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Jane has always hated this part -- the leaving. It is not unusual for people to leave the Safe Haven, it's a place for people to stay if they want, and to leave when they want or feel ready. It's always been a bittersweet situation. Jane considers anyone in the Safe Haven as Family, and as Family, she always wants what’s best for them. If what they think is best is for them is to leave, then she’s all for it and will support them and always welcome them back, but it’s always hard to lose someone, to say goodbye. It's especially worse in those cases where some just up and leave without a word. It's harder not to be able to even say goodbye.
She remembered the last time she saw Nakoda at the house, the day previously. All seemed fine. It was maybe late into the afternoon, almost the evening. She was in the kitchen when Jane went in to grab a cup of tea before escaping for the rest of the night to the little shed on the property where all her paints were. Nakoda seemed normal. Usually, the residents who up and left seemed nervous for a day or two before they vanished. They were always a little anxious -- always had that little crease on their forehead that showed how hard they were trying not to blurt the whole truth out or say something telling. It's only happened twice before, people up and leaving in the night, but both residents had come back maybe a few months later just to let the house know they were okay. It was utterly nerve racking not to know what happened or where they are. They always left like that because they wanted to leave without having to say goodbye. Some people don't deal with those well, it was understandable to a point, But there's always the concern in the back of Jane's head that it was something else, someone else. It was no different in this instance.
It was early in the morning, around six A.M, just when the sun was just beginning to rise. Jane stood in the open doorway of Nakoda's room. It looked the same. It didn't seem as if she had taken anything with her. The bed was still mussed from where she had slept, either from last night or the night before. Something was odd. Most people would at least take some possessions with them, whether it be clothes or some little knick knacks that held emotional significance. Then again, some people wanted a completely fresh start. Someone else had left all their stuff once before as well.
Jane walked into the room, a bit tentatively and slow. She felt sort of like she was crossing some personal boundary. Without touching anything, she looked at the desk and around the room, searching for a possible trace of a note. There was nothing. An odd uncertainty and anxiety settled in her stomach, and before she had any other thought, Jane left the room and raced down the steps to the front door, throwing on her coat to protect her from the cool morning air that greeted her as she closed the door behind her. It was possible Nakoda went into town before Jane had woken up, but she never heard anything. Nakoda also wasn’t the type to take an early 6 A.M stroll into town, but Jane had to look. She didn’t usually do this, she didn’t hover over the residents and expect them to tell her their location at every point in the day, but Jane just had a bad feeling about this, and her impulsive nature took control.
The town of Boothbay Harbour was maybe a thirty-minute walk away from the house, less time by car. Jane tended to always opt out of taking the car, considering she always had the fear in the back of her mind of crashing it. But, as much as she would prefer to walk, she knew she didn't have the luxury of the extra time it'd take her to get to town without the car. She had no idea when Nakoda had left -- if she would still be in an around the area. So, the sooner Jane could get around, the sooner she might find out what happened. Unlocking the car in which was the only one of her father's she hadn't sold when she got hold of all her parent's possessions, she quickly backed out of the lot and drove down the empty early morning road, her green eyes flickering in every direction, trying to find the girl.
A familiar row of shops greeted Jane as she drove into the town. Even though it was early morning, it was busy. People sat at small café's, joggers went by in groups, couples walked their perky dogs. It was the summer time; it was always busier in the town during summer. Boothbay was a known tourist area, and where Jane didn't really like the excessive amount of people, she was grateful that for the rest of the seasons, everything went pretty null and quiet. As much as she liked to travel and experience new things, she still wasn't the greatest fan of crowds.
Jane spent a good two hours driving around the small town which should only take around twenty minutes to get around entirely. Jane went up and down every one of the all too familiar roads at least five times each. She even went out of the town bounds for a bit as well, but there was still no trace of the familiar looking girl. In a final attempt, Jane pulled into one of the parking spots at the long stretch of beach and sea. She wasn't able to drive around the entire perimeter, and she knew this beach had a long span of land. It was unlikely Nakoda was here, but this was the only other place Jane could think of to look. Closing the car door behind her, the familiar smell of the sea and the humid breeze that often calmed her nerves, as it reminded her of the feeling of home, did little to soothe her still anxious state. She felt distracted; she only had a single goal in mind. Jane began walking up the sandy area, but despite passing a few people during the long walk, none of them was Nakoda. It was possible Jane had missed her, or at least she hoped, but three hours had passed since the start of her search. If Nakoda had just gone for a walk, she’d most likely be at the house by now. If not? She was gone.
On the drive back home, Jane stopped in a little market just to pick up some food as the home stock was running low. She tried to shoulder all five paper bags herself, but mixed with her distracted state and bad shoulder, they began dropping. Reluctantly, she let the bag boy help her take the groceries to her car and load them up for her. Giving a friendly thanks, she got back into her car and drove back home.
The house was large, there was a lot of space in which someone could be. Before she had checked Nakoda’s room early in the morning, she made note that she had not been in any other part of the house that morning. There were a lot of empty rooms some of the residents liked to escape to, but they’d all been empty when she’d checked. Popping the trunk of the car, she took out three bags, intending to go back and grab the other two later, before she went up to the house and struggled to unlock the door. As soon as she entered inside, she dumped the three bags on the kitchen counter, and still with the single focused goal in mind, went around the house, calling down every corridor, “Nakoda? You here?”, but got no reply from the girl’s voice she wanted to hear.
Nakoda’s room still looked the same, empty and untouched.
