by Minkman, Jen
As she watched him, he was moving away from the tree, his steps weary like he was some sort of somnambulist. Michael made his way to an area to the left of the fir trees – a patch of soil covered in thorny shrubs. Julia followed him with her eyes, her heart skipping a beat when his foot pounded the earth below and didn’t make the sound she’d expected. It sounded hollow, as if a cavity was hiding under the bushes.
The others had also picked up on what Michael was doing, Axel and Thorsten rushing toward him. “What the hell was that sound?” Axel cried out, squatting down to take a closer look.
“This is not solid earth,” Thorsten murmured. “There’s wood underneath. Or at least that’s what it sounds like.” He dug around in the shrubbery, cursing when thorns cut into the skin of his hands. One of the branches got stuck in his jacket sleeve, and when he stepped back, he suddenly seemed to pull up the entire bush, root and all, tearing it out of the earth.
“No way,” Gaby exclaimed. “Those bushes are fake. They were put here by somebody recently.”
“The earth around them is tamped,” Axel nodded.
Julia raced down to the spot where Michael had made his discovery, her mother and Mrs. Ebner following suit. Meanwhile, the boys were busy clearing away the other prickly bushes. It didn’t take long before they had unearthed a kind of large hatch made out of dark, wooden planks.
A silence descended among them, Julia fixing her eyes on the hatch while fighting back tears. Had Andreas made this to hide her sister? How could Anne possibly be buried underneath these planks and still be alive?
“We have to lift it,” Axel said tensely, looking around. “Could we use a sturdy branch as a lever, you think?”
Julia peered around and located a firm, thin branch lying under one of the fir trees. She dragged it back to the hatch. Gaby brought another similarly-shaped branch, and together, they wiggled them under the corners of the hatch. Michael and Axel used their weight to lean on the branches and force the shutter up, while Thorsten tried to lift it more by slipping both hands under the planks once there was a tiny crack.
When the dark wooden hatch finally came up, all the packed dirt on top of it fell away with a rustling sound, the last few thorny branches dropping aside.
Julia’s jaw dropped when she set eyes on the flight of steep stairs hidden underneath the hatch. The stone steps led to a narrow, underground door.
12.
“So there really was a door in the middle of the forest,” Gaby mumbled absent-mindedly. She’d moved up to her best friend to put an arm around her shoulders.
Axel took a tentative step down the stairs, eyeing the bolt on the entrance. “You think that door can be opened?” he wondered aloud.
“Hold it,” Thorsten said. “Shouldn’t we call the police? We might mess up clues if we break and enter ourselves. You know… fingerprints or something like that.”
Everybody seemed to wait for each other. “Let me,” Ms. Gunther then spoke. Seemingly calm, she wrapped her silk scarf around her right hand and walked down to carefully slide the bolt open. She paused before pushing down the rusty door handle, biting her lip when the door swung outward with an ominously creaking sound.
Julia rushed down the stairs at once. “Anne?” she called out, stepping into the dark room behind the old cellar door after her mother. She couldn’t see a thing. Behind them, Axel shuffled down the steps holding a small flashlight he always carried on his key ring.
“Oh my God,” Ms. Gunther gasped.
In the dim light of Axel’s flashlight, they saw Anne lying on the floor. She gave no sign of life. Her hands and feet were bound with rope. Julia stifled a scream, numbly stepping aside when Gaby and Axel rushed forward to cut the ropes with Gaby’s pocket knife.
And then, she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Everything will be all right,” Michael whispered in her ear. “She’s just unconscious.”
A sob rose in her throat. Julia turned around and pressed her face against Michael’s chest. He kissed her cheeks and held her tight until she stopped shaking. When she looked up, her eyes fell on Thorsten and his mother, still standing at the top of the stairs anxiously clutching each other’s hands. “She’s okay,” she managed to utter. “She’s still alive.”
In the meantime, Axel had lifted his little cousin, cradling her in his arms as he went upstairs. Anne’s face looked white as death, but her breathing sounded regular. “You were right. She was sedated,” he told Thorsten. “This is not normal sleep.”
