Absolute Dark - Five (UPDATE#1)

Chapter Five — On The Road

At least ten hours & eight insanely long play-lists into the drive, I pull into a service center and motel.

Set up in my room I start browsing Coraline's friends lists.

I come across a handsome young man named Terry, I'm surprised they're still friends online.

Terry is Coraline's ex from about a year ago.

I send him a message asking how he's been doing & telling him about Coraline & how I'm making my way to Brightmane, expecting no reply.

A quick shower and I'm in bed, about to drift off, then I hear the notification dings, one, two, three. I hobble over to my laptop and open it fully.

It's just… pictures, of people, candid's.

I download the images without thinking and start typing my reply.

I hit enter and, his account is gone, message not sent. I drag and drop the pictures into a search engine and find three girls also on Coraline's friends lists.

I want to write to them immediately, but I don't want to start another conversation only to have them delete their accounts.

I'm going to sleep on this.

The next days drive passes without incident, and by the time I square away for the night I've got a list of three names, two girls I remember from years ago, and one I don't, a woman named Violet Clement.

This time I send all three girls my phone number and a shorter message asking for help locating Coraline.

It was hard to sleep while wondering if their accounts will be there in the morning.

Another day on the highway, another five large coffees, another batch of songs with seemingly no through line.

Jane and I shared a nice conversation around noon, that keeps me focused. Sitting down to my computer again, I'm happily surprised to see that two girls replied.

They share their condolences about her disappearance, which is what they called it, it was nice of them, but no one just disappears on the Highway of Tears, not to my knowledge.

Ginny & Wendy said I could come by and talk to them once I was in Brightmane, revealing they've both moved there.

Everything is off.

Violet did not reply, though I saw no indication that she used any of her accounts often.

Ginny & Wendy were not a wealth of knowledge, they hadn't seen Cora in months apparently.

Nevertheless my head hits the cheap motel pillow like a dream, feeling less than content in my slow progress. Sleep, drive, sleep, drive. I feel like I'm in a tunnel.

The friends lists was an okay start, but on my last driving day, I felt the need to alert the locals to my arrival.

So, I called Officer William Brooks. He answers on the second ring.

"Officer Brooks here." Echo's from the cars dash.

"Hi, hey, this is Abigail Abernathy, you called me a few days ago about my sister." His voice got clearer, as if sitting up, "Oh hello Miss Abernathy, yes ma'am. That was me."

"Afternoon Officer, I'm sorry I hung up on you the other day, it… was just a lot to hear."

"No, ma'am that's quite okay, and very understandable, what can I do for you today?" 

"I'm headed into Brightmane as we speak, I was hoping I could touch base with you and let you know I'm coming through, just on the chance Cora surfaces."

In a measured tone now, "Oh absolutely Miss Abernathy, I've actually had a few run-ins with your sister if I'm being honest, just minor issues. But I understand fully your need to come by and see for yourself, as much as you can at least."

"That's great Officer Brooks, I suppose I'll see you soon, thanks."

"No problem ma'am."

Dial tone. I call the local motel and get a recording that informs me they have rooms available. I didn't bother waiting for an operator, in my experience "nowhere towns" always have open vacancies.

Hearing the recording put me at ease nevertheless.

I'm pushing myself now, I wont stop at another service center or motel until I get to town, my car tells that story just as well as the bags under my eyes while we both reach higher and higher speeds.

Finally, I turn off of the highway, and enter the long & only road leading to Brightmane.

Passing the towns sign, it reads "Welcome to Brightmane, British Columbia, Population 530,000." As I study the rapidly approaching tree line, I see buildings very far along the road.

Wait, half a fucking MILLION people in this nothing town?!

Fuck it, there is no way I read that correctly, nothing in any of my research suggested a city sized population.

Cities also, I'm sure you're aware, don't just hide in plain sight.

Buildings off far in the distance slowly expand into full view, and as I suspected in my semi-insomniac state, this is a small town, nothing special about it.

The towns only lodging consists of one last strip motel, I pull in to the lot. Parked and ready to get a room, I start pulling out bags.

I'm almost at the front office, my groggy eyes almost can't process the black military convoy of five trucks that speed out of town..