That One Moment...

Chapter 13

Sarah didn't know how long she had been walking. Before that, she had sat for a bit. Thinking back even further, she remembered walking and throwing up as well. 

Great job, Sarah. She again wondered how she had gotten here? These shoes were really not made for this much walking. Tonight sure hadn't turned out the way she planned it to. 

Fishing around in her hoodie for her phone, she glanced again at the signal...still nothing. She was cold, tired, and had a pounding headache. All she wanted was to be home in bed. With a fleeting wish of just a small signal, she glanced longingly at her phone one last time.

Holy shit...it was there. ROAMING. Who to call? Don't move, don't lose the signal.

Without thinking she pulled up a name and pushed call.

A frantic voice answered: "Hello. Hello? Sarah, is that you? Are you ok? Where are you? Are you ok?"

"Ryan? I didn't know who else to call. I don't know why I thought of you. Are you ok? What is wrong?" Sarah was rambling. "I need help. I'm lost and tired and cold and done. I don't want to be here anymore."

Sarah thought she heard a scream on the other side of the phone, plus a bunch of other noises and Ryan shushing. What was going on? Had she interrupted something?

"I'm sorry if I interrupted you. I'll just call someone else. Sorry."

"NO!" Ryan rushed, "Don't hang up. Don't hang up. Where are you?"

"I'm not sure. I started walking and lost track of where I was. My phone didn't have a signal and I couldn't pull up a map and figure it out. It feels like I have been walking forever."

"What do you see?" Sarah thought that might be Leo. He sounded concerned. That was odd. She hadn't really talked to him that much, or ever really except their incident together.

"Um. I'm on a kindof paved road, but there is another road that's dirt nearby. It looks like every other country intersection with trees and a drainage. No houses around. Don't know if I'd wake people even if there were."

Leo interjected again "Any street signs?"

"County Road 5 and maybe Lincoln or Linville, hard to read that one."

She heard a more distant, "Hey, did you here that? Search those intersections on your phone."

"Sarah. Stay on the phone and stay put for right now. Are you ok?" It was Ryan again. Why did he keep asking if I was ok? I just told him I was tired and lost. That isn't exactly ok, but I know I am not dying or anything.

After a slight pause, Sarah heard him say "I think we have you. Stay put. I am on the way."

Sarah liked the sound of that. She walked over to a rock on the other side of the intersection. It looked like a good place to sit. After getting there, Sarah realized she forgot about the phone and a signal. The line was dead. Hurrying back over to where she had been standing, no matter how she moved or held her phone, she could not get roaming back. Great...might as well chill on the comfy rock. It was just about big enough to lay down in a fetal position. Not too bad really.

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Sarah jerked awake. Ouch...maybe that rock wasn't as comfy as she first thought. Well, it appears she had fallen asleep though. What had woken her? Where was Ryan?

"Sarah" she heard called. That must have been what woke her. Popping up into a sitting position, Sarah tried to respond but it took a few minutes for her voice to work.