Virtually Timeless

by Casi McLean

  Leaning over at the waist, Brooke held out her arms and grasped hold of his wrists then leveraged her body and yanked.

  Caught a bit off balance, Noah fell forward into her, wrapping his arms around her to keep from falling. Her thin frame felt emaciated, as if she suffered from an eating disorder. The more he learned about her, the more concerned he became.

  “Whoa, soldier. Are you okay?”

  “I’m sorry. I guess my fall took a greater toll than I thought.” Soldier? The term further confirmed she had military background. Brooke had been well within his view when he fell. She must have seen the accident or at least heard him rolling down the mountainside. But why had she acted so elusive?

  “You better lean on me.” Again, she paused and gazed around. “Where are we going?”

  “The rushing water sounds like it’s just over that ridge. I can make it to the river with your help.”

  “Okay. You’re hurt. So, let’s go slow and steady.”

  After walking several yards, Noah’s muscles loosened, and he felt more stable, but he continued to lean on Brooke for support. “Do you live around here?”

  She tossed him a suspicious stare.

  Gazing over her shoulder, she huffed. “No.” Refocusing on her trek, she hiked toward the sound of rushing water. “I’m visiting a friend.”

  She lied every time she opened her mouth. But why? Considering his situation, he continued to play along. Perhaps small talk would make her feel more comfortable, so she’d share a bit more. “Oh, that’s nice. I just inherited this property about a week ago. I live in Atlanta. Where are you from?”

  “I’m not from around here.” She picked up her pace. “Look, there’s a river across the way. Maybe we should stop, so I can take a look at your wound under that bloody gauze. Do you have any bandages in that bag?”

  Goosebumps ran down his arms but not from the cool November air. Something was very odd about this girl. She had him feeling like the main character in Groundhog Day. Was he living the same conversation over and over? Perhaps his injury caused a concussion. Maybe he was the oddity? Approaching the riverbank, his legs felt heavy and his head pounded. He had to sit. “Can we stop here? I think I need to rest.”

  She lowered him onto the ground then strolled toward the river and gazed across the water.

  Without a phone, Noah was in the hands of a strange woman with no means of getting home. He had to find a way to communicate with Brooke or both their lives could be in peril. Just sleeping in this wilderness could be dangerous and with his oozing wounds, he needed help. “Come sit by me for a while.” He called out to her.

  Gasping, Brooke jerked around, her wide-eyed, vacant stare probing Noah. “Who are you?”

  His chest tightened as reality sunk in. Brooke wasn’t lying. She truly had no idea who he was.

  Chapter 5

  Feet slanting sideways, Sydney made her way down the mountain, skidding on fallen leaves more than tramping. As twilight stole precious daylight, the forest around her woke up. The hum of nocturnal animals floated on the soft breeze and mingled with the distant whoosh of rushing water. Bats chittering in the trees or the latent screech of an owl she took in stride. But eerie cries sent a shiver prickling down her back. How could she distinguish the difference between a barking deer and a shrieking fox? Her instincts begged retreat, warning her to run to the safety of her aunt’s home. But her love for Noah gave her courage to forge onward.

  Trudging through the woods, she paused and listened, then directed her Tak light toward the river to adjust her course. When she finally reached the bank, she let out a sigh of relief––until realizing she had no idea which way to go. Plodding through the wilderness had muddled her sense of direction. God, Noah. What have you gotten us into?

  She scanned her surroundings. Darkness now swallowed the forest behind her, but silvery moonbeams reflecting off tiny white caps dusted the river’s surface. The current. Rivers flowed downstream and, in this case, down the mountain and toward the house. Noah would know that and would’ve followed the current. He was nothing if not resourceful.

  Turning to her right, she followed the flow of Indian Creek. But what if her brother never made it to the river? What if she missed a clue or a footprint? He might be… “Damn, Sydney. Stop the what-ifs.” She shook her head. Why did doubt always niggle just when she was about to make a major decision? Despite their twin connection, they differed in one respect: her brother never second-guessed himself. She envied his conviction. Every time she ramped up her ‘what-ifs’ he’d crush the impulse. Sometimes before Syd even opened her mouth.