Going back down the stairs, she made her way into the kitchen and sat herself down on the one of the stools at the counter, unease sketched on her face. She hoped Nakoda had left without saying goodbye. As much as Jane wanted a goodbye, and as much as it would hurt not knowing why she left, it was better than the alternative. It was better than the alternative that maybe someone had taken her or someone had done something to her. Jane just needed to know.
She remembered the last time she saw Nakoda at the house, the day previously. All seemed fine. It was maybe late into the afternoon, almost the evening. She was in the kitchen when Jane went in to grab a cup of tea before escaping for the rest of the night to the little shed on the property where all her paints were. Nakoda seemed normal. Usually, the residents who up and left seemed nervous for a day or two before they vanished. They were always a little anxious -- always had that little crease on their forehead that showed how hard they were trying not to blurt the whole truth out or say something telling. It's only happened twice before, people up and leaving in the night, but both residents had come back maybe a few months later just to let the house know they were okay. It was utterly nerve racking not to know what happened or where they are. They always left like that because they wanted to leave without having to say goodbye. Some people don't deal with those well, it was understandable to a point, But there's always the concern in the back of Jane's head that it was something else, someone else. It was no different in this instance.
It was early in the morning, around six A.M, just when the sun was just beginning to rise. Jane stood in the open doorway of Nakoda's room. It looked the same. It didn't seem as if she had taken anything with her. The bed was still mussed from where she had slept, either from last night or the night before. Something was odd. Most people would at least take some possessions with them, whether it be clothes or some little knick knacks that held emotional significance. Then again, some people wanted a completely fresh start. Someone else had left all their stuff once before as well.
Jane walked into the room, a bit tentatively and slow. She felt sort of like she was crossing some personal boundary. Without touching anything, she looked at the desk and around the room, searching for a possible trace of a note. There was nothing. An odd uncertainty and anxiety settled in her stomach, and before she had any other thought, Jane left the room and raced down the steps to the front door, throwing on her coat to protect her from the cool morning air that greeted her as she closed the door behind her. It was possible Nakoda went into town before Jane had woken up, but she never heard anything. Nakoda also wasn’t the type to take an early 6 A.M stroll into town, but Jane had to look. She didn’t usually do this, she didn’t hover over the residents and expect them to tell her their location at every point in the day, but Jane just had a bad feeling about this, and her impulsive nature took control.
The town of Boothbay Harbour was maybe a thirty-minute walk away from the house, less time by car. Jane tended to always opt out of taking the car, considering she always had the fear in the back of her mind of crashing it. But, as much as she would prefer to walk, she knew she didn't have the luxury of the extra time it'd take her to get to town without the car. She had no idea when Nakoda had left -- if she would still be in an around the area. So, the sooner Jane could get around, the sooner she might find out what happened. Unlocking the car in which was the only one of her father's she hadn't sold when she got hold of all her parent's possessions, she quickly backed out of the lot and drove down the empty early morning road, her green eyes flickering in every direction, trying to find the girl.
A familiar row of shops greeted Jane as she drove into the town. Even though it was early morning, it was busy. People sat at small café's, joggers went by in groups, couples walked their perky dogs. It was the summer time; it was always busier in the town during summer. Boothbay was a known tourist area, and where Jane didn't really like the excessive amount of people, she was grateful that for the rest of the seasons, everything went pretty null and quiet. As much as she liked to travel and experience new things, she still wasn't the greatest fan of crowds.
Jane spent a good two hours driving around the small town which should only take around twenty minutes to get around entirely. Jane went up and down every one of the all too familiar roads at least five times each. She even went out of the town bounds for a bit as well, but there was still no trace of the familiar looking girl. In a final attempt, Jane pulled into one of the parking spots at the long stretch of beach and sea. She wasn't able to drive around the entire perimeter, and she knew this beach had a long span of land. It was unlikely Nakoda was here, but this was the only other place Jane could think of to look. Closing the car door behind her, the familiar smell of the sea and the humid breeze that often calmed her nerves, as it reminded her of the feeling of home, did little to soothe her still anxious state. She felt distracted; she only had a single goal in mind. Jane began walking up the sandy area, but despite passing a few people during the long walk, none of them was Nakoda. It was possible Jane had missed her, or at least she hoped, but three hours had passed since the start of her search. If Nakoda had just gone for a walk, she’d most likely be at the house by now. If not? She was gone.
On the drive back home, Jane stopped in a little market just to pick up some food as the home stock was running low. She tried to shoulder all five paper bags herself, but mixed with her distracted state and bad shoulder, they began dropping. Reluctantly, she let the bag boy help her take the groceries to her car and load them up for her. Giving a friendly thanks, she got back into her car and drove back home.
The house was large, there was a lot of space in which someone could be. Before she had checked Nakoda’s room early in the morning, she made note that she had not been in any other part of the house that morning. There were a lot of empty rooms some of the residents liked to escape to, but they’d all been empty when she’d checked. Popping the trunk of the car, she took out three bags, intending to go back and grab the other two later, before she went up to the house and struggled to unlock the door. As soon as she entered inside, she dumped the three bags on the kitchen counter, and still with the single focused goal in mind, went around the house, calling down every corridor, “Nakoda? You here?”, but got no reply from the girl’s voice she wanted to hear.
Nakoda’s room still looked the same, empty and untouched.
Going back down the stairs, she made her way into the kitchen and sat herself down on the one of the stools at the counter, unease sketched on her face. She hoped Nakoda had left without saying goodbye. As much as Jane wanted a goodbye, and as much as it would hurt not knowing why she left, it was better than the alternative. It was better than the alternative that maybe someone had taken her or someone had done something to her. Jane just needed to know.