Chapter 39

A girl was crying helplessly inside a dark cave. She was feeling cold and tired from trying to find her way out of the cave. Every passageway led her to nowhere and her legs could not go on any longer.

So she slumped herself on the cold ground and leaned her back into the wall. She closed her eyes momentarily to gather her thoughts after frantically searching everywhere. She felt like she was going blind from looking through the darkness.

The battery of her phone was starting to flicker as she tried once more to roam it around the area. If only she could get a signal, then perhaps she could have called her mother.

She regretted now for not even bothering to call her mother before she decided to come with Kellan. Somehow, she suddenly hated him for luring her inside the cave.

Sasha was all alone and lost. She didn't know which path she took as she was separated from Kellan. They had gone to the cave all by themselves. No one knew. Everyone thought they were just at the beach, playing in the sand. Bernie, who was with them at the beach, had fallen asleep that made their escape easier.

"Do you want to see the cave, Sasha?" Kellan asked as soon as Bernie fell asleep.

In his mind, it was the perfect opportunity to have an adventure. The cave was only a mile away and no one had explored it for years. He desperately wanted to show it to Sasha since it was her first time to go there.

"The cave? Do you know where it is?" Sasha asked excitedly, clapping her hands.

"Yes. So, do you want to go?"

"Of course!" she exclaimed and Kellan took her hand.

After awhile...

"Are you sure you know the way?" Sasha asked, breathlessly, after they had walked for fifteen minutes. It was surely a hike as they go through the forest.

"Don't worry, Sasha. Trust me, okay," Kellan replied, winking at her.

She giggled in delight.

She had trusted him... only to be left alone now in the dark.

The adventure that was supposed to be fun had turned into a nightmare as complicated passageways had popped up in front of them. But since she trusted Kellan and he seemed to know the way, she felt confident.

Soon, they came to a passage that glistened. She stopped to admire it.

"C'mon, Sasha. We're closer. This is where it is. Hurry up! They are beautiful, you got to see it," he said eagerly.

"Okay," but she was not paying attention to him as she lifted her phone to look at some precious stones sticking out from the walls of the cave. She looked closely and touched them as different colors glistened throughout the walls and on the ground. Her eyes widened in amazement.

"Ohmigod! These are beautiful," she exclaimed as she picked one. Gems! Different colors of gem stones she had never seen before. Carefully placing it on her palm, she admired the pink gem and smiled. Her mom would surely loved it.

She placed the rock inside the pocket of her dress. It was a good thing the dress her mother gave her had two pockets to put her new found treasure in. One of the reasons why she loved it because of its pockets aside from it being one of the rare beautiful presents her mom had given her.

"Kellan, wait up!" she called but there was no response.

Sasha lifted her phone to light up the way and ahead of her were two passages.

Which one should she go? The left or right?

She didn't know where Kellan went so she called again, hoping he would hear her.

"Kellan? Kellan! Where are you?"

But there was nothing.

Her voice quivered as she tried calling him again.

"KELLAN!!!! Kellan!" she called, desperately. Her eyes searched frantically everywhere in the dark.

She searched for any sign of movement, but there was none.

She gasped.

What was she going to do now?

********

"Sasha... where are you?" Alex kept calling Sasha's phone but there was no answer. She paced in the living room as she tried once again.

"Try Kellan's phone," Laura suggested. Her heart paced faster like Alex but she tried to remain calm for everyone. She could feel the tension building up as she remained mostly silent the whole time.

As much as she wanted to meddle, she couldn't. Robbie and Alex had to figure this all out by themselves as Sasha's parents.

But of course, she would try her best to help whenever they asked her.

"I'll do it," Robbie replied, thankful for his mother. He dialed the number, and it rang but there was no answer.

Robbie shook his head as he tried again.

"Oh my god! This is all my fault. If I have been more attentive, this would not happen," Bernie said worriedly.

"Don't blame yourself, Bernie," as Laura tried to comfort him.

"But this is not the only time this happened," Bernie blurted out before he could stop himself.

Robbie caught it and creased his brows.

"What do you mean this is not the first time? Did something happen before that I was not aware of?" and he looked at Alex. "Do you know about this?"

"Well, Sasha told me last night," and she glanced at Bernie who lowered his eyes in guilt. "She said she almost drowned."

Robbie gritted his teeth in anger.

"So you knew but you haven't told me. No one said any word that my daughter almost drowned and now what?! She was missing and we didn't know where she was. What am I to you, huh? Alex! Don't I have the right to know what is happening to my daughter?"

"It's not her fault, Robbie. It's all mine. I have told the kids not to say anything," Bernie answered.

"Even so, Alex," he aimed at her, ignoring what Bernie said. "You could still have told me."

"I would but -"

"But you decided not to. Like what you did ten years ago by keeping her away from me. Hiding her from me. You're really good at lying, don't you, Alex?" he accused her.

Alex gaped at him.

"What the hell do you mean by that, Robbie? I am trying my best to keep our daughter safe. Don't you dare blame this on me!" she spat out.

Laura had been watching the couple's banter and she couldn't help not to barge in.

"Please, this is no time for arguments. We are all worried about Sasha and right now, what we have to do was to find both kids before sunset. It'll be harder to find them when it gets dark. So please, let's do something instead of bickering at each other," Laura told them.

Robbie let out a deep breath before speaking. But his eyes still focused on Alex.

"I'll call Philip. He might be able to help us," he said and dialed the number.

It took two rings before someone picked it up.

"Hello. Is this Philip Cross?"

"Yes, Sir, speaking," answered a male voice on the other line.

"My daughter is missing with another boy named Kellan. Can you help us find them?"

"How old are the children?"

"My daughter is ten and Kellan is fifteen."

"Where do you think they had gone, Sir?"

"We're not sure yet but I'm suspecting the cave."

"Very well, Sir. Can you come down to the station?"

"Yes. I'll go there with my wife."

'Wife? Did he just say wife?' Alex thought. 'Of all the things he could call her, why a wife?'

She didn't know what she should feel about it but a part of her felt different. Being called his wife felt just right at that moment, especially when they were looking for their daughter.

Alex ignored those thoughts away as Robbie took her hand. She looked at him as he held his phone.

"We will meet you soon, Mr. Magsano."

"We'll see you."

They hung up.

Without a word, he dragged her out of the room leaving his mom and Bernie by themselves hoping for Sasha's safety.