E/LENA

CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT

“Hey!” Ella said as she completely hailed out of the car with a frown.

“H-Hi.” She replied nervously, that made Ella frowned more.

“What are you doing here alone at this hour?” She asked wondering why Elena would be at this kind of place.

“U-Um, I just visit my parents grave over that cemetery, but I didn’t know that there will be no bus will passed here at this hour.” Elena explained.

She just nod, for that was enough and turn her back on Elena, and opened the driver’s seat again and hailed in.

She start the engine, and rolled the window on the passenger’s side and peek at Elena who just remain standing their looking pitiful that made her eyes rolled in annoyance. Why did I ever stopped when I saw Elena in the first place? She said to herself and groan.

“I really hate this!” she murmured as she peek again to see Elena.

“Hey! Are you just going to remain there standing? Hop in!” She said.

That made Elena rose her gaze to her, and smile timidly. “Can I really hop in?”

Ella’s eyes rolled again from Elena’s question and stared at her with annoyance.

“Then, are you just going to stay look pitiful there, waiting for your bus to arrive? Just freaking hop in or else I will leave you here!” She said now really annoyed for her conscience is striking in.

She saw Elena nod, and timidly went closer to the car and hailed in that made Ella’s eyes rolled again for the third time.

“Thank you Ella, for stopping.” Elena said gratefully, with a gentle smile.

“Whatever!” Ella said, and started to maneuver her car out of the highway again.

The whole duration of the drive was so silent and the only thing that they can both hear is the engine of the car.

As they went closer to the city, Elena spoke up. “C-Can you j-just dropped me at the park?”

Ella didn’t replied, but she saw her taking the path towards the park that she want to get down, and they arrived in no time, for Ella made the drive fast.

She hailed out of the car after thanking Ella, but Ella didn’t say anything but she nod in response, and drove the car just like that, but Elena didn’t mind it, for a smile is plastered on her lips as she followed Ella’s car.

She was thankful that even Ella is so vocal about hating her, still she stopped and let her hop in her car.

Elena watch Ella’s disappeared before she turn around and see the busy evening streets. The delicious smell of the food in street food stall ner her made her stomach grumble in hunger, that made her blushed in embarrassment when some of the passers by look at her, as they heard her stomach for it was too loud.

Biting her lips out of embarrassment, she slightly bowed before, shyly went to the street food stall just a few meters from her.

Elena ordered a food, that she and her Mommy Dan had always buy whenever they will stroll in this park, for that is the only street foods she only know to eat, and remembering the times when her Mommy Dan is alive sadden her, but she also remove that sad memories immediately.

As she finished her food, she decided to stroll a bit around the park, but she back out immediately when she saw Ian walking at the right side of the park away from her.

She roamed her gaze and saw some on the men that her grandpa had is also there roaming around, luckily they didn’t see her a while ago when she was eating, and now they are just a few meters away, she hurriedly left the park and decided to mixed to the people who are walking on the other side of the road.

She should find a place to stay for tonight, for tomorrow she will going to find Raffy and ended what she must’ve have ended is she would’ve not just being a coward.

 Elena seek for a cheap room that she can stay or the night, but she found none. Then she remembered that their still in the season where the tourist is coming to their city to have vacation, for their city is also known for the countless resorts and casino that is famous to many tourist on the nearby country.

Leaving defeat after she found none to stay, she found herself taking the path towards the village where she was leaving.

She just halted when she realize where her feet took her without her noticing, for her mind is busy wandering around.

“What the!” she uttered when she saw herself at the entrance gate of the village where her house that she inherited from her foster parents is located.

Hissing, Elena was about to turn around and leave when she suddenly felt her feet ache because of the long walked that she did starting this morning. Sighing, in defeat she decided to take the path where her house is located.

“There is nothing wrong I will stay there  just for this night right?” she asked to herself.

She arrived infront of her house, and she suddenly felt sadness to the whole house is dark, and the only thing that lightened the house is the lamp post on the street. Elena also look at the house across hers which is Ms. Estrella’s and just like her house it is also looks sad and gloomy.

Elena took the path towards the backdoor where she is placing her spare key just in case, and now she can finally use it.

As Elena went inside from her backdoor the familiar scent of her house filled her nostrils that made her smile. “I am home Mommy Dan, Daddy Al.” she said inside her head.

She didn’t bother to open any lights for she was too tired and she need to be careful to stay hidden, as long as she didn’t do what is her reason why did she escape even though her heart broke by thinking how her Aunt and grandpa must be worried about her.

As soon as she arrive at her room, Elena let herself fall onto her bed, that is still clean. Her Aunt Elle told her that she got someone cleaning her house once a  week after she left, and that one is another she was grateful as well, her Aunt Elle didn’t abandon her house even she left them months ago without a word.

Elena didn’t notice that had sleep while reminiscing and out of tiredness for the whole day hide and seek that she had with Mr. Vaughn’s men.

--

“Have you found her?” Ms. Estrella asked as soon as Ian come out of the car.

