 

Oh, that poor, Francheska! Where could she have disappeared to, all this time?

By sunset, Jericho and Sophia were almost at Forest Green, when they suddenly noticed a car that blocked the way. It belonged to Grandma Lucy. Her workers, including Bea, were there.
 

Extremely surprised, Sophia slid out of the car and asked Bea why they were there.

“Sophia, your grandma has been searching the town and I’m afraid the cops will arrest Jericho,” Bea answered, with a shuddering voice.

“Why would they do that?” Sophia’s face immediately displayed disquiet.

“Your dad called your grandma and told her that you’re with Jericho. Now, your grandma is accusing Jericho of kidnapping you. He could be arrested because you’re a minor.”

“What?” Sophia’s knees trembled. “N—no, that is not true! I went, willingly, he did not kidnap me!” Sophia asserted, even though she almost lost her nerve.

“Sophia, I think you can just stay here with us now and tell Jericho to surrender, when the sheriffs get here.” Bea was straight in saying it.

“No, Auntie Bea!” Sophia stiffened. Promptly, she spun, at fast motion, to hug Jericho, who had just stepped out of his car.

Jericho instantly tried to calm her. He had heard everything, and was trying to be strong.

“Jericho, what are we going to do?” Sophia leaned her shivering head on his shoulder. “I’m scared, Jericho. I’m scared.”

Bea walked closer, towards them, and told Jericho to surrender when the cops get there, but Sophia tried to be assertive.

“No, Auntie Bea! That won’t happen to Jericho!”
 

“But why, Sophia?”

Sophia’s eyes conveyed a doleful plea to Bea. “Because my family hates him! Oh, Auntie Bea, please, tell us where to go! They must not see us here! Please!”
 

Bea was speechless, for a moment.

Sophia’s face grew beseeching. “Please, Auntie Bea, please!” Now, her teardrops began to fall, like rain.

Bea looked at them emotionally. She was, somehow, touched by their wretched appearance. “Go to the lake house for a while,” she instructed, shaking. “I’ll tell them we never saw you!”

“Thank you, Auntie Bea.” Sophia, on the spot, embraced her.

“But how about them?” Jericho pertained to Bea’s companions.

“I will take care of it,” Bea reassured. “Just go! Quickly!”

Jericho started the car again and drove straight to the lake house.

When they arrived there, the place appeared dusky and silent. Lending Sophia a hand while sitting down on the front porch, Jericho consoled her. Sophia was looking disconsolate.

“Jericho, why do we have to go through all these?” Sophia, all of a sudden, asked, crying even more.

Jericho drew in a lungful of air and heaved a quick sigh. He could feel her panicking again, and probably missing her family. She was having second thoughts. Then, Jericho held her even tighter. “I’ll take care of you, Sophia. We’re going to survive this,” he bolstered her and devotedly palmed her tense hands, to stop them from shaking. “I think it’s too late to pretend that you didn’t leave them...”

“I don’t have any regrets being with you here, though,” Sophia whispered, feeling the warmth of his tender caress and very potent reassurance. “It’s just that, I—I feel for my parents, now...”

“I know! I don’t regret being with you, too,” Jericho whispered back and further wrapped his hands around her. “And right now, it feels so good... just you and me, here, alone together... like we used to do...”

Chapter 24

Come What May

The night deepened and yet the two still soothed each other, at the lake house’s front porch.
 

With his car’s head lights alight, to brighten up the place, Jericho strove to have some cell phone signal. He had to call his cousin, Reuben, for the things they needed, for the night.
 

The moment he finally spotted a signal, Jericho called Reuben and begged him to be vigilant in leaving the town proper.

When Reuben got there swiftly, he gave Jericho the things he asked him, even the spare key of the lake house that Grandma Lucy entrusted to him.
 

Sophia went to Reuben and thanked him but Reuben was suddenly awestruck... quickly fascinated by her. He didn’t know the little Sophia he remembered had turned into a very fine lady, with a very astounding face.

No wonder my cousin would kill himself for her
, Reuben thought.
She’s… a goddess!

Jericho plainly saw how Reuben looked at Sophia, in a passionate way, as if Reuben could liquefy her. Troubled by it, he instantly asked Reuben to leave, but Reuben offered to guard them for the night.

“Jericho, it’s too dangerous for just the two of you here,” Reuben insisted, but Jericho already doubted him. He was still bothered by how Reuben looked at Sophia.

“Jericho, I think you should agree,” Sophia begged him.
 

Eventually, Jericho agreed, but it was against his will. Something in him seemed to warm him.

Then, all of them went inside.
 

Philippe and Elizabeth had just arrived at Grandma Lucy’s. Faster than anything, they looked for Sophia.

“The cops are still searching for her,” said Grandma Lucy, as she received them, at the front yard.

“Where else would they go?” Elizabeth said, troubled once more, and silence served as the answer.

At the lake house, Jericho was pacing here and there, uncomfortable at Reuben’s presence.

Exhausted, Sophia excused herself and went upstairs, but Reuben dirty-eyed her long legs, even though they were covered by her faultlessly-fitted blue jeans. Reuben’s look at Sophia’s figure pushed Jericho to the limit.