“How long do you think she’s been lying here like this?” Gaby asked, a hint of panic in her voice. “Chloroform can’t keep people under for this long, can it?”
“It can if he used a lot,” Thorsten said. “But a high dosage means Anne could slip into a coma. We have to call an ambulance right now.” He whipped out his cell phone and called 112.
Julia was intensely grateful for Thorsten’s level-headedness and resolve. The others, herself included, all seemed too shocked to do much. Her gaze landed on Michael, still standing next to her on the stairs. She had no idea how on earth he had managed to find her sister, but she’d be forever indebted to him. With a deep sigh, she moved closer and flung her arms around him again. “Thank you,” she whispered. “You saved her life.”
“They’re on their way,” Thorsten said as he put away his phone. “We’re gonna have to carry her to the forest edge.”
“No problem. Axel and I can take turns carrying her,” Michael offered.
“I’ll walk the first bit,” Axel nodded.
Ms. Gunther caught up with Michael when the group started moving to get to the edge of the woods. “How did you know?” she asked quietly, her voice awestruck, her eyes full of wonder.
Julia’s ears perked up – her mother was asking Michael the exact same question she’d been dying to ask.
Michael shook his head, keeping quiet for a long time. “Instinct,” he replied at last. “I… I can’t explain it. I’m sorry.”
Julia squeezed his hand. “It’s okay. Really. We’re just so happy.”
As they approached the edge of the forest, the blue flashing ambulance lights could be seen through the trees. Two paramedics lifted Anne from Michael’s arms and carefully put her on a stretcher inside the ambulance, hooking the little girl up to a monitor instantly.
Julia’s mom turned around and addressed her oldest daughter. “I’m going with them. Can you go home and tell Gran the news? As soon as I know more, I’ll call you.”
A taciturn crew watched from the bus stop as the ambulance drove away. Although they were all happy Anne was found, it wasn’t at all certain she was out of danger. Thorsten had been right about the chloroform sedation.
“We’ll be home,” Mrs. Ebner said when they all got back to their street. “If there’s news from the hospital, please let us know.”
Julia hugged both neighbors tightly. “Thanks for all your help,” she mumbled when she hugged Thorsten. “You’ve been a good friend today. I’m so sorry I didn’t trust you before.”
He smiled. “That’s all right. No worries.” He let go of her and mumbled: “By the way, Michael is a really nice guy. It’s kind of annoying, but I can’t seem to hate him.”
She smiled back. “It’s sweet of you to say that.”
“Oh, well, that’s me,” he winked. “Sweet as sugar, and nothing but praise for my competitors. I just really don’t understand how he managed to find Anne so easily.”
“Yeah, same here,” Julia mumbled. She stared at Thorsten as he went inside before turning around, deep in thought. Her friends had already gone to the living room, and when she entered, she found Axel and her grandmother huddled together on the couch, her gran crying tears of relief. “Thank God she’s alive,” she said in a trembling voice. Julia sat down to hug the old woman as well.
Once everyone had grabbed tea and cookies from the kitchen, Gaby tapped Julia on the shoulder. “Is it okay if I call Tamara? She joined Florian to go see Moritz’s band practice, but sh
e was worried sick when I told her what was going on. I haven’t talked to her since I got here.”
“Yeah, of course. They can even drop by if they want.”
“And is it okay if I order pizzas for everyone?” Michael asked. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m famished. And I don’t think anybody here feels like cooking at the moment.”
“Great plan.” Julia smiled at him.
While Gaby and Michael were each making their phone calls, Julia got up to help her grandmother make another big pot of tea in the kitchen.
“He’s a special boy, your Michael,” Gran pointed out while washing some cups in the sink. “That bright look in his eyes when he looks at people – it’s like he sees more than the rest of us do.”
Julia turned around, thoughtlessly plunking down some teabags on the table. “You think he’s got the same talent as you? You know, like a second sight or a very sharp intuition?”
Gran nodded. “It seems likely. How else could he have done what he did today?”
“I don’t know. Dumb luck?”
