CHAPTER 29: When all hope is lost…
Riri scowled, checking her watch for the umpteenth time. It’s been more than thirty minutes since Jackie excused herself.
She was starting to get worried. What if something bad had happened to her? she thought. This place was starting to get uncomfortable with the bugs and all.
“I’d better look for her!” She muttered and began treading down an unknown part. The trees all looked the same and it was impossible to tell which way she went.
Jackie said this forest was enormous, where do I even start from?
“Jackie!” She called. She had been walking for over thirty minutes but she still couldn’t find Jackie nor the entrance.
That was when she came to the realization that she was lost!
I better call for help! How do I get out of here? She placed her hand on her chest and tried to calm her racing heart.
“Don’t panic, Riri. Just take a deep breath!” She drew in a deep breath, feeling herself getting a little relaxed.
She slowly for her pocket, dipping her hands into it and searching for her phone but she couldn’t find it. That was when she recalled that she had actually left her phone at home!
She couldn’t feel relaxed anymore even the deep breaths didn’t even work. She was scared and all alone in this big forest with no way out!
********
Jackie pulled over at Miranda’s driveway.
“Remember get your lines right and don’t forget to cry. This will help with the tears.” She smirked, giving her a menthol tear stick.
“Thanks babe. You’re the best!”
“I know, Right? Relax. Riri is dead meat. Soon, the vultures will be feeding on her corpse and then you can take everything she has just like you’ve always wanted.”
“Yes!” She squealed. “First, I’ll start by taking Blake and then making him marry me. I don’t care for him all I want is his money!”
“And make sure you don’t forget me when you become super rich!” She said with air quotes.
“Of course, not, darling. I would never forget you. I’d better get going.”
“Bye!” She pecked her on the cheek, before getting off the car.
“Bye!”
Minutes later, she pulled over at the big garage at the side of the house. She quickly applied the menthol tear stick under her eyes.
“Time to show them how good of an actress I can be,” she giggled. She got out of the car and rushed into the house, crying profusely.
“Mom! Dad!” She screamed. Dionne was straddling Nate as they both kissed with a reckless abandon like two animals on heat. Dionne was almost about yanking his shirt off when she burst into the sitting room.
“What is it?” Nate asked, panicking, not minding the fact that she caught them making out, obviously about to have sex.
“Where is my daughter?” Donne asked, getting off her husband’s lap.
“Mom… Riri… She…”
“Riri what?” She yelled, getting impatient.
She tried so hard not to feel apprehensive but she just couldn’t help it. If anything happened to Riri, she wouldn’t forgive herself!
“Riri… Riri,” she bit her lips, shedding crocodile tears. Dionne couldn’t keep her cool anymore, she rushed over to her and grabbed her by her shirt.
“Tell me. What the fuck did you do to my daughter?” She demanded, furiously.
“Jackie tell us what happened. Where is Riri?”
“She’s missing. I couldn’t find her. I went over to a conner to relieve my bladder but when I got there, she was gone!”
“Gone? Where the fuck did you take my daughter to, huh? Better start talking! If anything happens to my daughter, I will kill you and gladly go to prison!” She threatened outright.
“Baby please calm down.” He placed his hand on her shoulder. His touch was soothing but that didn’t quench the anger in her heart. She felt like tearing Jackie to pieces.
“Tell us Jackie. Where did you take Riri to?”
“The forest park,” She mumbled, biting her lips.
“What?” They both yelled.
“That forest is haunted, bitch. How dare you take my daughter there?” She screamed, slapping her on her face.
Jackie held her face and wept. “How was I supposed to know? My mother used to take me there a lot. I just wanted to show her my special place, is that a crime? I would never do anything to intentionally hurt her!”
“I don’t fucking care! I swear to God if my daughter dies, I’ll kill you! Just pray nothing happens to my daughter!” She said, storming out of the sitting room.
“Dad… I…” She nibbled on her lips as she tried to explain.
“Save it. I know you didn’t have any bad intentions but let’s just hope nothing bad happens to my daughter. Knowing the status of that place, the police wouldn’t want to search it this night meaning we would have to wait another twelve hours and anything could happen during that time.”
“Dad…” He said no more, he just simply walked out.
When the cops come looking tomorrow, the only thing they’d find is her corpse. A smile of victory easily manifested on her lips. Good bye, Riri.
******
Nate walked into their bedroom and met his wife crying. She was hugging Riri’s framed picture, tightly.
She knew it was hopeless. No one ever survived a night in that forest. Could this be the end of her daughter? She couldn’t even bring herself to imagine her death.
She ran to hug her husband once he was inside the room.
“Our baby…” She cried into his arms.
“She would be fine. Nothing would happen to her.” He assured. He was very much aware that was a lie. She would never survive, she was probably dead. All hope was lost.
“Don’t try to make me feel better. We both know what happens in that forest. My poor Riri. She must be so scared. I feel like a bad mother. All I wanted to do was watch her grow but I failed as a mother. I should never have let them leave, then maybe she would still be alive!”
“Dionne don’t talk like that. She would be fine! She won’t die!” He reassured, trying so hard to suck back the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes.
“How?” She pushed him away, yelling.
“My daughter is dead and it’s my fault. I should never have let Jackie stay here. We should have sent her away when we could! Now she’s succeeded in killing my daughter. She never liked Riri. I was a fool to think she would change. She’s just like her scheming and criminal father!”This belongs to NôvelDrama.Org.
“Don’t talk like that, baby! She didn’t mean for any of that to happen!”
She gazed at him in surprise. “Are you that dumb? Can’t you see the handwriting on the wall? Now I know where Riri got her naivety, gullibility and soft-heartedness from, it was from you! If she had been more like me, none of this would have happened!”
“Dionne…”
“I’d better call Blake maybe he could help!”
She picked up her phone and dialed his number. He answered the call almost immediately and she didn’t even wait for him to mutter a ‘hello’ before breaking the news to him.
“Blake, Riri is missing!”
“What?!” He thundered.