They have been searching around the city, and even in the possible places that Ms. Estrella mention to them that Elena will go, but their still haven’t found her, and he is getting worried that something might really happened to Elena, or Raffy might have found her.

That’s why he also inform his subordinates who is also looking where is Raffy to inform him if they will see Elena, for he is sure that Elena might not be found by Raffy, but Elena would sure to find him, but he really hope the both things that he is thinking have not happened yet, for it is dangerous for Elena.

Ms. Estrella’s shoulder fell from disappointment from what Ian had said, but she shove off that disappointment immediately and so as her shoulder and look at Ian and the men who had just went out of the car with a small gentle smile.

“You men, had been through a lot searching Elena. Thank you for your hard work.” She said to them.

The men gave her also a smile and bow a bit as a sign that they recognize what she had said, and as for Ian, he thanked her also.

Ian went also to Mr. Vaughn and report to him what happened to the whole day of searching. He saw worried, disappointed and sadness that he also see on Ms. Estrella’s eyes in Mr. Vaughn’s eyes.

Mr. Vaughn sigh deeply, and just went back to what is he doing, like nothing happened.

“Don’t just stand there, and find Elena again, don’t come to me until you found her. I don’t want you to disappoint me over and over again.” Mr. Vaughn said while his eyes are on the paper that he is signing.

“I’m sorry sir.” Ian said apologetically, before he bowed and left Mr. Vaughn in the office alone.

Leaving Mr. Vaughn with a heavy heart for worrying Elena, thinking where she is now. Hope that his men will find her as soon as possible. He had lost Elena’s mother and he can’t bare to lose Elena also.

On the other hand, Ian called his subordinates and give another instruction to search Elena more harder, for the danger is her. After that, the men went away and started to look for Elena in the middle of the night. While him he rode his car and speed away towards the last place that he thinks will Elena be that he just remembered a while ago.

--

Elena woke up by the sound of a car engine parking outside. Slowly, Elena get up to check it, by opening her window blinds a bit.

Her brows knotted when she saw a man coming down the car,  but she can’t see his face for it is against the light, but the man’s built is familiar to her.

Her eyes balled when she remembered who is the man owning that kind of built, and no other than, Ian!

The man went closer to her house and stare at it. Elena slowly let go of the blinds preventing it to create movement that can’t obviously see on the outside.

Luckily she had, locked the door and didn’t turn off the lights like she had foresee, his grandpa or Ian might go here to look for her.

Elena was about to peek again at the window when she heard a noise coming from her back door, that made her heart beat fast.

Elena calmed herself down to think what she will going to do and roam her eyes around her room to find a place she can hide, when she heard a sound of a bang on her back door made her froze as she heard her back door opened.

On the other hand, Ian decided to open the house backdoor as his instincts kick in that Elena is inside the house, and one of the proof is the pot that looks like that had been move just a while ago for it was still wet. The pot can’t be move by a mere wind only for it is too heavy unless someone will move it and that is only Elena.

He had a hard time to open the doorknob using his skills, that he was able to create noises. A sound of a click inside the door knob indicates that he succeed unlocking the knob.

He twist the knob, but he didn’t notice that the door had a spring on it because of the darkness, that resulting a loud bang when he let go of the door when he entered.

He became more alert because of that. The house was too dark and now that he had enter the house he can’t see a single trace that Elena is here, but he can’t be fooled for Elena knows that.

The light coming from the lamp post outside helped him to have the visual of the house, and saw that it is clean, and again no trace of Elena.

He decided, to go to the hallway and found the two rooms that Elena might be hiding. He first the both knobs of the room and find it locked.

He knows, that what is he doing is trespassing, but he will going to search everywhere to find Elena.

Ian took fist the right room knob and unlock it, that he was able to do it fast for the knob was just simple knob, unlike the one at the back door and at the from who was really hard to unlocked that had took him three minutes to unlocked.

He opened the door and this time he decided to open the light in it. He stilled when he saw a family portrait of a two oldies couple and a teen Elena in it. Placed at the wall, the room seemed untouched for a long time.

“She’s not here.” He uttered and turn the lights off and left the room.

And now he is facing the last door that the house has,  and barged in it. The familiar scent of Elena filled his nostrils that made him recognize that this is Elena’s room.

He didn’t waste anytime and search everywhere that Elena can hide, but he found none. Though he is positive that Elena is really here, for her bedsheet crumpled which is only mean that someone had laid in there.

“Come on Elena, I know you’re here. Stop hiding and let’s go home.” He said inside the empty room.

Hoping if Elena is still somewhere in this house, she would probably will show up out from where is she hiding.

“Your Aunt Elle and Mr. Vaughn is worried sick about, you that’s why, can you please come out?” Ian said.

Elena can hear all Ian had said, for she was just hiding in the attic. Which is her secret room where she can read books whenever she wanted to be alone when she was a in her teen age.

While Ian was on unlocking her room knob, she was able to hid here by the ladder that her Daddy Al made for her, to go up to the attic.

“I’m sorry, Ian but I can’t turn back now.” She uttered while lying on the attic.