“Come on, my Julia. You don’t really believe that.”
“No, not really.” Julia lifted the kettle from the cooker. “He just… knows things. Especially about me. What kind of music I like. What I like doing in my spare time. He even knows the songs I wrote. You know, stuff I never even told him about.”
“And it makes you feel uneasy?”
“No! Well, maybe sometimes. I mean, I want to know how he does it, but at the same time, I don’t give a damn. He is so in love with me. What the heck does it matter that he has a way of knowing things he shouldn’t?”
Grandma slowly nodded. “Well, if you want to understand him, why don’t you ask him?”
Julia blushed. “Because I don’t want to scare him off. Maybe I’m afraid he’ll wake up one day and be like the old Michael again… the Michael who never had eyes for me.”
“My dear child, of course not. That’s nonsense. Whyever would that happen?”
“Gee, I don’t know. What made him realize he was in love with me after all? I could just as easily ask him that.”
“Well, whatever you decide, it can’t hurt to ask him what you want to know. If I were you, I’d get it out of the way if it bothers you.”
Of course her grandmother was entirely right. Most of the time, Julia managed to forget how strange the whole situation with Michael actually was, but sooner or later she’d come back to the same questions running though her head – questions she’d never get the answer to if she kept her mouth shut.
When the pizza delivery guy arrived with their food, Florian, Moritz and Tamara spilled into the hallway after him, pulling Julia into a big group hug.
“Thanks for coming,” Julia said softly amidst the friendly huddle. “We’re still waiting for news from the hospital.”
“I ordered some extra portions just in case,” Michael commented, winking at Florian when he looked up to zoom in on the pizzas.
Moritz elbowed his boyfriend in the ribs. “You’re burning holes in those boxes, you glutton. Is food all you can think about?”
Florian chuckled. “Sorry,” he lamely apologized to Julia.
“No problem,” she shrugged. “Like Michael said, there’s enough for everyone. Let’s go to the living room.”
Tamara was the first one to enter, her gaze landing on Gaby sitting on the couch holding hands with Axel. She opened her mouth to say something, then thought better of it when her sister shot her a warning glare. Smirking from ear to ear, Tamara flopped down on the couch right next to the new couple and poured herself some soda.
Julia sat down on the other couch, scooting closer to Michael when he handed her a plate with a big pizza slice on it. “I know you’re not very hungry, but you should eat something,” he said. “You’ll feel better.”
She nodded wordlessly, dutifully munching on the salami-topped slice. When her phone suddenly rang, she put down her pizza and snatched her cell off the table. It was her mom. Her hands shaking with nerves, Julia answered the call. “Hey, it’s me.”
“Hello, honey!” Ms. Gunther replied cheerfully. “Anne is awake. She’s still very weak, but she can talk and the doctor said she’s out of danger. She’ll recover just fine. Detective Spitzer just left – he recorded her testimony. She’ll be able to testify against Andreas Mittelmayer.”
“Really? That’s great!” Julia exclaimed, meeting her friends’ eyes with relief. “So they’ll keep him behind bars? Will you two be home by tonight?”
“No, that’s too soon. The doctor wants to keep Anne under observation for the night. I can sleep in the sick ward in the bed next to her, so I’ll spend the night here too.”
“Great! That’s good, that you’re allowed to stay close to her. I’ll come to the hospital first thing in the morning – I’ll call in to work.”
“Looking forward to it, sweety. Can I talk to Gran for a bit?”
Julia handed the phone to her grandmother with a smile on her face, then told her friends everything her mom had said.
“So she’s awake!” Axel said. “Good news. That means her abductor can’t lie his way out of this anymore.”
Tamara shivered. “I can’t bear to think of what would have happened if you guys hadn’t found her on time.” She gingerly looked at Julia. “Did he... was she... did he touch her while she was sedated?”
“I don’t know.” Julia tried to stop herself from picturing it. “I’ll hear all about it in the hospital tomorrow. The main thing is that she’s safe now and she’s awake. We’ll cross the next bridge when we come to it.”
“Can we visit Anne in the hospital?” Florian asked.