“Reuben, look! She’s my girlfriend!” Jericho rose from his seat, and boldly faced him.

“Dude, what are you talking about?” Reuben said, defensively.

“What am I talking about? You think I did not see the way you looked at her?” Then Jericho pushed him.

Reuben reacted forcefully too, and aimed to throw some punches.
 

From upstairs, Sophia heard the sounds of arguing, and dashed back to check on them. Seeing the two pushing each other, she darted between them, to stop them.
 

“Please, stop!” she yelped, with terrified eyes.

The two were suddenly put to a stop.

“Sophia? I—” Jericho ached to explain himself but his mouth was absolutely frozen. He could not find the words to, somehow, clarify his misconduct.

Reuben immediately removed Jericho’s grip on his black leather jacket and left, his anger blazing.

Watching Reuben bang the door heavily, Sophia faced Jericho and asked for some explanations.
 

“What has just happened?”

“Please, don’t get me wrong, Sophia.” Jericho could see how Sophia scowled. In the face of it, he moved fast to explain his misbehavior.

Sophia listened to him.

Finally reaching the town proper, Reuben, by chance, was seen by Grandma Lucy, when he passed by.
 

“Reuben!” Grandma Lucy shouted to him.
 

Reuben heard it and pulled over.
 

“Do you have any idea about my granddaughter’s whereabouts?”

To get the score even, Reuben revealed that the two were actually at the lake house.

Grandma Lucy felt cold, with disbelief, but she survived the shock, and straightway, informed Philippe and Elizabeth, including the three cops who were interviewing them.

Bea tensed the very second she heard it all.
 

Without beating around the bush, all of them started their engines and went to the lake house, in a flash.

“Jericho…?” Sophia nudged Jericho, while she was trying to dry her hair.

“Um?”

“How did you…?”

“What?” Jericho earnestly beamed at her, as he sat beside her on a bench, made up of woven rattan. They both just had a shower, separately, of course.

Sophia smiled back.

“What?” Jericho repeated.

The scent of his fresh bath crept into Sophia’s senses, as she managed to look at him.

“What do you want to know, Sophia?” Jericho asked again, entertaining himself with the sight of her, drying her hair.

“How did you become a doctor, that fast?”

Jericho now paused, swallowed a large lump in his throat, and thought of words to say.
 

“After you left Forest Green…” Jericho took his eyes away from Sophia, and exhaled deeply. “After you left, I attended a lot of advance classes. I wanted to fit into your world so fast, so that I… I bled myself, almost to death, just to finish med school.”

Sophia bowed her head in guilt and shame. She knew Jericho was very smart, but to learn that she was actually the reason behind his struggles… a piping hot blade sliced her heart apart.
I’m sorry
, was all she was able to say.

“I’m fine now,” Jericho spoke again. “I’ve got you now… and I could not ask for more.”

Cloud nine, indeed! Sophia could feel what Jericho was feeling! They were both swarming with the same emotions! And that statement she heard, just now, was a sign that she was finally forgiven. And as she processed Jericho’s last sentence in her mind, teardrops promptly overflowed. Her eyes were somewhat apologetic and grateful at the same time.

“Oh, Sophia!” Jericho rushed to catch her lips, tasting the saline in her tears. He didn’t care. All he ever longed for was a slice of heaven.

The harsh sounds of vehicles distracted them.

Jericho hurried away, to look through the windows, and saw vehicle lights heading towards the lake house. Hastily, he asked Sophia to prepare, for they would now hide in the forest.

Sophia was alarmed but she was not reluctant to leave. She and Jericho speedily went into the forest. Unknowingly, in her haste, Sophia left her silver bracelet on the lounge table.

The cops moved in, and began inspecting the lake house.

Philippe and Elizabeth went after them with the hope of seeing Sophia.

“The shower room’s wet but no one is upstairs,” one of the cops informed Grandma Lucy.

By chance, Elizabeth saw her daughter’s bracelet on the table. “They’ve been here!” She announced, and clutched the bracelet.

Philippe’s chest crumpled. Looking at the bracelet, he remembered that he gave it to Sophia. He strode on, in search for her, his worry deepening.

With Grandma Lucy’s emotions in a state of tumult, she beseeched them to search the forest.

Jericho and Sophia were running fast, and heading for the dim forest, now.
 

Sophia got tired and begged Jericho to rest for a while.
 

Jericho let her, but the sound of voices shouting ruptured his heart, to die. Swiftly, he begged Sophia to continue running.

They kept running and running until they were approaching a high cliff. They did not anticipate it, in the darkness of the night. The two went on running until Jericho accidentally stepped on a rock, fell to the ground, and lost consciousness.
 

Sophia, five steps ahead of him, saw what happened to him. On impulse, she stopped, too, but her last step did not land on the soil.
 

She had fallen, too late, from the high cliff!

Sophia screamed her heart out—an intense heart-stopping moment!

Sophia felt the wind upon her and knew she was falling fast. She grew weak. She looked up at the dark sky filled with tiny and sparkling stars but then—out of the blue—she felt that something had caught her. Her vision was fading in the growing darkness, when a blurred face came into sight, and she also heard the beating of... wings.