  Accepting he might be unconscious, she knew the river could drown-out her calls, but myriad other reasons to avoid shouting into the darkness spun through her mind––not the least of which was attracting some animal or person she’d rather not encounter. At the thought, Syd picked up her pace and called out anyway. “Noah. Where are you?”

  Her heart pumping hard after a steady jog, she paused and took-in a long breath then inspected the panorama. Stars blanketed an indigo backdrop and the moon almost sparkled in the clear night sky. So much so, Syd clicked off her Tak light and allowed her eyes to adjust to the evening. Gazing downstream, she had a much better view of the shoreline than she expected.

  In the distance, she heard rustling. An animal perhaps, crunching through the leaves? Was the creature approaching or creeping away? Hoping for the latter, she froze and waited for confirmation. But the crunching stopped as if mirroring her silence. She rubbed her upper arms to ease the chill crawling down her limbs. Eyes darting in every direction, she inspected her perimeter and softly stepped forward.

  A woman burst through the bushes and lunged directly toward Sydney.

  Nerves on high alert, Syd reacted, stepping aside only a heartbeat before impact.

  With a wild screech, the woman leapt forward. Unable to adjust her thrust, she grabbed at thin air then dove headfirst into the shallow river.

  Dropping her bag, Syd fell to her knees. “Oh my gosh.” She leaned over the bank, her hand stretching forward to grab hold of the young woman. “Are you okay? Here. Take my hand and I’ll help you.”

  The woman twisted and flapped her arms until she realized she could stand, then she trudged toward the bank. Gazing upward, she stared into the night sky with vacant eyes.

  Again, Sydney called out. “Let me help you.”

  An odd smile washed across her face as she held out her hand. “Thank you.”

  Syd grabbed her wrist and heaved her ashore. “Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry. You startled me and I––”

  “Did you push me into the river?”

  The odd response caught her off guard. “No. No, of course not. You fell.” Giving her a quick inspection, she saw no wounds. “I don’t see any blood, but you’re shivering. Here” ––she yanked off Noah’s jacket and pushed it toward the girl––“wrap this around you. It’s not much, but it will keep you a little warmer. What are you doing out here in the woods at night?”

  “I could ask you the same question.”

  Syd chuckled. “Good point.” Reminded of her mission, her smile faded. “I’m searching for my brother. I’m afraid something awful has happened to him.” With a glimmer of hope, she wrinkled her brow. “Is there any chance you’ve seen a man wandering through the forest? He’s about six foot two, blue-green eyes and dark hair like mine. He actually looks a lot like me. He’s my twin.”

  The woman’s face tightened.

  “I’m sorry. You don’t even know me and I’m peppering you with a flurry of questions. My name is Sydney. Sydney Monaco.” Still hoping for an answer, she paused a beat. But her silence was met with an inquisitive stare. “What’s your name?”

  Taking a step backward, she glanced around a moment then gazed toward Syd and answered. “Willow.”

  “Willow is a beautiful name. What’s your last name?”

  Again, she gazed around before answering. “Rivers. My name is Willow Rivers.”

/>   Syd offered her hand and the girl timidly held hers out in a wet-fish handshake. “It’s nice to meet you, Willow. And I hate to be rude, but I have to find my brother. Are you sure you’re okay?” She glanced at the frail, wet girl clinging to her brother’s jacket. Instead of asking for the coat, she picked up her bag then tossed out an idea. “I’m sure you’re cold and in no mood to do anything but go home, but would you consider helping me look for my brother?”

  Lowering her chin, Willow gazed at the baggy jacket then clutched it tightly.

  Noting her apprehension, Syd elaborated. “Walking through the woods alone at night can be dangerous for both of us and I could really use an extra set of eyes.”

  Willow offered a weak smile. “Sure. I’m happy to help you look for your brother.”