“You can tomorrow, but I don’t think she’ll stay there for long. They just wanted to keep her for the night, just in case.”
Julia exhaled deeply before sitting back down next to Michael to eat the rest of her pizza, her appetite finally returning.
Michael slipped an arm around her shoulders. “You should probably walk over to the neighbors and tell Thorsten and his mother the good news too,” he said.
Julia nodded, feeling her cheeks flush slightly. Why did Michael of all people have to be so considerate toward the boy next door? Thorsten and Michael seemed to genuinely like each other. Suppose they became friends – that would be awkward. Not to mention problematic.
She picked up the phone lying on the table. “I’ll send him a text,” she mumbled. “I don’t feel like going out anymore.”
After dinner, her grandmother went back to Eichet. Tomorrow, she would join Julia for a hospital visit, hopefully taking Anne and Ms. Gunther back home by noon. Gran had arranged to borrow her neighbor’s car to transport everyone.
“How about it, Gaby-Baby?” Tamara said to her sister while they were piling up empty plates. “Shall we head home too? I can’t wait to hear about the recent developments in your love life,”
Gaby instantly turned red. “Don’t be stupid.”
Her sister chuckled. “Oh, come on. I was forced to listen to you trying to inconspicuously bring up Axel in every single conversation we had all week. Well, guess what – now you can be conspicuous about him! Isn’t it just wonderful?”
Axel popped up behind them. “Am I hearing this right? You’ve been gabbing on about me to your sister?” he teased Gaby.
“Well, yeah,” Gaby replied clumsily, blushing even redder. “You think that’s lame?”
“No,” he said, cracking a shy smile. “I think it’s kind of cute.”
Gaby groaned. “I’m not cute, okay?” she said defiantly, trying her best at a dark face.
Axel pulled her into his arms. “No, of course you’re not. Sorry.” Then he kissed her, cutting off whatever Gaby was going to say next. She fell silent and leaned into him.
Julia couldn’t help but grin like an idiot at the scene unfolding in front of her. Her best friend had finally succumbed to True Love – she’d never seen Gaby this lovey-dovey with anyone.
�
�Do you all need a ride?” Moritz inquired, his face doubtful. “I don’t know if that’s gonna fit.”
“She’ll be sitting on Axel’s lap.” Tamara jabbed a thumb at her sister.
Moritz started to laugh. “Okay. That’s solved, then.” He turned to Julia. “Hey, it’s a shame I dropped by under circumstances like these, but thanks for the hospitality.”
One by one, her friends left the house until Julia found herself standing in the hallway with just Michael for company. All of a sudden, she didn’t know what attitude to adopt. It hadn’t been part of any plan to be alone with him in a deserted house at night – the only time that happened before had been back at his place, that one evening.
Abruptly, she took a step away from him. “Would you like another drink?” she blurted out. “Or were you about to go home, too?”
Classic – she’d made it sound as if she couldn’t wait for him to leave. Julia cringed inwardly.
Michael caught her gaze. “You’re nervous,” he established calmly. “You want me to leave?”
Gran was right: he really saw more than most people. “N-no, not exactly,” she stuttered. “Of course you don’t have to go.”
He stepped closer, pulling her into his chest. “So you want me to stay?” he asked softly.
She bit her lip. “Not exactly,” she whispered once more. “Or, maybe... gosh, I don’t know.”
He cracked a smile and kissed her forehead. “Why don’t you just tell me what you’re thinking?” he said seriously. “Be honest with me. Please, Julia – it bothers me when you’re afraid to be yourself around me.”
“I’m not afraid,” she protested. “I just… I don’t want it… to go like the first time we were alone together.” Her face flushed red when she heard herself utter the words.
A hurt look crossed Michael’s face. “You think I just want to stick around to have sex with you?”
Julia stiffened, shrugging noncommittally. “No. Of course not. But… well. It’s possible, right? I just don’t know. Sorry.” All her thoughts jumbled together and she looked up at him, her eyes stinging with sudden tears. Crap. That was the last thing she needed right now – another bout of tears.