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Chapter Thirty-one

Chapter Thirty-One

Panic welled up inside Michael. His heart thundered so violently against his ribs that it hurt and his entire body shook.

Where was Allie? Why had she left him?

"Allie!" he yelled as he raced toward the door. He ran so quickly that he forgot about his left leg's lameness and it became tangled up in the rug on the floor. Michael was knocked off balance and his body pitched forward. Pain radiated throughout him as he slammed against the floor and blood filled his mouth.

"Michael!" he heard Martha cry out but he didn't care about her. All he could think of was Allie. Why had she left? Where was she?

"Allie!" he cried out even more loudly as he struggled to get to his hands and knees.

Why wouldn't she come when he called for her?

"Michael, calm down," Amelia's voice broke through his fear and panic. Amelia was here.. Allie would never leave for good without Amelia.

"Allie? I n..need Allie. Where did sh..she go?" Michael whispered as Amelia helped him to his feet.

"I don't know," Amelia admitted, her brown eyes, so much like Allie's, darting to the door and then back to his face. "But I'll go find her. You stay here with Martha."

Michael couldn't explain the pure panic he was still feeling inside. The sight of Amelia had ebbed it some but still it lingered there, clawing and pacing inside of him. He shook his head as he pulled away from Amelia, "I'll find her."

"Michael, you don't need to go out there right now, you're too worried," Amelia countered calmly. "I'm sure she didn't go far. She wouldn't leave without me."

"But why did she leave me?" Michael whispered. "Why would she go when she said she would stay?"

Amelia offered him a sad little smile that did nothing to ease his worried mind, "I don't know but I'll find out, okay? Stay here with Martha."

Michael could do little more than nod as Martha put her arm around his shoulders and led him back to the bed. He sat down hard and watched Amelia dash out of the room, closing the door behind her.

"Are you okay, Michael?" Martha questioned with concern as she laid the back of her hand over his head as if checking for fever.

"No," he replied honestly. "I n...need her. Why did she leave?"

Martha shook her head, "I have no idea, Michael. You know her much better than I do."

Michael felt overwhelmed and terrified. If Allie was beside him he could force himself to face anything but without her....? Whimpering, Michael reached for the blanket and wrapped it around himself, covering his head and pulling it tight as if it were his cloak.

"What are you doing?" Martha inquired with confusion.

"I'm s..scared," Michael whispered.

"There's no need to be scared," Martha assured him. "I'm with you."

He chewed his lip and simply stared at that door, praying that at any moment Allie would come running back through.

***

Allie's feet carried her quickly over the rutted streets. Her eyes were blinded by hot, unshed tears. She had no idea where she was going, no idea where her legs were taking her, all she knew was that she had to run.