  Syd drew in a long breath then whooshed it out. “Good. Thanks. I’m really worried about him.” She walked a few steps then turned and hooked a thumb over her shoulder. “Come on. Let’s go this way. I’m pretty sure Noah would follow the river back to our house.”

  Willow nodded and obliged. She lowered her gaze and watched her step. “What’s it like having a twin?”

  “I’m not sure how to answer that question. I can’t imagine my life without him.”

  Willow lifted her gaze. “It must be nice having someone always there for you.” Again, she peered at the ground then scanned the shoreline. “I hope your brother is okay. If he’s hurt, maybe I can help.”

  Sydney turned toward her. “Are you a doctor? A nurse?”

  She shrugged. “I could have been.”

  “Noah is a doctor. A rare disease specialist, actually. He’s crazy-smart.”

  Willow held up a hand. “Did you hear that?”

  Syd halted. “No,” she whispered. “What did you hear?”

  “Something…a moan, or a whimper. I can’t be sure.” She pointed toward a curve in the river. “It sounded like it came from over there, maybe around the bend. Listen. Maybe we’ll hear it again.”

  Nodding, Syd cautiously edged toward the crook, listening for the sound.

  A low, inarticulate hum droned in the distance.

  “There. Did you hear that?” Willow picked up her pace.

  Ignoring the potential danger that might be lurking in the underbrush, Syd dashed forward and shouted, “Noah?”

  Chapter 6

  At the sound of his sister’s voice, Noah lifted his head and jerked a hand to his throbbing wound. “Syd?” His voice too weak for her to hear, he whooshed out a breath and rolled onto his side then pushed into a sitting position. After rubbing his eyes, he stared into the moonlit night. “Syd. Are you really here… or am I still dreaming?” His voice trailed off but crunching leaves beyond the bend alerted him. Someone… or something thrashed toward him. Bracing for the worst, he called out again, “Syd?”

  “Noah. Thank God.” Sydney darted toward him. “Are you hurt? What happened?” She skidded to her knees and threw her arms around his neck, squeezing the breath from his lungs.

  “Noah can’t breathe.” He forced a chuckle after voicing the meme they shared as kids, not realizing the laugh would send pain ricocheting through his body.

  She drew back and inspected him head to foot, and a wrinkle appeared between her eyebrows. “You’re hurt. I knew it.” Her eyes widened. “Oh God, you’re bleeding. How did you get that huge lump on your forehead?”

  Dropping his head into his palms he rubbed his forehead. “Take a breath, Syd. I’m alive.” His gaze met Sydney’s. “A little worse for the wear, maybe, but I’ll be better if you can help me back to the house.”

  “Of course.” She sat back onto her heels. “Assuming you can stand… and walk.” She lowered a shoulder, allowing her backpack to fall to the ground then unzipped the bag and drew out her Tak light. Turning it on, she angled the beam to shine on his face then inspected his wound. “Geez, how did you get this gash? Did someone attack you?”

  Expecting his sister’s dramatic response, he drew in a long breath then shook his head. “No. Unless you want to call a slight run-in with the mountain an assault.” An unsolicited memory flashed across his mind, back to the mountainous area that stole his parents’ lives, validating his sister’s reaction. “I’m okay, kiddo. I was in pursuit and didn’t see a drop-off. Rolling down the mountainside beat me up a bit. But with your help, I can lean on you to hike back to the house.”

  Standing, Sydney held out a hand then hauled him to his feet. “In pursuit of what?” She bent down and retrieved her bag then slung it over her shoulder.

  “A young woman. I ran across her––and a man who attacked her––along the river when I was hiking the property.”

  “Oh God. What did you do? Is the girl okay?”

  “I had no idea what to do.” He raised his brows. “So, naturally I dove at the guy and snatched a gun tucked into the back of his belt.”

  “Seriously?” She rolled her eyes. “You could have been killed.”

  He shrugged. “You know I would never turn my back on someone in danger.” Leaning on her shoulder, he steadied himself. “The guy took off while I was tending to her wounds, which distracted me. When I turned toward the woman, she disappeared into the woods, too”

  “And you ran after her, slipped, lost your phone, and tumbled down the mountain.” She nodded. “Got it.”

  “Wait, how did you know I lost my phone? And for that matter, how did you find me?”

  “Both questions have the same answer. You didn’t call when you said you would so after a while, I called you. When you didn’t pick up, I assumed you lost your phone and checked the GPS app then followed the signal until I found it.” She dug into her pocket, drew out the device and handed it to Noah. “Here. You might need this.”

  “No way could you have done all that in such a short time. The trip alone would have taken you most of a day. I only fell a few hours ago. How are you even here?”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Now, you’re worrying me, Noah. You hiked the property yesterday.” Her grimace turned into a disturbing frown. “You went missing a day and a half ago. When I hadn’t heard from you this morning, I knew you were in trouble.”

  “What?” He rubbed the bristles on his chin and realized his stubble had grown two days’ worth. Dropping his hand, he shook his head, which intensified the pain. “Then I definitely have a concussion. I must have been out cold for quite a while. I completely lost track of time.”

  Sydney huffed. “What about the girl?” She drew her fisted hands to her waist. “Didn’t she even stop to help you? After you saved her from lord only knows what?”

  “Brooke.” He reflected on the girl’s odd memory loss. “She did help me. At least she tried. But her behavior had me really concerned.”

  “Brooke. Hmm.” Sydney scanned the area. “Speaking of young women. I met a girl in the forest. If not for her, I might not have found you so quickly. But her name was Willow.” Again, Syd gazed around. “I hated leaving her in the woods alone. Especially at night. She was right behind me.”

  Curious about a second woman wandering through the forest at night, he questioned Syd. “Willow, hmm? What did this young girl look like?”

  She lowered her chin, a distant stare pinching her features. “About my height, messy, long blonde hair. She wore jeans and a T-shirt ripped at the neck that fell off her shoulder.” Raising her gaze, she twisted her lips to the side. “And she’s wearing your jacket. She fell into the river––but that’s a long story we don’t need to go into now.”

  Attempting to take a step, Noah faltered into her and moaned. “Sorry, Syd.”

  “No problem, but we’ll have to take it easy on the hike home. You’re in no condition to climb around on these hills.” She clutched his hand so he could steady his weight.

  “Thanks. I was about to say I think our young women are one and the same.” Brushing the dust and leaves from his clothes, he thought about Brooke. Considering her erratic behavior, the girl needed as much if not more help t
han he. “We need to find her, Syd. She’s not well, and she’s been wandering out here in these woods, all alone, for God only knows how long.”

  “Noah, you have a concussion, and you’ve been out in the elements for two days already. You need to go to a hospital, get some rest… eat something. You’re in no shape to go looking for some strange girl wandering around in the woods, regardless of how ill she might be.”

  Her narrowing eyes told him she meant business, but Noah returned the gesture with a stern stare of his own.

  “We can send someone back here to look for her. Someone who can get her the help she needs.” Sydney’s shoulders slumped. She shook her head.

  Noah knew his sister was well aware he wouldn’t budge once he set his mind to something. Even if his own life was at stake. But she did have a point. Still, sending someone to find Brooke would take time and his gut told him she needed attention now. “A young girl is roaming around this dark forest alone. That in itself is reason for a search. She needs our help, Syd.” A rustle in the underbrush to his left caught his attention. With a finger over his lips, he jerked toward the sound. Another crackle and soft crunches followed. This time, Noah had a better plan. He raised his voice to be sure the girl heard him. “Too bad the lost girl ran off when we have a hot shower, a warm bed, and plenty of food so close by.”

  Syd nodded. “Right. I’m sure she’d love to get out of those cold, wet clothes and step into a cascade of warm water then cuddle into a fluffy down comforter. I wish we could find her.”

  The bushes parted as the girl slowly stepped into view and edged closer. “Were you two talking about me?”